Season 2 - Episode 4

E-bikes are heralding the mobility transformation. And all-terrain electric bikes – known as E-MTBs – are revolutionising the sport of mountain biking. But why should it only be parents that have fun with e-mountain bikes? Good question! After all, E-MTBs for children open up whole new horizons for sporty families.

Your child is riding their bike faster than you! Impossible? Not at all. The secret lies in the name “e-mountain bikes for kids”. For years, these bikes with their extra portion of power have been the hot topic of discussion when it comes to two-wheelers. And electrified versions for the young generation are also making huge progress. Even if the concept may (still) be new and unusual for some parents – E-MTBs for kids offer some tangible advantages.

The new electric bikes are not mobility crutches for lazy children. Quite the opposite! E-MTBs are a great option for sporty kids, who can use them to take on longer and more challenging tours with their parents (and bigger brothers and sisters). They are the perfect way to balance out differences in performance within the family. As a result, touring together is a whole lot more fun. For everyone. Instead of blood, sweat and tears, youngsters now experience fun, flow and freedom as they make their ascent. While children used to dread the long slog up the pass, it now no longer holds any fear for them. But shouldn’t the children earn their descent the hard way? Use their own power to crank their way up every hill by fair means? Of course, but they do that with the E-MTB too. It’s just that with the same amount of effort, they get to the top two or three times faster. And get down again with ten times more fun!

But isn’t a child’s E-MTB more dangerous than a normal child’s bike? No! Adult e-bikes support speeds of up to 25 km/h, children’s e-mountain bikes only up to 20 km/h. Any faster than that and the e-motor switches off automatically. The same applies if the rider stops pedalling, e. g. on descents. From a technical point of view, a high quality child’s E-MTB is just as safe as one without a motor. Important: the right frame and wheelsize, stable disc brakes with child-appropriate brake levers, high quality suspension forks, knobbly all-terrain tyres. The same rule applies as for adults: start slow! Do some easy tours first. Gradually increase the length, altitude gain and difficulty level. By the way: Rider technical training is just as much fun on an E-MTB. Perhaps even more …

Once you set aside any fears about using electric help to go on a ride, there are three possible scenarios for the ultimate family fun. Firstly: the adults ride normal bikes, the youngsters on e-bikes. That massively enhances the quality time together in the saddle. The adults can suddenly go back to doing their favourite circuits (“… the ones from before we had kids …!”) – and their offspring can now join them on the full 1,500 m climb with no worries. And even overtake Dad on the way up.

Secondly: If the child is desperate to do some “genuine” mountain biking and loves going fast up AND downhill on an ultralight Hardtail, then this is the perfect option: the adults ride on e-bikes, the youngster on a normal child’s mountain bike. Granted: in this way, the shared rides will tend to be shorter, but the pride and self-confidence of the youngsters even greater. And if they run out of steam going uphill: clever dads carry two 29-inch inner tubes with them - for use as an emergency tow rope.

Thirdly: Anyone who wants to take the shared experience to the max can choose option three. The adults AND the children ride E-MTBs. The built-in tailwind for all means they can take on much longer circuits together. Or Dad’s regular Friday afternoon circuit in half the time. And all of that with a lot more fun on the climbs. Ultra-steep forest grinding, hut tours in the Dolomites or even a trans-alp adventure – e-mountain bikes make the impossible possible. So: E-MTBs for all! The fun way to open up whole new horizons.