These are some of the smallest adult-sized bikes that will be on the market, and these will be for people who are under the height of five-foot-six inches. These bikes will also be perfect for the smaller child that is looking to get a ‘grown-ups’ bike.
In short, the majority of adults will not be able to fit onto these bikes, for they will be too short and ergonomically unsafe for use.
Then you have the matter of anatomically impossible for those over six feet to comfortably traverse the road, let alone the rougher mountain trail terrain.
Twenty-four-inch Bikes are Good for What Height?
A person at six feet tall will want, at minimum, a bike at the height of twenty-six inches; this is the standard size of bicycle that most people will have ridden or will ride in their lifetimes. Therefore, this site will be for short human beings, the ones that are under five-foot-six.
These sized bikes will also suit the younger kids that are coming of age and want to move into more ‘adult’ bikes. Finally, of course, certain professionals will utilize a smaller frame and bike to perform tricks in competition and practice.
Is There a Weight Limit?
When it comes to how much a bike can bear in a single day, most mountain bike frames are designed to support riders weighing up to one hundred and sixty pounds.
That is just an average, but there are setups that can handle upwards of two hundred and seventy-five pounds with certain suspension upgrades needed for a smoother ride.
Remember, the 24-inch height bike is for a person between 4-foot-6 inches and 5.7 inches and not for a larger set of people. Therefore, it would be wiser to have a larger bike for those folks over the height of five-foot-seven inches.
What are the Benefits of Twenty-four-inch Bikes?
There are going to be ways to use this smaller bike. The lighter weight frame with the addition of the smaller wheels will make the mountain bicycle easier to carry.
In a backpacking situation, or a trick competition, a lighter bike will benefit the person using it; for instance, a backpacker will prefer the lighter bike to carry up the trail.
For trick bikes, the smaller frame and wheel size will allow for better tricks to be performed. In the air, the lighter bike is easier to manipulate and perform spins, flips, and other difficult tricks.
What are the Cons?
The cons of having such a small bike start with the number of rotations required to go a certain distance, meaning how many times it takes to pedal compared to the larger wheels to traverse the same amount of distance.
Another con would be the lack of ergonomic compatibility when it comes to a larger, taller person riding a smaller than a twenty-four-inch bike.
The other cons would include the difficult time a smaller bike like this will have when going over large obstacles and rocky terrain. There will also be less spring or bounce when going over a crevasse or other breaks in the trails.
How Can You Tell If It’s Too Small for you?
This will be rather simple, anyone over the height of five-foot-six inches will want to think about a different bike. The average bicycle wheel size will be twenty-six inches, which will fit any rider between the heights of five-foot-six inches to the lower side of six-foot tall.
Another simple way to measure if a bike will fit is to size it from the handlebars to the armpit. If the handlebars don’t even reach there, it will be more than likely for trick bike purposes.
Final Thoughts on Are twenty-four-inch bikes for adults
They will be used for smaller-sized bikes, especially the twenty-four-inch bike, for performing tricks and even for some younger division competitions.
As the rider gets older, these ratios can stay the same, and the frame from the twenty-four-inch bike can be repurposed on a set of twenty-six-inch wheels.
Otherwise, the twenty-four-inch wheel will be for people shorter than five-foot-six inches or for growing youth.
For those in the market looking for a bike in this size range, be sure to take into consideration how fast your child is growing; if they are going to be six-foot next year, don’t get them a twenty-four. Instead, get them the standard, and they will grow into it.