Prevelo Bikes Announces Revised Zulu Series Bikes

Jun 1, 2022 at 11:54
by Prevelo  

PREVELO ZULU SERIES
Trail Bikes Built for Kids
Prevelo Zulu Series Bikes


PRESS RELEASE: Prevelo Bikes

Prevelo Bikes is stoked to announce our refreshed Zulu Series bikes. We’re always trying to make our bikes better, so we’ve been hard at work, even in this wacko supply chain world.

All Zulu Series bikes feature Prevelo Kids Specific Trail Geometry throughout the size range. Slack headtube angles and low bottom-brackets aren’t just for big kids, but little kids too. And every component is carefully sized to match the frame geo. We sweat all the details to dial in handlebar sizes, stem lengths, and saddle dimensions for kids. A notable item that’s commonly overlooked is cranks. We size both the length and Q-factor of cranks for each size bike. Not only do these offer more ground clearance and lean angle in conjunction with our low BB, but they provide the correct stroke for little legs and narrow hips.

bigquotesl’m a dad, and a rider, and I want to make bikes that I want my kid riding. I’m constantly looking for ways to make our bikes better for young riders. We worked so many long hours on these bikes that we destroyed four coffee makers. Perhaps it’s an indicator of a hardworking team plowing through a challenging environment that coffee maker replacement expenses became a non-trivial budget line item. But it was worth it. I’m particularly excited about the new Microshift 9-speed Advent drivetrain on the Zulu Three. It’s awesome to have a component maker focusing on derailleurs for 20” wheels.—Jim Huth, Prevelo Bikes General Manager and Product Lead

ZULU ONE & ZULU TWO
Prevelo Zulu Two HEIR on trail
Prevelo Zulu Two

Tiny bikes dialed in for the youngest trail riders feature:
• Hydraulic Disc brakes with kid sized levers
• Freewheels (Add-on option for the Zulu One)
• Sealed cartridge threadless headset
• Kids specific short cranks with ultra narrow Q-factors
• Air sprung fork with lockout and rebound adjustment (on Zulu Two HEIR)
Prevelo Zulu Two HEIR
Prevelo Zulu Two HEIR

ZULU THREE
Prevelo Zulu Three

Zulu Three
The Zulu Three is dialed in for young trail riders ready to step up to 20” wheels. It features the Microshift’s new 9 speed Advent drivetrain with clutch and 11-38t cassette. This new deraiiluer features a super short cage that helps provide ground clearance with 20” wheels. It also comes with tubeless ready tires and rims.
Specs:
• 80mm travel Air sprung fork with lockout
• WTB i27 Tubeless wheels
• Vee Crown Gem Tubeless tires
• Hydraulic Disc brakes with kid sized levers
• New Microshift 9 speed Advent supershort drivetrain with clutch and 11-38t cassette
• 2-piece 120mm narrow Q-factor cranks with direct mount chainring
• Optional internally routed KS dropper post

Prevelo Zulu Three Drivetrain
New Microshift 9 speed Advent supershort drivetrain
2-piece 120mm narrow Q-factor cranks with direct mount chainring


ZULU FOUR
Prevelo Zulu Four

Zulu Four
The Zulu Four is a machine for growing kids in the 24” size range. It features Microshift’s 10 speed Advent X drivetrain with clutch and 11-48t cassette with Aluminum Spider and comes with tubeless ready tires and rims.
Specs:
• 100mm travel Air sprung fork with lockout
• WTB i27 Tubeless wheels
• Vee Crown Gem Tubeless tires
• Hydraulic Disc brakes with kid sized levers
• Microshift 10 speed Advent X drivetrain with clutch and 11-48t cassette with Aluminum Spider
• 2-piece 140mm cranks with direct mount chainring
• Optional internally routed KS dropper post



Every Prevelo Bikes ordered direct from us goes through a thorough check and tune before we ship the bike. Prevelo is a company run by parents. And it is Prevelo policy to never ship a bike that we wouldn’t put our own kids on. This policy lives side-by-side with our new shop policy to maintain a back-up coffee maker at all times.

TRAIL MISSION ZULU

For more information visit prevelo.com.

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38 Comments

  • 12 1
 Serious question: why do so many kids Mtn bikes have such high top tubes??? I just ordered a Riprock because of the lower standover height…and it was actually in stock. Also why aren’t more bikes being designed/sold with Junit forks? Or at least pressure from kids bike companies to have manitou sell a 1 1/8” Junit??

The kids market is very confusing.
  • 4 0
 This. My son is very small for his age, and his inseam is very short. I bought a decent brand (forget the manufacturer) used kids bike with training wheels for my son to try and learn to ride. This bike was a nightmare, he couldn't get his leg over the top tube and stand comfortably.

I ended up with a strider 14x with the pedal kit and it is an incredible bike. Basically enduro bike geometry in a 14" kids bike. Very low standover, super long and stable. He got on it and was riding by himself in a matter of minutes!
  • 14 1
 Specialized did an excellent job keeping standover low on the new Riprock. Our 20" sits 10mm taller, but this is because of the suspension fork. Our 24" sits 20mm taller, but with an equal travel fork. We tried a bend in the top tube, but in order to hold the strength we needed to thicken the tubing. We opted for the lighter weight frame and the straight tube because we feel that weight for a kid's bike is crucial. If you noticed, even our less expensive model beats the Riprocks weight by about a pound. The Heir version that rivals the Riprock Expert in price beats its weight by ~3 pounds. The Junit is a great fork and you will see them on some of our future models. However, its price point is too high for this model.
  • 1 1
 @Prevelo: the Riprock doesn’t have a bend in the top tube.
  • 1 0
 I put a spinner 300 on my kid's spesh hotrock 20, built a disc front wheel, used bmx race cranks and a 36t NW chain. aluminum bars, I had probably 500 in it all told. Later on used the suntour straight steer air fork on a 26" hotrock XS, (fortunately came disc) both were massive improvements over coil XCM. I think I also used a suntour crank to go 1x on the 26" In the years since, kids bikes have gotten way better spec.younger kid now on the 20 older kid now on marin riftzone 27.5", just went tubeless and added a dropper. Otherwise stock.
  • 3 1
 @unrooted: I don't think he said it did...
  • 3 0
 @Prevelo: What price point exactly, considering the J-unit product is definitely the best grom-ready-for-shreddy equipment on the market today? A little perplexing because some of the models above tout optional dropper posts and premium drivetrains...
  • 1 0
 Don't be confused. I feel the short of it is not all manufacturers are making serious kids bikes. There are a lot of bikes marketed towards kids but between the gearing, brakes, suspension performance and geometry, they are only suitable to ride green trails.

My son started on a riprock as his first pedal bike. That was fine but I had to revise the gearing (smaller front chainring, wider range cassette), and put some real brakes on it. Norco, Rocky Mountain, and Spawn are worth checking out. They make real kids bikes.
  • 2 0
 @MT36: my daughter is currently on a 20” Rocky Mountain Edge, which is fully rigid and has v-brakes, this coming week her 2022 Specialized Riprock 24 should arrive, and my hope is the larger wheels and disc brakes will make riding rough blue trails a bit easier for her. I can understand the concept of riding smaller wheels for stronger/aggressive kids, but I feel that for kids who aren’t so strong that bigger wheels can help them roll over rocks and roots that would require more upper body strength on a smaller wheeled bike….and it seems like in Europe they are making 27.5” frames for kids because they have the same mentality.

My wife seems like a great example of this, she’s 5’7” and really skinny, she’s also not terribly aggressive, but can pedal for days (former college xc runner) so she gets along great on a lightweight 29er. All of the strong/aggressive guys I know close to her height choose 27.5” bikes they can throw around a bit.

Unless my daughter gets a lot stronger/aggressive in the next couple of years I’ll be looking at building a lightweight 27.5 like the HUP bike next. At least their should be a lot more options available for us.
  • 2 0
 @unrooted: The bigger wheels do roll better, but I typically see gradeschool kids on wheel sizes so large that the bike is too long and hard to manage, at which point they are just trying to survive the experience instead of using the bike as a platform to build skills.

My approach to making the trails easier or safer for my son has been around building skills. I bike that you can "throw around" just means you have the technique to command it.
  • 1 1
 @unrooted: actually read what he wrote.
  • 1 0
 @wizardb: you don’t have to have a bend in the top tube to have a lower standover height.
  • 4 0
 Shout-out to Prevelo bikes! My daughter (6) has progressed from an Alpha 1, to an Alpha 2 and now rides an Alpha 3 (in power purple) and loves it. My son (3) is now pedaling the silver Alpha 1 all over the place! These are high quality bikes at a reasonable price that are some of the lightest out there for kids bikes. I will definitely be looking at the Alpha and Zulu 4 soon. All three bikes have come well packed, are easy to assemble and ready to rip.

Prevelo also has spare parts available (which again is nice on a kids bike) and cool accessories - like color grips and name lettering and bells and tiny gloves and pads. Makes it easy and fun to turn big sister's blue Alpha 2 - with purple grips and frozen stickers into little brother's bike with orange grips and paw patrol stickers! A rattle can on the tiny pedals works well too.
  • 4 0
 Prevelo figured out that super steep 68.5-69 HTA's kind of suck for beginners and aren't confidence inspiring. Credit to them for breaking into much more trail oriented geometry, especially for a hardtail where the HTA gets even steeper under load. Man, if only they had a model with a Manitou JUnit fork like Nukeproof/Orbea/Commencal are doing. Suspension forks for kids have come so far and these are just the same old school forks (we have one, and I service it etc...its an interesting fork). The JUnit forks are closer to a Fox Performance series fork but with a custom kids tune/air spring.
  • 2 0
 Serious question 2: why are childrens 26" bike frames still made when they could just be dirt jumpers that you pull the gears off one day? Save on manufacturing costs and can actually keep the bikes around and use them as an adult. I had a hardrock and eventually moved to a p3. It was almost identical in geometry except the p3. The p3 had sturdier tubes in some spots. The frame weighed the same amount.
  • 6 0
 DJ bikes and Mtn bikes don’t have the same geo.
  • 1 3
 @unrooted: the difference in geo between a small hardrock 26" and a p3 is small. I couldn't find 2004 like I had so I went 2006, which was available. 2009 on the p3.

Hardrock vs P3
Seattube Length - 330 vs 368
Headtube angle - 70 vs 68.5
Seatpost angle - 73 vs 71
Top Tube length (actual) - 546 vs 573
Chainstay - 427 vs 394
  • 1 0
 @VTwintips: what about bottom bracket height?
  • 1 0
 @unrooted: 300 vs 299.
  • 2 0
 Just be glad there ARE children 26" bikes. They don't need to go from 24 to 29.
  • 2 0
 @fruitsd79: check out this 27.5” HUP bike that fits 27.5 & 29” wheels…and fits down to 3’11”

www.pinkbike.com/news/tech-randoms-ews-tweed-valley-2022.html

hupcc.com/collections/hup-bikes-youth-cyclocross-track-road-framesets/products/hup-enduro-mtb-hardtail-frame
  • 1 0
 @unrooted: how did we ever do it on a rigid 26".
  • 1 0
 @fruitsd79: slowly?
  • 2 0
 My son had a Zulu One as his first bike and overall, we loved it. I liked the slack head angle and disc brakes and I think that both saved him a couple of times.

My only complaint - if it's a complaint - is that it was built like I was going to ride it hard. It was bomb proof, but no kid riding a 14 in bike was going to be able to generate enough force to need that sort of strength. I'd have preferred that they shaved weight rather than gone overboard with strength. My son moved from the Zulu One to the Woom Off 4 (no suspension fork). The 14 inch Prevelo was ~16 pounds. The MUCH physically larger 20 inch Woom is just over 17.
  • 1 0
 I agree, at that size a heavy bike makes a big difference and lighter weight can easily be achieved at the expense of unnecessary bomb-prooof-ness. In my opinion the trailcraft kids bikes hit that mark with very light weight, but durable enough for a kid that size. My 7 year old has one and he loves it.
  • 1 0
 @andelinc: I can see making the 20 in bike extra robust and marketing them toward 5-8 year olds who really shred, but 3-4 year olds just can't generate THAT much force. My son's best friend is a bowling ball/bmx racer and he never managed to destroy anything on his Woom 2 (the non-mountain 16 inch) riding it on trails and sending it over little jumps and it is way lighter than the Zulu 1.

I would totally recommend the Zulu 1 as it is a great bike and there aren't a lot of small bikes with wider tires, which were really helpful for our off road adventures, but I'd prefer more Woom like construction for the smaller parts of the size range as a few pounds matter more than the ability to drop Rampage lines at that age.
  • 2 0
 My son has been on an Alpha 1 for a year now. The quality of these bikes is next level IMO and he has had no problem over coming the "overbuilt-ness" in terms of weight. Plus, no one is going to throw a Prevelo in the trash when they're using it. I imagine my son's bike having 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc user's in the next 10 yrs.

And customer service is - right now - when you message them. Great company.
  • 1 0
 Heck Yeah, Jacob & crew.....Fans of Prevelo since they've got the "trail"...Many rad adventures with my mini me on her Alpha model(s). The trade-in program kept us in the game...hence the word model(s) to you parents out there.
  • 1 0
 One of the big challenges in getting the youth product down to a usage-appropriate weight are the regulatory requirements. The way they are currently written, all off road bicycles are required to pass the same tests at the same loads. So for much if not all of the testing, adult enduro bikes and these youth bikes need to perform at the same level to satisfy regulatory (ISO) requirements.
  • 1 0
 For anyone looking to get their hands on Prevelo bikes in the UK - we're Windwave the exclusive UK distributors Smile We've got a bunch of dealers already lined up awaiting their delivery this week, alternatively free stock will be listed here as well: shop.windwave.co.uk/prevelo.

It will be a few months before we see the new colourways above land in the UK however.
  • 1 0
 Agreed! My 6 yo has been riding at bike parks for 3 summers now. Need more lightweight FS kids bike options. I saw a 20" wheel FS coming in at 34 lb. That's more than my mullet Enduro medium size bike...
  • 1 0
 That video is.... Something else ! Really wanted to see the kid ride in one of the costumes . Other than the one he was wearing.
  • 1 0
 Weights are listed on the website prevelo.com/products/zulu-one
  • 2 2
 No full suspension? C'mon. Kids shred these days. Get them real bikes.
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