Vitus Energie 24 Kids CX Bike

The Vitus Energie 24 Youth CX bike is a smart-looking machine with a good spec list for the money. The geometry is well designed specifically for kids, which means there is no compromise on riding position – which boosts confidence, especially when the young 'uns are riding off-road.

Since brands like Islabike and Frog have come along, we've had good quality kid's bikes that are well designed with geometry that actually works for growing children. The frame proportions may look quirky compared to adult's bikes, but they are comfortable for kids; being in the correct position only boosts their confidence when riding.

That is exactly what this Energie achieved in the hands of my daughter, Isla. Watching her ride around the local park, on the road or on the gravel trails, she always looked well balanced whether on the hoods, the tops or the drops. When off-road she was also comfortable out of the saddle too.

What helps is that, even in the drops, the front end isn't that low, which gives a feeling of stability – as does the length in the wheelbase. Even with a very short stem the steering isn't overly quick, with the whole bike feeling very stable.

That doesn't mean it's boring though. With a weight of 9.4kg on our scales it's still light for a children's bike.

The 6061-T6 grade aluminium frame creates ride that makes the bike feel lighter than it actually is, plus Vitus's choice of the same material for the fork instead of cheaper, heavier steel means the steering doesn't feel heavy either.

All this makes a bike that is easily controllable, and most importantly, fun. That's the key ingredient after all; make a bike enjoyable to ride and they'll want to keep getting on it.

The Engerie uses an eight-speed cassette with 11-34t cogs paired to a 1x 32t chainring. Isla found that a good spread of gears and, while we didn't exactly go attacking anything too steep, on road rides of ten miles she didn't look to be struggling anywhere.

Keeping a 1x at the front drops weight over a 2x chainset, and keeps things simple too.

The shifting is taken care of by Microshift's R8 cassette, R9 rear mech and R8 shifter. It works well, with solid shifts up and down the cassette, although I'd say it's a little clunkier than the Claris Isla has on her own bike.

The shift levers are the S version, which stands for short reach, and it's a dedicated 1x system so you aren't getting a mismatch of different shifters like you get on some bikes of this size. They worked well enough for her hands, with the button for dropping the chain down the cassette in an easy to reach position at the top of the lever.

The paddle for shifting to lower gears sits further down the lever though, and she found it required quite a firm and long throw to shift to the next sprocket. It's not something she always nailed first time, but it was easier than shifting the brake lever on her Claris shifter.

Vitus has specced Tektro MD-C510 cable-operated disc calipers on the Energie, mated to a 160mm rotor on the front and a 140mm option on the rear. Overall stopping power is impressive without being too grabby, which gives decent control, and braking for those little hands isn't an issue.

The Energie is a cyclo-cross bike, so you are getting a pair of 1.5in Kenda Small Block Eight tyres. They still leave a good amount of clearance on the frame and fork for mud to fall through.

The Small Blocks are good for hard-packed surfaces and softish mud or grass, but anything too wet and sticky will get them clogged quickly. Still, tyres are easily changed should the need arise.

If road is more your child's thing then Vitus offers the Razor, which uses the same frame and fork and wears 1in slicks. Both bikes are available in 24in and 26in wheel sizes.

Speaking of wheels, the hoops here are Vitus-branded and feature 28-hole rims and hubs. They stood up well to a mixture of road and off-road riding, in conditions that were mix of dry and dusty or wet and muddy.

The rest of the build is Vitus branded too, and all components are designed with children in mind. The handlebar has a very shallow drop, and the short saddle Isla found to be very comfortable.

Both sizes of the Energie are £599.99 (as are the Razors) and I think that represents good value for money.

The frame is finished to a high quality, and while the welds aren't the smoothest they do at least give a feeling of robustness, which is exactly what you want on a bike that's likely to be crashed many times as your children grow in confidence.

In terms of competition though, there are some obstacles out there. Boardman offers the JNR ADV for just £480, and it comes with the same groupset and an aluminium frame and fork. They don't offer a 24in wheel size though.

If you are looking for a flat bar bike, my kids recently tested the Boardman JNR Hybrid in both 24in and 26in wheel sizes.

Frog's Road 67 comes with slicks, but also has clearance for wider knobbly tyres. In fact, according to the spec list it comes with both sets of tyres included in its £670 price.

It has a 9-speed Microshift set up, and you also get extra brake levers for riding on the tops, something a lot of kids feel more comfortable with.

Overall

The Vitus Energie has a winning blend of low weight and great geometry, which makes it a bike your child will enjoy riding. Watching Isla's confidence grow as she rode it was very satisfying, and it showed that Vitus has got the design right.

Yes, there are cheaper alternatives out there, but for the build quality and the spec list I still say that this bike is worth the money. It's robust enough to be passed down through the family too, and bikes like this often retain their value for resale.

Verdict

Child-friendly geometry and a robust, well-specced build, topped off with an awesome paintjob