Many children would like to accompany their parents on mountain bike outings. Mountain biking is fun and impressive. However, for younger people, keeping up with the pace and going the distance can be complicated, especially on steep terrain. Decathlon does not want to leave them behind and is unveiling an electrically assisted mountain bike specially developed for young people.
This is not a first for the French Rockrider. The brand distributed by Decathlon had already offered an electrically assisted mountain bike in its range, but this was derived from an adult model. The motor and battery power were less suitable for children.
This is good, the new Rockrider E-EXPL 900 26 inches is designed for children aged 9 to 12.
Developed and tested by children
Present on the Roc d’Azur where Frandroid visited, Decathlon presented us, before its marketing, an almost final version of the Rockrider E-EXPL 900 26 inches.
The Rockrider brand developed this bike thanks to a team of 4 young testers, aged 9 to 12, measuring between 1.35 and 1.50 meters and weighing around 30 to 40 kg. These tests showed that the 250 Wh Mahle battery offers a range of 80 km. Largely sufficient, it is not recommended to have a young child pedal for more than 2 hours. Too long rides could “burn it out”, as they say in the cycling world.
Not wanting to assist the children too much, Decathlon opted for a small motor, still supplied by Mahle, developing 42 Nm and 250 W. Again, this is more than sufficient. During our test of the Canyon Spectral, equipped with the 50 Nm TQ motor, the power proved perfect for a good compromise between sporty pedaling and assistance on climbs and technical sections.
Weight and price contained
Rockrider has made compromises on the equipment to keep this bike affordable, knowing that it will only serve the child for 2 to 4 years depending on their growth.
The 26-inch wheels are developed by Rockrider. The nine-speed Microshift transmission is the result of an advantageous negotiation, thanks to the large volumes ordered by Decathlon. An 11-38 cassette is combined with a 32-tooth single chainring, allowing the child to climb the steepest slopes.
On the other hand, Decathlon has not made any savings on the suspension fork. This is a RockShox Judy TK with 80mm travel. This may not seem like much compared to an adult cross-country mountain bike, but remember that a child weighs only half of an average mountain biker and that the practice is generally less demanding. This is also why Rockrider chose a semi-rigid configuration.
The result: the 26-inch Rockrider E-EXPL 900 weighs 16 kg. It will therefore be relatively easy for a child to handle, although more difficult to carry in a technical passage. The price announced by Decathlon is 1,800 euros.
Source: www.frandroid.com
