The Genesis CDA Junior: A Proper Gravel Bike for Kids
The Genesis CDA Junior: A Proper Gravel Bike for Kids
There are plenty of great children's bikes out there. Most of them are aimed at gentle family rides on relatively tame terrain. There are a few nice kids' mountain bikes too, but they're a bit overkill for a lot of situations. But what if you want to go exploring together, rack up some more serious miles, and maybe mess about in the woods on the way home? If you're already a convert to gravel bikes, you might be wondering whether you can get a gravel bike for your kids or grandkids too.
Cue the Genesis CDA Junior. If you know the Genesis range already, it's a lot like their aluminium CDA 10 gravel bike, but smaller.
Designed around 24" wheels with 2.1" tyres, the Genesis CDA Junior is aimed at kids around 9 to 13 years old – of course, your mileage may vary, as every child grows at a different rate. The frame is made of lightweight aluminium, with a robust Chromoly steel fork. You'll find plenty of mounting points on the frame and forks, giving you the option to fit mudguards, racks and plenty of bottle cages - you could easily kit this bike out for camping or bikepacking trips, or turn it into a sensible commuting machine.
As for components, you'll find a nice child-oriented spec. Short 140mm cranks pair up with a narrow child-friendly saddle, while up front there's 36cm flared handlebars, again keeping everything compact. The bars use a standard 31.8mm clamp, so you'll easily be able to fit accessories like lights, handlebar bags, or a trip computer. The drivetrain comes from Microshift, with a 32t chainring up front and a 9-speed 11-42t cassette at the back for a nice wide range of gears, without the need for confusing triple chainsets as you find on many kids bikes. Gears and brakes are cable operated for simplicity and ease of maintenance.
The Maxxis Pace tyres offer a reasonable compromise between rolling speed and traction - they'll handle some mellow XC trails perfectly happily, while not feeling too draggy on the road. Genesis opted to fit the CDA Junior with a smaller wheel with a larger diameter tyre, rather than the 26" wheels more commonly found on bikes of this size. This will give a much smoother ride over rough terrain, while maintaining a similar outer diameter for rolling efficiency.
We're quite excited about the CDA Junior - it's definitely a step in the right direction from Genesis, offering a clear step up in versatility and capability from most conventional kids' bikes, while still hitting a relatively reasonable price point compared with other premium kids' bikes. If your little one is really getting into cycling, and outgrowing their current bike's capabilities, it's well worth your consideration.
For more info, check out the product page here. Feel free to get in touch with us, or leave a comment below.