Once upon a time there were two brothers...

Mountain biking is a sport for adults, and downhill even more so. This is not primarily because it is too dangerous for children. Or because children don't have the strength or skills for it. Quite the opposite, because children often have a better strength-to-weight ratio than adults and they also learn much faster.

It's simply because there are almost no suitable bikes for children. Even the higher-quality models from Trek, Centurion and the like now roll on 27.5-inch wheels and are often completely dysfunctional due to steel suspension elements that are far too hard.

Commencal Supreme: Downhiller for kids

There are only a few exceptions that build proper children's fullys. Propain for example, or also Norco. And Commencal. The bike company from Andorra is offering the Supreme in 20, 24 and 27.5 inches for 2017. If you know Commencal, you'll already be paying attention. The Supreme? Isn't that the downhiller that Remi Thirion and Myriam Nicole use to tear up the World Cup courses? That's exactly where the name comes from.

The junior models are also highly functional and one hundred per cent suitable for the bike park. A Rock Shox Monarch R takes control of the rear suspension in all models. A Ride Alpha 80 mm Kids DH air suspension fork is used on the 20-inch model, while a Rock Shox Yari with 140 mm and 160 mm travel takes control of the front on the 24 and 27.5-inch models. The eleven gears of the 24- and 27.5-inch models are sorted by a Sram NX, while a Sram Level with disc sizes between 160 and 200 mm takes care of the deceleration.

Thanks in particular to the high-quality air suspension elements, the bikes can also be adapted to a very low rider weight, allowing even the "little ones" to shred in style. However, so much technology comes at a price: the small 20-inch model costs 1699 euros, while the 24-inch and 27.5-inch models cost 2199 and 2299 euros respectively. A lot of money for children's bikes, but a reasonable price considering the brand equipment. The weights are also typically high for freeride bikes. Five-year guarantee.