Pinnacle Kauri 26 Inch Kids Bike Review

Design
Performance
Safety

4.7

Summary

The Pinnacle Kauri 26 inch kids bike is a great buy for boys and girls who are moving into adult bikes. It has the features and thrill of an adult bike while still being safe and easy to use for kids. We especially love its versatility. The Kauri bike is at home on the streets, in the backyard or on the trails.

If you are shopping for an affordable, versatile and lightweight kids bike, we recommend the Pinnacle Kauri 26 inch bike.

It is a great ‘adult’ bike for older kids (10+ years) who are ready to move up from a 20 or 24 incher bike. It has an aluminium frame, which makes it lightweight and easy to handle despite its larger size. Features like the twin chain plates and hydraulic disc brakes make it easy and fun to ride whether it’s on the street or on a muddy trail. Read on for our full review.

Pinnacle Kauri 26 Inch Kids Bike Review

What Are You Buying?

1. 26-inch Bike for Older Kids

26 inches is the beginning of adult-sized bikes. Kids who are 143 cm or taller can comfortably ride one and even go up to 27.5 and 29 inch bikes with small frames.

The Pinnacle Kauri 26 inch bike is great for older kids who are ready for their first adult bike. It’s suitable for most kids who are 10 years or older, but consider the height of your child when picking this bike. They need to be at least 143cm tall.

2. Lightweight Aluminium Frame

A traditional 26 inch steel bike can be quite heavy and a challenge for kids to handle. The Kauri bike has a much lighter aluminium frame which massively improves the cycling experience for kids. Combined with the gears, your child should have no problem tackling hilly terrain.

3. 9 Speed with Single Chainring

The Pinnacle Kauri 26 inch bike comes with a 9-speed Shimano cassette that provides a wide ratio of gears to handle different kinds of terrain whether it’s the flat road they take to school or a sloped trail.

At the front, the Kauri bike has a single chainring (meaning no front gears). This makes the bike even lighter and easier to handle. It also makes it easier for kids to operate since they only have to learn to shift one set of gears.

That said, single chainring bikes have some drawbacks. They can be slower and more tedious to ride on steep trails. This is why we don’t recommend the Pinnacle Kauri if you are shopping for a kids MTB bike. For a mountain bike, look for one with both the rear cassette and 2 or 3 front chainrings (rear and front gears).

The Kauri 26 inch bike is more ideal for light mountain biking. They can also ride it on the street, to school, at the park and on easy trails.

4. Powerful Hydraulic Disc Brakes

The Pinnacle Kauri comes with hydraulic disc brakes, which are a pretty nice feature to have on a kids bike. Most bikes for older kids feature either rim brakes or mechanical disc brakes.

Both mechanical and hydraulic disc brakes are much better than rim brakes, especially on a bike that will be ridden out on the trails in different kinds of weather conditions. But hydraulic brakes have an edge over mechanical brakes when it comes to stopping power.

Hydraulic disc brakes are also easier to operate and are more reliable since they don’t experience as much wear and tear as mechanical disc brakes.

So you can be confident your child will be safe and in control even when riding in wet or muddy conditions.

The only downside of hydraulic disc brakes is that they require some expertise to service or repair. But as long as you have access to a good bike service centre, there’s nothing to worry about. You can even book a service with Evans Cycles, the same retailer that sells the Pinnacle Kauri bike.

5. Twin Chain Plates to Keep Chain In Place

One advantage of using a single chainring is that it allows more flexibility in the design of the bike. Pinnacle has taken advantage of this flexibility to add a feature that every parent will appreciate.

The chainring has two chain-plates on either side that keep the chain from derailing. So parents (and kids) don’t have to worry about getting their hands dirty and greasy while re-attaching the chain.

How Easy is it to Assemble?

The Pinnacle Kauri bike is fairly easy to put together. It comes mostly assembled, so you only need to attach a few final parts like the handlebars and the front wheel. The bike comes with clear instructions and all the tools you need.

Generally, it takes about 30 minutes to assemble the bike.

If you’d rather not assemble the bike yourself, you can also take it to a local Evans Cycles store and they will do it for you.

Once assembled, the bike is easy and fun to ride for kids. The lightweight aluminium frame certainly helps as does the hydraulic brakes. We also love the sloped design of the top tube; it makes it easy for kids to get on and off the bike.

Pros

Versatile kids bike that is suitable for different conditions and terrains.
Lightweight aluminium frame.
Powerful and reliable hydraulic disc brakes.
Easy to assemble.

Cons

The hydraulic disc brakes may require going to a pro for servicing.
Not ideal for serious mountain biking because of the single chainring.

Anything Else You Should Know?

One of the most important things when it comes to buying a kids bike is sizing. While age is a good indicator of what bike size to go for, it is not the best way to pick the right bike for your child. Go with their height instead.

Pinnacle recommends the Kauri 26 inch bike for kids who are 143 to 155 cm. Using height to buy the right bike size ensures your child is comfortable, confident and safe when riding the bike.