Test Scool faXe: With this bike, the supplier Coolmobility has a model in its portfolio that may signal sportiness and suitability for everyday use to laypeople, but is not convincing in practice. In addition to the high weight, there is equipment that can neither score points in everyday life nor on the trails.
Scool is part of the Coolmobility brand portfolio, a provider that specializes in children's and youth bikes. 20-inch models are already counted among the latter. The range of the various brands ranges from the sporty, reduced model to the "school bike" with full equipment, and there are numerous variants in between, including the faXe.
Clear search options
If you are looking for a suitable bike for your child on the manufacturer's website, you can use several search options: wheel size, of course, but also age and height. This is handy because the program is quite large and this way you can easily pre-sort. The 20-inch models are found in the 5-6 and 7-8 age groups; the faXe is aimed at kids from 121 to 130 cm in height. However, other information can also be found on the product page.
The adjustment range of the saddle height is a whopping 16 cm, so the range of sizes should be even wider. The 25 cm long seat tube and the high front together result in a very upright posture, even when the saddle candle is pulled out far. Coolmobility indicates the measurement from the saddle surface to the ground; so you can easily compare the faXe with an existing children's bike.
Scool faXe – frame shape suitable for children
The frame shape is unusual: With the top tube pulled far down and the handle-like bracing between the top tube and seat tube, the manufacturer blurs the boundaries between the known frame shapes - making the faXe pure unisex. In addition to the existing mudguard, a carrier could also be mounted - the threaded eyelets provided for this are still free.
At a glance: Scool faXe 20 inch
12,8 kg (with pedals) / 479 euros / for children between 121-130 cm
+ lighting system
+ Quite cheap price
- Very difficult
– Translation not very suitable for mountains
– Mudguards too short
– Simple equipment
Our test driver Laurin is seven years old and 128 cm tall.
A look at the equipment makes it clear what Scool is aiming for with this bike: It is designed as an all-rounder that is suitable for the way to school and everyday trips with the lighting system, but should also be suitable for off-road use. The latter is suggested by 2,25 inch / 57 mm wide, clearly profiled tires, as well as the suspension fork with a travel of 60 cm. Disc brakes are also on board, but they are mechanically actuated. Like cable rim brakes, they have to be adjusted from time to time because pad wear is not automatically compensated for.
Of course, a suspension fork and studded tires do not automatically make a bicycle an MTB. Steel spring forks like on the Scool respond moderately to poorly, especially with a low rider weight, and also make the bike top-heavy; in any case, a high weight of sporty use is in the way. At 12,8 kilos including pedals, the faXe is almost half the weight of a child between the ages of six and seven; In terms of handling, this is of course a clear disadvantage compared to an eight-kilo bike. The tight gear ratio of the seven-speed gearbox – a freewheel with 14-28 teeth at the rear, a 32-tooth sprocket at the front – is more geared towards city driving than uphills, which also doesn’t suit off-road use.
Handling disadvantages due to weight
For a children's bike used in everyday life, the faXe is over-equipped with details such as the tread tires and the suspension fork. In addition, the mudguards are not really suitable for riding in the wet: the rear protector is so short that at most the seat of your pants stays dry; the child's back is hit by the water thrown up by the profile. And the feet are not protected from splashing water either. Kids may find this bike sporty and parents practical, but it's actually neither. Fortunately, Coolmobility has the Academy brand in its range - their 20-inch "Grade 4" model comes pretty close to the ideal of a sporty, practical children's bike.
