The VPace Matz 29C has long made a name for itself amongst families who are keen on mountain biking. With large 29-inch wheels and a lightweight carbon frame, the German children’s bike specialist has unerringly won the hearts of the younger generation with the Matz 29C. In the thriving junior cross-country scene, it’s hard to imagine life without this race hardtail for kids. We put this €2,799 bike through its paces in the BIKE lab to find out whether the VPace Matz 29C’s popularity is justified.
VPace Matz 29C in detail
- Intended use: Cross-country children’s mountain bike
- Suspension travel: 100 mm
- Wheel size: 29”
- Frame material: carbon
- Total weight: 9.7 kg
- Wheel set weight (including tyres, inner tubes, brake discs and cassette): 3776 g
- Inertia of the wheels (the lower, the better): 2700 kg/cm²
- Maximum rider weight: 65 kg
- Recommended height: from 150 cm
- Price of test bike: 2,799 euros (available from 2,349 euros)
Over 10 years’ experience
The history of the VPace Matz began back in 2015 under the name Max. It was the German brand’s first mountain bike to be developed specifically for sporting use and to meet the anatomical requirements of young cyclists. This long-standing experience is also evident in the Matz 29C. Both the slim grips and the Q-factor of the short, in-house-designed children’s cranks are tailored to the ergonomic needs of the target group. As kids don’t always treat their kit with the utmost care, VPace has fitted the bike with a handlebar stop limiter, designed to protect the carbon frame in the event of crashes and falls. The internal cable routing ensures a clean look. The manufacturer specifies that the bike is suitable for jumps and drops of up to 60 centimetres in height.
Child-friendly facilities
Our VPace Matz 29C test bike comes with a lightweight Fox 32 Performance SC, which offers a sensible setup for the body weights typical of the target age group. Alternatively, the hardtail could also be ordered with a lightweight carbon rigid fork. According to VPace, this allows for weights starting from 8.3 kilos. The wheelset, featuring the brand’s own hubs and narrow aluminium rims from Duke, also contributes to the low weight. The lightweight 29ers accelerate quickly and, fitted with Schwalbe tyres in the fast ‘Race’ compound, the children’s mountain bike makes good headway. On very loose terrain, however, the rim-and-wheel combination can sometimes lose traction. Families will need to experiment a little with the tyre pressure to get the best balance of grip and puncture protection.
Thanks to a gear range of 500 per cent, sporty children can tackle almost any climb, and even long-distance rides are well within the Matz 29C’s capabilities. The 85-millimetre stem – which is on the longer side – and a flat bar ensure plenty of pressure on the front wheel, allowing kids to tackle even steep climbs without having to worry about losing control due to the front end lifting. When heading downhill, high-quality Magura MT8 brakes provide reliable stopping power. The short brake lever is well suited to small children’s hands.
Well-thought-out geometry
VPace was quick to incorporate large 29-inch wheels into its kids’ bike range so that riders could benefit from their improved roll-over characteristics compared to smaller wheels. Furthermore, the Matz range features a low bottom bracket for stable cornering, as well as a relatively flat steering angle of 68 degrees, ensuring a smooth ride even at higher speeds.
At 430 millimetres, the chainstays are compact, giving this 9.7-kilo hardtail effortless handling even in tight situations or at low speeds. VPace has designed the geometry so that young riders from 1.50 metres in height can achieve optimal weight distribution and a central position on the bike. On the climbs, a modern seat angle of 74 degrees ensures efficient pedalling.
Conclusion
The VPace Matz 29C remains the benchmark amongst sporty children’s mountain bikes with carbon frames. Young racers benefit from the seamless integration of large 29er wheels into a high-quality frame. Light handling and functional, age-appropriate features make a child’s first racing experiences on the VPace Matz 29C a breeze. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Pro
- A well-designed children’s MTB concept with 29-inch wheels
- lightweight despite its functional features
- a fully-fledged junior race bike
Cons
- where applicable, loss of traction due to a narrow, hard rim-tyre combination
- not exactly a bargain
Jan Timmermann
Editor
