Is your child ready to make the step up to their first ‘adult sized’ bike?
If so, do you go for a full on mountain bike, a BMX, a racing bike, or something more flexible…?
If you are looking for your child’s first adult sized bike, a hybrid like the Pinnacle Lithium 2 could be what you need.
I recently bought my (slightly taller than average) 10 year old child the Pinnacle Lithium 2 (extra small), and here is my review after a few weeks use.
This is not a technical review and I’m not any where near a bike expert. This is all based solely on my experiences as a parent and what I’ve observed from my child’s perspective. It is wholly subjective.
Building the Pinnacle Lithium 2
I ordered the bike online for £359, and it was delivered part built, with the handles rotated 45 degrees to fit in the box.
Fitting it all together was really easy, with simple to follow instructions and the required tools included in the box.
After a bit of tweaking and tightening we got the seat and handle bar settings right, and we are ready to go. I’d say it took us about 20 minutes from unpacking the bike to it being ready to ride.
First impressions of the Pinnacle Lithium 2
The bike looks stylish, with a great black and orange colour scheme my child loves.
The bike is also sturdy with out being heavy. This is our third generation of Pinnacle bikes and we’ve always been happy with this side of things.
Our bikes aren’t particularly well looked after to be honest, and they’ve always kept on going with minimal issues.
We aren’t a family of committed bikers or off-roaders, and most bike rides are in public spaces and on smooth, paved areas.
The most extreme thing this bike will have to do is the odd visit to a bike park, with some small hills and tight bends. That said, it handles what has been expected of it effortlessly.
The only minor red flags are the gears. The mechanism to change gears feels a bit flimsy for the amount of use it will have. It is serving its purpose so far, but if anything is going to fail, I suspect it will be that.
Other reviews mentioned the seat padding being too thin and uncomfortable for extended use, but those are typically from commuters or power users. My child hasn’t complained once about this issue yet.
Update: On a longer than normal bike ride, my child did start to complain about the seat becoming uncomfortable.
Should you buy the Pinnacle Lithium 2?
I think the bike is good value for money, and my child certainly enjoys riding it.
There are more expensive bikes out there, which presumably have sturdier gear mechanisms, but if your child is a casual rider and you don’t want to break the bank the Pinnacle Lithium 2 is a great choice.
