Mongoose Cipher Kids Mountain Bike Blue, 20-Inch or 24-Inch Wheels

I have no idea if this is a good bike or not as my daughter couldn't ride it. She is 4'6 and the 20" size is recommended for 4-5 ft. 24 is recommended for 4'8+. DO NOT BUY IF YOUR KID IS OVER 4'2

I ordered this Mongoose Cipher mountain bike for my 9 year old daughter, in the 24" size. After trying it out, she's a bit too short for it, at least to ride with confidence and safety. The manufacturer's suggested rider height is 4'8" to 5'6" tall. We're putting it away for a year, or until she grows about 2 more inches.I'm only 5'5", so I tried the bike out myself on a few rides around the neighborhood. The aluminum frame reduces the weight of the bike, which is a huge improvement over the steel framed bikes I had when I was a kid. The 7-speed twist shifter is easy to use and shifts smoothly. I think it will be easy for my daughter to learn when she transitions from her smaller single speed bike. The brakes work well , and the ride is reasonably comfortable. This bike has a hardtail frame, which means it has front suspension, but not a rear suspension. For most young cyclists, a hardtail frame is a good choice. In general, it reduces both the weight and the price of the bike. Plus, it's typically more durable. I'm not a fan of the seat, but I'm a middle aged woman, with the associated aches and pains. I think the seat will be perfectly fine for my child. The tires have a nice tread, and should work well for both our local bike trails and riding in our neighborhood. Overall, it's a really nice quality bike. I wish I'd had a bike like this when I was a kid!

This lightweight, yet sturdy mountain bike is ideal for our ten year old. We ordered the 24” wheels with alloy V-brakes. All parts and pieces look well-made, except the brackets for the rear red reflectors that are supposed to mount under the seat are too small to fit the seat post. That’s the only reason it’s receiving a four star rating instead of five.The parts that require assembly are the handlebars, front wheel, front wheel quick-release lever, pedals, and the seat post with the seat already attached. The owner’s manual provides clear instructions with detailed illustrations. There were no surprises during assembly. You don’t have to be a bicycle specialist to assemble and fine-tune some of the working parts, but a basic familiarity with how multi-speed bikes work will help. No rear derailleur adjustments were necessary and the front brakes needed only minor fine tuning. Beginners will appreciate that all seven speeds are controlled by a single twist shifter, which operates smoothly. The chain is kept centered on the front pedal sprocket with a type of chain guard that should help keep pant legs from getting caught between the chain and the sprocket.I’ll use a hex wrench to adjust the handlebar angle as our child grows and raise the seat with the quick release lever. The bike has a clamp (headless) handlebar stem, which can't be raised, but it does angle for a more comfortable ride. Our ten year old really likes the bike's sporty colors, and the way it handles on all types of terrain.

You get a flat box with some assembly required. I ordered the 24 inch and ended up with the 20 inch so I will go ahead and write up what I found on the 20 inch. Assembly was easy with basic knowledge, skills and tools. The 20 inch comes with both the rear hub brake and hand brakes as an entry for young riders into the full size bike setup without taking away the security of their tried and true braking system. As a kid I hated this kind of bike but as a parent getting this bike for a younger rider just makes sense. The 20 inch is not a trick bike or anything like that, it is an entry level bike into the trail and off road biking scene and this bike is very high quality for just that. Great off road capability and very fun to take on the biking trails. It has a hardtail design which helps with rigidity and prevents unexpected breakdowns on the trail. All in all this is an excellent entry level off road bike

The first thing i noticed, even before i assembled this bike was the way the cant, and the angle of the design seemed to put the center of gravity right under the rider and the way the rider naturally leans forward a bit to transfer some of that stability to the front end. I also liked the weight and thickness of the parts during and after assembly.The 7 speeds, the shifter, brakes -- are ergonomic and easy to access and use.The color is eye catching and the bike looks and feels sturdy enough to last with proper maintenace, including keeping the tires properly inflated and damage-free. Its more of a good solid touring bike than a mountain bike but it can handle the rough spots as needed.

Our 11 yr old grandson admires the bike and would love to ride it but he can't stand the seat so he'll just admire till some adult gets a seat for him. Weather hasn't been that good, drizzle and rain, but it won't be long and it will be spring and bike riding will be at the top of his list. He hasn't had a chance to ride much but is ready to use the Mongoose. I learned a lot from reading the other reviews lol It does feel like wonderful bike, not being heavy makes a world of difference IMHO My husband and the boy put it together without any problems but the red lights don't fit!The price overwhelmed me lol but that's because I haven't looked at a bike to buy forever it seems.

My 8 year old loves this bike and I found the build quality to surpass my expectations!I'd actually never seen a twist shifter on a children's bike before and was impressed with the overall build quality and relative ease of assembly (though buyers should be aware that they'll need their own hex wrenches to put everything together). There's even a quick release skewer for the front tire!The guard over the chain is another nice touch, as my kids tend to get paint legs nabbed on the chain occasionally, and the feature alleviates that worry.Highly recommend this as a higher end children's bike!