20" Haro Flightline JR 7-Speed

Age: 5-8 years

Haro’s Flightline 20 kids bike has been well thought out. It’s a versatile 7-speed bike that is at home on mixed terrain, is very well designed and ergonomic for kids.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Suitable for mixed terrain; sealed bike paths, dirt and gravel
• Shimano 7-Speed gears
• V-Brakes with short-reach brake levers, sized for kids
• Front suspension absorbs vibrations and impacts
• Lightweight alloy frame
• Low standover height, makes bike feel more stable and more ideal for kids in between sizes.

DESCRIPTION

In this preview, we’ll delve into why it’s a bike that’s gotta be on your shortlist for Christmas or otherwise.

WHO IS IT FOR?

The Flightline 20 (called that because it’s got 20-inch wheels) is perfect for kids from 6 years old who are upgrading from a smaller 16-inch or 18-inch bike.

And:

Your little rider will be spending time on mixed terrain; both bike paths and trails that are light dirt or gravel. So their new bike needs to be versatile.

THE COMPONENTS

The word “lightweight frame” is thrown around a lot in the bike industry. But not all aluminium alloy frames are made equal, so therefore they’re not all going to be light.

Haro uses an aluminium alloy (or alloy for short) called X6.

X6 is the best alloy frame material and manufacturing method that Haro uses. Without turning into a complete nerd, Haro’s engineers remove material where it’s not required and add it where it is.

How much material to remove is the tricky part; so naturally there’s a little more effort involved but the result is worth it.

The point of going to that effort and using above average materials is so that kids actually love riding their new bike. Its lightness makes the Flightline 20 easier to pedal, climb hills, get on and off - in general, just much easier to ride for kids.

Crucially, Haro has focused on the standover height too. They’ve made the frame as low as possible (9.5-inches tall). This lowers the “weight” of the bike closer to the ground, making it more stable - especially once speed and momentum kick in.

It also means we can go lower in the seat height, allowing riders who are inbetween sizes to potentially size up to the Haro.

A bit of front suspension helps riders absorb small impacts over dirt and gravel trails, or bitumen that is less than ideal. It does add a little more weight compared to bikes like the ByK E450 though, however it does mean more comfort if the paths aren’t exactly smooth.

Tyres on the Flightline 20 also make the bike a lot more versatile.

They are not super chunky off road tyres or slick road tyres. The balance between these 2 extremes is perfect; they offer enough grip on loose unsealed paths and are fast and easy to ride on sealed bike paths.

Simplifying the gears - especially at this age - is best. That’s why the Flightline 20 uses 7 gears.

Not only is it simple, it also minimises moving parts; there’s no front derailleur (the thing that actually changes the gears), no front gear cable or front gear shifter.

Kids’ bikes are also prone to a little damage. A cage in front of the rear derailleur (see image above) protects it when the eventual fall does happen.

Now, very few people actually like climbing hills, so the Flightline 20 uses Shimano’s MegaRange gears. Essentially, the easiest gear is really, really easy; making climbing hills a little more tolerable.

Each gear change is done via Shimano’s grip shifter that’s designed for kids. And they don’t need to take their hands off the bars, so riders have a lot more control.