Product news: The Conway children's bikes 2018 offer a choice of 20″ to 26″, and buyers can also decide whether they prefer a spring or a rigid fork. Equipment variants suitable for everyday use with lighting and mudguards are also available again. When designing, particular emphasis was placed on the three cornerstones of ergonomics, safety and weight.
Almost traditionally, Conway attaches great importance to the portfolio of children's bikes. Nothing will change about that this season. In terms of sizes, the Kids' Bikes 2018 start with 20″ wheels, with which the little ones can then gain real MTB experience. When developing the frames and the bikes themselves, three points were in focus: Ergonomics, safety and of course the weight. Especially the latter is often neglected in many children's bikes, since the standards of adult bikes are wrongly applied here. But while 1kg weight or not doesn't play a big role for mum and dad in most cases, it's completely different with children and their bikes. Relative to the body weight of the children, they have to carry a much heavier bike up the mountains anyway and (almost) every gram counts.
Furthermore, the young drivers should feel safe on their bikes and sit comfortably. This is particularly important when trying to walk off-road for the first time, so that the fun doesn't end before it even begins. For this reason, the bikes all have a low standover height, so that you can easily get off the bike without making painful contact with the top tube. The high cockpit is also part of this concept: it puts the little ones in a fairly upright seating position, which is very comfortable on the one hand and also provides a good overview on the other.
In addition, the manufacturer, based in Weiden in der Oberpfalz, relies exclusively on rim brakes for its children's bikes for the current model year. What is now a real rarity on mountain bikes for adults makes a lot of sense in the special case of children's bikes. On the one hand you save a gram or two - especially in the low price range, where such bikes are usually found - who would want to invest four-digit amounts in a bike that is too small after a year anyway? The rim brakes also have advantages in terms of ergonomics: the selection of brake levers is larger and they can also be easily adjusted so that even small children's hands can grip them well and comfortably.
The first real MTB: Conway 20″ and 24″ children's bikes from Conway
In the area of 20 and 24″ bikes - depending on the abilities and feel-good factor of the kids - the first smaller excursions into real terrain are also possible. At Conway you will find what you are looking for in the MS 100 (20″) and MS 200 (24″) models. All variants are equipped with Tektro V-brakes and an 8-speed drive from Shimano. Mum and dad may also know the CX Comp tires from their own crosser or gravel bike.
Conway gives its Kids' Bike customers a choice on a much-discussed point: with a suspension fork or without? Opinions are still divided on this question, because the simple suspension forks for children's bikes cannot keep up with the big ones in terms of performance and also cause the weight to skyrocket: With both bikes, whether 20″ or 24″ is the variant with a suspension fork over a kilogram heavier. On the other hand, of course, it helps to keep a little more control off-road, and another, rather irrational argument often plays a role: kids often find a suspension fork cooler than a boring rigid fork...
All wheels are available in the sports version discussed above and also in a city version suitable for everyday use with mudguards and lighting. The surcharge for these variants is kept within narrow limits, especially because the other equipment remains the same. Again, you can choose between equipment with a spring or rigid fork. In this way, the new bike also becomes a safe companion on the way to school.
Almost like the big ones: The Conway MS 260
The next leap in size brings the wheels to 26″ – so to speak adult size. After all, there are still countless adults who get along very well with their 26″ mountain bikes, even if the wheel size has now been replaced by 650b and 29″. The Conway MS 260 is available in two different frame sizes with a 31 or 38 seat tube and again in a StVZO everyday equipment and a sporty version. Here, Conway does not equip it with a suspension fork.
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