To read the full Woom 5 Bike Review, please scroll further down. 🙂
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OUR WOOM STORY OR “WHY WOOM?”
For many years now, I have searched high and low for the best bikes for our kids. Our goals were simple. We wanted our children to enjoy riding, be able to keep up with us on trails and have the bikes be well made, so we could pass them on to our other child. This is how we settled on woom bikes.
Both my children started out riding balance bikes and both of them progressed rather quickly to their first pedal bikes, which were all woom. We now own four of them. Our line-up includes the woom 2, woom 3, woom 4, and our latest addition to the family: the woom 5 bike.
While I am completely self-taught when it comes to kids bikes, I feel confident saying that I have learned quite a bit about this industry in the past few years. It has become somewhat of a passion.
As a family, we are huge advocates of balance bikes to get kids biking. I have also written a Complete guide to Balance Bikes to get you started. Be sure to check out my other related posts at the bottom!
I will tell you from first-hand experience that the effort you put into finding the best first bike for your child will make all the difference. I see it every day in my kids and others.
So back to the woom 5 bike. This is hands down the best 24-inch bike for the majority of kids. Don’t believe me? Well, keep reading and you will understand why.
What is woom?
Woom is a company started in Austria by two people who became fast friends due to their shared love of biking and the search for a good bike for their kids.
When Christian Bezdeka and Marcus Ihlenfeld couldn’t find one, they built their own.
And guess what? They sold the first 70 they made and got to work on building more. Similarly, woom expanded to the United States when Marcus sent a woom bike to his brother Mathias living in Texas for his son’s first birthday. Everyone who saw the bike, wanted a woom bike for their kids, too.
Where are woom bikes made?
Today, all woom bikes are still made in Europe. The design and assembly happen in Austria. Meanwhile, Marcus’ brother Mathias Ihlenfeld runs the Woom Bikes USA branch out of Austin, TX.
Why do all woom bikes come with no training wheels?
Like most biking specialists and enthusiasts, Marcus and Christian believe that training wheels do not help children learn to bike. The training wheels are actually a hindrance to learning and limit children in the short and the long run.
Instead, woom 1 is a true balance bike with no pedals. Kids can ride faster and longer while having fun and learning the art of balance. These same children progress to pedaling sometimes within minutes of getting on a properly fitted pedal bike.
But…have you ever tried to get a child to switch from training wheels to no training wheels? It’s usually a painful ordeal for both the parent and the child because learning to balance is hard! Learning to balance while pedaling is REALLY hard. So just skip the training wheels and do your child and yourself a favor. You’re welcome 🙂
What age is a balance bike for?
A child can learn to use a balance bike starting at about 18 months. Our first child Daniel started on a balance bike at 3 years of age. This was way back when I was just learning about the benefits of a balance bike and did not realize he could have learned to bike at a younger age.
With our youngest child, we introduced a balance bike somewhere right around 20 months. He took to it like fish to water!
It was right around that time when he was already walking, but those walks would take forever! You know that age when toddlers crave independence yet they get so distracted that walking ten feet takes a full minute? He was already refusing the stroller.
And let me tell you when he got on a balance bike, everyone enjoyed those walks way more! He was so proud of himself and loved keeping up with his older brother and friends, too!
WOOM 5 BIKE REVIEW
QUICK FACTS AND OVERVIEW
Who is the woom 5 best suited for?
The woom 5 bike is a 24-inch bike that is exceptionally suited for kids between 7 – 11 years of age with an overall height of 49″ – 57″, who enjoy long rides as well as a bit of off-roading.
When it comes to parents, this bike should make die-hard mountain bikers, as well as road-bike enthusiasts, excited as it gives young riders plenty of ability to dabble in both types of terrain quite well.
Where to buy a woom 5 bike?
You can purchase woom bikes and accessories through Amazon (limited inventory) or through the Woom Bikes USA branch here.
PROS:
- Super light for a 24-inch wheel size – 18.08 lbs
- Small minimum seat height with a good range
- Adjustable handlebar
- 8-speed with SRAM grip shifters to tackle hills and flats with power
- High-end components and a quality build with attention to detail
- Ergonomically made for kids to inspire confidence
- Gorgeous design available in 5 colors
- Still under $500 price point – impressive for a bike in this category
CONS:
- Bell, kickstand, bike lights and other accessories are extra
COMPLETE WOOM 5 BIKE REVIEW
Sizing
As I mentioned earlier, woom 5 is ideally meant for children 7 – 11 years of age. This is possible because of a wide seat post range of 26.38″ to 32.28″ and a fully adjustable handlebar.
By raising or lowering the handlebar, you not only extend the longevity of this bike for your child but can also create a more or less aggressive riding position.
The minimum standover height for the woom 5 is 22.5″. Based on that and the minimum seat height, I would recommend a minimum inseam of roughly 24″ (2-3 inches below minimum seat height), so a child can reach the ground on their tippy toes.
All of this means that my fairly tall 6-year-old (47″ tall, 23″ inseam) can ride this bike with the seat all the way down along with my 5′ 8″ husband with the seat all the way up (keep in mind 176 lb max weight limit).
I would still not recommend it for kids significantly under 7 years of age, but this gives you the idea that it can serve your child for a long time.
Because woom bikes come in 6 different sizes, I highly recommend attending to their sizing recommendations you will get after you answer a few simple questions about your child. These have not steered us wrong.
Weight and Ergonomics
Woom has a history of making some of the lightest bikes in each category. And woom 5 is not an exception to this rule. For smaller riders, every ounce counts. Woom did not achieve this by accident.
If you’re an average adult weighing around 150lbs, imagine riding a bike that weighs half your body weight at 75 lbs. Chances are this is not going to be a fun experience.
Yet, most bike manufacturers and parents expect just that and more from little kids. Woom recognized this right away as the key to making riding possible and fun. That’s why they use high-quality lightweight components you would find on higher-end adult bikes. Like the aluminum frame (6061 alloy) which is considerably lighter than the steel frame.
Woom designed their bikes with a child rider in mind, providing kids with a lower center of gravity. This gives kids a better balancing ability with more control and a comfortable position. However, could be slightly limiting for more aggressive riders who prefer a more leaned-in position.
The narrow Q-factor is another reason this bike is ideally suited for children. The Q-factor determines how far a rider’s legs are splayed out over the pedals. A narrow Q-factor means a much more comfortable and intuitive experience.
Performance
Two words – simply awesome. My son raved about being able to race with the big boys. He easily outmaneuvered them on similar sized lesser quality bikes. The woom 5 bike is even light enough for my 6-year-old to pick up and carry short distances!
Due to its very lightweight quality components, and intuitive design, our child enjoyed racing through the forest trails going over rough gravel and tree roots, and up and down grassy hills. This was only comparable to how much he loved the performance on a local concrete pump track and the paved trails.
The bike is built to cater to both a more timid rider and a more aggressive rider for both on and off-road. Read more to see why I say that.
Gears and Gain Ratio
Woom used the SRAM X4 derailleur with 8-speed grip shifters on this bike, similar to the woom 4.
Woom 5 has a gain ratio range of 2.4 to 6.8. This simply means that in the highest gear the bike travels 6.8 inches per each inch traveled by the pedal.
This wide range on the gain ratio allows for easier climbs up the hills and a lot of power on straight roads to easily keep up with you on trails.
Tires
1.85″ wide Schwalbe Little Joe folding tires – a Special Woom edition! These are sitting on SOOPA-DOOPA-HOOPS lightweight aluminum rims with a really neat reflective strip on both sides.
These tires are considerably wider than the older woom 5 edition 1.5″ Kenda tires. They are also wider than the 1.4″ Schwalbe tires that come with the woom 4.
As a result of this, the bike has a much better grip on dirt and gravel. Although, still not quite as much as the true kids’ mountain bikes at 2″ plus. And the kids think they look soopa-doopa-cool! The tires also include a more universal car-type valve for easy filling anywhere (this can be a true lifesaver!)
Brakes
The woom 5 boasts a dual mini V-braking system (no coaster brakes here!). The brake levers can be adjusted and are made to fit small hands for easy reach and compression. Even the Jagwire cables are the high-quality ones you expect on higher-end adult bikes.
Same as the woom 4, I did notice that they removed the green color on the rear tire brake which is something to note. Woom color-coded their smaller bikes’ brakes to help teach kids not to brake with the front tire first.
Assembly
All woom bikes come almost fully assembled and even adjusted to fit most riders out of the box. They come with incredibly easy instructions along with two necessary tools.
Woom recently added a great instruction video to the individual bike pages making all assembly a complete breeze. Ten minutes is all you will need to get it trail-ready (if that!)
Attention to Detail and Accessories
Woom thought through every inch of this bike with meticulous attention to detail. Let me count the ways.
- Both front and rear wheels come with a quick-release lever.
- The saddle has additional padding designed in a way to protect the bike when leaning on walls. It can be adjusted slightly forward or backward and is also tiltable.
- The seat post has a quick-release lever to make on-the-go adjustments simple and quick. And now it comes with etched insertion marks which come in handy when you switch riders!
- Woom included yet another great feature which is the plastic bike chain catcher in case the chain comes off the ring (that’s NEVER even happened to us in almost four years with woom bikes).
- Perhaps my favorite recent improvement is the genius design on the woom kickstand which no longer interferes with the crank due to the attachment on the rear axle (sold separately).
The accessories menu is full of really neat items to outfit your child’s new bike. And all of them undergo the same attention to detail.
Customer Service
Last but not least, because woom is a family-owned a run business, it really comes through in their customer service experience. I recall last time we accidentally lost one of the screws for the woom bell. We had one overnighted to us at no cost.
Bottom line is, you really can’t go wrong with this bike. Woom 5 is easily one of the best if not the best 24 inch bike out there!
Let me know if you like this woom 5 bike review in comments below.
Check Out My Other Guides for Biking with Kids:
- How to Teach a Child to Ride a Bike
- Complete Guide to Toddler Balance Bikes
- How to Find the Best First Pedal Bike After a Balance Bike
- Transition Your Toddler from a Balance Bike to a Pedal Bike
I’m a little confused. Woom told me that the kickstands are now standard issue. They did not say if they were the new Leggie style.
Do you know?
David –
Thank you for your comment and for reading my review! Are you certain that the woom representative meant a kickstand is included? I just checked their website and noted that it is still sold separately. I believe the Leggy type is the only one they are currently selling and it is definitely an improvement over the old model. I recommend reaching out to them again to ask if there is a leg stand that comes with the bike without the additional purchase. If that is the case, it is a new change as it is still not reflected on their website. I would appreciate it if you left another comment when you find out.
Having said that, these bikes are truly great and my children (including the now 4-year-old) ride them for 5-10 miles daily. I think you will love it if you are considering a purchase. Thanks again!
Marina
Thank you so much for this overview of Woom. I was just about to pull the trigger on a Cleary Meerkat for my 9yo daughter, after deciding not to trade up for another Specialized (or Trek). The thing that gets me about most kids bikes is just how heavy they are. The Cleary was no different, but the reviews from kids said it didn’t feel as “big” as the Specialized and was more “controllable”. Last night I stumbled across Woom and the thing that drew me in was just how light they are at 18lbs. Both the Specialized and Trek 24in weigh in at 28lbs, which is so much for my beanpole kiddo. My hope is that a lighter bike will give her more confidence on the bike. Based on your review, it seems like she’ll love it. Thanks again!
Jeff –
I am so glad you found this review helpful. We are definitely a Woom family. I know the Cleary bikes are really good bikes. They are considerably lighter in the smaller models. However, I agree with you that not many bikes can rival a Woom. I believe the Islabikes from the UK are awesome as well and also come in at roughly 18 lbs for a 24″. However, you can no longer get them in the states. The fact that my super light child (25% for weight) could handle the Woom 5 at just barely over 6 years of age speaks volumes to me of the quality of that frame and all the components. Good luck and thank you for your comment!