Frog 52 Bike Review - Tales of a Mountain Mama (2024)

April 5, 2022September 20, 2016

Reviewed by: Amelia

Price (MSRP): $420

Best Use: Multi Use

Where to Buy: Ready Set Pedal

Testing Location: Montana and Wyoming

Testing Environment: All conditions

Frog Bikes, out of the UK, just hit the U.S. market this week! Specializing in lightweight bikes built specifically for kids, they sell balance bikes, hybrid, road and track bikes (though not all models are yet available in the United States.) You can NOT purchase these bikes online because theyalways prefer that families buy Frog bikes through their local dealer so that they get the right size bike, and get it built and checked properly.

We have had an opportunity to try out their Frog 52 (their 20″ model) this summer. Frog bikes are just now getting into retailers in the U.S. (check their site to find a retailer near you!)

Since originally the bike was right between sizing for both my boys, we sent it off to a friend tester who was the perfect size and had been riding an incredibly heavy bike. After a few weeks, we brought it home and P quickly claimed it, and has been using it to transition into using gears.

Below you’ll see 6 year old, G, who happily and easily jumped on the Frog 52. He had been riding a very heavy bike up until this point and was thrilled on how it rode so well.

G’s mom says, “This is a great bike! It’s light, nimble, and super fast. I couldn’t believe how fast my son could ride on it. This was his first hand brake/gear bike, and he picked up the gears and brakes very easy – they were easy to use and intuitive. He gained confidence on the new bike, and on more challenging terrain, quickly. The bike performed well on dirt and gravel roads, which is where we used it most of the time. We also used it on more narrow two-track (which sometimes is more like singletrack) (on the Osprey Falls Road), where it navigated rocks and uneven terrain easily. My son definitely put it through it’s paces – and it performed very well in all the ways I would expect with an active, adventurous, rambunctious kid.”

While he is still a tiny bit small for it, he has been able to successfully start himself and ride. And since most parents jump the gun and get their kids a bike just a tiny bit big to grow into (not always a great idea), we thought it was a great way to test it.

The Frog 52 is a super lightweight bike that comes standard with a bell, reflectors and mud guard. It’s available in five different colors (red, purple, orange, spotty or Team Sky) and has 8 gears to help kids up (and down) those hills. It also comes standard with two sets of tires – “slicks” and more knobby ones.

Quick Stats:

-19.3 lb.

-20″ tires

– All aluminum frame

-Comes standard with bell, mud guards and reflectors

-Quick release seat

-Quick release wheels

What we love:

-Very lightweight (19.3 lb.)

-Comes standard with two sets of tires

-Narrower handle bars and a low center of gravity make it easy for smaller kids to ride

-Comfortable seat

-Easy to pull hand brakes

-Seat and wheels are all quick release

What we aren’t so crazy about:

– For small hands (or really fingers), shifting the gears is still a little tough for P. He can do it…but it does require him using his whole hand. I think this will come, however, with a little more practice, strength building and growth.

-Like all great kid bikes, this one is certainly an investment. However, the price is comparable to similar bikes (like the WOOM).

The Bottom Line:

An excellent bike for kids….especially as they transition into use of gears and hand brakes. The price is a bit hard to swallow…but you get what you pay for (and this could easily be passed down again and again.)

Frog Bikes generously provided us this gear in order to facilitate this review. However, as always, the opinions expressed here are completely and honestly our own.

© 2016, Tales of a Mountain Mama. All rights reserved. Republication, in part or entirety, requires a link back to this original post and permission from the author.