Bikemaker Vitus has scaled down their popular Mythique trail all-mountain bike into a new Kids’ version for the next generation of mountain bikers to hone their off-road skills. With 120mm of travel, capable slack geometry, modern drivetrains, all the latest standards, and the option of 24″ or 26″ wheels, young riders will be shredding trails and parents will be struggling to keep up on these new mini Mythiques.
Vitus Kids Mythique affordable 24″ & 26″ alloy mountain bikes
All mountain bikers want their kids to ride good bikes. But department store bikes aren’t up to real trail riding. Even proper good quality hardtails aren’t really as fun as you’d hope. (Would you give up your modern carbon trail bike, and go back to an entry-level aluminum hardtail now that your tasted full-suspension riding?) And bikes are so expensive, that it’s hard to justify the outlay of cash when the kids are still growing like weeds.
Enter a Vitus Mythique for Kids!
The new Vitus Mythique Kids is directly based on the popular and successful aluminum version of the 2023 Vitus Mythique that was just updated this past winter (and which in its previous generation earned mentions in both my 2019 & 2020 Editor’s Choice for its ride & affordability). Vitus wanted a bike that was “just as capable and confidence-inspiring as its adult-sized namesake”.
How’d they do it?
To achieve that, Vitus scaled the regular aluminum bike back. So, dropped just 10mm off the rear wheel travel and downsizing wheels to fit smaller riders. “We essentially started with the alloy frame of the adult-size Mythique and shrunk it down to be suitable for a smaller human, meaning your budding shredder can expect the same poise, playfulness, and durability that’s made the Mythique one of the most popular bikes in our lineup.”
The resulting bikes get 120mm of rear wheel travel (down from the adults’ 130mm), paired to a 130mm fork on the 16″ bike or 120mm fork on the 14″ bike for even lower standover.
Both still keep quite progressive geometry, too. A 66° head angle on the bigger bike, with a 75.5° effective seattube on both. The fit is designed for smaller riders, from 127-158cm / 4’1″-5’1″ tall.
Tech details
The Kids’ Mythique is a 6061-T6 alloy bike with the same horst-link 4-bar suspension design as the adults’ version. It also keeps the same modern standards, pretty surprising for a kids’ bike, actually. You get a standard Universal Derailleur Hanger. Tapered headtubes. Plus, Boost spacing, proper thru-axles, and molded downtube, chainstay & seatstay protectors.
Unfortunately, Vitus doesn’t build the bikes with dropper posts. But there is internal routing for a 31.6mm dropper when it’s time to upgrade your kid.
There’s just one complete bike build of each. To that end, they get similar spec built around a wide Box Four 1x 8-speed drivetrain, 160mm Clarks Clout hydraulic disc & 30mm internal WTB ST i30 rims with tubeless tape already installed.
Spec-wise, the red 26″ bike gets a 130mm SR Suntour Raidon 34 fork and 2.5″ EXO casing Maxxis Minion tires. While the silver 24″ bike gets a 120mm Manitou J-Unit 34 Expert fork, and Enduro casing 2.4″ Vee Flow Snap tires.
Vitus Mythique Kids – Pricing, options & availability
Both bikes sell for the same £1600 / $2000 suggested price. And they come direct from Vitus’ consumer-direct retail partners Chain Reaction and Wiggle. Now, recent industry news suggests that the parent of all of these companies struggling financially and has gone into restructuring. In truth, that might add a little doubt about the long-term availability of service or warranty coverage. But if you are looking to buy this bike you already are going down the consumer-direct path away from brick & mortar bike shops anyway. And on top of that, Vitus was clear that they developed this bike with a focus on durability and serviceability based on their alloy adult Mythiques.
What that does also mean is that Vitus and their parent Signa, are looking for cashflow. And with the holiday season right around the corner, they’re calling it an early Black Friday sale. As a result, in the UK there’s currently a 25% discount knocking these kids’ bikes back to £1200. Also, in the US that’s a 33% discount, dropping prices back to $1340. Those sales on a modern new bike make these look like a pretty killer deal for your young shredder.
