While Decathlon has finally rewarded us with a line of fully-suspended electric mountain bikes under the Rockrider flag, the brand has also slipped an e-MTB for 9-12 year olds into its catalog. The e-ST 500 26” comes in addition to the already existing 27.5” model to offer a hardtail mountain bike to cyclists measuring between 1.35 m and 1.50 m. At first glance, it seems absurd to put tweens bursting with energy on an electric bike. Nevertheless, a demand must indeed exist if a giant like Decathlon offers such a machine. This can make it possible in particular to consider longer outings than on a muscular bike for small legs, especially if the budding cyclist accompanies a more experienced parent. The electrification of bicycles also opens the doors of practice to children who, for various reasons, do not have the physical condition necessary to practice mountain biking.
Anyway, it is not a model suitable for sending pre-teens on enduro tracks. The Rockrider e-ST 500 26” is based on a semi-rigid aluminum frame, suspended at the front by a Suntour fork offering 80 mm of travel. This bike will be more suitable for outings on paths or in the forest. The 26-inch wheels are shod in 2.1-inch-wide “house” tires.
Assistance is provided by the same motor as that fitted to the 27.5” version, namely a GK motor developing 250 W and 42 Nm of torque placed in the hub of the rear wheel. Power is provided by a 380 Wh downtube battery. With this capacity, it is possible to drive around fifty kilometres, depending on the route and the assistance mode chosen. These modes are three in number and make it possible to vary the intensity of the assistance so that the little mountain biker can provide an effort, if he wishes. The levels of electric assistance are managed from a small, fairly simplistic control box.
The eight-speed MicroShift transmission is perfectly adapted to the uses promised to the Rockrider e-ST 500 26″. Decathlon hasn’t been stingy with braking, and the French VTTAE can count on a pair of Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. Even if it remains entry-level, this solution is appreciable on an all-terrain bike. Interesting because, if the 27.5” version is fitted with mechanical disc brakes, it nevertheless benefits from a 180 mm disc, against 160 mm for the 26″ model.
On the other hand, it is necessary to take into account the net overweight of such an eMTB, the e-ST 500 26” displaying 21 kg all the same. The price difference with an equivalent muscular model is obviously substantial. A Rockrider ST 500 26” is sold for €250, four times less than what is claimed for its electric version. It should be available by the end of 2022. However, the first is based on pad brakes, a seven-speed transmission, and it is mounted on narrower rubbers. At €999, the Decathlon Rockride e-ST 500 26” sits opposite a Nakamura E-Summit Evo from Intersport, with very similar technical characteristics.