Reviews Archives - Page 9 of 10 - Mountain Biking With Kids

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

Woom 5 Review

The Woom 5 comes from a line up of children’s bikes crafted with the intent of enabling kids to become cyclists through positive experiences. The bike weighs just under 18.5 pounds and its 24-inch wheels make it a wonderful candidate for riders 7-11 years old and 49-inches to 57-inches tall.

Say Hallo To The Woom 5

Designed by company co-founders Christian Bezdeka and Marcus Ihlenfeld in Vienna, Austria – Woom offers bikes sized from the Woom 1, a 12-inch wheel balance bike through the 26-inch wheel Woom 6.

The Woom 5 is perfect for cruising the neighborhood and dirt roads. We love that it has a kickstand. It’s available in red, blue, green, and purple.

Where To Buy

Click the link below to purchase this bike directly from Woom.

WOOM WEBSITE

At-A-Glance Numbers For The Woom 5

STANDOVER HEIGHT

24.5 inches

DRIVETRAIN

1 x 8

WHEEL SIZE

24 inches

WEIGHT

18.41 pounds

AGE RANGE

Approx. 7 – 11

Putting Das Woom 5 Together

When our Woom 5 arrived via mail, I was eager to see how how much effort it would take to assemble. It was pleasant to see the instructions presented in a plastic envelope adhered to the top flap of the container. That was like getting a polite greeting before having to roll up the sleeves for a bit of wrenching.

Woom 5 instructions adhered to the inside of the box

Woom 5 bundled up after removed from the box

Zip ties secured most everything to the frame including the handle bars and front wheel. The bike was very well protected in small sheets of foam padding and there were plastic inserts guarding the front wheel’s axel. Putting the bike together was a snap. The headset on the bike only has one bolt that needs to be tightened to the stem. The pedals had to be attached as well. But, Woom has included a 6mm allen key and 15mm wrench so you don’t have to dig out the tool box. I just used a pair of household scissors for the zip ties.

The best part about assembling the bike was the no-nonsense installation of the front wheel and setting up the front v-brake. I can’t guarantee this of all bikes shipped from Woom, but the front brake on our bike was already configured and centered properly. All I had to do was attach the brake cable anchor bolt to the cantilever arm.

About The Design

Woom has assembled a collection of datasets which are used to properly calculate the frame geometries for all their bikes. While doing my research, I even found an article where Christian Bezdeka, Woom’s founder and industrial designer, discusses the importance of children’s foot-to-floor ratios and average bone lengths. No matter what brand bike you choose for your kid, fit is paramount. It ensures your rider can safely control the bike, build confidence, and learn to enjoy cycling. Our rider was a perfect fit for the Woom 5. This was her first time on a 24-inch wheeled bike with multiple gears and she was comfortable on the bike quickly.

Some Of The Woom 5 Construction And Spezifikationen

The Woom 5 frame is constructed from certified AA-6061 aluminum and the top tube of the bike is cleverly straightened out for about 8 inches as it extends from the seat tube. This enables a proper sized rider to straddle the bike easier. There is a quick-release seat collar with a lever designed so children can raise and lower the saddle themselves. The child-sized saddle provides stability and it looks great, too.

Detail of the Kenda tire on the 24-inch wheeled Woom 5

A Smart And Stylish Wheelset

Following the frame, a bike’s wheelset is major feature where quality can be addressed. Most manufacturers obtain wheels and hubs from outside companies. For Woom Bikes, this was another opportunity for the designers to achieve high standards for weight and durability. Woom’s proprietary wheels are branded SOOPA-DOOPA-HOOPS and they are single chamber aluminum rims with 20 spokes laced to sealed bearing hubs. The Kenda Small Block tires measuring 24″ x 1.5″, which are made to function well on-road as well as non-technical trails, complete the wheel set up. The tires have old-school Schrader valves.

Drivetrain And Brakes

A SRAM shifter, X-4 short cage 8-speed derailleur, 11t-32t cassette make up the majority of the 8-speed drive train. The highlight of the drive train is the crank set. Woom chose to customize this component in order to make the bike fit young riders better. On the Woom 5, the length of the crank is 5.12″ – not a nice round 5″ or 5.125″; but 5.12″. The raw aluminum/alloy cranks paired with the black 28t chain ring make it look elegant. And, that makes us want to get it muddy. The brake levers are designed so your small-handed rider can easily give them a squeeze to slow the bike down. The grips are comfy and attached to 23″ wide handlebars. There’s even a nifty bell included.

Woom 5 children's bike shifter and brake lever

SRAM X-4 8-speed derailleur on the Woom 5

Custom designed and formed crankset on the Woom 5 children's bike

Reiten The Woom 5

Our rider enjoyed this bike. She rode it on pavement, double-track, and a bit of single track. As with all bikes, fit is paramount. The proper fit allows the rider to control the bike safely and get the most from the machine.

Cruising up a moderate grade was a piece of cake for the Woom 5 and its 8-speed rear cassette.

Riding up a concrete path on the 24 inch wheel Woom 5

Climbing a dirt bike path on the Woom 5 kids' bike

Controlling the descent with the child-sized brakes on the Woom 5

This was the first time our bike rider rode a 24-inch wheel bike. She was very pleased with how the bike handled and how her power got transferred through the bike.

Why Should You Choose The Woom 5?

Consider the weight, the price and the ergonomics of this bike. If your child rides on pavement and a bit of dirt, this bike is a great candidate. About 85% of this bike’s parts have been painstakingly customized in order to offer an exceptional riding experience. Woom even offers the upCycle program/membership. In a nutshell, it’s a buyback program for when your child outgrows their Woom bike.

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

Alta Racks, Alta Six GPR Bike Rack Review

We have been through our share of bike racks, so when we got the opportunity to demo the Alta Six GPR (general purpose rack) from Alta Racks, we had some high hopes.

To qualify our expectations, here’s our family’s history of bike racks…

Phase One, Pre-Kids: No bike rack. My wife and I would just take the front wheels off of bikes and get them in a car somehow.

Phase Two, Pre-Kids: We had a rack that would strap onto the back of a car and it would hold a couple of bikes without rear suspension.

Phase Three, with Kids: A hitch rack where we would hang bikes off the back. This would hold bikes fine, but they would bang together resulting in broken components and scratches. We even had to get a couple of adapters so all four bikes could fit on the rack. This was a mess and a waste of money.

Phase Four, with Kids: A hitch rack with horizontal trays. We still have to put the bikes on a certain order so the bars and components don’t touch, but this has been a functional solution. Our current rack is only good for bikes. It cannot hold skis or be used as a foundation for other accessories.

Loading a bike on the Alta Racks, Alta Six GPR bike rack

Alta Racks Are Bike Racks For The People

The Alta Six bike rack is the next step in bike rack design and functionality. The bikes are attached vertically on an Alta Rack where the front wheel is secured in a slanted basket. The bike’s rear wheel is fastened to a a lower support and a 2-inch hitch is required for the system we tested.

With a background in military design engineering, the company’s principal knows what it takes to design a durable, ergonomic product that is easy to source and produce in America. Utilizing latest technology in metal fabrication to ensure high precision in build which leads to longevity, Alta Racks are build to last. None of the hardware on the rack is proprietary, and can easily be replaced at the local hardware store. As of this writing, racks are available in the following colors: black, red, dark gray, desert tan, and orange. Custom colors are also available.

The Alta Six GPR At A Glance

Capacity: Six bikes
Weight: 82 lbs

Everyone’s Heard Of #morekidsonbikes – What About, More Bikes On Cars?

The baskets for the front wheels are slanted to the left so the bike’s handlebars do not touch. This is a practical solution that not only succeeds in eliminating one bike touching another and getting damaged, but it allows up to six bikes to be stored on a rack instead of just four. The front and rear wheels are secured to the rack using heavy duty Voile power straps, again a solution that is non-proprietary. The rack will hold 24-inch mountain bikes to 29-inch wheel mountain bikes easily. The rack can also hold smaller mountain bikes with 20-inch wheels and bmx bikes, but there may be some contact with the rack. Bikes with wheels smaller than 20 inches need to be stored inside, or on top of the vehicle.

Attaching the rack to our mini-van was easy because the two bolts that needed to be secured to the hitch were accessible from the top side of the bumper. And, the weight of the rack is over twenty pounds less than our current tray rack.

Loading Up The Alta Six Is A Cinch

Loading the bikes into the rack was simple for me, my wife and my 15 year old son. Our 11 year old was just too short. It has to be noted that he is also too short to load all the bikes into our tray rack. To load the Alta Racks system, all you have to do is lift the front wheel of a bike high enough to clear the basket on the top support beam; angle the wheel to the left and gravity takes care of the rest. Align the bottom wheel below the top basket so the frame of the bike is straight up-and-down and strap the wheels in place using the provided Voile power straps. The bikes do not hang, they are nestled in the upper baskets and the weight is distributed from the front of the bike to the rear wheel’s contact point on the lower support.

It’s important that you load bikes from right-to-left due to the orientation of the baskets for the front wheels. This way, the bikes horizontally ‘stack’ so the handlebars and levers do not contact each other. My son started loading the rack backwards, from left-to-right and I just let him struggle. He had to work hard in order to put each consecutive bike under the preceding bike. In the video, you can see him do it in the correct order. Bikes can be secured to the rack with a cable lock (not included).

The Alta Six GRP bike rack all loaded and ready to go

Moving Along With The Alta Six GPR

When the bikes were properly loaded I gave the rack a good shake to see if there was any play or movement from the rack’s tongue to the hitch and nothing moved. It was very secure and stable. For off-roading, you can increase the stability of the rack by attaching guide lines from the upper ends of the top horizontal tube to the hitch bar. Next, we hit the road.

It took a few minutes to get accustomed to a different style of mountain bike rack on our van when we started traveling. The rack did not vibrate at all. None of the bikes shifted while in transit. I even had clear vision between the bikes in my rear view mirror.

The current version of the Alta Racks, Alta Six GPR is the fourth iteration of the system. Initially launched in may of 2017, the rack’s dimensions, features and designs are still being tweaked. The owner of the company knows who to ask for feedback, too. His bike racks have been tested by shuttle companies in Moab running mountain bikers up to the top of world famous Whole Enchilada route. Alta Racks has even enlisted pro mountain bike freeriders who have competed in the Red Bull Rampage to help with getting important tips on how the system can be improved.

The rack will pivot from its base so you can open your vehicle’s rear hatch door or tailgate. Although our mini-van’s rear hatch could not be opened all the way, it did allow us to access the cargo in the back such as a travel bag or tool box.

Be sure to check the Alta Racks website so you can see all the options for this system. Other sports items can be transported and accessories can be used with the rack such as: skis, a repair stand, motorcycle attachment, hammock and table. Shade systems are on the way as well.

Mom loading the Alta Racks, Alta Six GPR

Fastening the top wheel on the Alta Racks bike rack

Fastening the bottom wheel of a bike on the Alta Racks, Alta Six GPR bike rack

We enjoyed using the Alta Racks, Alta Rack Six GPR. Even though it’s designed as a utilitarian solution to be used for several applications, it’s ability to transport more than four bikes makes it a great option for mountain biking families. It checks off everything you want in a mountain bike rack. It’s easy to load and unload. It’s durable and made in the USA. And most importantly for us, the bikes get securely attached to the rack without touching. When you’re ready to upgrade your old hitch rack or need a system that can hold more than four bikes, take a look at Alta Racks.

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

Bell Super 3r Helmet With MIPS For Kids – Review

Bell Super 3r MIPS helmet review for kids

Bell Super 3r Helmet With MIPS For Kids – Review: When our 11 year old’s last helmet met its untimely demise in a Moab parking lot last fall, we had to get a new one in a jiffy. Standard helmets cushion the skull (and the brain beneath it) from bumps and bruises. But if you’re serious about mountain biking, you need a helmet with proven features and durability – like the Bell Super 3-R MIPS helmet.

What Does “MIPS” Mean On The Bell Super 3r Mountain Bike Helmet?

The “MIPS” in the name stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. This means that the helmet is designed to withstand many different types of forces. The MIPS protector sits inside of the shell of the helmet. It’s a thin, inner basket that rotates as needed upon impact. Since the helmet also has an outer shell to protect against blows to the head, the addition of the MIPS provides a second layer of protection. There’s a layer of X-Static padding in there as well, making the helmet comfortable to wear.

Where To Buy The Bell Super 3r

Bell Super 3r MIPS available for kids and adults at Backcountry.

Bell Super 3r MIPS available for kids and adults at Jenson USA.

Get The Right Fit

Although the Bell Super 3r MIPS helmet is designed for adults, it comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large. Here is a size chart. It is suitable for our kid with a Charlie Brown shaped head as well as his teenage brother. Our 11 year old wears a medium. Your child has his or her choice of colors, including matte black and white, matte smoke and pear, matte black and Orion, matte black with gloss black and cherry accents, matte black with copper gloss and black accents, and even matte hibiscus.

Click above for size chart

Here is the Bell Super 3r in all its glory. The camera mount is utilized and the chin bar is attached to a hydration pack.

You can easily attach the entire Bell Super 3r with MIPS to your hydration pack when enjoying a long pedal uphill.

CLAIMED WEIGHT

784.1 grams

SIZING

S, M, L (20.5″ – 24.375″)

VENTS

27 helmet, 6 chin bar

The Bell Super 3r with MIPS mountain bike helmet. Profile view with goggles raised.

This action camera mount is compatible with the GoPro system and other brands.

Chin bar attached, goggles lowered. The Bell Super 3r is great looking and functional.

The helmet is also designed with an adjustable Goggleguide visor, as well as a camera mount that breaks away should a crash occur. The Bell Super 3r includes a lightweight exterior shell with cooling vents built with breakaway screws. Should a serious crash occur, medical professionals will be able to use them to remove the helmet quickly and easily.

The Bell Super 3r Is a Safe And Sound Choice

Our kid has liked this helmet quite a bit. Like its predecessor, the Bell Super 2r, it it suits many needs. With the chin bar removed, it is a great basic trail helmet. When the chin bar is attached, the helmet provides full face protection without having to lug around a full face helmet in addition to a trail helmet. Our 11 year old has even competed in an enduro race where this helmet was the best choice. It is very well ventilated and light.

Bell Super 3r MIPS - Lord Of The Squirrels exit — Our hero of the story makes his exit from the Lord Of The Squirrels. This helmet is a perfect choice for epic rides due to its ability to convert from a trail helmet to a full-face mountain biking helmet.

Attaching And Removing The Chin Bar Is So Easy, A Kid Can Do It

In addition to all of the Bell Super 3-R’s safety elements, it contains a number of snappy features. The chin guard is removable, and easy to put back on when necessary. Your child can carry the piece along so that it’s nearby should the terrain get tougher. On top of that, the visor fits over many different types of goggles, cutting down on sun glare while on the trails.

Kid fastening the chin bar on the Bell Super 3r MIPS

Fastening the chin bar on the Bell Super 3r is easy for a kid

Fastening the rear clasp for the chin bar on the Bell Super 3r

Summing Up The Bell Super 3r With MIPS Protection

The Bell Super 3-R MIPS helmet is designed for adults, but suitable for kids who are big enough to fit into it. Thanks to the amazing array of vents (23 in the helmet, 4 in the brow, and 6 in the chin bar) your rider will remain as cool as possible, despite the temperatures on the road or trail. However, the safety features are what make this helmet one of the best. It’s truly designed to protect against falls of all kinds. We highly recommend the Bell Super 3r helmet for kids!

Bell Super 3r with MIPS out in the wild.

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

Five Ten Freerider Contact Mountain Bike Shoes for Kids – Review

Five Ten Freerider Contact mountain biking shoes for kids

We were excited to get a pair of the Five Ten Freerider Contact shoes. Why? Simply because when our kids grow out of their mountain biking shoes, it induces quite a bit less wallet trauma versus growing out of a bike.

Our eleven year-old’s last pair of Five Ten Freeriders served him well and we really wanted to get another pair. But, we needed a new pair of Freeriders quickly – and we could not get the same style in a larger size locally. In a jam, we glady paid the retail cost (for a women’s size 6 which is about a 3.5 kids’ size) because we are well familiar with the quality of Five Ten mountain biking shoes. These shoes will not fall apart. Our kid will outgrow them and we can sell them used.

These Five Ten Freeriders Are Kids’ Mountain Biking Shoes With Soul

Although they’re designed and marketed towards women, our boy doesn’t give a single shift click about that. Even I think they look cool. And, after trying on a few pairs, these were going to be a good solution for the season.

Five Ten Freerider Contact available in women’s sizes 5-11 at Adidas Outdoor.

Five Ten Freerider VCS - a mountain biking shoe for kids

Five Ten Freerider VCS available in kids’s sizes 2-10.5k at Adidas Outdoor.

Deity Components Compound Pedal available at Backcountry.

Race Face Chester Pedal available at Backcountry.

The links above are for affiliate partners. That means if you click on them and make a purchase, we earn a small commission. Read more here.

Sole Soul

The Five Ten Freerider Contact has a smooth outsole where the ball of your foot will be on the pedals. Five Ten states this design will prevent slippage. However, the entire sole isn’t covered in this texture – the parts that are located under the heel and toe have a more traditional pattern. Similar to the first-gen Freeriders. Importantly, the entire sole is made of that wonderful Stealth® Mi6™ rubber. This translates into a shoe designed solely (no pun intended) for serious and hobby mountain bikers alike.

Grip on the Pedals

The grip is there when you need it, and the smooth section makes for a super-grippy pedaling surface. When I asked my son if he liked the smooth part of this shoe opposed to the other style, he said “It is a lot more grippy than my shoes with the small bumps on the bottom.”

Five Ten Freerider Contact mountain bike shoe collage — Who likes high performance and great-looking mtb shoes?

Broken in Five Ten Freerider Contact mtb shoes — These are starting to break-in nicely. Do you agree?

Warning!

Do not wear these shoes with inexpensive flat plastic pedals. They will slip right off and render the shoe useless. You have to pair these shoes with flat pedals featuring small metal pins extending from the pedal surfaces. There are examples of these recommended pedals above. This allows the surface of the shoe to almost absorb the pins and make a firm connection with the pedals. You have to be careful though, when your young one slips and takes a pinned pedal to the shin, it will cut their shin, bleed, and effing hurt. Ye’ve been warned.

The Five Ten Freeride Out On The Trails

Our test rider rode his bike hard for 14 days straight on some demanding terrain. He did not slip a pedal or complain about foot discomfort. We can’t guarantee the same results for your womp rat, but mom and dad were glad that this was not a concern.

Five Ten Freeriders are great for technical mountain biking — Handling a tough technical turn with ease.

Five Ten Freeriders - high performance mtb shoes for kids — That Stealth rubber grip, tho!

No worrying about the Five Ten Freeriders for kids in high-consequence situations — Not slipping a pedal is important.

More About The Shoe’s Build

These shoes are cool. Firstly, the entire profile of the shoe is low. Secondly, the toe cap is rubberized to provide protection. Thirdly, the entire upper section of the shoe is made of breathable and durable synthetic fabric with mesh sections to let in air. Finally, that fabric is also abrasion resistant.

The midsole of the Five Ten Freerider Contact is composed of a stiff, yet bendable compression-molded EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) material. Obviously, it protects the bottom of the foot from the pedal. Simultaneously, it’s very easy to walk in these shoes, thanks to the somewhat bendable nature of the EVA.

Our Final Take On The Five Ten Freerider Contact

Overall, the Five Ten Freerider Contact mountain biking shoes are great for riders of all ages. Our youngest really likes his. Their unique outsole is purpose built for mountain biking and that super sweet Five Ten Stealth rubber helps keeps your feet from slipping off the pedals. With that said, they are keenly designed and comfortable enough for doing a bit of hike-a-bike on.

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

Trailcraft Maxwell 24 Review

This is the Maxwell 24 with Pro XT M8000 build from Trailcraft Cycles. We were lucky enough to get our paws on one of these weapons of mass progression and put it through its paces for a few weeks.

Our initial impression was that this thing is pretty boss. Aficionados of kids’ mountain bikes already know of the Trailcraft brand and their offerings; but to newcomers, this ride is on par with premium adult builds. If you have an aspiring XC racer or enduro kid, the Maxwell 24 deserves its position at the head of the pack due to its weight, geometry, and options for components.

After you visit their website, get in touch with Trailcraft Cycles. If you call, one of the owners (Ginger or Brett Rosenbauer) will pick up the phone and take you through all of the options for one of their bikes.

Trailcraft Cycles Website

Trailcraft Cycles Size Chart