20” kids hybrid

[Heathwood]

Hi all, I’m looking to pick up a half decent 20” geared hybrid bike for my 6 year old. I’ve got it down to a frog 52, Hoy Bonaly or Giant ARX. All around £300 and at the lighter end of the spectrum at around 8kgs.

I’m struggling to differentiate and decide on the best option. I wondered whether anyone here has any experience of these bikes or even just a view given the specsheet etc.

Thanks for any help

[Your Dad]

Favour one that has quick release wheels, even if it's just the front one.

We've got a Giant 20" wheel bike, can't remember which model, and it's not got QR wheels so it has to go on the Thule carriers on the roof in one car or needs the seats dropping in the other car.

[pembo]

The Bonaly is a lovely little bike and makes riding so easy for small people. We had a 16" one that took a beating and was still great when my son had grown out of it. The only reason he hasn't got the next size up now is because he's got a frog cyclo-cross/road bike and wanted something with suspension like dad for riding in the woods

[cavey76]

Happy owner of 3 Frogs( 2 x 55 and 1x 62). We got into those as a less expensive route to a quality kids bike than an Islabike. The Frogs appear chunkier and a little more MTB-ish. The Hoy looks a slightly lesser spec - 6 speed vs Frogs 8 speed. Which 3-4 years ago i would have said was material but in reality it isnt. You’ll still faff and moan at your child to try and use the range whether she/he has 6 or 8 speeds and she/he will still ignore you!

Only difference i spotted was the Hoy looks like some have trigger shifters and others have what appears to be old fashioned thumb shifters. The Frog seems to have changed from grip shifts(one of ours has these) to the trigger shifts which are easier for small hands to change gear with.

I like the second set of tyres with Frog and if your bike shop is not run by a curmudgeonly old sod ask him to fit the mudguards.

Frog comes as a 52 or 55. We always went for the 55 but i like the option for the smaller framed bike if necessary.

As to longevity our older Frog has been through 3 kids and still scrubs up well but in all honesty none of the above are bad bikes. Let your kid pick their preferred colour and you are unlikely to get any complaints!

[Sparkov]

Pinnacle Ash and Ridgeback Dimension are also worth a look. Nice little bikes and you save a bit not paying for the Isla/Frog name.

[velocgee]

cavey76 said:

...in all honesty none of the above are bad bikes. Let your kid pick their preferred colour and you are unlikely to get any complaints!

This

[C0ffin D0dger]

Can only speak for the Frog but my son had one after moving from an Isla Cnoc. Brilliant piece of kit, decent components, lightweight, thumb shifters not crappy grip shift. He hurtled around on it and now his sister does at a slightly more sedate pace.

Just to note when we got my son a bigger Frog they said they'd stopped providing two sets of tyres and now just supply the knobbly hybrid type tyres. The chap in the bike shop said that most folk just have the spare set laying around in their garage/shed and never change them. I suspect he's right.

[a11y_m]

velocgee said:

cavey76 said:

...in all honesty none of the above are bad bikes. Let your kid pick their preferred colour and you are unlikely to get any complaints!

This

Definitely this. All good bikes.

We went down the secondhand Islabike route with 2 Beinn 20 Larges for our kids. Stock Kenda tyres are more like hybrid than MTB. Modified one of them with Shimano trigger shifter instead of the GripShift (much easier for her to use) and decent Conti Explorer tyres. But that's personal preference/adapting for our use - no complaints with the Islabikes otherwise.