About to buy a 'new' 2012 Specialized Hotrock for my 7yo
Discussion
Seems a decent choice. I've found a 2012 ex-display model local to me for £150.
What do you think? Decent choice to arrive from Santa? Decent price?
My 7yo boy (8 in February) is still wobbling about on a 16" bike so really needs something bigger.
Any thoughts on it being ex-display? It looks absolutely brand spanking new.
Yeh, I'd love an Islabike but I've gotta watch the pennies!
What do you think? Decent choice to arrive from Santa? Decent price?
My 7yo boy (8 in February) is still wobbling about on a 16" bike so really needs something bigger.
Any thoughts on it being ex-display? It looks absolutely brand spanking new.
Yeh, I'd love an Islabike but I've gotta watch the pennies!
I've had the 12" and the 16" Hotrocks for my kids...both were very good, light with good kid ergos. Very nice gift.
150 quid sounds like a good price..not amazing though. I've put my 4 year old on an Islabike cnoc16, he is just scary fast on it...scary, as in bad scary. His self belief is huge...skills, not so huge.
150 quid sounds like a good price..not amazing though. I've put my 4 year old on an Islabike cnoc16, he is just scary fast on it...scary, as in bad scary. His self belief is huge...skills, not so huge.
Get it bought, My Son has had two hotrocks and they, well rock.
Yadda yadda yadda Islabikes, [plummy voice] their second hand value makes them so much more affordale long term don't yah know. /
Well they don't look cool and the tubes are too thin to cover in loads of cool stickers.
Hotrocking:
Not my boy
http://www.cognation.co.uk/young-blood-the-next-ge...
My boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7F_tktxmXw
Yadda yadda yadda Islabikes, [plummy voice] their second hand value makes them so much more affordale long term don't yah know. /
Well they don't look cool and the tubes are too thin to cover in loads of cool stickers.
Hotrocking:
Not my boy
http://www.cognation.co.uk/young-blood-the-next-ge...
My boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7F_tktxmXw
Edited by P-Jay on Thursday 28th November 12:29
Go for it. I know the Islabike is the 'right' answer, but I was in the same position earlier this year and ended up buying a Trek equivalent to the Hotrock for my 7yo. It's unnecessarily heavy, but it looks cool in his eyes - he loves it and wants to ride it all the time, which is all that matters.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
Amateurish said:
A dissenting voice here: don't buy it. My daughter has had a Hotrock and an Islabike, the Hotrock was rubbish in comparison. The Islabike is a better bike all round - better quality components and much much lighter. Plus the Hotrock depreciates much more heavily.
Yeah but the Hotrock retails at £250+ so the OP will offset that.At £150 I think it's a no braiber, personally.
We've bought 2 duff kids bikes over the years either on LBS advice or just not wanting to spend more on the day and regretting it. The Hotrock certainly isn't one of them
When my lad took his Spec Hotrock A1 FS 24 down to the club for a Go Ride MTB race he wooped all the kids on Islabike Beinns and was only beaten by an experienced rider on a Luath which is a different beast altogether (and wasn't strictly eligible anyway).
When we bought the Hardrock Disc (26") to replace it we realised what a good bike the Hotrock really was. The Hotrock is now making its way around all the younger offspring of my colleagues at work. And less than a year on the Hardrock has been sold off early and replaced with something decent.
When my lad took his Spec Hotrock A1 FS 24 down to the club for a Go Ride MTB race he wooped all the kids on Islabike Beinns and was only beaten by an experienced rider on a Luath which is a different beast altogether (and wasn't strictly eligible anyway).
When we bought the Hardrock Disc (26") to replace it we realised what a good bike the Hotrock really was. The Hotrock is now making its way around all the younger offspring of my colleagues at work. And less than a year on the Hardrock has been sold off early and replaced with something decent.
I've now bought my daughter two Islabikes and while it's undubtedly true that they are excellently made (and hold their value like nothing else), I'm not sure she's got any more enjoyment out of them than she would have had they been cheaper versions.
Despite me getting a lot more back when I come to sell, than I would if I'd bought cheaper bikes, I can't decide if her next bike should be an Islabike or something else. Time will tell.
I told a mate of mine at work about them as he was getting a bike for his boy. In the end, he went with the Hotrock for some of the reasons posted above - looks more rugged etc etc, but also because he had a Specialised bike and his son just wanted to be like Daddy.
Son loves the bike and can't wait to go out on it - which is the most important thing.
Despite me getting a lot more back when I come to sell, than I would if I'd bought cheaper bikes, I can't decide if her next bike should be an Islabike or something else. Time will tell.
I told a mate of mine at work about them as he was getting a bike for his boy. In the end, he went with the Hotrock for some of the reasons posted above - looks more rugged etc etc, but also because he had a Specialised bike and his son just wanted to be like Daddy.
Son loves the bike and can't wait to go out on it - which is the most important thing.
At the end of the day a bike is a bike, when I was a nipper we had whatever was handed down or bought on special from Halfords
A bright orange BMX did me proud, spent every last minute on it! Sometimes I think we (im victim of this) over indulge kids, when we just need to make sure they are safe and smiling.
A bright orange BMX did me proud, spent every last minute on it! Sometimes I think we (im victim of this) over indulge kids, when we just need to make sure they are safe and smiling.
TwistingMyMelon said:
At the end of the day a bike is a bike, when I was a nipper we had whatever was handed down or bought on special from Halfords
A bright orange BMX did me proud, spent every last minute on it! Sometimes I think we (im victim of this) over indulge kids, when we just need to make sure they are safe and smiling.
Likewise - every bike I had as a kid was SH.A bright orange BMX did me proud, spent every last minute on it! Sometimes I think we (im victim of this) over indulge kids, when we just need to make sure they are safe and smiling.
Even my 'BMX' was an old Grifter frame that my dad stripped down and resprayed and rebuilt.
That said, I went everywhere on it.
Kell said:
Likewise - every bike I had as a kid was SH.
Even my 'BMX' was an old Grifter frame that my dad stripped down and resprayed and rebuilt.
That said, I went everywhere on it.
Kids these days will grow up to be wimps without the years of muscle-building that comes from riding a Grifter. Even my 'BMX' was an old Grifter frame that my dad stripped down and resprayed and rebuilt.
That said, I went everywhere on it.
Kell said:
I've now bought my daughter two Islabikes and while it's undubtedly true that they are excellently made (and hold their value like nothing else), I'm not sure she's got any more enjoyment out of them than she would have had they been cheaper versions.
Despite me getting a lot more back when I come to sell, than I would if I'd bought cheaper bikes, I can't decide if her next bike should be an Islabike or something else. Time will tell.
I told a mate of mine at work about them as he was getting a bike for his boy. In the end, he went with the Hotrock for some of the reasons posted above - looks more rugged etc etc, but also because he had a Specialised bike and his son just wanted to be like Daddy.
Son loves the bike and can't wait to go out on it - which is the most important thing.
They're both great choices - can't go wrong with either one. Both my kids (7 and 9) have Hot Rocks. My mate swears by Isla Bikes. Can't much in it myself. Despite me getting a lot more back when I come to sell, than I would if I'd bought cheaper bikes, I can't decide if her next bike should be an Islabike or something else. Time will tell.
I told a mate of mine at work about them as he was getting a bike for his boy. In the end, he went with the Hotrock for some of the reasons posted above - looks more rugged etc etc, but also because he had a Specialised bike and his son just wanted to be like Daddy.
Son loves the bike and can't wait to go out on it - which is the most important thing.
Anyway at £150 it's a no brainer,
Thanks all of you for the overwhelming thumbs up!! Looks like it's a done deal! 
My wife did throw a spanner in the works at the last minute with the 20" Carrera Blast available for £143 new until Monday.
I made the right choice didn't I?
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
My wife did throw a spanner in the works at the last minute with the 20" Carrera Blast available for £143 new until Monday.
I made the right choice didn't I?
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
Edited by V8Wagon on Friday 29th November 16:25
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