Hellion X24

By far the best quality kids bike we tested. Suspension is really plush and lockout is really handy. Brakes and gears and proper too. Couldn't be happier with it

This is our third Early Rider going all the way back to our daughter’s 1st pedal bike at 3 years old. Her progression, confidence and love for biking all came from having gear that was high quality and lightweight that she could grow into.

Fast forward to today and she’s 7 years old (tall for her age) and sending it on a bike and on terrain that I didn’t progress to until I was an adult. I can’t overstate the quality of the Hellion X line- these are absolutely the kid sized versions of the coolest $8k downhill bike a parent can ride. Excellent quality on the frame and great choices made on all components- each customizable and ready to tune as she grows and changes her riding style. Ready for anything she’ ll be able to throw at it.

The price point is more than fair for what you get and it’s really an investment in the rider you’re trying to develop. There’s a difference between price and value- and the value here is unquestionable.

I can’t say enough about these bikes- they have been fundamental in creating my shredder and I’m very grateful to Early Rider for making something like this available in the market. These bikes fuel the stoke of our entire family to get out and ride!

This bike was bought for my daughter, she had another brand 24" full sus bike but just couldn't get on with it. She had come off a 24" hellion hardtail and a 20" hellion before that. I should have stuck with what we already knew. Early Rider make amazing children's bikes that are fit for the purpose and can handle anything a full size bike can. We have been so impressed with the bikes we've had. And their customer service has been second to none. I cross threaded a bolt being heavy handed, they sent out a replacement the same day for free. I had an issue with the forks, again it was me, they just needed more air in them, the mechanic team talked me through it without making me feel the plonker I am!
The only negative is that you don't make a bigger size!
Thanks Everyone at Early Rider

a super cool bike i love it 🤟

The good: awesome suspension design, excellent components, good value. Fast shipping. Never heard of the DNM shock but it seems to work ok. Great deal for the “factory second” that had absolutely nothing wrong with it.

The not so good:
1. No way this is 25.5 lbs as claimed. 28.0 on my scale. That extra 2.5 lbs is a big deal for a little kid if they plan to pedal at all.
2. No bottle cage
3. Vee tires feel pretty cheap - they feel like plastic and are difficult to setup tubeless.
4. Raw aluminum looks cool, but feels kind of like a cut corner. The painted version wasn’t available.

What would I change/upgrade? Stan’s wheels and better tires (Schwalbe or Maxxis).

Would I buy it again? Honestly at 28lbs, probably not given what else is available in the price range. But, it’s still an awesome bike and my son loves it so we’ll call it a win.

Couldn't be happier, the bike is unreal. Thanks Early Rider for a first class bike with first class service!

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Everything was excellent and my son is super happy! The only issue I had was after setting up the wheels and tires tubeless the Vee tan wall tires would not hold air and leaked out of the sidewall badly. I swapped On some Maxxis rubber and they sealed perfectly.

I bought the Early Rider Hellion X24 thinking it would be a lightweight and great bike for Downhill, Trail, and XC (like marketed). This bike is not that. First off, they market this as a "gravity bike" (downhill bike), but the suspension fork (which is a major component) specifically says “Do not use for downhill, freeride, or jumping” ON THE FORK. A bike marketed for these things should not have a warning sticker on the fork that says not to do those things with the bike. The fork also feels terrible, it's sticky and harsh going over anything. The rear shock also does not have enough travel for any "real" bike park riding (like marketed). It will get you through the greens and blues just fine, but for anything more I would look elsewhere. (I have done an 8 foot drop on it and it held fine, but it was not safe.) The user manual claims the bike is not intended for anything above a blue, and not to do drops over 2 feet. The website says nothing of this. I would strongly advise you to look at other brands with much better advanced kids bikes like Norco, Commencal, Vpace, Cube, Transition, even Rocky Mountain. We also contacted Early Rider for different reasons multiple times and got no response.

I bought the Hellion X24 thinking it was going to be a lightweight, strong, and overall great bike, but there are much better options. It is very light for the price, but that compromises the suspension. The suspension is very sticky and stiff, even when setup properly. The fork also only has 30mm stanchions meaning it is much weaker and less stiff. On the positive note, the Shimano Deore 11-51 tooth cassette and drivetrain is absolutely great, making climbing easier and more fun. The Shimano BR M6100 brakes are also great, providing plenty of power. The main selling point for me was the very lightweight bike, but with a dropper post and grippier tires, it can easily exceed 30lbs. Overall this bike would be fine for cross country riding, but for downhill I do not recommend. The frustrating part is that they market this bike as a "gravity bike". The fork even has a "not for downhill use" sticker on it. No one should sell a bike intended for downhill use when a major component on the bike says "do not use for free-ride, downhill, or jumping" on it. This should only be used for cross country and light trail! The customer service was also horrible. We tried to contact them about several different things, and they never once answered. If you are looking for an alternative, I would look at the Transition Ripcord, or the Polygon Siskiu D24 X on the tighter budget, and on the more expensive side, I recommend the Commencal Clash 24, or the Norco Fluid FS 1 24.

It’s an amazing bike. High quality

This really is an amazing bike, simply on of the best on the market when you look at size, components, weight and features. It does comes at a cost, but my son loves it. This is my third Early Rider bike, and it hasn't disappointed. My son has read the manual himself cover to cover, knows all the weight to pressure settings for the shocks and everything he needs to know about the bike. Thanks Early Rider for creating a bike that is truly special within this market segment 🤘🏼

All positive things to say about this bike. Good craftsmanship, good components, relatively light weight compared to comparable bikes. My kid chose the "raw" frame color, and it looks great.

Supercool

Excellent bike and it looks great. My son loves it.

Well Built and very light. The bike has great components if you compare it to the same price range bicycles and its very light. My son loves his bike and has significantly improved his skills.