Woom 4 bike review

Within the Woom range, 85% of the parts are custom-made for the brand, which means that everything fits perfectly. The bikes and accessories are clearly perfected down to the tiniest detail - no wonder the brand has won a slew of design awards, from the prestigious Red Dot in 2017 to the Design & Innovation award 2018.

We tested the Woom 4. It is aimed at ages 6-9 years and is a lightweight all-terrain bike with 20” wheels that also introduces your little one to gears.

You can buy the Woom bike in the UK from The Little Bike company or directly from Woombikes.com.

First impressions

Gosh, the Woom is lovely. The colour combinations - crisp white and bright red - of our review bike are stunning, and everything is superbly finished and fantastic quality. The saddle looks better than any I’ve had in my adult life and the wheels, gears and grips ooze superiority.

How easy was it to put together?

I’m quite handy, but when it comes to bikes I have no clue. However, it was very straight-forward to put the Woom 4 together. All you need to do is attach the front wheel, handlebar and pedals. All tools are included.

The company has also marked some handy hints on the bike through stickers - which way the front fork and wheel go, for example, and which pedal to attach which side. I had assembled it in under 15 minutes.

The only thing that’s not quite clear is the handlebar. It was super easy to put on but I wasn’t sure whether I needed to adjust it or not. It’s designed to adjust as your child grows - you can loosen two screws and move it upwards, away from the rider. All pictures of the bike show it in this set-up, so I wasn’t sure whether I had to move it and the instructions didn’t make it clear. I called customer service, who were really helpful, and soon realised I only need to adjust it when my daughter grows.

I also received a kickstand to attach - again, super easy.

Do you like the look of the Woom bike?

With five colour options, including the fantastically unisex green, red and yellow, there is surely a Woom bike for everyone. We received the red, and it’s amazing - it contrasts so nicely with the brilliant white accents. I like that the Woom bike looks bright and snazzy enough to appeal to children but also impressively professional. My daughter can’t wait to show it off - I’m sure even teenagers would love to ride on it.

What age is the Woom 4 bike suitable for?

The brand suggests an age suitability of 6-8 years, but my daughter is a tall 5 years and her measurements fit perfectly with the Woom 4 recommendations (the brand advises a height of 115cm-130cm for the Woom 4). It’s great that potentially my daughter can ride this for the next three years.

How easy is it to ride the Woom bike?

My daughter learned to ride a pedal bike on her hand-me-down Islabike Cnoc 16, so was used to a lightweight, nimble ride. I was intrigued to see how she would cope with the Woom 4’s bigger 20” wheels and gears.

Amazingly, she was on - and took off - within seconds and had literally got to grips with the gears within her first session. They click satisfyingly into place, and she instinctively understood that lower numbers would help her up hills, and higher numbers down. She also had no trouble switching them while moving. We still have the saddle at quite a low height for her while she gets used to the larger bike.

What did your little one think of the Woom bike?

My 5-year-old daughter was super excited to try out the Woom. She loved the fact that it looks like a grown-up bike, with its kickstand and gears. She said she was surprised at how big the wheels were, but she loved the feel of the ride. She keeps asking me to go out on it again and I am sure we will be regularly doing the school run on it. We can’t wait for our first cycling day trip.

What did you think of the wheels?

The wheels are great as they have a quick-release mechanism, making them easy to take off if needed. The tyres can deal with a broad range of surfaces - gravel, road or trail. A great option for adventurous kids.

How lightweight is the Woom 4?

The Woom 4 is an impressively lightweight 7.4kg (without pedals). I noticed when building it how easy it was to manoeuvre the bike - I could lift it one-handed no problem. This makes such a difference to young riders as it makes the bike much easier to handle. As a comparison, the famously lightweight Islabike equivalent (the Beinn 20 Small) weighs 8kg, so the Woom really holds its own on this front.

Is it durable enough to be passed on to a younger sibling?

The Woom feels well-made and sturdy in all respects. It is obvious that it is a quality product. All elements, such as brakes, gears, saddle and tyres are superior and I am sure it can be passed on many times.

Tell us more about the technical specs?

The Woom bikes have two individual V-brakes, with the levers designed to fit small hands. The eight gears of the SRAM X4 gearshift can be selected by twisting the handle with minimal effort. The frame is made of ultra-lightweight high quality aluminium, which is really noticeable in the bike’s weight and durability.

The handlebar is great as it has an easy connection between the handlebar and the headset. The stem also has no protruding bolts that kids can bash and the vario stem can be adjusted to make it higher and longer - perfect for growing kids.

Is the Woom easy to take out and about?

The relative light weight of the Woom means it’s easy to lift and handle. You can take it along on day trips in the boot of your car. It also makes pushing it easy, so if your child gets tired, they should still be able to get it up a hill or back home by themselves. Obviously, the bigger your child - and bike - the less portable they are.

How easy is the Woom to store?

Once you get to 20” wheel pedal bikes, it’s bound to get tricky in terms of their storage. However, the kickstand that you can buy for the Woom is very sturdy and pings out smoothly, so parking the bike is a doddle. We have it snugly stored in our small shed or often park it in our living room.

What accessories did you try?

I was sent the helmet for my daughter to try out. As with the bike, the helmet gives the impression that every last detail is cleverly designed. The magnetic fastener is great for my daughter to clip on and off by herself and it’s fantastic that the helmet matches the bike so perfectly. Most importantly, safety is paramount, and the helmet is very adjustable so it fits really well (it even has exchangeable inner pads) and it has extra protection for the temples and back of the head, as well as a flexible visor.

We also tried the beautiful little Vienna bell, which has an effective ping.

What’s in the box?

Frame

Wheels

Handlebar

Pedals

Instructions

Any accessories you can buy?

Vienna Bike Bell (£7.20)

Kickstand (£13)

Mudguards (£22)

Plus, loads more including helmet and rack via the Woom website.

What would you have liked to have known?

Just what a brilliant option this little Austrian bike is - I will be singing its praises non-stop from now on.

How much does it cost - and do you think it is worth the price tag?

With a UK RRP of £370 the Woom is not a cheap option - it is up there with the Islabikes and other high-end child bikes. You often hear people say “a kid’s bike is not worth such a price tag - they will only use it for a year etc, etc”. However, I see my daughter get such pleasure from riding her bike and I think this is, in part, down to her always having good quality, lightweight ones. The fact that she took to the gears and larger wheels of the Woom so quickly is testament to its brilliant design and I think that is worth every penny (provided you can afford it). The great resale value of durable, good-quality bikes also means that you’re effectively paying much less - although admittedly the Woom is not yet that well known in the UK.

In addition, Woom also has a great upcycling scheme where you can pay a one-off fee of 47 EUROS for lifetime membership (UK customers can buy this at Woombikes.com). Membership allows you to send back your old bike for a 40% reimbursement when you buy the next size up. Your old bike has to be less than two years old, so not so good for those with younger siblings, but a great idea in terms of saving purse strings and the environment.

Would you recommend the Woom?

I will be pointing people in Woom’s direction a lot from now on.

MadeForMums verdict:

A fantastic bike from a great range that is well worth considering. The design is so well thought-out, everything is just right and it’s a pleasure seeing my daughter use this bike. This is a brand to keep an eye on - we are definitely Woom converts!

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