Many families find it difficult to choose a suitable children's mountain bike. Many off-the-shelf bikes are too heavy and slow down the youngsters. In the cross-country hardtail category, however, there are some exciting lightweight options. We wanted to find out what equipment youngsters use at the start of XC races and asked 13 promising young athletes aged between ten and 17 in front of the camera.
1st Cube Reaction C:62 from Rosi
The carbon hardtail from Rosi (153 cm) rolls on Newmen wheels fitted with Specialized Fast Trak tyres. The junior racer is powered by a Sram NX Eagle drivetrain. Rosi comes to a stop thanks to Magura brakes. A dropper post and the Fox 32 Factory suspension fork, whose lockout function has been disabled, help the eleven-year-old on the downhill. At the BIKE Cross-Country Youth Camp, she rode on flat pedals.
2nd VPace Matz Carbon 29 C from Jakob
The VPace Matz Carbon 29 C is widely used by young cross-country racers. On Jakob's carbon hardtail (147 cm), an electronic Sram GX Eagle AXS sorts twelve gears via radio signal. Fast Wolfpack Speed tyres leave no watts on the trail. Magura MT8 Pro brakes are also part of the equipment package, as are lightweight ESI grips and wheels with carbon rims. The eleven-year-old uses a lever under the saddle to operate the dropper post.
3rd Orbea Alma from Amélie
Amélie (159 cm) already fits on a hardtail for adults and rocks the cross-country model from Orbea. The twelve-year-old relies on a mechanical Sram XX1 Eagle drivetrain and Shimano brakes. There is a power meter in the chainring and the Kubis rims are fitted with an XC tyre combination from Schwalbe. An Oilslick stem and a chain in the same colour set the tone. The carbon hardtail from Amélie is led by a Rockshox SID suspension fork.
4. VPace Max 29L from Norah
Norah (163 cm) is riding an aluminium frame from kids bike expert VPace. The custom build includes mechanical Shimano XTR gears and Formula Cura brakes. A short Syntace stem and aluminium handlebars from Renthal ensure direct handling on the trail. A Fox 34 Factory suspension fork and a dropper post that can be lowered a long way give the twelve-year-old a secure ride. Cross-country tyres from Specialized sit on the wide Sunringle Duroc 30 rims.
5th Cube Elite from Charlotte
The Cube Elite of up-and-coming racer Charlotte (157 cm) also uses mechanical Shimano XTR technology. The disc brakes also come from the Japanese company's sophisticated XTR groupset. A power meter on the crank measures the thirteen-year-old's performance. Lightweight Schwalbe Rocket Ron tyres spin around Mavic Crossmax wheels. A Fox 32 Factory suspension fork and a One-Up dropper post complete the build.
6th Ramlon Lupus 29 from Carolin
In some families, Ramlon is an insider tip for children's mountain bikes. Carolin (154 cm) uses lightweight Duke wheels and Schwalbe tyres in the Speed-Grip rubber compound on her bike. Mechanical Sram gears and a Rockshox suspension fork are also on board. The eleven-year-old also brakes with Magura brakes. A Hope seat clamp with quick-release function makes it possible to quickly adjust the seat height.
7th VPace Matz Carbon 29 C from Luca
Another VPace rider is Luca (151 cm). His Matz Carbon has lightweight Duke wheels and a Fox 32 SC Performance suspension fork. The twelve-year-old saves himself the weight of a dropper post and an electric drivetrain. Instead, a mechanical Sram drivetrain is used. The combination of a fast rubber compound at the rear and a slightly softer one at the front has proven its worth with the Schwalbe tyres. The contact points to the bike are Crankbrothers clipless pedals and Ergon grips. The brakes are a Magura MT8 Pro. Luca records his trail rides with an action cam.
8th Cube Reaction from Leo
With the Cube Reaction, Luca (143 cm) is riding a tried and tested carbon hardtail. The gearing of the mechanical Sram SX Eagle gears and the power of the Shimano brakes are just right for the eleven-year-old. The tanwall look of the Schwalbe tyres doesn't necessarily make you faster, but it looks great. The same applies to the internal cable routing on the Cube mountain bike. Shimano XT Trail clipless pedals with cage connect to the feet.
9th Scott Scale from Lara
The Scott Scale hardtail from Lara (140 cm) is tuned with lightweight carbon wheels and a Rockshox SID with hydraulic lockout. A mechanical Sram X01 Eagle drivetrain meets an XX cassette with an oilslick look. The ten-year-old is already riding Schwalbe's latest cross-country tyres, the Rick XC. Sram brakes, a Kind-Shock Lev dropper post and Shimano XT clipless pedals are also on the children's mountain bike's equipment list.
10. VPace Matz Carbon 29 C from Veronika
Veronika (152 cm) and her VPace Matz Carbon 29 C are presented in chic black. To bring the cockpit into the correct racing position, she relies on a negatively angled Syntace stem. A saddle from SQlab and grips from Ergon ensure ergonomics at the contact points. Carbon wheels from VYTYV and cross-country tyres from Schwalbe get the kids' bike rolling. On the downhill, the eleven-year-old can rely on Magura MT8 Pro brakes.
11th Cube Elite from Magdalena
The Cube Elite hardtail from Magdalena (158 cm) is fitted exclusively with high-quality parts, including a Shimano XTR drivetrain, which saves additional grams thanks to a carbon crank from e*thirteen. The brakes are also from the XTR series. Carbon wheels from Newmen and a Fox 32 Factory suspension fork suit the lightweight XC machine perfectly. The twelve-year-old uses Shimano XT pedals and a rigid carbon seat post.
12th VPace Matz Carbon 29 C from Klara
Another VPace rider at the BIKE Cross Country Youth Camp was Klara (157 cm). Her carbon hardtail for children is particularly lightweight with a rigid seatpost and a Fox 32 SC suspension fork. Wheels from Newmen and fast Maxxis Aspen tyres in the Maxx-Speed compound ensure low rotating mass. The twelve-year-old also lowers her handlebars with a Syntace negative stem.
13 Ghost Lector HT from Noah
17-year-old Noah Sinner from Spessart is a member of the Ghost Junior Team. Last year, the talented youngster won the bronze medal at the German Championships. At the BIKE Cross-Country Youth Camp, Noah slipped into the role of lead rider on his Ghost Lector HT. His race hardtail with electronic Sram XX SL Eagle Transmission AXS and wireless seatpost weighs just 9.6 kilos. Naturally, the head tube is fitted with a Rockshox SID Ultimate fork. Bike Ahead carbon wheels and lightweight Maxxis tyres ensure fast acceleration.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
