The right equipment for children: How the next generation of e-MTBs can have fun

Should you put children on an e-MTB? The pros and cons of this question are passionately debated among biking parents. Some fear that children will become lazy as a result. Others think the exact opposite: the E-MTB is a motivation booster. The fact is that before the motorisation of mountain bikes, mountain biking was not very suitable as a family pastime. Longer mountain tours are only possible without e-support if fathers or mothers have superpowers. This is because until they reach teenage years, children lack the physical ability to pedal themselves up a large number of metres in altitude. If children are to be taken on tour, parents have to provide the towing service - without motorised assistance, this is a strenuous undertaking that only the fittest are up to.

With the age of e-mountainbikes, the requirements have changed. There are three options to choose from: take it with you, tow it or ride it yourself. Whether you put your child on an e-MTB is not only an educational question, but also an economic one: good children's e-MTBs are expensive. What's more, there are still only a few really suitable models. Many are still too heavy and not designed with children in mind. The biggest spoilers are: rough motors, thick batteries, long cranks, wide bottom brackets, tough suspension, brakes and gears.

Growing market: E-MTB for children

Some bike manufacturers have discovered this gap in the market for themselves in recent years. Pioneers are Ben-E-Bike and Woom. Mondraker has also been offering a fully and a hardtail since 2021. Children's bike specialist Scool has at least one lightweight, all-terrain e-hardtail for children in its range. All four manufacturers offer their e-MTBs for children with 24 and 26-inch wheels and rely on compact, weaker motors, smaller batteries and specially developed components. As a result, the bikes that we are presenting in the EMTB 3/22 to acceptable weights of around 16 kilos.

But even if you decide against putting your offspring on an e-MTB, the e-MTB is a real enrichment for family life, at least as a towing machine. For the smallest riders there are All-terrain wheel trailerswhich can be used for fun family outings on easy terrain. There are two suppliers on the market: Tout Terrain and the Czech manufacturer Kolofogo.

From around two to three years of age, children can then be Sports seat transport. With Mac Ride and Shotgun, the saddles are mounted on a bar that is clamped between the seat post and the head tube - the little co-pilots sit in front of the biker. With slightly older and fitter children, even moderate off-road rides are possible.

For the older offspring, there was until recently the Streamliner from Tout Terrain - a suspended trailer in which the child sits in the saddle, holds the handlebars and can pedal and change gears themselves. At the moment, the Streamliner is only occasionally available on the second-hand market, but the manufacturer has promised a successor for next season.

The last - and cheapest - option is: towing. The child sits on their own bike, a parent supports them uphill with a Pull rope. The right choice of tour is important here: forest path up, single trail down. That way, the whole family has fun. And the fundamental question of "e-MTB or organic bike?" is also answered: both.

Children's e-MTB: That's what matters

The motor and battery add weight. This is why e-bikes for children with conventional mid-mounted motors are generally too heavy for off-road use. An example illustrates what too heavy means: a 25-kilo bike for a 75-kilo adult is equivalent to a 10-kilo bike for a 30-kilo child. Even the E-Fullys from Ben-E-Bike and Mondraker do not reach this weight. Nevertheless, they get a lot right: the Mondraker with Mahle hub drive and 250 Wh battery weighs in at around 16 kilos. The Ben-E-Bike is even better: thanks to the in-house hub motor and drinking bottle-sized battery, the weight is said to be 15.3 kilos. An additional advantage of the hub motor: the bottom bracket width remains small. Also important are suspension elements that can be adjusted to low weights, smooth-running brakes and gear levers and the lowest possible standover height for safe handling off-road. More on individual bikes below.

Carpooling: bicycle trailer

Bicycle trailers can be found in many family households. However, it is only with a single-track sports carriage that parents and children can let off steam together off-road.

Single-track child trailers can be a lifesaver for biking parents. Instead of sending the mountain bike on maternity leave, the offspring can simply come along for the ride. And in view of the 20 to 30 kilos you have to carry, the e-mountainbike is the ideal towing vehicle. The fun with these vehicles starts where two-track child trailers reach their limits: off the beaten track.

The classic in this category is the Singletrailer from Tout Terrain: a 10.6-kilo sports trailer with minimalist storage space. The assembly is simple: unfold the drawbar, attach the shock absorbers and click the wheel into place using the quick-release fastener. The coupling is attached to the seat post (also works with Tele posts), the PTO shaft of the drawbar is secured to it with a quick release, split pin and safety line.

The competition for the Tout Terrain comes from the Czech Republic. The Trayecto model from trailer manufacturer Kolofogo aims to be more than just a piece of sports equipment. Two attachable front wheels and an extendable handle transform the trailer into a buggy. There is also a slimmed-down version in the Czech company's portfolio: The Tahoe model then comes without front wheels and handle. The additional equipment on the Trayecto naturally reduces the overall weight: without front wheels it weighs 14.6 kilos, a good 16 kilos in the buggy body. According to the manufacturer, the Tahoe should weigh 11.8 kilos. Assembly is somewhat more complex than with the Tout Terrain.

Both trailers can be perfectly adjusted to the weight of the passengers via the air damper and tyre pressure. When cornering, both models tilt inwards - just like a towing bike. This reduces the lateral forces acting on the child. Children are secured by harnesses and sturdy roll cages, although a helmet is still mandatory. Even though the Kolofogo is significantly wider at 60 centimetres than the Tout Terrain (40 cm), it is still narrower than an MTB handlebar. Nevertheless, caution is required when cornering: Because the trailers draw a narrower line than the rider due to their design, you have to swing out wide to avoid getting stuck on obstacles.

Sports seats for children

The sporty child seats from Mac Ride and Shotgun are mounted between the head tube and seat post on a length-adjustable clamp bar. Unlike classic child seats, which are mounted behind the saddle, this gives you the feeling of
feeling of biking together with your child. Children's feet of different sizes are held securely in the adjustable footrests.

For many years, the Tout Terrain Streamliner was the perfect parent-child tandem for off-road riding. Thanks to its 160 millimetre suspension travel and super-soft chassis, it was also capable of tackling tough off-road terrain. With a bit of luck, you can still find this successor on the second-hand market at the moment, but the manufacturer has promised a successor for 2023. The mounting system is the same as on the Tout Terrain Streamliner: the coupling is attached to the seat post, to which the PTO shaft of the drawbar is attached using a quick release. On the successor model, the shape of the drawbar should also be adapted to large 29-inch wheels with fat e-MTB tyres - these had severely restricted the handling on steps on the original model.

Tow ropes

The economy version for taking children on long tours. You can easily make your own tow ropes - from old inner tubes, for example. Important in the construction: The tow rope must be flexible and be able to be quickly unhooked and hooked in during ups and downs. Special products are available from Kidreel, Commitment, TowWhee, Shotgun or BikeZipper.

Promoting young talent: children's e-MTBs

Good e-MTBs for children are expensive. But off-road fun is only guaranteed with well-designed bikes. The purchase is worthwhile, also because such fun bikes hardly fall in value.

Mondraker F-Play 26 and 24

The F-Play is a real sports bike. 120 mm suspension travel, sleek geometry, 155 mm cranks. The Spanish bike is powered by a Mahle hub motor with 40 Nm and an integrated, removable 250 Wh battery. The motor parameters can be customised using an app. Weight according to the manufacturer: 16.4 kilos. Price: 2799/2999 euros. >> e.g. available here.

Woom Up 6 and 5

Children's bike specialist Woom doesn't have a fully, but a smart hardtail at the start. The motor-battery unit from Fazua (3.3 kilos, 250 Wh) can be removed, turning the Up into an organic bike. The motor delivers 55 Nm and can be configured via app. All attachments are designed for low operating forces. Weight according to the manufacturer: 16.6 kilos, price: 2990/2890 euros. >> e.g. available here.

Ben-E-Bike Twentyfour-Six E-Power FS

Ben-E-Bike went its own way right from the start: special lightweight components and a specially
specially developed hub motor enabled the 120 mm fully to weigh just 15.3 kilos. The 30 Nm motor can also be fine-tuned via an app. The 250 or 375 Wh battery is located in the water bottle holder. Available as a 26- and 24-inch bike for 2999 euros.

24 inches: practice makes perfect?

The younger the rider, the more important it is that bike and body control - i.e. coordination and strength - are trained. That's why it's important to get youngsters on an e-bike as often as possible. The e-bike should remain the exception for long rides in early childhood. >> e.g. available here.

XS: good alternative?

Adult bikes in small frame sizes, often only available as women's models, are only suitable for children of a certain size and constitution. But even with a comparable body size, it is important to bear this in mind: Children are generally lighter and less strong. Even in S and XS, adult bikes are usually heavy and not equipped for children. Therefore, even if they are the right size, adult e-MTBs are usually not the ideal choice for children.

More articles about children's bikes->

Overview: Accessories for children->

Interview with Christoph Malin

Are you surprised that E-MTBs suitable for children and off-road use are still so rare?

These are still niche products. Either you specialise 100 percent in them - like Ben-E-Bike - or the manufacturer is big enough to produce children's e-MTBs as replicas of adult bikes - with similar components.

The specialists use hub motors. Do their disadvantages not count for children's bikes?

There are no functional disadvantages on hardtails. With fullys, the higher, unsprung mass on the rear wheel is a problem. But the advantages outweigh the disadvantages: lower weights and bottom bracket widths. However, a mid-motor is thermally more resilient and therefore more suitable for heavier children in the mountains.

A lot is happening with minimal-assist drives. Will children's e-MTBs benefit from this?

Absolutely, this enables lightweight bikes with a mid-motor, i.e. better weight distribution.
weight distribution. They may not be super light, but that also has its advantages on rough, gravelly descents.

What is particularly important for the drive?

The sensitive response behaviour. A child often doesn't put more than 60 watts on the pedals. If a motor switches on and off
on and off, this is absolutely counterproductive. The shifter and display must also be ergonomic and easy to read.

What else should you look out for when buying?

Above all, ease of use. Take brakes, for example: if the grip width can be adjusted, the operating forces are low. Equally important: an air suspension that can be adjusted to low weights. And of course: tyres with good grip, which offer a lot of safety.

You used to work in a large Tyrolean bike shop. Are children's e-bikes in demand?

If you present them well, they sell like hot cakes. For most
parents and children, this is a supplement to the normal bike, not a replacement.