The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Kids' Bike

The Co-op Cycles REV CTY 24 step-through kids' bike gives young riders an easy-to-straddle stand-over height, to help build confidence and skills for riding— from street to trail.
Imported.
Best Use | Recreational Cycling |
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Frame | 6061 aluminum |
Step-Through | Yes |
Bike Suspension | No Suspension |
Fork | 6061 aluminum |
Crankset | Alloy, 42/34/24 |
Bottom Bracket | Cartridge |
Shifters | Shimano Tourney |
Front Derailleur | Shimano Tourney |
Rear Derailleur | Shimano Tourney |
Rear Cogs | Shimano Tourney, 14-34, 7-speed |
Number of Gears | 21 gear(s) |
Brake Type | Rim |
Brakes | Logan linear pull |
Rims | Aluminum |
Front Hub | Joytech, with nutted axle |
Rear Hub | Joytech, with nutted axle |
Wheel Size | 24 inches |
Tires | Kenda Cosmos, 24" x 1.5" |
Tire Width | 1.5 inches |
Handlebar Shape | Riser Bar |
Handlebar | Steel riser |
Stem | Alloy |
Seat Post | Alloy |
Saddle | Co-op Cycles |
Pedals | Wellgo composite platform |
Headset | Semi cartridge |
Chain | KMC Z51 |
Bike Weight | Bike weight is based on median size, as sold, or the average of two median sizes. |
Gender | Kids' |
Sustainability | From a Climate Label Certified brand |
24 IN | |
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Reach | 366.3 |
Stack | 439.4 |
Effective Top Tube | 500.58 |
Seat Tube Center-Top | 320 |
Standover Height | 579.2 |
Head Tube Angle (degrees) | 71 |
Seat Tube Angle (degrees) | 73 |
Wheelbase | 943.65 |
Chainstay | 390 |
Fork Offset | 45 |
Measurements are stated in millimeters unless otherwise indicated.
From feedback to field testing, all of our gear is dialed-in by REI Co-op members. Their adventures informed every stitch and detail—making for better, longer-lasting gear.
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I bought this during quarantine for my 9 year old daughter. It is first off a very solid bike with quality components. She has no problems shifting gears like she did on her old "twist-shift" style bike. The geometry of the bike is such that she has a comfortable riding position and doesn't have to lean over too much. She is currently 54 inches tall, and the bike fits well with the seat adjusted just a little up from the bottom. She will also be able to grow into the bike for several years with no problem. Most of our riding is on streets or crushed gravel hard path, and this bike is perfect for that. Co-op cycles has definitely made a good product for the young rider to feel more confident and start putting more miles behind them.
I ordered this bike online for my daughter’s eighth birthday in September. She absolutely loves it! Ordering and pick up were quick and easy. The bike itself seems solid and everything works. The only “negatives” I can find are a lack of quick release for the seat post and wheels. By these aren’t deal breakers for me. Over all I’m very happy with the purchase.
Component wise, this is a great bike for the price. My kid loves it, and there is room for her to grow on it. The one issue I have is with the paint job, and this applies to all of the Co-op bikes this year. The paint is a matte powder finish which looks nice, but is not in the slightest bit durable. It will scratch if you put it on a car bike rack. It will scratch if you wrap a lock around it. It just scratches way too easily. I have a 1997 Rock Hopper junker that has less scratches and I used to ride off road with it. Its a shame that they skimped on the finish of the bike.
This bike arrived a week earlier than the shipping estimate said, making my daughter very happy. I was nervous opening the box since I am not at all experienced with putting together or maintaining bikes. I was so happy to see it was almost completely assembled! I just needed to attach the front tire, which was pretty easy, and then attach one pedal. After a quick seat adjustment the bike was ready to go. It took me around 10 mins total from unboxing to having it out on the road. My 5 foot tall 12 year old fits it well and is very happy.
So the bike arrived yesterday, much to delight of my child. took me 90 minutes to put it together, front brakes needed adjustment but nothing in directions told you how to do that. Found the parts and type of brakes on website and then found video on youtube that showed how to adjust them. That was another 10 minutes. So other than the directions which tell you what to do step by step, they could be better and include tips for tuning if needed. Each page simply said if it doesn't work take it to your REI bike shop. Well for reasons beyond our control we cannot do that right now. Thanks to all those in distribution that put together and packaged this bike, she rode it yesterday and already this morning and LOVES IT!
Just cheap components, it seems like they just tossed this bike together from whatever components were handy. The front derailleur is only designed for 2 shifting between two gears, not the three on this bike, the shifter literally only indicates the ability to shift to two gears. There's no explanation in the manual for this. The assembly manual is just a general cycle assembly manual, not actual instructions for this bike, which seems pretty lazy. The real derailleur tensioner has bent after less than a week of a 9 year old riding it. It's not even bent in like from the bike falling onto it. It's bent away from the wheel, not sure how that even happens. Just other little things like the front reflector sent with the bike not made for the right diameter of the handlebars. Just seems like they tossed cheap junk together and called it a kids bike. Pretty disappointed in REI right now.
Awesome experience! Was looking for a new bike for our daughter. While the stores are closed, were were able to set up an appointment online for a call with a sales rep the next day. He walked us through some measurements, discussed options and we selected the right bike for her. They shipped and it arrived by UPS just 3 days later. Couldn't have asked for better service or experience during these challenging times - thanks REI! Bike is durable and good quality. Assembly was a breeze. Just had to put on the front wheel and pedals, and they included a tool for any adjustments - took about 15 mins. Wish it had included a kickstand, but otherwise have no complaints.
This bike lasted my son 3 years before he grew out of it. It is an excellent bike and has seen many street and trail miles. He was sad to give it up. 21 gears, though he said he never used more than 7. REI added a kickstand for him when we purchased a the bike.
Our 11 year old daughter needed a new bike and wasn’t expecting this one. We went on our first ride and she would not stop talking about how much she loved it!! It’s super smooth, easy to ride, very lightweight and she went way further than I thought she would. It is an epic bike and we absolutely love it so far. Easy to shift, so happy with it! The thinner tires are so much better than unnecessary bulky mountain tires but at the same time she’ll be able to do flat paved trails or dirt without a problem. She has such a blast with her new bike!! Totally recommend. REI had the whole thing built and ready to go for pickup, they also offered a kickstand for purchase and installed it right then and there. The customer service was stellar!!
My daughter is moving from a 20 to this 24 and it's been a great upgrade. She is learning how to use the gear system and what that does. It has great build quality and I see it being passed down to her sister after she is done with it. The low step over height is nice but it also still leaves room for a water bottle and cage. (You just need one that side loads, there is one on REI's site, also just get the smaller water bottle and it works.)