Ridley’s new YUNGSTR is what you would expect from the Belgian powerhouse: a purpose-built, carbon race bike. Yeah, you heard that right —a carbon race bike for riders 8–12 years old. The frame can “transform” between road, cyclocross, and gravel with a quick wheel/tire swap. Think pro-level intent, scaled for smaller humans: light, stiff hydraulic discs, and geometry designed from scratch for junior bodies —not a shrunken adult frame.
Ridley YUNGSTR – One Frame, Three Disciplines
Ridley gives the YUNGSTR generous tire clearance, up to 42 mm on 650B or 32 mm on 700C. So kids can roll fast road tires during the week, mount cyclocross treads for weekend racing. It’s a Belgian company… for sure they are gonna have a frame that can handle a weekend cyclocross. Plus, the ability to take 700c wheels means you can swap out your wheels and the kiddos as needed.
Light, Strong, & Actually Race-Ready
The YUNGSTR specs read like a legit race bike. The carbon frame weighs a claimed 929g, and complete builds are quoted at 8.9 kg. As for other pro-like additions, the YUNGSTR has internal cable routing that enters the headtube but doesn’t require a specific stem. Plus, plenty of steerer tube to adjust for the perfect fit of the growing rider.
The YUNGSTR sports a full mechanical Shimano GRX 400 groupset with hydraulic brakes. The brakes should be easy for little fingers to operate and the drivetrain is mechanical, so they never run out of batteries.
Junior-Specific Geometry
Ridley tuned the YUNGSTR to be reactive and playful on tarmac, yet stable on gravel and technical cyclocross tracks. Geometry like this can make a bike feel more stable and something kids reach for, rather than something they’re scared of. The 71-degree head tube and 75-degree seat tube should make the turning predictable/forgiving, but the steep seat tube should feel powerful over the BB for climbing. The wheel base is 970, so it should be able to carve single track and ‘cross courses well, but feel pretty stable on the down hills. The standover looks OK, and the sloping toptube should help the shorter riders. From the looks of it, the YUNGSTR should move quickly and go like a chameleon from one discipline to the next.
Lifetime Warranty—even after resale
This is clever: Ridley backs the frame with a lifetime warranty that transfers to the next owner. That helps maintain value as kids size up, and it puts absolute confidence behind the frame quality.
Ridley YUNGSTR – Pricing & Build
- MSRP: €2,699 with a Shimano GRX 400 build.
- Two wheel formats (700C and 650B) make it easy to tailor for terrain and rider size.
If you’ve got a kid who wants to pin a number (or disappear up the local climb), this is the kind of “first bike” that every racer wants. Kids, try not to drop your parents.
