Thoughts from anyone with kids and emtbs

[Andy__C]

Crew, looking for some thoughts or experiences here from parents who’s kids have got ebikes.

Generally looking for pos and neg experiences, and thoughts. Plus any thoughts on full powered vs mid/low power and how that goes with lighter riders.

So my boy is 13, 14 next year crazy into his biking as they are. He’s either building jumps and biking in the woods after school with the boys or we are out ourselves on the weekends on some trails somewhere south wales/west.

I’m weighing up

1. Appropriateness/safety - prob more for us to figure out as a family
2. Light weight vs full powered.

He’s a fit kid, plays loads of rugby, is on his Orbea hard tail most days. I’m on my 2019 levo and we’ve got towing on fire roads/trails down where we can. It'll be used for mostly trail centres/S.wales trails... prob the odd bpw/black mountain. Mostly us getting out on bigger biking days together which is why i'm really interested in this.

I’m looking at a great deal on the Canyon Neuron now - which is a Bosch Sx. He’s roughly 50kg, 158cm - prob due a growth spurt i’d imagine but you never know. At his weight a 20kg bike seems enough.

I had a look at a S2 levo alloy the other day in store as i know the levo/spesh well. It weigh's more than my bike! And 25kg feels like a propper weight for a young teenager.

No rush, this is a Christmas/next 5 year’s pocket money jobbey. Super interested in anyones thoughts. Cheers!

 

[Rob_S]

I have a 16yo and a 13yo with me up the hills. Neither have e-bikes but I do.
The older one and I run size large bikes and he takes my 24kg Cube out without any issues (other than breaking the usual stuff on it), but it’s way too much bike for the 13yo, who runs a sub-15kg carbon GT. Even if it was a 20kg ish e-bike, he would struggle to move it about and destroy it in weeks (much like the GT) just casing jumps and hitting trees all day.

Wait it out for a few years. I got a couple of tow ropes off Amazon and they are superb for dragging them up at a more reasonable pace

 

[Mambat]

Hi Andy
I sent you a DM

 

[Fizzy]

I got a couple of tow ropes off Amazon and they are superb for dragging them up at a more reasonable pace

Which one did you go for? Looking at doing the same as my lad isn't going to be able to chuck a 20+ Kg EMTB around either

 

[Mambat]

You would be amazed at how kids progress on ebikes...

Post in thread 'My 8 year old's new Stance.....'

Nov 26, 2020

Helps with the tyre budget!

• Mambat

• 

 

[hotlaps]

I have a 12 yo son and I got him a Transition Relay about a year ago. I figured the full powered ebike would be to heavy for him. He loves the Relay and doesn't care to have a full power. I was able to find the Transition at a LBS as a demo, so got a pretty good deal on it. Swapped it over to mullet so it would be a little easier for him to handle.

 

[Rob_S]

Which one did you go for? Looking at doing the same as my lad isn't going to be able to chuck a 20+ Kg EMTB around either

Just this one off Amazon. £15 rather than £4000, so met my budget better

Amazon.co.uk

 

[nmbnmb]

A couple of years ago I bought my 10 year old a kids Turbo Levo. He's still on it now, I've put 140mm forks and a 27.5 front wheel on it and made the rear about 26 with a 3.0 tyre.

He absolutely loves it and without it he couldn't manage trail centres and long days out in the Lake District.

It's not just the getting up the hills that the kids ebike is good for - it allows him to arrive at the downhill trails in a happy state and to enjoy the downhills more. Turns mountain biking into an enjoyable experience instead of a fitness ordeal.

I have to tow his friends up the fire roads - an Amflow makes an epic tow bike. Adults are grinding up the hill in first gear and suffering and the Amflow can do 20mph whilst towing a chunky 12 year old. I use an elastic tow rope.

As soon as he's tall enough (probably around now) he's going to test my old 2019 Cube medium hardtail ebike. That'll tell me when I can fit him on a new medium ebike.

I've used Gemini AI to tell me the power to weight ratios of various potential new ebikes and waiting for some bargain to arrive in the sales.

 

[Paulquattro]

If your at all bothered with the UK law just be aware the legal age limit for pedelecs is 14yrs and up

I dont want flaming just thought you ought know if you cared

Riding an electric bike: the rules

Electric bikes meeting the EAPC regulations can be ridden on the road without being taxed, licensed or insured.

www.gov.uk

 

[Fizzy]

If your at all bothered with the UK law just be aware the legal age limit for pedelecs is 14yrs and up

I dont want flaming just thought you ought know if you cared

Riding an electric bike: the rules

Electric bikes meeting the EAPC regulations can be ridden on the road without being taxed, licensed or insured.

www.gov.uk

We looked at this when I recently got my EMTB and my daughter told my son he couldn't ride it as he wasn't old enough. Seems you're ok on private land (so that includes private trail centres) and bridleways, but (possibly) not Forestry Commission trails, and definitely not roads or cycle paths

As the article states, it's not legal advice, but we read this article:

Are kids e-bikes legal in the UK?

What age can you legally ride an e-bike in the UK? We take a look at the law......

www.cyclesprog.co.uk

 

[Paulquattro]

We looked at this when I recently got my EMTB and my daughter told my son he couldn't ride it as he wasn't old enough. Seems you're ok on private land (so that includes private trail centres) and bridleways, but (possibly) not Forestry Commission trails, and definitely not roads or cycle paths

As the article states, it's not legal advice, but we read this article:

Are kids e-bikes legal in the UK?

What age can you legally ride an e-bike in the UK? We take a look at the law......

www.cyclesprog.co.uk

Private trail centers if they allow it yes ,
BPW for instance wont and as you have to sign a declaration etc they know ,
But "anything" with public access and rights of way is off limits including bridleways and forestry trails .
Getting stung for it is another thing mind you , i wouldnt say its very policed out in the wild .