Recently, the hushed anticipation of a Deer Valley lift line was broken by an overheard comment, a pro mountain biker remarking to his friend, “I wish we had bikes like that when we were kids.” His gaze was fixed on my son’s Trailcraft Maxwell 24. This wasn’t just any kid’s bike; it was a full suspension marvel, engineered to conquer uphill climbs and absolutely shred downhill trails, embodying the spirit of Trailcraft Bikes at their finest.
The Maxwell series from Trailcraft delivers a lightweight frame across three size options, each boasting meticulously selected components: the Maxwell 24 (24″ wheels), Maxwell 26 (26″ wheels), and Maxwell 275 (27.5” wheels). True to the Trailcraft ethos, the build quality is exceptional, offering adult-grade performance scaled down for younger riders.
Our son has been rigorously testing the Trailcraft Maxwell 24 for several months, and the full suspension system captivated him from the first ride. This bike has undeniably amplified his riding capabilities, empowering him to tackle larger jumps, fueling a stronger passion for frequent rides, and enhancing his overall fitness to levels we hadn’t imagined for an 8-year-old.
Continue reading to delve deeper into our comprehensive experience with this remarkable machine…
Trailcraft Maxwell 24: Quick Verdict
The Upsides:
- Full Suspension Advantage: Effortlessly absorbs impacts from rocks, roots, jump landings, and varied trail obstacles, enhancing comfort and control.
- Premium Componentry: Features high-end components typically found on adult mountain bikes, ensuring durability and performance.
- Quality Air Suspension: Equipped with high-performance air-sprung suspension fork and shock, tunable for optimal responsiveness.
- Hydraulic Disc Brakes: Provides superior stopping power and modulation for confident descending and technical riding.
- Front Through Axle: Boosts front-end stiffness and steering precision (though rear is quick release).
The Downsides:
- Weight Consideration: Naturally heavier than a hardtail equivalent due to the full suspension system.
- Premium Price Point: Reflects the high-quality components and advanced engineering.
Price Range: $3,199 – $4,899 (Dependent on Components and Size Options)
Explore Trailcraft Maxwell Bikes at trailcraftcycles.com
Trailcraft Maxwell 24 Video Review (To be added – consider embedding a relevant video if available)
Why Choose a Full Suspension Bike for Your Young Mountain Biker?
Mountain biking, by its very nature, presents demanding challenges. For families who embrace mountain biking together, ensuring that younger members can keep pace across climbs, descents, and undulating terrains can be a significant hurdle.
For our son, mountain biking has been an integral part of his upbringing, a cherished family activity. While he has tested a few 20-inch full suspension bikes in the past, none truly felt like his own, or delivered the performance he craved.
He often voiced his aversion to rough, rocky trails, expressing a clear desire for a full suspension bike. And let’s face it, mountain biking is inherently rough – and that’s a part of the thrill we love!
A full suspension bike can dramatically reduce the fatigue and strain caused by rugged trails, a benefit I’m personally rediscovering with my own hardtail bike. It allows kids tackling adult-length rides to experience the same advantages as their parents. Yes, there’s a slight weight increase, but the enhanced comfort and control are undeniably worth the trade-off.
Conquering trails at Soldier Mountain Bike Park in Idaho, showcasing the capabilities of trailcraft bikes.
Climbing will always be a demanding aspect of mountain biking, but suspension plays a crucial role in maintaining traction. By allowing the wheels to track over rocks and obstacles, it minimizes slippage and maximizes efficiency. A lightweight full suspension package, like the Trailcraft Maxwell 24, further empowers young riders to embark on adventurous cross-country explorations while benefiting from modern suspension technology and optimized geometry.
If your family frequents bike parks or focuses on downhill riding, the added comfort of full suspension on descents becomes even more invaluable. Suspension not only adds a playful pop for jumps but also significantly reduces fatigue, enabling kids to ride longer and faster across challenging terrain. We’ve witnessed this firsthand with our son; he’s now confidently leading the way on jump trails.
Locations like Deer Valley, UT, with its diverse terrain, have allowed our son to truly unleash the potential of his Maxwell 24, achieving impressive airtime and refining his downhill skills.
Uncompromising Components: Built to Perform
Trailcraft has long been recognized as a pioneer in the high-end kids’ bike market. Historically, quality bikes for children were scarce, often limited to heavy, basic models with rudimentary components. While finding better parts for older children has become somewhat easier, it often came with compromises in weight or the limitations of rigid frames.
Trailcraft disrupts this paradigm by offering an extensive selection of components and build options, allowing customization of your child’s trailcraft bike. They feature numerous house-branded components specifically designed for smaller riders, including cranks, handlebars, stems, seat posts, and headsets, ensuring ergonomic fit and optimized performance.
Upgrade options are also available, such as swapping the rigid seat post for a dropper post or opting for carbon wheel upgrades, further enhancing the bike’s capabilities. Crucially, all components are meticulously selected and engineered to suit the specific age and size of the rider.
The Trailcraft Maxwell 24 boasts components that inspire envy, even among adult riders.
The Trailcraft Maxwell 24 Pro model our son rides is equipped with a dependable Shimano Deore drivetrain. While various component configurations are available, Shimano Deore has been my preferred choice for years, known for its durability and consistent performance.
While SRAM drivetrains are also commendable, I’ve found Shimano’s systems to offer superior longevity and more reliable shifting over time. Our son has experienced flawless performance with the trigger shifter and derailleur, a testament to their quality.
A clutched derailleur, coupled with a single, narrow-wide front chainring, effectively manages chain retention. Working in unison with the trigger shifters, gear changes are consistently smooth and precise across the cassette.
This component set is typically found on high-performance adult bikes and reflects a similar price point. However, investing in reliable, functional components minimizes the need for frequent repairs associated with cheaper alternatives.
Other premium components, such as Stan’s Crest wheels and Kenda Booster Pro tires, further elevate the Maxwell 24’s performance. This tubeless-ready system delivers exceptional traction while minimizing rolling resistance.
The wheels have proven their durability, enduring numerous downhill sessions and regular cross-country rides over several months without requiring any truing. The combination of Stan’s wheels, Kenda tires, and Rockshox Reba suspension components highlights the commitment to quality evident in trailcraft bikes.
The frame itself is constructed from lightweight aluminum, featuring modern geometry and a four-bar suspension linkage design. The striking lava red-orange paint scheme enhances visibility on the trails and adds to the bike’s visual appeal.
While I unfortunately caused a minor paint chip on the top tube by accidentally dropping my own bike onto it (matching that unique paint has been a challenge!), the only other issue we encountered was a quickly loosening crank bolt shortly after purchasing the bike. Fortunately, another Trailcraft-riding parent on a group ride helped tighten it.
The infamous missing crank bolt! A minor issue, but easily addressed with a replacement from Trailcraft.
Interestingly, this parent had experienced the same issue with his son’s Trailcraft bike, suggesting it wasn’t an isolated incident. Trailcraft does offer replacement bolts on their website (which we promptly ordered, and recommend purchasing a few as spares).
Beyond this minor issue, I wholeheartedly wish Trailcraft made an adult-sized Maxwell – it’s truly that impressive.
Suspension Deep Dive: Performance and Tunability
The suspension system is undoubtedly a standout feature of this bike, delivering flawless performance thus far. Our son had been longing for a more compliant ride since demoing a Spawn Rokkusutta at Whistler a few years prior. As his riding time and trail ambitions grew, we recognized the need to provide him with the enhanced comfort and control he desired.
The Maxwell 24 Pro features a Rockshox Reba fork with 120mm of travel, a balanced amount for an 8-year-old rider – substantial enough to handle challenging terrain, yet not overwhelming.
Both the fork and shock arrived pre- настроенные and tuned for our son’s weight. While I verified the sag and made minor pressure adjustments with a shock pump, the rebound and overall setup were essentially ride-ready. The fork operates smoothly throughout its travel, offering noticeable support over small bumps and maintaining a composed ride height.
The 120mm Rockshox Reba Fork, a key component in the smooth ride of trailcraft bikes.
The rear shock, a Rockshox Monarch R, complements the fork seamlessly. With matching 120mm of travel, it works in concert with the fork and frame’s pivot points to deliver a supple ride that absorbs rough terrain and maintains rear-wheel traction over small bumps while remaining responsive on larger impacts.
The Rockshox Monarch R shock provides plush performance even under the demands of a young rider.
Neither the fork nor shock includes high or low-speed compression adjustment knobs, simplifying the setup. Both, however, feature rebound adjustment, which is sufficient for fine-tuning. Frankly, given my son’s small size, I doubt I could effectively utilize advanced compression adjustments even if they were present.
The suspension has been transformative for our son’s riding. He’s now tackling longer, more challenging rides and consistently finishing with a broad smile.
This bike has inspired him to join a youth riding group and ride with friends, expanding his riding horizons beyond just family outings. He’s achieving greater jump distances, increased speed, and even pushing tire limits in rocky sections, all thanks to the enhanced capabilities and confidence provided by this full suspension trailcraft bike.
I’ve been amazed at the steep climbs P is now conquering since getting the Maxwell 24.
Shimano Deore XT Brakes: Premium Stopping Power
Effective braking is as crucial as efficient pedaling. As mentioned earlier, the Maxwell’s dual suspension allows for smoother and faster progress through rough terrain.
Confidently descending on the Trailcraft Maxwell 24, highlighting the importance of quality brakes on trailcraft bikes.
This increased speed and challenging terrain demand high-quality brakes capable of withstanding demanding riding conditions. Beyond sheer stopping power, brake modulation – the ability to feather the brakes – is essential for maintaining momentum and maximizing braking efficiency.
The Shimano Deore XT brakes on the Trailcraft Maxwell Pro 24 are exceptional, ranking just below Shimano’s top-tier offerings. Our son has demonstrated excellent modulation with these hydraulic disc brakes, navigating rough, loose, and steep berms in bike parks with confidence.
He can confidently descend hills, maintaining controlled speed and applying precise braking to prepare for upcoming turns. These brakes are a component I frequently spec on my own bikes, reflecting their proven performance and reliability.
The entire component selection, including the brakes, underscores the high-quality build philosophy of trailcraft bikes.
Axle Considerations: Balancing Stiffness and Weight
Modern mountain bike features often include slacker head tube angles, steeper seat tube angles, dropper posts, wider handlebars, tapered head tubes, wider hubs, and through axles – all contributing to enhanced durability and torsional stiffness compared to older quick-release systems. While some of these advanced features may seem less critical for smaller riders, they are certainly beneficial. The Trailcraft Maxwell 24 strikes a thoughtful balance.
The Maxwell 24 incorporates a 15mm through axle on the front wheel, matching the Rockshox Reba fork. However, the rear utilizes a quick-release skewer with a 9mm axle. While a 12mm quick-release rear axle would be a welcome upgrade, it’s not a critical drawback for this bike’s intended use.
The front through axle still significantly enhances front-end stiffness and steering precision, and the rear end, while quick release, is robustly constructed. If this were solely a downhill-focused bike, through axles front and rear would be paramount. However, the Maxwell 24 is designed as a versatile all-around mountain bike, and the quick-release rear helps to keep the overall weight down, a worthwhile trade-off for smaller riders.
Conquering the demanding Hard Guy trail in Boise, ID, highlighting the durability of trailcraft bikes.
Trailcraft’s designers understand the nuances of the sport and the importance of weight, especially for younger riders. Minimizing weight allows for longer, more enjoyable rides. While kids’ bikes are approaching adult bike weights in some respects, the Trailcraft Maxwell 24 remains lighter than many hardtail and rigid 24” bikes in its class.
I initially anticipated a challenging transition for our son moving from his Trailcraft Blue Sky 20 to this larger, full suspension rig. I was completely mistaken.
A key factor is the lightweight build of trailcraft bikes. He effortlessly maneuvers the bike, a fact clearly evident as he now confidently overtakes me on descents.
Key Considerations Before You Buy
The Maxwell 24 is undeniably a premium investment. Its price rivals that of many adult mountain bikes. Additionally, it is heavier than some high-end hardtail and rigid 24” mountain bikes.
These are valid considerations, but they are justified by the bike’s design, build quality, and component specifications. When you consider the engineering and components, the price becomes quite reasonable. A comparable full suspension frame for adults with similar components and a carbon front triangle would easily cost an additional $2500. Full suspension bikes inherently weigh more than hardtails due to the added suspension system and linkages.
Discerning enthusiasts who prioritize quality for their children will understand the value proposition. It’s similar to the e-bike debate in the cycling world; while opinions vary, many parents want their children to have bikes that are as good as their own.
The Maxwell is designed for these families. If you are passionate about mountain biking and want to foster that passion in your child, investing in a quality bike like a trailcraft bike is a worthwhile consideration. While the expense can be a barrier and isn’t feasible for everyone, superior equipment offers increased durability, longevity, and a more enjoyable riding experience. This is simply the reality of performance cycling.
Full suspension is empowering young riders to develop advanced technical skills on trailcraft bikes.
The Bottom Line: A Versatile, High-Performance Full Suspension Bike
The Trailcraft Maxwell 24 has revolutionized our son’s mountain biking experience. His skills have progressed rapidly, and the past few months of riding together have been incredibly rewarding.
I no longer find myself waiting at the bottom of bike park runs. Our lap count has increased, and more importantly, the number of smiles and excited giggles has skyrocketed.
Trailcraft constructs high-quality frames with top-tier components, ensuring durability and longevity. These bikes retain excellent resale value, reflecting their superior design, crafted by industry veterans with a deep understanding of mountain biking.
I am eagerly anticipating a summer filled with mountain adventures in Idaho, exploring mountain peaks, lakeside trails, and aspen forests with my son. We have a summer packed with rides and bike park days ahead.
I am confident that his skills will continue to evolve on his Trailcraft as we venture deeper into the wilderness. I encourage you to bring your kids along on your own two-wheeled adventures.
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About Us
We are the Rascals: Kristen (mom), Blair (dad), and Parker (kiddo). Rascal Rides was born when Parker arrived, as we were determined to maintain our passion for biking. As we learned and explored the world of kids’ cycling gear, we shared our experiences. Over the years, we’ve rigorously tested hundreds of kids’ bikes, helmets, bike trailers, and more.
Kristen is a certified USA Cycling coach, dedicated to sharing her love of biking with other families. Blair is a passionate bike enthusiast, mechanic, and mountain bike aficionado. Parker is our invaluable resident tester and constant source of inspiration.
If you spot us on the trails, please don’t hesitate to say hello!
