Trek Roscoe 24 review: great little trail bike

The Trek Roscoe 24 sports fat tyres, 1x drivetrain, wide-range cassette, sloping top tube and rear brake calliper is tucked into the frame.

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By barney

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Trek Roscoe 24 review: great little trail bike

Chen shin tyres, Cheng Shin innit? As fitted to the classic Raleigh Mustang way back when. Now called CST and their jazzy tyres are branded Maxxis…

Had one of these for my littlest until recently – really weird shape to ride, underpowered brakes, harsh grips, very straight bars, tyres felt very odd to ride on as an adult (I’d ride it to and from school for her). Before that we had a Cannondale Cujo 20 which was vastly better.
Trek say it’s suitable for 129cm-150cm but I doubt that very much, probably nearer 135 or more at the bottom end, and especially given the 152mm cranks which are way too long and got swapped for some short Frog ones.

Rich – I put it to you that if you’re riding it at all, and at tyre pressures suitable for a 7yo then yes, it’ll definitely feel *very* odd to ride 😀

Tester Alis is currently 132cm, and has had the bike for a few months now; I’d be surprised if she was much bigger than 129cm when we got it.

The crank length was absolutely perfect for her – the ones she’s graduated from were far too short. I guess it goes to show that every kid is different.

152mm crank for a 132cm child is like the average UK male using a 210mm crank.

Considering there’s a slow but progressive movement to suggest that we should all be on shorter cranks I cant help but feel we’re giving kids a poor deal.

Kids bikes are getting better but crank length still too long in most cases. 140mm cranks are more appropriate for the height range that Trek’s aimed at.

Youngest a11y starting riding a 24″-wheeled Vitus from around 130cm (now 141cm). Spec its way better than the Trek, cheaper to buy too: 140mm cranks, hydraulic brakes which work, decent Schwalbe tyres, a half-decent suspension fork, and 1×8. Only change I made was a 11-40t cassette to increase the gear range. Slacker 67deg HA, whole bike very confidence-inspiring. Weighed at 12.0kg with pedals and a fatter 2.35″ Smart Sam on the front, so only 400g heavier than the Trek despite suspension fork.

I’ve got a Vitus Nucleus 26 stashed away for when she’s ready for it. Frustratingly that’s specced with 165mm cranks… same length cranks I use at 188cm on my XL Geometron! I’ll be looking for a set of 152mm cranks for it.

I’m convinced shorter cranks & lower BBs on kids bikes would be far more confidence inspiring for them.

How do they get on with the wheel size? I know larger has benefits in some areas & 24″ isn’t really 24″ but that’s like you running a 32″ wheel.

I’m inclined to keep my kid running a bike more in proportion to an adult bike for longer than most people would.

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one thinking that seemed expensive, heavy and very weird geometry (why bars so high and long fork / head tube?) That Vitus looks much better thought out. And I seem to remember 150 ish cranks were about right for the tiny 26er I brazed up for my youngest many years ago (pre clutches and narrow-wide so I also made a braze on chain device thingy).

I’m convinced shorter cranks & lower BBs on kids bikes would be far more confidence inspiring for them.

Yep Frog should take note on this, especially on their Frog 62. BB is so high that to get good pedaling, too far to get a foot comfortably on the ground.

As from from above Vitus much better thought out in both there mtb and their Frog 62 equiv

Cannondale have a super low BB in their kids bikes and no super daft over suspension corrected fork like that Roscoe and short 130mm cranks.

Kids Cujo 24 | 7 to 12 Bikes | Cannondale

and better version with wider range gears decent shifter etc:

Kids Cujo Race 24+ | 7 to 12 Bikes | Cannondale

Well, what we replaced it with was this. Under me, on a pump track, like it’s on rails. She’s vastly more confidence in it than the Trek, and that’s despite me building it 😁

View post on imgur.com

(The tyre comment was actually because under cornering it almost felt like it had a belt of steel that was flat, and when leaned over it just felt… odd. Her previous Cujo 20 definitely didn’t feel like that (2.6″ tyres) and I’ve ridden all of their bikes to school from a Rothan to a 27.5″ Scott!).

^ That pump track at Reigate/Redhill?

I can’t recommend Hoy bikes highly enough. My 9 year old has just graduated from a Hoy Bonaly 24 to a Bonaly 26. I’ll be putting a fatter grippier tyre on for front for winter though. He loves it.

I did look at the Treks but the kids bike seem to stop at 24″ wheels.

My youngest loves his Roscoe. I ride my Farley with him and he feels invincible on his mini fat bike.

It works for us.

He has some mega heavy/treaded Kenda El Capos on it.
I guess they were emptying every warehouse they could find in time for last Christmas.

Also have the Vitus in 24” guise for my 9y/o and echo all the above. Trek Roscoe was on the short list but when I saw one in the flesh the geometry was just odd, plus the spec poor value compared to the Vitus. The Vitus is a great value little bike, confidence inspiring. Gets used daily for the school run as well as trail centres, XC trails and shredding the local woods.

^ That pump track at Reigate/Redhill

Not quite – it’s in birkenhead 😏

^ That pump track at Reigate/Redhill

Not quite – it’s in birkenhead 😏

No worries, wasn’t that sure of was RR.

@didnthurt – Hoy Bonaly 24 and 26

Yep lovely bikes and nice move on from the previous Evans Pinnacle Kauri 26″ bike, though bit less stand over.

Who ever was doing design for Evans’ Pinnacle and Hoy 24″/26″ kids bikes done and doing excellent job

Mate’s older son has one of these and it’s fantastic. The fat tyres give him plenty of grip on the rocky, rooty, gravel tracks where we ride.

…one other thing, the SunRun cassette fitted to ours used to snag one tooth on the (IIRC) 15t sprocket when it was in a higher gear. Now, that wasn’t often for her, but it was annoying.

Replaced it with a Shimano alternative and it worked perfectly.

Always knew I should have got her a Cujo 24, but her ladyship demanded pink 😁