The moment has come. There’s no denying it anymore. You’ve accepted that your kid is faster than you! Is it time to give them the upgrade their skills deserve? Propain Bikes have a long history of developing high end full suspension mountain bikes for the young rider. Today, they launch the 2021 Propain Yuma, with a reduced standover height to fit more riders. Here’s everything you need to know.
2021 Propain Yuma Kids Mountain Bike
Propain have retained the “grows with your child” concept, the standout feature that makes this bike popular among children and their parents alike. How does it work? The single-pivot full suspension Yuma is effectively two bikes in one; a flip-chip and Grown-Up Kit converts it from the Rookie Launcher 24″ bike to bike that can accommodate 26″ wheels.
The flip-chip increases the chainstay length from 420mm to 432mm, increasing the wheelbase. When your kid has outgrown the 24″ wheels, both in terms of height and ability, you won’t need to buy an entirely new bike; just upgrade the one they have. This could be a seriously economical purchase, especially for families with two children with just the right age gap.
The new Propain Yuma gets a few important changes for 2021. It maintains a 140mm travel fork, but drops the rear wheel travel by 5mm to match it. The frame height is where we see the biggest change, reducing by a significant 32mm down to 320mm. The resulting lower standover height will mean more riders have a better fit, and will be able to straddle the bike more comfortably when stopped at the trail side.
Propain have also reduced the weight of the aluminium frame by 100g, now weighing a claimed 2.7kg. Plus, with the updated and lighter parts list, the complete bike now weighs in at 12.7 kg.
Reach remains unchanged at 380mm, stretched between a 65° head angle and 75° seat tube angle. It should be noted that this is unaffected by swapping from 24″ to 26″ wheels. So, while some dimensions of the bike will be improved for a taller rider, not everything grows proportionally.
The 24″ complete bike comes with a 40mm stem, so there is some scope to increase reach with a longer stem, up and to a point. Propain recommend the 24″ configuration for riders 125cm to 150cm, reserving the 26″ wheels for a height range of 140cm to 155cm.
The 2021 Propain Yuma gets all the usual frame details you’d expect from an adults’ mountain bike; chain slap protection, downtube protection, an ISCG mount for a bash guard or a chain guide and internally routed cables for a clean finish. It is also able to accommodate an internally routed dropper seat post.
Pricing & Availability
The 2021 Propain Yuma is available in Venom Black and Bad Mint colorways, retailing at 2,199 €. That cash gets you the 24″ configuration with a SRAM GX 11 speed drivetrain with 155mm cranks, a lightweight Newmen X.A.25 wheels and 2.4″ Vee Tire Flow Snap tires.
Suspension is delivered by a Manitou Machete Junit 140mm fork and a RockShox Deluxe Select R shock. The bike gets a 1st Ride finishing kit with 680mm handlebar and Enduro Saddle. Your child should have no trouble slowing down with SRAM Guide T brakes with 200mm/180mm rotors front/rear.
The “Grown-Up Kit” can be purchased separately for 225€, and can be added to the order at the time of purchase.
