Huffy Quantis Kids Bike (24-Inch) Review: A Little Assistance for the Little Ones That Comes with Some Caveats

The Huffy Quantis is a Class 2 electric bike designed for younger riders who are ready for something bigger, faster, and a little more grown-up. With 24-inch wheels, a rigid frame, a 250W motor, a 36V 7.8Ah battery, six speeds, three pedal-assist levels, and a left thumb throttle, it seemed like a smart next step for my 11-year-old son, who had outgrown his 20-inch bike and desperately wanted an e-bike. At 5 feet tall and 110 pounds, he fit the target rider well, while my 6-foot, 205-pound frame provided useful testing perspective.

If you need a refresher on Ebike classes, Huffy breaks them down here.

What’s in the Box and Specifications

I was a little surprised that the Huffy website didn’t list weight or frame geometry for the Quantis. When it comes to any bike, but especially kids’ bicycles, standover height is super important, and for e-bikes, weight is a primary factor along with range. That info was not available on the Huffy site. If you are a bike manufacturer, you should list detailed frame specifications. That’s like looking to buy a car but having to email the company to ask what kind of engine it has and how much horsepower it makes.

I emailed Huffy asking for specifications, and they wrote back after a couple of days and provided only the four following specs:

• Bike Weight: 55 pounds
• Head Tube Angle: 69 degrees
• Min Seat Height: 32″
• Max Seat Height: 40″

Setup

Assembly is super easy and straightforward, although no tools are included, so you’ll need a 15mm wrench for the pedals and front wheel, a 5mm and 6mm hex wrench for the stem and handlebar, and a Phillips screwdriver for the bell and reflectors. I did have to adjust the front brake as the inside pad was rubbing a bit. The brakes lack an inside pad adjustment, so I just folded an index card and slipped it under the pad to get a couple of millimeters of clearance after tightening. The included instructions are detailed and easy to understand, making setup easy. Huffy also has some helpful videos.

Performance

The Huffy Quantis Kids Bike weighs in at a hefty 55 pounds. The battery can be removed to charge, so you can still ride it with the battery out.

The Huffy Quantis Kids Bike’s  LCD display is simple, clear, and easy to read. It shows distance, speed, power level, battery level, and assist setting at a glance. The 40mm wide rims come mounted with 24”x3” tires, which are frankly ginormous and an odd choice for a kid bike.

The Huffy Quantis Kids Bike’s huge tire raises the height, which is counterproductive and only really needed if you plan to ride on sand or snow at low air pressure. The fat tires will also increase road noise and resistance, and make handling less responsive. My only guess for this choice is that there’s no suspension, so maybe that was Huffy’s compromise to get a little softer ride without suspension.

The super wide 40mm rims unfortunately limit tire and tube options. I wish it came with the standard 25mm or even 30mm width rims so that you had the option to use a narrower tire, which would reduce weight and height a little. You can read more about rim sizes here. The 250W motor uses a cadence sensor, which measures how fast you are pedaling and delivers a fixed level of assistance. I would have preferred and am a bit surprised it did not come with a torque sensor, which measures how hard you are pedaling and provides proportional assistance, which results in a more natural feel.

The cadence sensor is cheaper but less efficient than a torque sensor, which, combined with the huge tires, a portly 55-pound weight, and the smaller 36V battery, gives the Quantis a pretty short range compared to other e-bikes. Huffy advertises (on the tag that came with the bike) the range as 30 miles, but my son only got about 15 miles on a full charge. The cadence sensor isn’t as responsive, so it does take a second or two before it turns the assistance off after you stop pedaling. Not a big deal once you are used to it though.

The Huffy Quantis Kids Bike comes with 160mm brake rotors and no-name mechanical calipers. For a bike this heavy, I would prefer hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors. At least the drivetrain is Shimano 6-speed. The Quantis offers three levels of pedal assist, plus a left thumb throttle for sustained power. My son says it is smooth and not jerky at all. It doesn’t kick in until you are traveling at least 2- 3 mph.

My son says the handlebar and seat are comfortable, and he thinks it is fast but not too fast. He also likes the bell, and it’s his favorite color, which is advertised as cobalt. It’s the only color option, so hopefully it is your child’s favorite as well.

Overall, to me the Huffy Quantis Kids Bike doesn’t make sense as a kid-specific bike. The frame is about the size of an adult small and has too high a standover height for anyone shorter than 5’. The fat tires aren’t necessary and add weight and decrease handling. With the bike’s added weight, the 250W motor is fine for 100-pound riders but slowed a little on some hills during my ride.

If it had a lower standover height and normal-sized tires, this would be good for as young as 4th graders, or maybe even 3rd graders. The way it is makes it more for not-too-big teenagers or lighter, shorter adults that want a cheaper electric fat tire bike.

Despite all my thoughts on it, however, my son loves it and says it’s an awesome bike, and I would rather he ride a bike that doesn’t make sense to me than not ride one that does. It was just on sale for $719.99, which made it a very reasonably priced Ebike from a known US manufacturer that comes with a warranty. At the normal $899.99, I think there are better options out there, so wait until it goes on sale again.

The Huffy Quantis Kids Ebike retails for $899.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample.

What I like: Smooth assisted power delivery once you get used to it; Easy for my 11-year-old to operate; Reasonably priced (on sale) entry-level e-bike for youngsters or small adults; My son’s favorite color; My son loves it, and that’s the most important thing

What Needs Improvement: Huffy does not list detailed specifications on their website; Unbranded 160mm mechanical brakes aren’t the best, I would prefer at least 180mm Avid BB5’s or hydraulic brakes; 40mm wide rim; Huffy limits tire choices; 27.5” standover height is a bit high for a kid’s bike; Actual range was half the 30-mile advertised distance at 15 miles; Only available in cobalt blue; Heavier than other more powerful bikes