Cube Acid 260 Youth blue'n'red

Keen young riders will benefit from a bike that fits their needs - literally. The new Acid 260 borrows heavily from the adult hardtail range to create a 26in-wheeled bike with a low standover for confidence and safety. It uses the same mechanical tube forming process as the full-size bikes and, as you'd expect, the 6061 aluminium chassis has passed all the in-house tests to ensure it's strong, durable and safe in the hands of your youngsters. Internal cable routing reduces clutter and maintenance, and there's an integrated kickstand mount so you can add this handy extra without ruining the bike's clean looks. The Suntour XCT suspension fork has 80mm of bump-absorbing travel for rough trails, and the 24-speed Shimano gears cover a wide range to put every climb within reach. Light, powerful and easy to adjust V-brakes keep it all in control, and grippy tyres help keep the rubber side down. It's every inch a proper mountain bike, for your proper little mountain biker.

No half measures: that's the motto by which the engineering team lives. So, for the Acid 260, they applied the same care and attention to detail as they would for one of the adult bikes. Mechanically formed, double-butted 6061 aluminium tubes are crafted into a light, stiff and strong chassis that's as lively to ride as it is confidence-inspiring. Combined with the Agile Ride Geometry, it means that this is a bike that'll allow your child's skills to develop. A replaceable gear hanger means a crash needn't be the end of the world, and internal cable routing ensures gear shifts stay accurate through many, many hours of enthusiastic riding in all weathers. It's a proper mountain bike, just scaled down to size.