Test: suitable for everyday use or sporty? That doesn't have to be a contradiction on children's bikes either, as Bulls proves with the Bulls Racer Street. In the test, the attractive bike shows how the ideas of big and small can be reconciled when it comes to bikes.
Not everyone likes the classic school bike with luggage rack. Of course it's practical - but not really cool. And not necessarily flexible either: With the fully equipped everyday bike, not much is possible apart from everyday life. But a pure sports bike cannot be an alternative when it comes to road safety. As parents, you don't want to rely on the kids always thinking about their rechargeable battery lights. And the notorious wet "middle stripe" on the jacket after every ride in the rain doesn't have to be either.
So a compromise has to be found that satisfies both sides – and Bulls proves that it works with the Racer Street 27,5. Anyone who sees this bike immediately thinks "mountain bike", but almost everything that young cyclists need in everyday life is on board.
Everyday MTB for primary school children
But let's start with the sporty aspects: Bulls has succeeded in making the advantages of a modern MTB accessible to really small riders. With a short 34 cm seat tube, the Racer Street is aimed at primary school children; For taller people, the sports manufacturer offers the model in a slightly different frame shape with frame heights of 41, 46 and 51 cm. The child-friendly geometry with a high front ensures that even inexperienced riders can easily handle the hardtail, with the Bulls also having the long-travel suspension fork to thank for its upright posture. 100 mm travel is almost too much for this bike category; you can hardly put too much pressure on the front wheel here. The fork should therefore be tuned as softly as possible so that it can respond sensitively.
Current wheel size
The 27,5-inch wheels are typical of a mountain bike, and their wide tires with a strong tread grip loose ground. In view of the small frame height, however, one would not turn up one's nose at "old-fashioned" 26-inch wheels. As it is, the Bulls looks decidedly long-legged; Pedal hits off-road are not to be feared.
Typical MTB: 3 x 7 derailleur gears
As usual on all-round mountain bikes, seven sprockets at the rear and three chainrings at the front are multiplied to form a quite extensive range of gear ratios that offer suitable gears for uphill and downhill gradients. The sprocket set is quite closely spaced so that you don't have to constantly shift gears at the back and front at the same time - which wouldn't be very child-friendly. Last but not least, the Bulls is (of course) equipped with disc brakes, which are fairly easy to service and adjust thanks to their mechanical rather than hydraulic actuation.
Roadworthy even in Sport mode
All of this sounds sporty, as I said; nevertheless, the Racer Street is not stingy with everyday use. Bulls installs a lighting system with a fail-safe hub dynamo as well as a parking stand that is nicely mounted on the rear triangle, and there are also mudguards. The somewhat short plastic protectors have an enormous advantage: they can be dismantled in just a few simple steps, which only works because the rear light is attached to the frame.
So if the Bulls is used off-road, there are no sheet metal in the way and it is still roadworthy. Of course, the manufacturer hasn’t forgotten the mandatory reflectors and a bell either – and as far as the luggage rack is concerned: Today everyone is out and about with backpacks anyway – so the classic utensil of everyday bicycles isn’t that important either…
