Cube Nulane Rookie One: A sporty children’s gravel bike with straight handlebars

Editorial view

If you’re looking for a sporty, fast children’s bike but don’t want to overwhelm your little ones with drop handlebars, a flat-bar gravel bike like the Nulane Rookie is a great choice. From the journey to school to a sporty weekend ride, this bike is up for just about anything. It’s relatively heavy, and the 1x9 gear system has quite a stiff gear ratio for climbs. That said, the price is really fair. The options for mudguards and a luggage rack also make the Nulane an attractive choice as a sporty everyday bike.

With the Nulane Rookie One For the 2027 model year, Cube is launching a sporty children’s gravel bike with straight handlebars. The flat-bar concept is aimed at young riders who are drawn to the speed and forward momentum of a gravel bike, but don’t want to compromise on the control and comfort of straight handlebars. The Nulane Rookie is designed to be a versatile bike for the journey to school, family rides, gravel tracks and first sporting outings. The sister model, the Cube Nuroad Rookie, remains in the range as a genuine children’s gravel bike with drop handlebars.

A sporty flat bar instead of drop bars

The straight Cube Flat Race Bar, 660 millimetres wide, provides a familiar mountain-bike-style riding position. This allows the Nulane Rookie to be steered with direct and controlled handling, which is particularly advantageous on narrow paths, gravel and forest trails. Children should feel safe and at ease on it straight away. At the same time, the riding position remains sporty enough for brisk rides on tarmac and longer rides with a sporty feel.

The hydraulic disc brakes also provide excellent control. The 45-millimetre-wide Schwalbe G-One Bite Comp tyres are designed to ensure comfort and grip. They roll quickly on tarmac, offer sufficient traction on fine gravel and make the bike less sensitive to bumps than a traditional children’s road bike. Of course, the Nulane cannot compete with a hardtail MTB in terms of comfort and off-road capability.

Reliable components for touring and climbing

The crux of the matter: should you gear up for speed or for the mountains?

The single-chainring setup is, by its very nature, a compromise. Whilst the bike has a decent gear range with the 11–46 cassette, it might not be quite enough for kids who want to really push hard on the flat as well as tackle hills. In the standard configuration, with a rather large 40-tooth chainring, younger riders might find themselves lacking a lighter gear on longer or steeper climbs.

Lightweight aluminium frame with plenty of scope for customisation

The aluminium frame is available exclusively in size XXS and, according to Cube, features a ‘Gravel Comfort’ geometry tailored to young riders. The short reach and compact dimensions are designed to ensure safe, balanced handling. According to Cube, the Nulane Rookie is designed to fit children from approximately 140 cm in height. As a guideline, the manufacturer specifies an inside leg length of at least 63–64 cm.

The numerous mounting points are very practical. Mudguards and a luggage rack can be fitted as an afterthought, and there are also mounting points for accessories on the top tube. This means the Nulane Rookie can evolve from a sporty touring bike into a bike suitable for everyday use, such as the journey to school. According to Cube, the maximum tyre width is 50 millimetres; with mudguards fitted, up to 45 millimetres is possible.