The Bulls Wildtail Street looks like a mountain bike, and actually it is one - but it can do even more: With full StVZO equipment, it is suitable for everyday use. The Velomotion test clarifies what the cheap youth bike can do.
Uncomplicated material, solid and safe - that's what many parents expect from children's and youth bikes. If you're not a bike nerd yourself, you want the technology to work reliably - and that there's a contact nearby if something breaks. Which makes it a good idea to stop by the bike shop around the corner and in many cases this is a ZEG dealer, of which there are around a thousand across the country. And since Bulls is one of the brands of the Zweirad-Einkaufs-Genossenschaft, it could well be that the Wildtail Street is in the shop at this very dealer.
If you want to find out more on the Bulls homepage in advance, you will find the Wildtail among the mountain bikes, but of course it is more than that. As an "All Terrain Bike" (ATB), it combines basic off-road functionality with equipment details suitable for everyday use, and with that it brings the Reconciling the demands of children and parents - the former want to be sporty and cool on the road; the latter attach great importance to security. But what characterizes the Wildtail Street?
Sporty and practical old school bike
The bike, which on the one hand can be characterized as an old-school mountain bike, does not cost 600 euros: 26-inch wheels, rather short Suntour suspension fork with 63 mm travel, rim brakes and 18-speed gears, which in this case means 3×6 the more modern 2×9 (such as on the Bulls Bushtail). Years ago, something like this was definitely good for sporting use, and there is nothing to prevent young drivers from having a lot of driving fun with such equipment.
On the other hand - keyword ATB - the Bulls is equipped with a dynamo-powered lighting system, mudguards and a side stand, making it completely roadworthy and suitable for everyday use. The only thing missing for a sporty trekking bike is the luggage rack, which can easily be retrofitted. Whereby many children are out and about with a rucksack or sports bag on their back anyway, and then the brisk bike can confidently remain as sporty as it is.
Safe and child-friendly
And it is always sporty with the sloping top tube and the powerfully profiled tires, which, despite all the grip on loose ground, still roll easily on the road. The seating position can certainly be called child-friendly, not too stretched out and with the handlebars not too low, and the V-brakes are also okay: They are easy to maintain and adjust and, given the expected rather low rider weight, snappy enough. The 18-speed gearbox can definitely keep up with modern gearboxes in terms of gear ratios, but requires more shifting work than them.
The short plastic mudguards also contribute to the sporty look, although they are not designed to be removed when changing from everyday driving to off-road touring. The rear light – equipped with a contemporary stand light function – is mounted on the mudguard, which in turn is tied to the frame by the power cable.
Anything but a carrier
But that doesn't spoil the joy of the fast all-rounder - the protectors fit well into the concept of the uncomplicated touring athlete, which fully meets the demands of young bikers. Only kids, for whom cycling or mountain biking is a serious sport, need more noble material - for example the Bulls Tokee Ultra Lite 26" with super light carbon frame, 80 mm air suspension fork and eleven gears. However, the ten-kilo bike then costs the same as two Bulls Wildtail Street...
