Kids Bikes - Alternatives please

[E36GUY]

Hi.

I've been recommended Islabikes for my kids. Islabikes have excellent sizing guides online and I've measured the boys so I know I am looking
at trying to get the Beinn model in 20 and 24 inch wheelsizes. I know they are very good but my two urchins are certainly not getting new ones as they are too spendy for me. Second hand ones are better value but again, are strong sellers and again spendy when I am trying to get two at the same time (my lads' birthdays are in the same week).

Can anyone therefore recommend some alternatives i.e. boy's mountain/road hybrid bikes for 5+ and 7+ year olds with Aluminium frames so they are light-ish.

Cheers

Guy

[campionissimo]

Yes, can thoroughly recommend the Carrera Abyss. My daughter has the Saruna 26"..........they're identical bikes, just different colourways. The 24" only has a single chainset, the 26" a triple.

Lightweight alu frame, no front sus to make it too heavy. Low standover height, decent spec, and readily available used (picked up ours for £60 on ebay).



I'd also recommend ridgeback bikes as an alternative.

Edited by campionissimo on Monday 4th September 16:37

[SwissJonese]

My twins have ridgebacks - lovely bikes.

[Magic919]

I'd buy the Islabikes, as you'll get most of it back later.

[campionissimo]

Magic, that's true. They do hold their value very well. But if you need 2 bikes that's £600 tied up.

Get a couple of Carrera or Ridgeback bikes for £80-100 each and you'll only lose £20-£30 on each come resale time.

[C0ffin D0dger]

Have a look at Frog Bikes as well.

I was going to get a Beinn for my eldest but ended up with a Frog 55 instead. Bit cheaper but I actually think it's a better bike, subtle things like 8 gears instead of 7, proper thumb shifter rather than a crappy grip shift, integrated headset, two sets of tyres/tubes, quick release seat height adjuster and probably a load of other stuff. The boy loves it.

[Kermit power]

C0ffin D0dger said:

Have a look at Frog Bikes as well.

I was going to get a Beinn for my eldest but ended up with a Frog 55 instead. Bit cheaper but I actually think it's a better bike, subtle things like 8 gears instead of 7, proper thumb shifter rather than a crappy grip shift, integrated headset, two sets of tyres/tubes, quick release seat height adjuster and probably a load of other stuff. The boy loves it.

I've also had both Islabikes and Frog bikes for my kids. Both have proven excellent.

I haven't sold the Frog yet, so don't know what the residual value will be like on that one, but I sold the Islabike second hand after 3 years for about £25 less than I paid for it new, as prices had gone up in the interim.

[E36GUY]

Kermit power said:

I've also had both Islabikes and Frog bikes for my kids. Both have proven excellent.

I haven't sold the Frog yet, so don't know what the residual value will be like on that one, but I sold the Islabike second hand after 3 years for about £25 less than I paid for it new, as prices had gone up in the interim.

Thanks so far everyone!

I was aware of Frog too. Not as many for sale.

You say you've not sold the Frog yet so perhaps you'd like to? What size is it?

[Kermit power]

E36GUY said:

Kermit power said:

I've also had both Islabikes and Frog bikes for my kids. Both have proven excellent.

I haven't sold the Frog yet, so don't know what the residual value will be like on that one, but I sold the Islabike second hand after 3 years for about £25 less than I paid for it new, as prices had gone up in the interim.

Thanks so far everyone!

I was aware of Frog too. Not as many for sale.

You say you've not sold the Frog yet so perhaps you'd like to? What size is it?

I've not sold it because he hasn't quite outgrown it yet!

He'll be on to a small 26" next though...

[Bobley]

The Dawes Blowfish is also a loverly little bike. Our's rode them before they had Ridgebacks and then Specialized Hotrock A1FS 24.

[idiotgap]

I possess three male urchins. 7, 5 and 3.

I've taken the view that if I buy an isla it will be so knackered by the end of it, it will be worthless so I've gone with a 2nd hand fleet:-
- Specialized hotwalk balance bike £25
- cuda blox 14 £15
- Ridgeback MX16 £40
- 2008 Kona Makena 20 £25

The Cuda is definitely the weakest and if I was doing it again I would put more emphasis on that first step after the balance bike and go posh/lighter there.

[MiltonBaines]

Bought our 6 year old daughter a Frog 55 over the summer, she loves it. Proper shimano shifters were the feature that made me choose it over a Hoy or Ridgeback and a few others, Grip shifts are notoriously rubbish, and eventually the child will have a larger bike with proper shifters so may as well get used to them from the start.

My daughter mastered them in minutes, Frog is great quality bike, two sets of tyres and touch up paint included. Quick release wheels front and rear too. I considered Islabikes but you can't see or try them before you buy. Plenty of Frog dealers about.

Resale value of Frog is comparable to Islabikes too percentage wise. On ebay they go for 200-230 ish, few years olds with marks. £75 ish loss over 2 or 3 years is pretty good. To help ensure a good price I spent £7 on helicopter tape and have covered most of the frame to protect against chips.

Also to maximise buyers try and pick a gender neutral colour. Red, orange, blue, light blue, lime, all sell well. White with pink spots struggles on second hand market!

Previous bike was a Dawes Blowfish, very light and we had no issues. Not bothered about resale value as it has been passed down to sibling but it will have some value.

What ever you go go for the lightest bike you can afford, I watch a neighbours daughter trying to control a Halfords apollo and she struggles to even lift it up a kerb. It weighs a ton even to me, whereas I have carried Frog bike home from park with no issues.

[RosscoPCole]

My daughter has just outgrown her Frog 52. Was an excellent bike. She found it so much easier to ride than her old cast iron bike. We sold it for 70% of what we paid for it. She now has a Wiggins Chartres 26" and is over the moon with it. Again very light and gas disc brakes and has 27 gears.

[Kermit power]

RosscoPCole said:

My daughter has just outgrown her Frog 52. Was an excellent bike. She found it so much easier to ride than her old cast iron bike. We sold it for 70% of what we paid for it. She now has a Wiggins Chartres 26" and is over the moon with it. Again very light and gas disc brakes and has 27 gears.

What on earth is a gas disc brake?

[Magic919]

No better than the water ones many claim to have.

[RosscoPCole]

Kermit power said:

RosscoPCole said:

My daughter has just outgrown her Frog 52. Was an excellent bike. She found it so much easier to ride than her old cast iron bike. We sold it for 70% of what we paid for it. She now has a Wiggins Chartres 26" and is over the moon with it. Again very light and gas disc brakes and has 27 gears.

What on earth is a gas disc brake?

Sorry it is a speeling mistake. Should be has not gas, apologies.

[Kermit power]

RosscoPCole said:

Kermit power said:

RosscoPCole said:

My daughter has just outgrown her Frog 52. Was an excellent bike. She found it so much easier to ride than her old cast iron bike. We sold it for 70% of what we paid for it. She now has a Wiggins Chartres 26" and is over the moon with it. Again very light and gas disc brakes and has 27 gears.

What on earth is a gas disc brake?

Sorry it is a speeling mistake. Should be has not gas, apologies.

Aha! I just didn't see that at all!

[FWIW]

Magic919 said:

I'd buy the Islabikes, as you'll get most of it back later.

This.

[pembo]

If you want second hand and good VFM have a look at the Hoy Bonaly, there are not so many about and they don't hold their value as well but they are great bikes.

[Itsallicanafford]

Magic919 said:

I'd buy the Islabikes, as you'll get most of it back later.

This...i bought a Islabike Cnoc 14 for £140.00 second hand - both my kids learnt to rid on it and i just sold it for £175 on ebay!

But i agree the initial cost can be high...Frog bikes, wiggins?