Kids Ride Shotgun Announce Magura-Equipped Off Road Balance Bike

Mar 31, 2023
by Dan Necklen  
Introducing the Dirt Hero off-road balance bike

by kidsrideshotgun
Views: 1,658    Faves: 0    Comments: 0


PRESS RELEASE: Kids Ride Shotgun

We've finally entered the bike game with the launch of our new Dirt Hero off-road balance bike.

Known for introducing kids to mountain biking through our shotgun child seats, our new runner bike is the next step in a parents’ pathway to raising a MTB kid – designed to unlock the trails for toddlers.

Dirt Hero off-road balance bike 14

bigquotesWe’ve noticed a growing number of balance bike families hitting the trails together, but it can be hard for parents to find a runner bike that’s up to the task. Many balance bikes are lightweight by design, but that can mean they're not always great for the dirt. We've set out to create a bike that would open up riding off-road for balance bike kids, enabling them to experience the stoke of mountain biking from an earlier age.—Dan, Kids Ride Shotgun

Dirt Hero off-road balance bike

Dirt Hero off-road balance bike
Dirt Hero off-road balance bike

Equipped to take 12” or 14” Vee-Tire wrapped wheelsets, and with an optional Magura MT4 rear disc brake with rotor guard, the Dirt Hero is no ordinary balance bike, it’s a down-scaled enduro machine. Every aspect has been considered to ensure kids have the best possible experience when advancing from the driveway to the dirt.

bigquotesWe chose Magura for the Dirt Hero because of the power, reliability, and most importantly, class-leading lever reach adjustment. The MT4, paired with the HC1 lever, is perfect for little hands. Also, the 12” - 14” convertibility helps kids avoid the big leap from 12” to 16” pedal bike, creating a smoother transition, and giving them more time on a bike they’re comfortable with, so that they love riding.—Stu, Product Manager

Dirt Hero off-road balance bike with Magura MT4
Dirt Hero off-road balance bike rear hydraulic disc brake

The Dirt Hero balance bike is designed for kids 2 - 5 years, and any MTB gear head will appreciate the details that have gone into the bike. The sealed headset, thru axles, removable footpad, and progressive geometry. The bike effectively grows with your kid, thanks to the replaceable drop-outs that extend the reach of the bike for the larger 14” wheel size – you can even run it as a mullet and go 14” on the front, 12” on the rear.

The bike weighs in at 4kg for the 12” unbraked version, and is priced at $340 USD – with the 14” wheel set and Magura MT4 brake as optional extras.

The Dirt Hero is available in-store and online from today, and even comes with 3 customisable top-tube skins so your little one can make it their own. For more info visit your local bike shop, or view the bike here.

Dirt Hero geometry

Dirt Hero off-road balance bike
Dirt Hero off-road balance bike


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74 Comments
  • 34 2
 This is so cool, and the bonus is that as the child outgrows the bike, they will have a great magura brake to put on their dirtjumper if they ever get one. Dirt jumpers usually have garbage brakes at low pricepoints. so this is a piece of equipment that can grow with the kid. specialised should take notes. THIS is how you make a performance strider bike for kids.
  • 14 4
 Silly specialised could never do this. Specialised probably can’t even take notes those silly gooses. YOU should be running specialised.
  • 4 0
 The hand brake was a crucial part of our balance bike. He never had to learn later and could feel safer going down steeper sections. Actual rubber tires are key too. Too many are using foam tires, which suck. no traction. This bike looks like it'll rip.
  • 3 0
 Commencal scootbikes have had disc tabs for a while…
  • 2 0
 @audeo03: My nephew was properly upset when he outgrew his commencal rascal. Even at 5 years old he understood the performance difference between disks and v-brakes.
Best way to make use of some old SRAM level-Ts
  • 11 0
 Overkill for most kids - they won’t be on it for very long before progressing to a pedal bike. It was only when upgrading to 20” bike that bike lasted more than a year, and the trails ridden warrant disc brakes and knobbly tyres.
  • 11 0
 If you think this is overkill you’re going to shit yourself when you see what Specialized have done
  • 10 0
 for flexing on other parents in the friend ground and around town....that is what this is for
  • 3 0
 definitelly not overkill www.instagram.com/p/CkD7l-FpWr5 that applies both to quality balance bike and hydraulic brake. I bought my son Commencal 12" when he was 2,5 and that was his 4th balance bike. (first 3 were cheap shits.) Now he is 4 yrs old and rides this daily already for 1 and 1/2 yr. He also has 14" pedal commencal, rides that easily, but still prefers 12" balance.
  • 1 0
 @madxface: agree 100% and have had the same experience
  • 16 5
 I'd want a solid disc. Always spooked of a finger amputation
  • 5 6
 Better get rid of spokes then too.
  • 7 0
 The holes are already plugged by some kind of plastic. Marketed as child safe with rotor guard in the video.
  • 7 0
 @rick26: yup Pinkers can’t read
  • 1 0
 @NZRalphy: we just complain
  • 1 0
 Been there, seen it. It's was a 15yr old though on a rental bike at a resort. Soft crash, fell on top of bike, and rode the bike down the hill on its side for about 8ft. Finger gone.
  • 10 0
 What?! No headset cable routing?!
  • 7 0
 So here I was reading through all the geometry, top tube, angles, mullet…… hang on what am I doing?
It is just a balance bike! Well done guys.
  • 5 0
 Kid, don't spray your jet wash on the lower headset bearing. The bike is clean already. Hey, look at what you're doing. Don't look at me, look at where you're pointing that jet. Hey! He... blblbllblbbbbbllrrr....
  • 1 0
 The bike and brake are awesome… but something about a little kid kitted out in specific MTB clothing and shoes just to trundle about on a balance bike is a little…sad?

Gotta prep them to spend early!
  • 1 0
 @dirtyburger: I didn't really check the clothes but after your comment, those shoes aren't sad, they're just a downright bad idea. Fivetens give you great grip on your pedals and even when hiking over rocks. It is pretty amazing how you can walk and jump from rock to rock. It is dotty rubber after all, no long spikes that flex and fold. But for walking over dirt, they're incredibly useless. There is less grip than with whatever shoes you may own. I once got into a spontaneous game of soccer whilst wearing some FiveTen Impact shoes and I kept sliding out. It took my a while (and even a knee injury) to realize why I was Wink . Just give the kids some hiking shoes. Useless on the pedals probably but much better for when you don't have pedals anyway.
  • 5 1
 so cool, Kids will move quickly over to 16in MTB without hesitation. across the pond we have a crazy federal law that requires all kids bikes that are not strider type to have coaster brakes.
  • 1 0
 Woom and Prevelo (probably others too?) will sell you an extra rear wheel kit without the coaster though. We got one when we ordered my son's bike. Woom is definitely on the pricier end of the spectrum but they're also really light and well thought out. Color coded brake levers, reach adjust for tiny fingers, etc. They're just mechanical v-brakes but my son can stop really well.
  • 1 0
 What law is that? None of our kids bikes ever had coaster brakes.
  • 2 0
 are you sure? my daughter is on a 16" Woom with front and rear linear pull brakes, no coaster.
  • 1 0
 @number44: CPSC law from way too far back to be relevant but basically it says bikes with a seat height under 25” have to have a foot brake or be marked brakeless with idiot stickers. Relevant sauce at link: www.cpsc.gov/content/bicycle-requirements-business-guidance
  • 1 0
 @SATN-XC: my son is on a Woom 2 (14") and there was no way to buy it without the coaster (still had V-brakes, but it came with the coaster too). We added on the freewheel kit and swapped it right away though.
  • 1 0
 @gotohe11carolina: This law is the sidewalk bike law. If marketed as an off-road bike it doesnt need it, but meets different standards. (I suspect this might be why they emphasized "off-road", or maybe run bikes are exempt).

I bought a Prevelo Alpha (road version) which came with two wheels because coaster brakes were mandated. I bought the same size Zulu (mtb - off road version) and didnt come with a coaster..... not sure why they just dont call every bike off-road worthy to avoid this. Must be another regulatiopn to pass if they do.
  • 1 0
 @gotohe11carolina: Interesting - but obviously must be easy to bypass or just ignore at this point. I don't think Cleary has ever made a coaster brake; and maybe they can skirt it with some "offroad" designation on a form somewhere. Same with Trek and Spesh bikes of our kids and friends; but I suppose they're vaguely MTB shaped. Even my 70's banana seat bikes didn't have a coaster though - I was so jealous of my friends who could skid theirs. Smile
  • 3 0
 I'm the target market for this, mtb dad with two young kids (The oldest is on a 20" trailcraft. The younger one hasn't graduated from the balance bike yet, but we're getting close. They can ride a pedal bike, but still prefer the Strider.), but I can't get past the price, for something that's going to be discarded rather quickly. If they offered a singlespeed drivetrain upgrade, so that kids could graduate to pedals on the same bike I'd be all over it.
  • 1 0
 Im in the same boat. I don't mind paying a premium for something that will last through both of my kids, but $340 without the brake is a stretch. We started on the Giant balance bike for $125 (14"), went to a 16" Provelo for around $375, and just bought my daughter the 20" Specialized Jett for $400. Our second will start using the balance bike later this season or maybe early next and will graduate up through them, and all will be resellable when the younger grows out of them.
  • 5 0
 My son is similar, but we just took the pedals off his Woom 2 and taped the crankarm to the chainstay. He basically used it as a strider for a year and is just now figuring out the pedals. Once the kid is big enough to start using pedals I don't think it makes much sense to buy a bike that can't be pedaled at all.
  • 1 0
 @sethlowe: Similar path here, but we skipped the 16" bike. My eldest went from a Strider to a 12" BMX bike that was more street oriented than dirt, and went straight from that to a 20" Trailcraft hardtail, which certainly wasn't cheap, but is a legit MTB with front suspension, and shimano drivetrain + hydraulic discs. I've watched other young struggle on trails on cheap, crappy, heavy bikes and didn't want the bike to be the limiting factor to his progression, so we splurged a little. He's probably got another 6mos - 1yr at 7yo, before he needs a 24" and has been riding it since he was five. Assuming his younger brother will get similar usage out of it, so we didn't mind spending a bit for it. I'm guessing we'll be able to get at least a few hundred dollars resale out of it when both of them outgrow it, as we've taken pretty good care of it, and kid's hardtails aren't going to change *that* much. We also have a 20" skinny tire BMX race bike that we bought used for the eldest when he was briefly into BMX. He liked riding the track, but just didn't enjoy practicing starts and doesn't have much of a competitive drive, so he lost interest in BMX and we didn't force the issue. Still hanging onto that one in case the younger kid shows interest, but if not I suspect we can sell it for close to what we paid.
  • 2 0
 Our LittleBig bike can transform from a 14" balance bike into a pedal bike, with front and rear v brakes and the same knobbly vee tyres, it's cheaper too. Check if out if you fancy at www.littlebigbikes.com
  • 1 0
 Same. This looks great, but at 2? They are just figuring out how to not fall over at this point. And we all know until 4 they are braking via the dragging the toes of the new kicks you just bought them along the concrete. Wonderful!

However, knowing that the magura levers could be used for a kid hand is pretty cool. I run MT7's on my trail bike and never thought of that!
  • 3 0
 @bkm303: This is a great idea! (pedals removed crank arm taped) my daughter is just reaching two but id rather a small tire bike that can be pedaled eventually for the money then something with no way forward
  • 3 0
 @Jheitt142: Can also just remove the BB and chain . . . then add them back when they are ready. I did that with my sons Commencal Ramones.
  • 3 0
 Buy a 14 or 16 inch pedal bike and take off the drivetrain. It was the only way to get a bike with decent tires. Zip tie the seat to the frame bmx style if they need more standover.
  • 1 0
 I’d be all over this for my kiddo if it weren’t for the weight. The 12 in. version is 47% heavier than the Woom 1. If you want to set your 2 year old up for success, I’ll take lightweight vs beefy traction tires any day.
  • 3 2
 Strider bike is $99, if your kid cant use pedals yet, theres no way theyll use hand brakes either. Nowhere to place thier feet while coasting? They'll still use thier feet to stop and will outgrow this bike within a year.
  • 3 1
 But there is a place to set they're feet...
  • 3 0
 * their

ffs.... thanks autocorrect!
  • 1 0
 That’s not strictly true. My son wiped out hard on a balance bike with no brakes, so we got one with a rear brake so he could keep his speed in check.
  • 1 0
 Is that brake lever tuned for small hands?
Because my MT7 levers even on the full inboard position stay way too far from the handlebar for my liking,let alone a little kid...
  • 4 1
 Yep, it's the shortest reach (entry level) hydraulic disc lever we could find, and the grips are undersized too.
  • 1 0
 @kidsrideshotgun: Sweet! Nice job.
  • 2 0
 Is this brake set up, specifically the disc and guard, available separately?
  • 2 1
 Hey billy, I'm afraid it's only available with the bike (as an optional extra)
  • 2 0
 www.hlc.bike/ca/Catalog/Item/180819-01
  • 3 0
 A Gustav would have been better.
  • 1 0
 Was about to complain about the pricing relative to a Commencal Ramones, but factoring in the cost of the added brake it's a wash. Nice option!
  • 2 0
 Yea I saw multiple posts about ramones being way cheaper...but I just priced a 12" w/ brake and its pretty close..plus if my guy is ready for a little bigger i dont have to buy a whole new bike..so yea pretty close I say. And the KRS has a mudguard!!!
  • 1 0
 that brake's hose length is the same length as my front brake on my trials bike. So sick seeing good quality parts on kids bikes especially this small! So sick!
  • 2 1
 The company that specializes in ripping off designs. No one should buy anything from this company. Support the small guy they ripped off.
  • 1 0
 And who might that be?
  • 1 0
 The question here is what will rotate more freely, the brake discs or the grips? Judging from the grips on their clamp-on bars it's probably the latter.
  • 2 0
 Commencal has basically already made this bike and is over $100 cheaper
  • 3 0
 Pretty sure it’s the exact same frame when you compare them…

My Kid has the Commencal Ramones 12 and absolutely loves it! Comes with the Shimano Deore rear brake as well
  • 2 1
 This company just rips off other people. They have no original ideals, only good marketing. At least this time they aren’t steeling a small mom and pop shops idea.
  • 1 0
 Wait, no teeny water bottle mount? Missed opportunity.

I love that little fender, this thing is sick.
  • 2 1
 this is not for kids, this is for parents with money to waste, good job marketing dept...
  • 2 0
 Yup, I was eyeing this for myself. My Rail 29 is a little too big. I want something a lot more nimble. My daughter can stick with her Playskool trike.
  • 1 0
 Does anyone know where I can buy one of those MT4 rotor guards? Cant find anything at Mugura.com
  • 2 0
 Just zip tie a cut down plastic ice cream pail lid to the rotor.
  • 1 0
 The brake cable routing is messing with my ocd..sick bike though!
  • 1 0
 I'm wondering if this got posted a day early by accident.....
  • 1 0
 Brake cable is not headset or internally routed? Pass
  • 1 0
 But at least it comes with a participation trophy.
  • 1 0
 take my money
  • 1 2
 I thought this was an early April Fool's joke.
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