Shyre Eastie vs Hopton 2026 | Which Shyre Kids' Bike Is Right?

Shyre is our own range of kids' bikes — designed by us, built and safety-checked in our Shrewsbury workshop, and sold only through Discounted Bikes. There are eight of them, from the £69.99 Myndie balance bike through the Hopton hybrids (16", 20", 24", 26", £279.99–£359.99) to the Eastie mountain bikes (20", 24", 26", £339.99–£379.99). Every one has a 6061 aluminium frame, junior-fit components and a lifetime frame and fork warranty.

Parents ask us the same two questions about them every week: which size? and Hopton or Eastie? This is the full answer.

The whole range at a glance

All weights are ready to ride, with pedals and (where fitted) kickstand. Colours: Myndie in Green, Red, Pink, Blue and Purple; Hopton 16 in Purple, Blue, Pink and Green; Hopton 20 in Pink, Blue and Purple; Hopton 24 in Blue and Pink; Hopton 26 in Red, Grey, White and Pink; Eastie 20 and 24 in Charcoal Grey, Light Grey and Acid Lime; Eastie 26 in Charcoal Grey and Light Grey.

Why we designed our own kids' bikes

We've sold other people's kids' bikes for years, and we build every one of them. That's a lot of time on the workshop stand noticing the same things. Bikes that weighed half as much as the child riding them. Brake levers a seven-year-old couldn't get their fingers round. 170mm adult cranks on 20" frames, so small legs were pedalling in huge circles. And warranties that ran out about the time the second child inherited the bike.

Shyre is our answer to all of that, and every model in the range is built on the same three ideas:

1. Lightweight. 6061 aluminium frames and forks throughout. The Hopton 16 is 6.9kg, ready to ride. The Hopton 20 is 8.9kg against 11.75kg for the equivalent Falcon. Weight is the single biggest thing that decides whether a child enjoys riding, because it decides whether they can get up the hill.

2. Junior Fit. Not shrunk-down adult parts. Short-reach brake levers on every model with brakes, so "the lever blade sits closer to the bar and a smaller hand can get right round it". Short cranks: 127mm on the Hopton 16, 140mm on the Eastie 20, shorter than adult on everything. Narrow bars (500mm on the Eastie 24), a junior saddle, and a quick-release seatpost clamp so you can adjust saddle height without tools as they grow.

3. Lifetime frame and fork warranty. It transfers to the next owner, so it still counts when the bike goes to a younger sibling or is sold on. Everything else is covered for two years, there's a 90-day no-quibble returns period, and our Trade Up scheme gives credit against the next size when they've outgrown this one.

Hopton vs Eastie: what's actually different?

Same frame material, same Junior Fit thinking, same 7-speed LTWOO drivetrain with a single thumb shifter, same warranty. The difference is what the bike is for.

The Eastie's suspension fork and disc brakes add roughly 3kg per size. That's the trade: control and stopping power on rough ground, versus a bike that's a full third lighter for the daily stuff.

Pick the Hopton if most riding is tarmac, gravel paths and the park. It's lighter, cheaper, and the V-brakes are perfectly good in normal conditions. Most of the families we talk to are Hopton families, whether they know it yet or not.

Pick the Eastie if you ride bridleways or trail centres as a family, you live somewhere hilly and wet, or the child is already riding harder than the bike. Disc brakes on a 20" wheel bike are almost unheard of, and they're the reason we made it.

If you're torn — and a lot of parents are at the 8–11 stage — ask what the child does on the current bike. If it's jumps off kerbs and mud, Eastie. If it's the school run and the odd Sunday ride, Hopton.

Sizing: get the inside leg, ignore the age

Age ranges on the table are a starting point. Height is better. Inside leg (floor to crotch, shoes off, feet slightly apart) is the number that actually tells you whether they can stand over the bike and put a foot down. Every Shyre product page lists the minimum inside leg for that model.

• 80–100cm tall, 18 months to 4: Myndie balance bike. Skip stabilisers — our balance bike vs stabilisers guide explains why. The Myndie takes 14" wheels too, so it lasts.
• 100–120cm, 4–6: Hopton 16. Single speed, stabilisers included in the box if they need them, 6.9kg. First pedal bike.
• 115–135cm, 6–9: Hopton 20 (from 52cm inside leg) or Eastie 20 (from 55cm). First gears.
• 130–150cm, 8–11: Hopton 24 (from 60cm) or Eastie 24 (from 61cm).
• 142–162cm, 10–13+: Hopton 26 (from 66cm) or Eastie 26 (from 67cm). Junior geometry on adult-size wheels — the last stop before a small adult frame.

Between sizes? Go smaller. A bike they can control now is worth more than one they'll grow into next year, and the Trade Up scheme means you're not stuck with it. There's more on this in What Size Bike Does My Child Need? Why Bigger Isn't Always Better.

Who is each one for?

Myndie — good for: toddlers learning balance, parents who want a 3.9kg bike they can carry home. Not for: anyone ready to pedal.

Hopton 16 — good for: first pedal bike, 4–6 year olds, learning without stabilisers (they're in the box if you need them). Not for: children over 120cm.

Hopton 20/24/26 — good for: school runs, park, family rides, hills, smaller or lighter children. Not for: proper off-road.

Eastie 20/24/26 — good for: trails, mud, bridleways, wet weather, kids who ride hard. Not for: anyone who'll mostly be on tarmac and would rather have the 3kg back.

Alternatives

If Shyre isn't the right fit — budget or otherwise — we also stock steel and alloy kids' bikes from Falcon and Dawes, and we've compared them honestly against our own:

• Best Kids' Mountain Bike 20" & 24" (Falcon vs Dawes vs Shyre Eastie)
• Best Kids' Hybrid Bike 20" & 24" (Falcon vs Shyre Hopton)
• Best Kids' Bikes Under £150 if the budget is firmly under £150

Final verdict

For most children most of the time, the answer is a Hopton: it's the lightest bike in its size that we sell, it has one shifter and brakes they can actually use, and it'll go through two or three kids on a frame we guarantee for life. Choose the Eastie when the riding is genuinely off-road — its disc brakes and suspension fork are worth the extra weight the moment the trail turns to mud. And start them on a Myndie if they're still in reception, because a child who can balance at three is a child who rides at four.

Check the Shyre Hopton 20" price → Check the Shyre Eastie 20" price → Shop the full Shyre range →

More from the blog

• Best Kids Bikes for Ages 4–8 in 2026 (Squish vs Hoy vs Shyre)
• Balance Bike or Stabilisers? How to Teach a Child to Ride
• Summer Holiday Bike Rides the Kids Will Actually Enjoy

Ready to find your next bike?

Every Shyre arrives 90% built with a basic tool kit and assembly videos. Free UK delivery, lifetime frame and fork warranty, two years on everything else, 90-day no-quibble returns and 0% finance available.

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