FAST BIKE FRIDAY – CUBE REACTION C:62 ROOKIE

Check out this very special race bike from Cube! For Fast Bike Friday this week we’re taking a look at something a little different – the Reaction C:62 Rookie is a full-on, race-ready carbon fibre cross country mountain bike that just happens to have been shrunk down to child-friendly proportions. Over the past few years, following on from the successes of cyclists such as Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas at the Tour De France and Olympics cycling has really grown in the UK with a significant increase of enthusiasts in nearly all age groups. Part of this growth has seen a large number of child-focused cycling clubs hosting training sessions and races across all children’s age categories with support from some very hard-working cycling coaches.

The Cube Reaction C:62 Rookie will help your young racer excel

Nowadays it’s not unusual to see children following a very clear and successful progression route from their early years through to more competitive junior races as they grow and develop their skills and fitness; with safety at the forefront of everyone’s minds it makes sense that during their early years children are encouraged to race off-road in cyclocross and mountain bike events, away from the potential dangers of the road and on courses that are tailored specifically to their own skills levels. So there’s plenty of cycling-mad families out there attending some great events where each member of the family gets their chance to race, including the kids! If your child loves to race off-road then the high-spec Reaction C:62 Rookie is a fantastic option and if you’re savvy you may be able to pass the bike on to siblings and see this bike being raced for a number of years within the family.

The super-light C:62 Monocoque Carbon frame and Manitou Markhor TS Air suspension fork makes a race-ready chassis

The Reaction C:62 Rookie is available in two sizes 13.5” and 15”. The two bike size options feature different sized wheels to help match the proportions of the bike with the 13.5” option (pictured here) spec’d with 27.5” wheels and the slightly larger 15” option featuring 29” wheels – the typical standard on full-sized cross country mountain bikes. As the model name suggests the Reaction C:62 Rookie’s frame is crafted from exactly the same premium C:62 carbon as Cube’s adult race bikes and boasts the same features as you’d expect on any World Cup cross country mountain biker’s bike. A high-spec Sram NX Eagle 1×12 groupset gives every possible gear ratio your child could need, enabling them to get over even the steepest, loosest mid-race climbs; there’s a simple single 32T chainring upfront matched with a wide ratio 11-50T cassette out back with the one-by configuration being particularly child-friendly. There’s only one gear shifter to use so there’s less chance of your child fluffing their gear changes in the heat of the moment.

With a Sram NX Eagle drivetrain and a Manitou suspension fork with a lockout the Reaction C:62 Rookie is built to perform

Cube have spec’d the Reaction C:62 Rookie with a pair of Manitou Markhor suspension forks which have been specially tuned to better suit the lower weight of children so that they behave in exactly the same way that a good adult-sized suspension fork would – supple for small impacts and progressive through their travel to handle big hits without bottoming out. The Reaction C:62 Rookie is so fast and light that it needs a good pair of anchors to slow it down in a hurry; when race courses get technical and your child needs to slow quickly and in control the Magura MT Thirty hydraulic disc brakes have all the power and modulation for controlled braking on unpredictable terrain.

With a light, fast-rolling pair of Answer Atac AM wheels (sized 27.5” on the bike pictured) shod with Schwalbe Racing Ray and Schwalbe Racing Ralph cross-country MTB tyres fitted front and rear respectively. These 2.25” tyres feature tread profiles that strike that magic balance between being fast-rolling on hardpacked surfaces and providing ample grip on loose, loamy surfaces even when they’re negotiating tight, off-camber turns.

OK so some may think the Reaction C:62 Rookie is a little niche, it’s probably fair to say that your child will grow out of the bike fairly quickly, particularly if you’re putting them on the smaller 13.5” option, but as we’ve already highlighted, if you’re a cycling-mad family who have more than one child you’ll be able to utilise the C:62 Rookie as a race bike for more than one sibling, with the bike taking on competitive duties for a good number of years. It goes without saying that this bike will really enhance your child’s riding and enjoyment of mountain biking; with such a light carbon frame, capable suspension fork and a simple, reliable, precise-shifting SRAM groupset all that’s left is for your child to ride in confidence, pushing their skills level and fitness further because they’ll want to be on the bike for longer.

The Reaction C:62 Rookie is versatile enough for long days mountain biking with family, fast gravel rides and of course for race day!

The Cube Reaction C:62 Rookie is available in-store and online now.

 

Full Specification:

• Frame: C:62 Monocoque Advanced Twin Mold Technology, ARG2, Tapered Headtube, PressFit Boost BB, Integrated Cable Routing, Boost 148, Dropper Post Ready
• Fork: Manitou Markhor TS Air, Tapered, 100mm, Remote Lockout
• Shifter: Sram NX Eagle Trigger
• Rear Derailleur: Sram NX Eagle, 12-Speed
• Cassette : Sram XG-1230 Eagle, 11-50T
• Chainset: Sram Stylo Eagle, 32T, Boost, 170mm
• Brakes: Magura MT Thirty, Front 2-Piston/Rear 2-Piston, Hydr. Disc Brake (180/160)
• Wheelset: Front – Answer Atac MA, 28/28 Spokes, QR, Tubeless Ready
• Wheelset: Rear – Answer Atac MA, 28 Spokes, 12x148mm, Tubeless Ready
• Front Tyre: Schwalbe Racing Ray, Super Race, Addix Speedgrip, Kevlar, 27.5 X 2.25
• Rear Tyre: Schwalbe Racing Ralph, Super Race, Addix Speedgrip, Kevlar, 27.5 X 2.25
• Stem: Newmen Evolution 318.4, 31.8mm
• Handlebar: CUBE Flat Race Bar, 680mm
• Seat Post: CUBE Prolight, 27.2mm
• Saddle: Natural Fit Venec Lite

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

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