Mondraker Grommy: the world’s first e-balance bike?

Do you want to be the raddest parent of 2020? Well, this might just be the ticket… The Mondraker Grommy is an electric balance bike, available with 12” and 16” wheels, for kids aged 3-8 years old. With 250 W of assistance and a top speed of 17.7 km/h, the Mondraker Grommy looks absolutely insane. Read on for all the details!

Mondraker Grommy | Two sizes available (12” and 16” wheels) | 80 Wh battery, 250 W | €749

Balance bikes are a vital stepping stone for your kids to progress to a ‘proper’ bike, allowing them to develop basic handling skills and become confident on two wheels. Mondraker took it upon themselves to totally level up what a balance bike can do, and develop what they claim to be the first-ever e-balance bike. Enter the Mondraker Grommy! With a maximum 250 W of assistance and a top speed of 17.7 km/h, this e-balance bike looks like crazy fun! Equally as insane is its € 749 price tag.

The Mondraker Grommy in detail

At the heart of the Mondraker Grommy is a 6061 aluminium frame and fork, available in two sizes: the 12” wheel size (weighing 7.5 kg) is aimed at kids aged 3-5 years, and the 16” option (weighing 8.5 kg) is aimed at groms aged 6-8 years. Providing up to 250 W of assistance is Mondraker’s own brushless motor, which is powered by an 80 Wh battery. The battery has a run time of up to 60 minutes, which may not sound like a whole lot. However, it recharges in the same amount of time. The system has three modes (Balance, Fun and Advanced) which offer top speeds of 8.1 km/h, 12.1 km/h and 17.7 km/h respectively. The motor is controlled by a throttle grip which should offer modulation and control, according to Mondraker.

The Mondraker Grommy at a glance:

Available in 12” and 16” sizes
6061 alloy frame and fork
Three power modes: Balance (max 8.1 km/h), Fun (max 12.1 km/h), Advanced (max 17.7 km/h)
250 W assistance
80 Wh battery – up to 60 minutes run time, 60-minute charge time
Tektro mechanical rear disk brake 140 mm rotor

Mondraker Grommy 12” | 7.5 kg | € 749
Mondraker Grommy 16” | 8.5 kg | € 749
The Grommy’s motor is controlled by a throttle grip
The motor offers 250W maximum assistance and features an integrated footrest
The 80 Wh battery charges in an hour, and offers up to 60 minutes run time

Is it an ebike? Is it a scooter? Is it even legal?

Being a throttle powered balance bike, the Mondraker Grommy falls into a grey area between e-powered categories. As it’s technically not a pedal-assisted bike (like the Woom UP 6 we recently reviewed), some may argue that it’s closer to an electric scooter than a kids’ eMTB. To add to the confusion, some countries (like the UK) have a law that prevents children under 14 riding ebikes. We recommend you check your own country’s laws and regulations thoroughly before treating your youngsters to a Grommy!

Our thoughts on the new Mondraker Grommy e-balance bike

Let’s face it, the Mondraker Grommy looks a tonne of fun! However, while we can’t dispute the obvious riding fun, we are somewhat sceptical of the Grommy’s necessity. Do kids really need e-balance bikes? What’s wrong with the tried and tested leg-powered design that encourages youngsters to use their whole body when learning to ride a bike? Then there’s the price: at €749, the Grommy is certainly not cheap, especially when you consider that a balance bike is nothing more than a tool to help your kids progress to a ‘real’ bike, which they will outgrow very quickly.

For more info check out mondraker.com


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Words: Photos: Mondraker