Issue #049, Review - October 1, 2021

Mondraker Grommy-E-balance bike in review

The Mondraker Grommy is a balance bike with a motor, twist-grip throttle and shredder feeling, leaving us to question whether the kid will develop a love for mountain bikes or motocross bikes. It’s available with 12″ or 16″ tires and Mondraker recommend it for children aged from 3 to 8 years.

You can get an overview of the 11 exciting concepts here: kids bike buyer’s guide – 11 exciting concepts at a glance

At first, the Mondraker seems like quite a heavy balance with an aluminium frame and lots of plastic. But if you twist the right hand grip, a 250 watt electric motor springs into action and propels your offspring at speeds of up to 17 km/h. In Germany, the vehicle is therefore legally regarded as a moped and, in theory, may only be ridden with a registration plate and driver’s license from the age of 15. To be honest, we don’t see the added value of a balance bike with a motor, even if you don’t care about violating the rules or you own a large private property. That said, our test session with the boys and girls from the local kindergarten showed that they found it easier to operate the twist-grip throttle than we thought and they had a lot of fun racing around!

Both Grammy’s reflect the look of the adult Mondraker mountain bikes but not their functionality. The plastic covers of the motor are loose and the footrests aren’t securely fitted to the frame either. We also have to ask ourselves how appropriate the twist-grip throttle of the Mondraker really is for children. A quick test with a wooden stick in the spokes and brake rotor confirmed our worries. Of course, the Grommy can be a lot of fun but kids could also end up losing a couple of their digits unless they’re under constant adult supervision. On top of that, the brakes are too weak for the bike’s shredding capabilities.

Moms and dads who are trying to raise a future MX champion will probably love the Grommy. If Mondraker’s aim was to make a balance bike that reflects the spirit of their mountain bikes by adding a motor with a twist-grip throttle and too much plastic, they’ve missed the mark. A wannabe shredder.