Review: Cannondale Quick 24″ Kids Bike
If you are looking for a lightweight kid’s bike but don’t have the budget for a woom or Prevelo, the Cannondale Quick kid’s bike may be for you!
In this article, we will review the most important features when buying an everyday kids’ bike for around the neighborhood and riding mostly on pavement or hard-packed dirt and how this Cannondale Quick 24” bike stacks up.
This is a great, lightweight, 24" kids bike that can be purchased locally so you don't have to deal with the bike build.
- Lightweight
- Low standover
- Built by a bike mechanic
- Cheaper drivetrain
- Shorter seatpost
A quick disclaimer: Cannondale provided this bike for review as the bike has been updated since I owned my family bike shop, so I wanted to see the changes and how well they handled daily riding.
#1 Key Feature – The Bike Fits
When your child stands over the top tube, there should be 2″ of clearance. They also should be at least tiptoed when sitting on the seat. This Cannondale Quick 24” has a great low standover of 22.25”. It’s low enough for my 6-year-old to ride it, even though he is more comfortable on a 20” bike.
Surprisingly, the seat post is pretty short, so you won’t get the same range of height as, say, a Woom 5. However, it’s a pretty standard-size seat post at 25.4, so you can always put a longer one. However, the saddle attaches oddly, so you may need to purchase an additional seat.
Another easily replaceable part is the stem. It is pretty short, so if your child has longer arms or upper body, you could swap it out to make the bike longer.
What Size Does Your Kid Need?
Follow our kid’s bike sizing guide
#2 Key Feature – Bike Weight
A lot of big-box kids’ bikes are insanely heavy, sometimes more than half the weight of a kid! For everyday neighborhood or pavement 24” kids bikes, I’m trying to find bikes between 20-24 lbs.
This Cannondale Quick 24 is 21.1 lbs, which is a nice lightweight bike!
#3 Key Feature – Gears and Shifting
Gears and how easy it is to shift are pretty important on a 24″ bike. Your child is hopefully going further and faster, so being able to shift to go faster or easier up a hill will be crucial for their confidence. You don’t want a super cheap shifting setup, or it will be impossible for their small hands to work it.
The Quick has 7 gears in the back and a twist shifter with a nice gear indicator to help the kid know if they are making it harder or easier. I have found that this level of shifter can wear out faster than a more premium shifter found on a Woom or Prevelo, but it’s a $20 part that is pretty easy for a shop to replace if your kid is riding that much.
Another note on shifting: I have built a couple hundred of these bikes while owning my family bike shop. Everyone needed the bottom bracket adjusted, or the cranks turned very poorly. Check that your child’s cranks (what the pedals attach to) pedal easily for them.
#4 – Tires
Tires are often overlooked for kids’ bikes. You probably don’t want anything super slick because kids like to ride through grass or hard-packed paths. You also don’t want it so knobby that it slows them down.
The Quick has a nice slim profile knob that is a hybrid tire. It’s also an affordable tire if your kid likes to skid through them.
#5 Colors
If you ask a kid what they care about on their bike, it’s the colors. The Quick 24″ comes in 3 main colors this season. When in a pinch on color, switching out pedals or adding reflective stickers for your kid to decorate the bike can help.
#6 Where do you buy the bike?
Many of the nicer kids’ bikes are sold primarily online. This can be a barrier for families who are uncomfortable buying sight unseen or building up the bike themselves.
Many brands give detailed instructions on building the bike, but having checked over those bikes, they are often not perfect.
The main advantage of Quick bikes is that they are sold through local bike shops and REI. The other advantage of Quick bikes is the price.
#7 Price
Quality kids’ bikes range between $280 and $650. The Quick 24″ will be around $400. This is a great price for a locally sold, lightweight kids’ bike with decent parts.
You may be thinking, “This woman is nuts for recommending spending $400+ on a kid’s bike!” Besides having a more enjoyable riding experience for your kid, these bikes last much longer and will be able to be passed down to siblings or resold for a premium price.
Competitors
You can find all the 24″ kids’ bikes we have tested in our 24″ Kids’ Bike Directory. Here’s a quick rundown of top competitors:
Trek Precaliber 24 $439
The Trek Precaliber used to be the direct competitor to the Cannondale Quick since it is sold by Trek stores all over the world. Now, they have moved to fatter tires and heavy suspension forks on most models. I don’t think they make a bad bike, but for kids that primarily ride on pavement, the bike is overkill and going to be much heavier.
Guardian 24” $339
Guardian is the most affordable direct-to-consumer bike I recommend. They also have a patented one-hand braking to ensure a kid doesn’t flip over the handlebars.
Prevelo Alpha 4 $619
Prevelo is my go-to choice for families that want or need the lowest standover height. Some kids also prefer the colors and look of the Prevelo bikes.
Woom 5 $649
This is the cream of the crop with an adjustable stem, specially designed accessories like fenders, and a rear rack. It’s going to have the most size range to fit, but it comes with the price tag.
Final Thoughts
The Cannondale Quick is one of the only true pavement-focused kids’ bikes available from a larger bike company in the US and a local Cannondale dealer and REI near you. There are benefits of some of the other premium direct-to-consumer bikes. Still, it is hard to beat the Cannondale Quick and buying from a local retailer that will support you and the bike if anything arises.
The sizing is surprising, and you may be able to get your child on this bike sooner than you realize. If they start sizing out of it, look at replacing that seat post to help.
Looking to buy? Order through your local bike shop or REI. PS: We make a commission when you purchase through REI.
I would love to hear from you. What 24” kids’ bike do you end up with, and why?
I have many more kids’ bike reviews coming, so please let me know what you would like to see covered. You can also check out some of the past kid’s bike reviews here.
