Does anyone know what the boys mountain bike Falcon, Zombie is like?

Any comments on a Dawes Junior Bandit?

Read the specs:
Not too heavy (good)
Alloy frame (good)
Unnecessary bouncy fork (bad but the norm)
V brakes – check the levers are metal and adjustable
Gripshift – I prefer rapidfire, but kids find this easier (“forward to go faster”)
Standard headset (neutral really as you won’t be changing the forks)

For £200, it offers similar ability to the more expensive Trek/Kona/Specialized offerings. Won’t hold as much value as an Islabike. But it’s a good bike that you can easily throw round a trail centre.

I’d buy it over the Zombie, which has a steel (read Lead) frame, but you may do well to look second hand for a Kona Hula, Trek MT220 or Specialized Hotrock. There really are no poor bikes once you go beyond the Steel framed, plastic levered, dross.

for £200 also consider 2nd hand jump bikes. A bit more street cred, a bit more bomb proof and the kind of bike a lad can grow into?

thanks, I am looking a both these bikes secondhand at the moment. The Zombie is around £30, but would prefer the Dawes as seems like a better bike.

Looking to replace my sons steel frame and get another bike for my other son who is outgrown his 18″.

The Cuda range is brilliant, we got a superb 20″ bike for my youngest for Xmas. Far better value than an islabike.