Steffen, Mimi and I are sitting on the wonderful viewing terrace of the Gschnitzer Tribulaunhaus at 2064 metres above sea level at the head of the Sandestal valley, a picturesque side valley of the Tyrolean Gschnitztal. The Tribulaun, four beautiful peaks of the Stubai Alps, dominate the scenery around the legendary Naturfreunde hut: ridges, crags and pillars jut into the sky, surrounded by the floral splendour of the surrounding meadow meadows - the alpine roses are in full bloom.
The biker-friendly hut hosts, the great food and the legendary Bike&Hike tours in the surrounding area have made the Tribulaunhaus a popular destination for the Innsbruck single trail scene. A powerful place where you can relax and unwind.
On the spacious square in front of the hut there is a children's swing and a well-maintained Pinzgauer four-wheeler. Great-grandma Pranger is shuffling around and grandad Josef is loading the wheelbarrow with firewood. It's all happening around here: Zoe, Nino, Max and Verena's children improvise their own bike course. Up, over, down a small slope, up, back, with lots of laughter, they are unstoppable. "I'd like to have the kids' energy from time to time," grins Steffen. Mimi rolls her eyes: "The main thing is to burn off some energy!"
We are still amazed that the children and we can enjoy the fascinating mountain world of the Tribulaune together, and all without a lift, shuttle or trailer. A fantastic experience! Thanks to e-motor support, of course, otherwise the tour would not have been possible. There are just under 780 metres of ascent and twelve kilometres to complete from Gschnitz on the well-maintained forest road to the hut. Without e-support, the kids would never manage this. In between, the crystal-clear Sandesbach stream invites you to dip your feet in the water - perfect for short breaks. These are important in order to intersperse a game or two, or simply to enjoy nature. The children are immediately in the flow. You can feel the wonderful influence of this beautiful mountain world.
All of our little companions are good at riding: Nino and Zoe regularly ride with dad Steffen in the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis bike park, or go on smaller tours together. Max is often out and about in the mountains with mum Mimi and dad Matthias, a Stubai mountain guide, with or without a bike.
The e-mountain bikes supported the children uphill to such an extent that they had fun on the tour. A tour that they really wanted to do, by the way. That's important: whether with or without a motor, you shouldn't force children to cycle. That's why we rode smaller tours beforehand so that the children could familiarise themselves with the e-MTBs.
There was no fear of contact. "Wow, cool!" - When the kids saw the bikes, it was like a sale at the bargain table. Onto the saddles and into the fun. Even if it was sometimes a little muted: Sometimes a saddle was too hard, sometimes a tyre wasn't profiled enough, or your hands hurt from braking. Criticism was levelled in particular at the sometimes heavy weights of the bikes: bikes weighing over 20 kilos are an imposition for children weighing barely 30 kilos. Nevertheless, the children's e-MTBs currently available are a great option for taking a trip into the mountains together.
On the descent from the Tribulaunhaus into the valley, none of the children complain about the weight of their bikes. On the fast gravel sections, you're even happy when the bikes are a bit more stable on the forest path. At the end, there is an ice cream at Gasthof Feuerstein - such highlights should not be missing on a children's bike tour. "Dad, that was a great day," enthuses Nino at the end, squeezing a piece of Sacher cake into his cheeks. "And when are we going on the next tour?" I look up at the steep peaks of the Stubai Alps and smile.
Conclusion by Christoph Malin
E-mountain bikes for children polarise opinion. Educational nonsense because it's too easy for the kids, say some. Others say that they are a unique opportunity for children to ride in real mountains. My opinion: As long as children's e-MTBs are seen as an option for riding to a mountain pasture or hut together without stress, these bikes are a real enrichment for family life. However, the manufacturers still have some homework to do. With the exception of the outstanding Ben-E-Bike, KTM, BH, Bulls and Haibike are clearly too heavy in relation to body weight. There is also still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to the add-on parts: Unergonomic handlebars cause wrist pain, V-brakes with brake levers that are too wide are a no-go, steel-hard "suspension forks" are a joke, almost all gear ratios are weak, and all the tyres fitted should be wider and more profiled. Of course, the industry will argue with this criticism on the grounds of cost. But Ben-E-Bike shows that a suitable children's e-MTB doesn't have to be prohibitively expensive. The white speedster is our favourite - despite its short range.
The children's e-bikes in the test
The e-mountainbikes for children in this test had to prove their worth on a long tour through the Alps as well as on a short domestic circuit. We also tested all the bikes on the test bench.
Ben-E-Bike Twentyfour E-Power Air
The kids never wanted to give this bike back. Ben-E-Bike delivers the blueprint for the kids' bike of the year. The facts: 12.2 kg with pedals is an awesome weight, the suspension fork is perfectly adjustable for children and works really sensitively. The 250 watt hub motor has its own specific winding, responds finely and then grips sufficiently well - just like the Magura MT4 with 160 mm rotors. Lightweight wheels are fitted with Schwalbe Rocket Rons in 24 x 2.10" - a little more grip would give young riders even more confidence. The 11-36 cassette can be swapped for an 11-42 or 11-46 on request. And while we're on the subject of wishes: The icing on the cake would be a more ergonomic, more cranked handlebar that is easier on the kids' wrists. Apart from that: our favourite, despite the lack of range.
Reach height 541 HM
Weight / Distribution 12.0 kilos / 44:56 %
Price 1899 Euro
Engine Bushless DC, hub motor, 250 W, 30 Nm
Battery 175 Wh
Fork Ben-E-Bike Smoother, 100 mm
Cassette 11-36
Crank handle 32T
Brake Magura MT4
Tyres Rocket Ron 24 x 2.1"
BH E-Motion Easy Go Kid
The Easy Go Kid leaves us a little sceptical. The children preferred the other bikes in the test. Although the 250 W rear hub motor pushes you up the hill to some extent, two of the four selectable support levels are pointless - there is no noticeable difference. The real spoilers are: the adult V-brake (a no-go on a children's e-MTB!), a triple chainring at the front that is difficult to shift, 160 mm cranks that are too long and tyres with a low profile. Oh dear. The grumpy steel suspension fork is not adjustable and the 200 Wh battery wobbles in the saddlebag. At least the display is removable and the handlebars are reasonably offset, and the handling is also okay. At 17.1 kilos, the bike is still relatively light, but the bottom line is that it is more suitable for tarmac and forest tracks than for real off-road riding. The range is also very limited.
Reach height 511 HM
Weight / Distribution 17.1 kilos / 42:58 %
Price 1599 Euro
Engine Easy Go rear wheel hub motor, 250 W
Battery 200 Wh
Fork SR XCT JR 24, 50 mm
Cassette 14-28
Crank handle 22/32/42T
Brake Shimano V-brake
Tyres E-Motion 24 x 1.95"
Bulls Twenty4 E
Current Bosch children's e-MTBs look a bit like they've been washed too hot in the washing machine. A Bosch Active Line motor has been bolted to a children's MTB frame with a standard Bosch interface, plus a battery on the down tube. Nevertheless, the Bulls works quite well - and this is largely due to the very good motor. The Bosch responds cleanly to even the slightest pedal pressure, but doesn't push too hard either and locks up from 20 km/h onwards. The operation of the support levels and the clear Intuvia display, which the children understand immediately, is also intuitive. Our testers liked the offset handlebars, the lighting, the Tektro brakes, which can be adjusted in terms of lever width and are easy to modulate, and the overall good-natured handling. Here too, the tyres could be a little better profiled. High total weight, but equally high range.
Reach height 1820 HM
Weight / Distribution 20.9 kilos / 50:50 %
Price 1999 Euro
Engine Bosch Active Line, mid-engine, 250 W, 50 Nm
Battery 400 Wh
Fork SR XCT D, 80 mm
Cassette 11-34
Crank handle 16T
Brake Tektro HD-M290
Tyres Schwalbe Black Jack 2.1'' x 24
Haibike Sduro HardFour
What does the Haibike rider have in the garage for his kids? Right, there's a good chance it's a Hardfour. Visually and in detail, the Haibike makes a very good impression. However, the ageing Yamaha engine looks out of place on a children's bike. It reacts sluggishly to the mostly weak input of the children's legs on the pedals, starts up, stops, starts up, stops ... This makes it uncompetitive compared to the very sensitive, responsive Bosch Active Line. Only with slightly older children does the motor know what the rider wants from it when the pedal is pressed harder. Apart from that, the equipment is adequate: The Suntour fork is properly tunable by air, and the Tektro brakes also fit the Hardfour well. With a total weight of 20 kilos, the bike is a real heavyweight for children. However, the downhill handling is good. The range could not be determined on our test bench.
Reach height n.a.
Weight / Distribution 20.0 kilos / 51:59 %
Price 2199 Euro
Engine Yamaha PW mid-engine, 250 W, 80 Nm
Battery 400 Wh
Fork SR XCR Air RL, 63 mm
Cassette 11-34
Crank handle 32T
Brake Tektro HD-M286
Tyres Schwalbe Table Top 24 x 2.25"
KTM Macina Mini Me
With the Mini Me, KTM has had a children's e-MTB in its programme for quite some time, which has proven itself well. The Bosch Active Line motor responds sensitively even to weak pedal pressure, is agile and easy to control in the speed range and stops at 20 km/h. The equipment is essentially suitable: powerful Tektro brakes with adjustable reach, short KTM stem. The optional Suntour fork lockout could have been dispensed with, but at least the fork can be adjusted to some extent via the air pressure. The riding position is good, the KTM is stable and composed at higher speeds and is also suitable for moderate off-road use. However, trails quickly set limits to the Schwalbe Table Top tyres. And on very steep climbs, the 11-34 gear ratio soon slows the motor down. An 11-42 and 14 teeth at the front would be better. Also suitable for long tours due to the long range.
Reach height 1754 HM
Weight / Distribution 19.5 kilos / 51:49 %
Price 2099 Euro
Engine Bosch Active Line mid-motor, 250 W, 50 Nm
Battery 400 Wh
Fork SR XCR 50 mm
Cassette 11-34
Crank handle 16T
Brake Tektro HD-M286
Tyres Schwalbe Table Top 24 x 2.25''
THE TEST DRIVERS
