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Our home town is hilly and we have set ourselves the goal of travelling as many routes as possible by bike. This also applies to our children. Our kids cycle to school - in all weathers. Shopping at the supermarket? We do it on two wheels. Swimming pool by bike? That makes sense. But it gets more difficult when it comes to getting to the sports centre. The football pitch is a good five kilometres away - training for our little one takes place twice a week. The older one has to go to the parkour, but the hall is 4 kilometres and almost 100 metres away and the motivation to work up a sweat before training is not exactly great. There are no hills on the way to the grandparents, but 20 kilometres is quite a challenge for an under-ten-year-old.
Could an e-bike suitable for children be the solution? So far, we've been reluctant to use bikes with motors, fearing that we might be spoiling the kids. How are we ever going to motivate the kids to pedal on their own once the wind is whistling around their noses, supported by the power of the e-motor? Nevertheless, we were persuaded to take up Woom's offer: Why don't you try our new Woom Explore e children's e-bike, the email said. Ok, let's have it.
The first e-bike for kids
With the Explore e, Woom is venturing into a new segment and presenting its first e-bike for children. The 24-inch bike is aimed at young cyclists between the ages of 7 and 11 with a height of 125 to 145 centimetres. It is based on the aluminium frame of the non-motorised Woom Explore 5, which has been modified for use as an e-bike. The Explore e weighs in at 12.7 kilograms.
Child-friendly electric drive from Mahle
A 250-watt hub motor from Mahle is used as the drive. According to Woom, the XS30 motor is designed to provide harmonious and intuitive assistance that supports children's natural movements. There is a choice of three support levels, which can be controlled directly on the battery or via a smartphone app. There is deliberately no display on the handlebars to avoid distractions during the ride. As with the adult bikes, the maximum assistance speed is 25 km/h.
Battery in bottle cage format
The 171 watt-hour battery is positioned on the down tube like a water bottle and can be removed for charging or transport. With a weight of 1.2 kilograms, the battery weight is manageable. Woom specifies a range of up to 50 kilometres at the lowest support level on flat terrain. The battery is charged in a stylish charging cradle, which is connected to the socket via a USB-C cable.
Versatile use thanks to functional components
The equipment of the Woom Explore e 5 is not spectacular, but functional. An 8-speed microSHIFT gear system with trigger shifters ensures a sufficient gear range. Hydraulic disc brakes from Promax with 160 millimetre discs at the front and 140 millimetre discs at the rear should provide reliable deceleration even at higher speeds. The 24-inch wheels are fitted with 2-inch wide Billy Bonkers folding tyres from Schwalbe, which roll well on asphalt and also offer sufficient traction on gravel.
Ergonomics and geometry for child-friendly use
Woom emphasises that the frame geometry has been specially adapted to the needs of children aged between 7 and 11. A slightly stretched seating position is designed to offer comfort on longer tours. The handlebars are relatively wide at 580 millimetres. The saddle and grips have been ergonomically adapted to the target group. Practical details such as a quick-release saddle clamp and an adjustable stem make it easier to grow with the child.
Woom Explore e 5: Technical data
- Weight: 12.7 kg
- Frame size: 24 inch
- Price: 1599 Euro (RRP) >> available here
Drive system
- Motor: Mahle X30 electric motor (rear wheel hub)
- Power: 250 watts
- Support: up to 25 km/h
- Battery: Mahle eX1 (removable)
- Battery capacity: 171 Wh
- Range: up to 50 km (in lowest mode)
Equipment
- Brakes: Promax disc brakes 160/140 mm
- Gearstick: Microshift Acolyte, 8-speed
- Tyres: Schwalbe Billy Bonkers, 24 x 2.0
- Crank: 130 mm length, 28 teeth
- Operation: on the battery or via the Mahle SmartBike app
The first contact with the Woom Explore e
The first contact with the plain black Woom is cautious. "It doesn't even have a suspension fork!" grumbles our big boy. "Can I even ride through the meadow on these skinny tyres?" adds the little one, "and didn't you say the bike has a motor, Dad?"
Okay, you might have to briefly explain that the motor of the Woom Explore e is not located on the crank and the battery is not in the frame but disguised as a bottle in the bottle cage. But the kids do the rest themselves. They know how to charge the battery from the tablet. Plugging the small torpedo into the bike works intuitively and the small button that activates the "booster" is also quickly found. The bike is adjusted to the right size in just a few simple steps, thanks to the quick-release saddle clamp. Align the brakes and shift levers and off you go.
First round: Turbo mode
After a brief tussle, the big one hops onto the Explore e. After all, the hierarchy has to be respected. He quickly learns that purple means full power and not green. He presses the power button three times and the little one whizzes down the road - and a little later, he whizzes past us again with a big grin on his face. "It goes off like a rocket!" he roars and disappears behind the next bend at Vmax.
Over the next few days, we also do the unloved sports routes with the Woom and lo and behold - suddenly the climb to the parkour training is no longer so bad. The approach even turns into a race against dad. Of course, I'm clearly at a disadvantage when it comes to acceleration and I can't really pull the top speed joker either, because thanks to the acceptable weight and the easy-rolling tyres, the kids can accelerate the Woom beyond the motor limit of 25 km/h - as long as it stays flat.
Amazing turnaround on the long haul
It's the weekend and a visit to the grandparents is on the cards. The sun is shining and we spontaneously decide to take the opportunity for a long-distance test. It quickly becomes apparent that turbo mode is not the right mode for longer stages: pedalling three times, then letting it roll again, otherwise my legs whirl so fast that I'm afraid the poor boy next to me might take off. There's no flow that way. So we switch to Eco mode and are amazed that the slight assistance is enough to cover a decent distance at a good 20 kilometres per hour. And yet there's obviously still enough air left to chat to dad in staccato for an hour and a half. We chat about Lego technology motors, the upcoming trip to the school camp, take an ice cream break halfway and before we know it, we're already rolling into the grandparents' yard. That easy? I hadn't expected that.
The conclusion after three weeks of testing the Woom Explore e
After three weeks with the Woom Explore e We can draw a surprisingly positive conclusion: we rode routes that we would have had to fight for with the normal bikes with a lot of persuasion. After the initial turbo enthusiasm, our kids were surprisingly often travelling in eco mode because they wanted to get out of breath themselves. And for the daily commute to school or for a ride with their mates, the e-bike was left in the garage as a matter of course.
We can't confirm that children would lose their desire for sport, exercise and exertion due to the motorised support. For us, the Woom Explore e was in most cases simply a good opportunity to leave the car behind and get out and about with our kids.
Everything tutto bene? Not quite
Despite all the praise, there is of course also some criticism. The kids would have liked a little more "freshness" in the choice of colour in particular - as with the other kids' bikes from the Austrians. For us parents, the battery check via app was particularly annoying. Otherwise, it is never clear how much juice is actually left in the little power pack. Operation while riding is also not ideal, as the children then have to take their hands off the handlebars to select the support level on the battery.
Thanks to motor support, the gear ratio of the 8 gears is also sufficient for longer climbs, but the trigger lever is not ideal for children's hands. We think that the Woom Explore e stem is particularly clever, as it not only fits until the child's next birthday, but also easily accommodates two growth spurts, thus relativising the rather high purchase price.
Stefan Frey
Editor
