Rocky Mountain Goes Small With The Reaper

One of the coolest trends we’ve witnessed over the past couple of years has been the growing availability of kids mountain bikes. And we’re not talking about bargain-basement supermarket bikes with suspension forks that explode on the first gutter jump. But rather real mountain bikes that share similar frame and suspension technologies to adult bikes, so that little Betty and little Johnny can hit the trails on a proper bike that a) fits them, b) isn’t the weight of a tank, and c) is actually fun to ride. All things that adults consider important when choosing their own bikes really.

Rocky Mountain has just joined the cool kids club with the addition of their brand new Reaper 24/26in mountain bike. So what exactly makes this different to other kids bikes?

We’ll admit that it took us a while to realise that the Reaper is actually a dedicated kids bike. It looks just like a Thunderbolt, only smaller and cuter-er.

For a start, the Reaper has a very high quality frame and suspension design. In effect, the Reaper is a shrunken-down Thunderbolt, with 130mm of rear travel and 120mm of travel up front. We’re not sure what the mullet-suspension is about (party out back, business up front), but it’s probably got something to do with those little wheels. Speaking of, the Reaper frameset can be setup with either 26in or 24in wheels – the idea being that you can increase the wheelsize as your little shredding grom increases in their size.

Ok, so we’re hoping it’s just the bike that is making these kids look so comfortable on those steep BC trails.

“The Reaper provides the same aggressive trail performance found in our Thunderbolt and Altitude full suspension bikes in a smaller package for young rippers. It can tear up singletrack, smash technical descents, and slay bike park laps all day long. And, because we know that kids grow (and have younger siblings), the Reaper is easily convertible from 24” wheels to 26” wheels and vice versa.” – Rocky Mountain Bicycles.

Hmm, now things are getting embarrassing. This ‘kid’ is showing up his Dad on the trail. And that’s not very respectful now is it?

The frame itself is built from 7005 hydroformed and butted alloy tubes, just like Rocky Mountain’s adult mountain bikes. It features the same pivot bearing technology, and it even gets the sweet RIDE9 geometry adjustment switch that allows you to play with suspension rate and head angle/BB height. If your child starts complaining that their current suspension rate is too progressive, then you’ll no longer have to embarrassingly tell them that there’s nothing you can do about it.

Speed blur and everything!

The two Reaper models come with all the mod-cons that you’d expect of any trail bike in 2016, including hydraulic disc brakes, a tapered head tube and slick 1x drivetrains. Both bikes also feature air-adjustable suspension, which is paramount for getting access to full travel for lightweight little groms.

Cute kids are cute. And talented. Damn too talented for their own good!

Even the cockpits are representative of modern trail bikes, with the Reaper 26 getting 720mm wide handlebars and a nice stubby little stem. The 26in model also features folding bead Maxxis tyres, with a Minion up front and a faster-rolling Ikon out back.

The steeze is strong with this one.

While the Reaper is certainly one of the most high-end kids mountain bikes we’ve ever seen, we’re sure there’ll be plenty of enthusiastic parents out there keen to get their kids on one. As brands like Isla Bikes have proven already, providing kids with a decent quality mountain bike that is lightweight makes it far easier for little legs to push around off-road. And if it isn’t such a slog for them, there’s probably a greater chance that they’ll enjoy it.

While prices aren’t available as of yet, it’s safe to assume that they’re likely to be a bit more than what you’d expect to pay for a kids bike from Halfords. We also haven’t had the chance to confirm UK availability, but once we get that info, we’ll be sure to update this article with the relevant details. In the meantime, check out the specs below for the two models, and hit up UK Rocky Mountain distributor, Greenover Sports for any other Rocky info.