Prevelo Zulu One Review

Zulu One Review: The first item we took note of when we started our Prevelo Zulu One review was the Tektro HD M276 hydraulic disc brake set. The second feature we noticed was the internally routed rear brake cable. It spans a whopping 7.25 inches from port-to-port along the top tube of this 14 inch wheel kids’ bike. The third thing we liked on this bike right away was the bash guard protecting the 25t front gear ring and chain. With such a low profile, the addition of a the ring guard is a pretty smart move.

You can purchase one of these for your 3-5 year old on the Prevelo website.

Assembling The Prevelo Zulu One

We love it when bike manufacturers include all the necessary tools to get your kids rolling. And, that’s the case with the Prevelo Zulu One. They include a pedal wrench and the appropriate hex keys to assemble the bike. Prevelo also makes sure that all the assembly that can be done with this bike- is done when you take it out of the box. This is a big deal if you have ever had to set up disc brakes. Not to worry with the Zulu One because the bolt-on wheels are already attached to the fork and BOXT rear drop outs.

At a minimum you only have to attach the pedals, and affix the handlebars to the stem. If your child is on the small end of the fit range for this bike, you can swap out the installed seat post for the included shorter option. If you get in early with this bike, it means it could fit your child for well over 18 months.

Our 12 year old got this aluminum/alloy framed bike ready to go. Then it passed dad’s QA testing. Mom exclaimed “Wow. I wish my bike was that color.” It’s true. The semi-luminescent gun-metal gray paint job with red accents make this bike a looker. The photos can’t quite capture the slight reflective paint job, but it’s attractive.

Perfectly Dialed in!

Oh yeah, did we also mention the reach for the brake levers is adjustable? Take a look at the illustration from Tektro to see where a 2mm hex key will allow you to adjust the distance your kiddo needs to wrap their paws around the brake levers.

The claimed weight for the Zulu One on the Prevelo site is 15.9 lbs. We confirmed this using the tried-and-true bathroom scale method. A 520mm wide Heir handlebar with 35mm rise and 25.4mm – 19mm taper will allow you to adjust the bars for your child’s reach. Kid-sized grips are also a feature of the Zulu One.

The Prevelo Zulu One, At-A-Glance Numbers

The 14 inch aluminum wheels are paired with 2.1 inch wide Innova tires. The tread on the tires is impressive for a bike this small because they’re definitely not street tires. A 85mm long crankset was spec’d to accommodate your your 3-5 year old’s inseam.

The minimum seat height is 16 inches and the maximum seat height for the Prevelo Zulu One is 25 inches. Again, this is due to the 2 seat posts included with the bike. We strongly encourage you to check out the rest of the measurements on the Prevelo website . They are located under the Zulu One page’s SPECS tab to confirm this bike is the best kids bike for your child.

Riding The Prevelo Zulu One

After a few minutes of getting used to the Zulu One, our rider was standing up and pedaling like a pro. We even rotated the brakes on the handlebars so he could stand up at speed on the pedals in a race position.

Fit is paramount when selecting a mountain bike for your child. A proper fitting bike allows your kid to ride safely and utilize all the features a bike has to offer. The end result is more fun for everyone. And, that was certainly the case with this little guy and the Prevelo Zulu One. He definitely approved of the disc brakes and learned how to feather them evenly. He was crushing corners like a boss in no time.

Our test rider loved the Prevelo Zulu One right away because he is an experienced BMX rider. The combination of the bike’s features and our rider’s skill set were a perfect fit.

Like with full-sized adult bikes, the geometry of a kid’s bike is important. The ergonomics of the Zulu One’s frameset and crank length allowed our little shredder to comfortably ride in the saddle and dance on the pedals through the berms.

The 2.1 inch wide Innova tires loved the pump track. They gripped the dusty wood features at the bike park without slips or slide-outs.

Our Ultima Parola On The Prevelo Zulu One

Of course this single-speed kids’ bike can be ridden on the sidewalks and paved trails. However, the bike’s quality construction and build deserve more. Simply put, this bike wants to get messy. The disc brakes and grippy tires yearn to gobble up dirt as your family gets off-road for the first time. This bike will provide new experiences for your mountain biking family. We’re happy to state the Prevelo Zulu One is going to be a wonderful first mountain bike for a lot of children in the years to come.

More family time and more skills!

As an added bonus with this bike (if you don’t already know how), you may wish to learn how to change brake pads and bleed brakes with your kids. Owning this bike means additional maintenance and it introduces the opportunity to do yet another bike related activity with your kids. This is just another example of how owning and riding bikes together can help you bond with your little ones and spend some quality time together.