[procxi]

I finally bite the bullet and got a one... My son has been riding the D24X for a few days and it's definitely money well spent. Way better looking than what you see in the photos too He is very happy with the dropper post as well.

If there is any concern right now it's the fork (X-Fusion Velvet). Even with the lowest psi, and with the open setting I couldn't get the fork to compress smoothly enough. I put my whole weight on it but could only get it 1/3 of the way. Not sure if the fork needs a break-in period? The shock on the other hand is pretty good - works well for my son's weight.

Does anyone have experience with the Velvet?

 

[jaybert]

I finally bite the bullet and got a one... My son has been riding the D24X for a few days and it's definitely money well spent. Way better looking than what you see in the photos too He is very happy with the dropper post as well.

If there is any concern right now it's the fork (X-Fusion Velvet). Even with the lowest psi, and with the open setting I couldn't get the fork to compress smoothly enough. I put my whole weight on it but could only get it 1/3 of the way. Not sure if the fork needs a break-in period? The shock on the other hand is pretty good - works well for my son's weight.

Does anyone have experience with the Velvet?

i dont have experince with that fork, but people (including myself) had issues with the manitou JUNIT fork where it was super harsh and the issue was that when using the shock pump, it needed to be screwed up very tightly, otherwise only 1 of the chambers got filled up instead of both.

Here's the thread for the mantiou fork (which is really awesome if you ever think of upgrading): New 20" / 24" suspension fork option - Manitou...

 

[procxi]

i dont have experince with that fork, but people (including myself) had issues with the manitou JUNIT fork where it was super harsh and the issue was that when using the shock pump, it needed to be screwed up very tightly, otherwise only 1 of the chambers got filled up instead of both.

Oh right... will try that trick. Thanks for the info

The fork is supposed to be custom-tuned for kids as well so I'm hoping there is a fix/answer for this concern. I also opened a case with the bicycles online. Let's see what they say.

 

[bearback]

24/26 bikes make no sense unless the reach grows significantly. But it doesn't. So don't buy into that as a selling point.

 

[procxi]

24/26 bikes make no sense unless the reach grows significantly. But it doesn't. So don't buy into that as a selling point.

I agree, reach is very important, in fact I looked for other options out there that has better reach - Marin's 24/26inch bike's reach is good but somewhat outdated Geo in my opinion and no dropper.

However, when you consider kids at around 130-150cm height range the reach on these 24 to 26inch upgradable bikes aren't overly bad. It is true that the reach on these bikes are more meant for 24inch size but that 26inch upgrade gives you another year or so on the bike before they can directly move to a 27.5 which in my opinion make more sense than stepping through a 26inch. It's worthwhile scarifies to get to the 27.5 market which has so much more options.

Just my two cents.

 

[Calis]

Very interesting as I've just come across the D24/X. Looking at that or Marin Rift Zone Jr
My 9 year old boy is 143cm, growing fast, and riding a Trek Pre-Caliber 24". The BB is just so low on those bikes and I've upgraded the stem and wider bars. The Tourny shifter on those is horrible and its just annoying him now. Basically they are not a trail bike, the fork is horrible, but he's persisting with it and riding with me. So he needs something new.

I thought the D24X great IF 26" wheels will swap out with little hassle. Anyone got any further info on this? I've asked bicylces online. Waiting for a call back.

The YT Primus looks sexy as but not looking to spend that much.

My first option was straight to a 27.5" XS something but did know if that was pushing it for size but it would give a much longer life.

Thoughts?

 

[fotooutdoors]

Very interesting as I've just come across the D24/X. Looking at that or Marin Rift Zone Jr
My 9 year old boy is 143cm, growing fast, and riding a Trek Pre-Caliber 24". The BB is just so low on those bikes and I've upgraded the stem and wider bars. The Tourny shifter on those is horrible and its just annoying him now. Basically they are not a trail bike, the fork is horrible, but he's persisting with it and riding with me. So he needs something new.

I thought the D24X great IF 26" wheels will swap out with little hassle. Anyone got any further info on this? I've asked bicylces online. Waiting for a call back.

The YT Primus looks sexy as but not looking to spend that much.

My first option was straight to a 27.5" XS something but did know if that was pushing it for size but it would give a much longer life.

Thoughts?

As much as I think getting kids on bigger wheels is generally a good goal, you run into compromises with wheel size, suspension travel, and stack. Simply put, the stack for a 27.5 bike will be crazy high proportional to your kid's height if you want any travel and aren't using crazy high ground clearance. I've been playing with numbers while thinking about where I want to go with my son's next bike (just got a Vitus nucleus 24, but thinking ahead since I didn't on this bike), and have been crunching some geometry numbers, and I just can't see 27.5 as his next bike if I don't want to put the handlebars way too high.

 

[Calis]

As much as I think getting kids on bigger wheels is generally a good goal, you run into compromises with wheel size, suspension travel, and stack. Simply put, the stack for a 27.5 bike will be crazy high proportional to your kid's height if you want any travel and aren't using crazy high ground clearance. I've been playing with numbers while thinking about where I want to go with my son's next bike (just got a Vitus nucleus 24, but thinking ahead since I didn't on this bike), and have been crunching some geometry numbers, and I just can't see 27.5 as his next bike if I don't want to put the handlebars way too high.

very good point about stack. I went out and held up the 24' along side my wifes Medium and it made me think twice about going into adult sizes just yet.

 

[dietz31684]

Freaking Polygon is killing it these days. Their adult Siskui T8 is ridiculously nice for 2500$ (SLX/Fox Suspension etc) and these are cool too. If I was spending 1700$ I'd spend 2k$ to get the YT bike for sure with the sick wheels and suspension (the JUnit forks are just on an entirely other level). However the 1300$ is pretty damn good for the price! The 1700$ isn't bad for the price either and seems a step ahead of the Transition Ripcord (which has crap drive train, mile long cranks and crappy fork). I like that the cranks are all 140mm and the backends are proper length with a solid 66d hta...that's good geometry imo. Nothings perfect but considering that the Norco's, Commencals, Chromags etc all all pushing 3k$, here comes Polygon and puts out a solid looking bike at really low price point.

I may be mistaken, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to buy through bicyclesonline to get a polygon? Price there is $3600 for th T8. I see polygon has the T8 listed for $2500 on their website but you can't buy through them directly. I don't see the value at that price.

Sorry for going off topic, I know this is about the kids bike but I'm genuinely curious about how their prices work.

 

[Calis]

I may be mistaken, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to buy through bicyclesonline to get a polygon? Price there is $3600. I see polygon has $2500 on their website but you can't buy through them directly. I don't see the value at that price.

Sorry for going off topic, I know this is about the kids bike but I'm genuinely curious about how their prices work.

yep polygon through bicycles online only in Australia. D24X listed as $2299 Aussie dollars

Edit: sorry T8, yes it's $3500 Aussie dollars through bicycles online. You must be seeing the US pricing on polygon?

where don't you see the value?

 

[procxi]

I thought the D24X great IF 26" wheels will swap out with little hassle. Anyone got any further info on this? I've asked bicylces online. Waiting for a call back.

Hi Calis,

If you read through the initial part of this thread you'll find some of the info you are looking for.

I recently bought D24X bike for my son (in AU) as I mentioned here before and has been very happy. At 143cm your son is taller than mine who is only around 130cm.

General recommendations say that around 150/155cm kids who are good at handling trails can move up to XS 27.5inch. So, you fall into that category where it's always difficult to make that choice between a 26inch and 27.5inch - kids grow . If you are considering either D24X or the Marin Jr for your son, a 26inch is the way to go provided he is good at riding trails. D24X can be upgraded to the 26inch but that is at your expense and only the wheelset require upgrading... you need to keep the drivetrain all the same to minimize the cost and the hassle.

Marin has a better "reach" therefore, perhaps that will work better with 26inch for your son than the D24X for longer use. However, you don't get the dropper with the Marin. Marin Jr ships in factory 26inch version.

If you have the budget also take a look at the Norco Sight Youth 27.5. Good standover height. The issue is finding stock.

 

[dietz31684]

yep polygon through bicycles online only in Australia. D24X listed as $2299 Aussie dollars

Edit: sorry T8, yes it's $3500 Aussie dollars through bicycles online. You must be seeing the US pricing on polygon?

where don't you see the value?

I see. I must have had the currency set wrong. Just checked and it is $2,500 USD (not $3,500 like I thought). I agree,, that is a good price for the specs. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[ebiagi]

Does anyone have real world weight of the D24x? It is odd to me that both build specs weigh the same... Sure, adding weight for the dropper accounts for some, but I feel like there are some significant upgrades in componentry that should ultimately bring it below the base model. Also, if anyone has additional suggestions on reducing weight (other than going tubeless) that would be appreciated as well. I'm looking for the unicorn bike for my kid of course... light, durable, and cheap!

 

[procxi]

Does anyone have real world weight of the D24x? It is odd to me that both build specs weigh the same... Sure, adding weight for the dropper accounts for some, but I feel like there are some significant upgrades in componentry that should ultimately bring it below the base model. Also, if anyone has additional suggestions on reducing weight (other than going tubeless) that would be appreciated as well. I'm looking for the unicorn bike for my kid of course... light, durable, and cheap!

Hi ebiagi,

I'll see if I can weigh my son's bike. Apart from going tubeless, the tires can be changed to something more lighter as from what I heard the Vee tire on this bike is on the heavy end.

You can think about moving to carbon handle bars or even the rims (if available) but not sure if its worth the cost. To be honest most bikes with similar spec would weigh the same as D24X. Generally, the only way a bike becomes less heavy is by going carbon (frame etc etc,) and using very high end drivetrains and fork/shock etc, which is not so popular in the 24inch full suspension bikes.

Unfortunately, light, durable, and cheap never go together ... light, durable is always costly. A 24inch bike would only last 2-3 years with kids so you need to workout if the upgrades are worth the investment.

 

[svinyard]

The weight that matters is the wheel weight. Dropping down to light tires works for XC riding works but you'll lose some critical capabilities by that if you are riding anything downhill or rocky or slick. Light weight Stan's Crest wheels are where its at for making significant weight changes without giving up capability. Frame weight is the least impactful in our testing. SpeedGearBike is a good place to get custom wheels built on the cheap.

 

[RazzleDazzle]

So...the D24x and the D24 both dropped $100 down to $1599 & $999. At this price, do you guys still think the YT primus is the better buy? I placed an order on the primus 24 but it's still on backorder.

Anyone know how the suntour suspension on the D24 performs for a 70 lb kid? At $999, I can add a dropper, proper hydro brakes, build a solid wheelset, swap for a lighter Microshift advent x drivetrain, and still come out less than the YT. YT still has the hands down better suspension.

 

[svinyard]

That’s a hell of a price. That bike has decent geometry too (similar to the YT).

The suspension difference is huge between the YT tho. Here’s the problem.

Cheaper aftermarket Brakes are 300$, nice Stan’s wheel set with Bitex hubs (which aren’t available btw) is going to be 600$ and there’s most of your budget and the bike still has crap suspension (when compare to the YT at least). Suspension and geometry are pretty much the most important parts of a bike too. Best to prioritize those first imo.

The YTs Sunringle Wheelset alone is like 700$ aftermarket. Fork is 550$ I think, shock is like 250$ but only OEM now I think.

So I dunno. That YT bike isn’t perfect but damn it’s a great value with suspension equivalent to Fox Performance series with custom tune.

It’s hard to beat the YT if you can spend 2k. A few friends have these and they are legit nice. Cockpit is nice too. Brakes and drivetrain aren’t super nice but function. Frame is pretty nice too and looks sick.

So...the D24x and the D24 both dropped $100 down to $1599 & $999. At this price, do you guys still think the YT primus is the better buy? I placed an order on the primus 24 but it's still on backorder.

Anyone know how the suntour suspension on the D24 performs for a 70 lb kid? At $999, I can add a dropper, proper hydro brakes, build a solid wheelset, swap for a lighter Microshift advent x drivetrain, and still come out less than the YT. YT still has the hands down better suspension.

 

[RazzleDazzle]

That’s a hell of a price. That bike has decent geometry too (similar to the YT).

The suspension difference is huge between the YT tho. Here’s the problem.

Cheaper aftermarket Brakes are 300$, nice Stan’s wheel set with Bitex hubs (which aren’t available btw) is going to be 600$ and there’s most of your budget and the bike still has crap suspension (when compare to the YT at least).

The YTs Sunringle Wheelset alone is like 700$ aftermarket. Fork is 550$ I think, shock is like 250$ but only OEM now I think.

So I dunno. That YT bike isn’t perfect but damn it’s a great value with suspension equivalent to Fox Performance series with custom tune.

It’s hard to beat the YT if you can spend 2k. A few friends have these and they are legit nice. Cockpit is nice too. Brakes and drivetrain aren’t super nice but function. Frame is pretty nice too and looks sick.

You're right, the biggest draw of the YT is the suspension and wheels.

I believe I can build a 24" Spank wheelset with Koozer hubs (not high end but durable) for under $400. You can also get Magura Trail Sports (which are damn good, especially for a kids bike) for under $200.

You would still have worse suspension, but I wonder if we're looking at suspension from an adult rider's perspective and not a child's. At sub 100lbs, how much of a difference does the suspension come into play? That, I'm not entirely sure on.

Despite this, I'm probably still gonna go with the YT just for convenience since I already ordered it. Still gonna add a dropper post to it so my daughter can ride it as a trail bike occasionally (this will primarily be her bike park/shuttle bike).

 

[Offthepath]

Wow, impressive in this day and age any bike actually dropped in price.......

My son has been riding his D24x all spring. His riding and confidence has progressed significantly. He's routinely hitting 3-4ft huck to flats, 5ft drops with transitions and casing lots of doubles (lol). The bike has been bomb proof with zero issues.

Although I'm sure the fork is not the best and the wheels are heavy, it is a great package for the $$$. I really doubt my son would be faster or riding rougher terrain with a different fork and wheels. I just don't see those holding holding him back at this point. Without trying one, that's just speculation though.

 

[RazzleDazzle]

Wow, impressive in this day and age any bike actually dropped in price.......

My son has been riding his D24x all spring. His riding and confidence has progressed significantly. He's routinely hitting 3-4ft huck to flats, 5ft drops with transitions and casing lots of doubles (lol). The bike has been bomb proof with zero issues.

Although I'm sure the fork is not the best and the wheels are heavy, it is a great package for the $$$. I really doubt my son would be faster or riding rougher terrain with a different fork and wheels. I just don't see those holding holding him back at this point. Without trying one, that's just speculation though.

That's what I'm seeing with D24x, it's a solid bike built as is. If I didn't already order the YT, I'd seriously consider it. Actually I considered the possibility of cancelling the YT order but they just emailed me saying that it's ready for pick up. Plus I had already ordered the dropper for it. So I'll be swinging by YT USA tomorrow morning.