KJ01 – currently on a Cnoc 16 is exactly the right size for an Islabike Beinn 20 now.

However, rather like buying a pair of shoes he’ll grow into I’d like to save some cash and get him straight onto a Beinn 24 for his Birthday in January. He’s 111cm, 48cm inside leg. Bear in mind most of his riding will occur when the whether improves in spring, so he’ll have grown a bit by then. Also, he’s a very confident rider.

Also, he’ll be riding kids races in next Autumns cross season.

Any parent’s here that can comment that he’ll be OK with the bigger bike?

That’s 4″ off the 24″ model for inside leg and more off the minimum height. I’d suggest that’s huge.

We’ve just jumped from 16″ which was about right to a 20″ small. She’s probably borderline for it but the smaller gear helps a lot and if it didn’t fit she could have used the 16″ still anyway.

Personally A large Beinn 20 by his birthday might fit and last until the middle of the year after or longer if you push the max height to the limit.

You risk losing confidence if the bike is too big and you add another 1kg onto the weight of the bike.

New bike
[url=https://flic.kr/p/pQsCBu]Kids with skills loop[/url] by tomlevell, on Flickr

I’d agree that that’s a fairly big jump (over two sizes of Beinn), but that’s not to say it might not the best thing to do.

Our youngest, who’s shorter than her ^^ (they know each other 😉 ) made the jump from Cnoc14 to small Beinn20 this summer. He was on it as soon as he could pedal it ok, but before he could touch the floor from seated. That was fine as he’s pretty confident, and had been on the Cnoc from a similar point.

The flip side of that is our eldest was happily racing on a small Beinn20 until he was about 130cm.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pmTfox]Ezra[/url] by Jonathan Bateman, on Flickr
Just fitting on a small Beinn20

[url=https://flic.kr/p/hqWZ3U]Pinning it[/url] by Jonathan Bateman, on Flickr
Big one ragging the same small Beinn20 last year – high saddle, wide low bars for a racey position 😉

What would be really useful is a list of measured minimum saddle-to-pedal distances. I assume the Islabike sizings are based on standover (?), but that’s often not what you want.

Also I’m ending up with pretty much every size bike as her brother is only 15 months behind and is much happier on the 16″ than the 14″. Hoping to make the leap off the small 20″ before he needs it so can get a 24″. Will no doubt end up with one at the end of next year and just see how it goes but I’ve got the luxury that I’m not “wasting” the 20″ with just a years use on one child.

He’s 111cm, 48cm inside leg

Our eldest daughter is exactly that size and fits perfectly on a 16″ bike (EarlyRider Belter) with plenty of room to grow. I just can’t imagine her on a 24″ anytime soon. We did consider the 20″ Islabilke though (which is about the same frame size as the 16″ Belter) and am sure that would have fitted perfectly too. The 24″ Islabike would have been massive I reckon and that can’t be a good thing.

Think what you would be like riding a bike that was too big for you but you could actually ride it off road. For example I ride an 18 ” but i bet i would actually ride a 21″ frame if i wanted to .

I would be like being atop a gate but i could do it. They need to be able to move IMHO

FWIW i had the same thoughts as you bit bought 20″ for the reasons mentioned – got 2 years use.

Ok thanks. I’me slightly influenced by the “shap” of the bike becuase although I’ve adjust the saddle height so thats he’s on tiptoes, it “looks” although he’s knees are moving too high up which makes it look small.

Maybe a compromise to a “Large” 20″ Beinn considering the seasonality issue is the way to go?

That issue with saddle height and pedalling action is unavoidable until you’re happy you can ignore whether they can touch the ground and simply adjust for leg length. It can definitely be distracting though (and obviously it’s not improved by going on a bigger bike!)

I reckon a large Beinn20 is a great idea. That should last all through next year at least, unless there’s any unexpected spurts 😉

I’d just go 2nd hand and buy the 20″ then sell it for a £20 ish loss and get the 24″ in a year or so. (which is exactly what we did earlier this year)

With the resale being so good on Isla Bikes there’s really no reason to not upsize as required. Plus as you state the majority of the riding will be done in spring you can afford to hold off until Jan when there will likely be more on the market as kids get new bikes for xmas.

Well, we have a 2yr old KJ02 following behind so unless its necessary in terms of sizing we won’t sell them on, but I take the point.

We went from a Cnoc 16 to a Beinn 20 large – he was maxxed out on the Cnoc (quite a bit taller than yours) and the Beinn still felt big – everything had to be adjusted as small as it would possibly go. That was 18 months ago and he’s still quite happily riding the 20 and it seems a good fit, not in any hurry to move him onto a bigger bike. Not only is there no way yours will fit on a 24 given his stated height, he’s actually quite a bit off fitting on a 20 large – those Islabikes sizings really are pretty much the minimum possible, if he’s much smaller then he just won’t fit. I reckon you’ve probably got a good year before he’d fit comfortably on a 20 large, so your only real option right now is a 20 small.

When you write “exactly the right size for an Islabike Beinn 20 now” what you mean is clearly “just tall enough to fit on a Beinn 20 small now” – that’s the bike he will grow into – I’m amazed that you think a 24 would be suitable!

Ok thanks aracer.

Although I’m an annoying fraction less than 6ft, Mrs K is 5’2″ so I don’t see him being overly tall for his age. Maybe I should just suck it up then?

Kryton – We too have kids 2 years apart and the bikes get handed down (well they’ve each had one ‘new’ Isla Bike when we couldn’t get a 2nd hand one in good condition and the G’Parents were paying 🙂

They will get sold on eventually though, and all of ours that we purchased 2nd hand sold for between +£15 and -£35 what we paid for them (after they’d been used by both kids so a second hand bike lost less than £10 per year while we had it).

I don’t know of any other way to get such good bikes for such a small cost (ignoring the initial outlay etc).

Our 8 year old is now on a 24″ Orbea Team mtb which he likes but he keeps asking if we can swap it for another Isla bike. It took the wife a couple of years to understand that the cost of ownership is actually tiny when you look at the resale etc (the sale price of the 2nd hand Rothan after having it for 4 years finally convinced her)

12-16-20-24. There is a reason why bikes increase in 4″ steps. I know Isla is trying to sew up the marked with large and small for the same wheel size and the added 14″ (an evolutionary backwater). But really, it’s just add 4″ as they get bigger. 16 to 24 will be too big a jump unless the 16 gets far too small.

Kids bikes are like shoes, buy them when they need them, and buy used unless you have a succession plan.

the SH price of cheaper bikes is the same though but the initial outlay less.

I had a Kona and a Ridgeback for mine – £75 and £80 respectively
Sold for £50 each [ few upgrades of tyres and stuff] at mates rate though as I would have got my money back

Friends had Islas – nice bike but not expensive for what they are IMHO
You are paying for the name
As noted resale value is bonkers

FWIW I chose 24 ” and then upgraded everything to old SID air forks, disc wheels and disc brakes, carbon bars, XT on one X9 on the other . Cost about £250 per bike but better than an ISLA IMHO . I expect to get my money back but I will probably need to split to do it and 9 speed might be retro by then 😉

You don’t have to buy all the sizes, but have the option. The way I see it is that we can go straight from a 20 large to a 26 and skip the 24 because that option is available. Meanwhile a 14 is just the right size for a first pedal bike for those of us starting them young, whilst a 16 is a bit big – I’m not sure what evolution you’re expecting from a kids bike!

😕

Was wondering if I’d missed something, but it seems there’s still a huge difference here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=islabike+cnoc+16&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=ridgeback+mx16&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc

You are paying for the name

You’re paying for the light weight and the child friendly sizing of bits. You’d think somebody else would do it for less if it was just the name, but it seems everybody else who tries comes out at a pricepoint which is not a lot less, but still not quite as light a bike. Though I’m still amazed at the little details missed by cheaper bikes which surely wouldn’t make much difference to their cost, given things like the brake levers aren’t exactly high end.

the SH price of cheaper bikes is the same though but the initial outlay less.

Bikes are not as nice though by a long way. There seems to be more choice of decent kids bikes now and some are cheaper some not so, but Islabikes are a great choice and once you re-sell you are just as well off in the end – except your kids get to enjoy a nicer bike of course 🙂

Friends had Islas – nice bike but not expensive for what they are IMHO
You are paying for the name

What Islabikes? That well known fashion brand. I think not. You are paying for a decent quality kids bike with a quirky name. I actually find it hard to convince our fashion conscious 5 year old daughter that Islabikes are cool.

Bloody typo – expensive for what they are was what I meant

You’d think somebody else would do it for less if it was just the name

When mugs will pay that price for a bike 😈
Bit of both there I suspect.

@ moshi OK then Isla is not a premium brand and the name does not convey quality to serious cyclists..its brand is like on – one and everyone hears the name Isla and thinks cheap as chips.
I stand corrected
thanks

FWIW even the cheapest of brake levers have reach adjust- even a Supermarket special

More to it than adjusting the reach – though my whole point is that the little levers Isla uses are from the cheap end of the component bins, whilst a lot of kids bikes get sold with big levers and I’ve seen plenty of those which don’t even have reach adjust (and attempted and failed to make brakes work decently on several cheap kids bikes).

Though my next door neighbour has seen the light, and after spending a lot of time trying to make their kids bikes work properly and loaning an Islabike has now bought some decent Specializeds which work (I have nothing against other brands, but prefer Isla at the current sizes – not 100% sure the next 24 or 26 will be one).

When mugs will pay that price for a bike

Guess I must be a mug then. Oh well if it makes you feel better then great. I can handle a bit of reverse snobbery no problem 😉

Islabikes is a premium brand based entirely on the quality of its bikes. It is not some over-priced fashion brand as you seem to be implying. If anything your Kona was probably more over-priced based on its brand name.

They are not expensive for what they are either – the used market for them is kind of proof enough of that.

If you can’t afford things then that’s fair enough, but people who can afford things are not usually mugs by definition.

It sis abit of both wiht ISla bikes clearly they are good clearly bike fans like them.

If anything your Kona was probably more over-priced based on its brand name.

£75 is overpriced…fair eough

They are not expensive for what they are either – the used market for them is kind of proof enough of that.

IT is possible to both Hold your value and be expensive. Its amazing what folk will pay for them SH – it makes SH reverbs look like bargains. I assume we all think that. Its should be at least a 1/3 off rather than £30 of new price.

If you can’t afford things then that’s fair enough, but people who can afford things are not usually mugs by definition.

Non sequitur which gives an insight into your character.

IT is possible to both Hold your value and be expensive.

It’s also possible to be expensive and still be good value for money, which I think describes Islabikes quite well.

Non sequitur which gives an insight into your character.

Oh I see, you can afford but you don’t see the point in spending your own money on them and anyone who does is a mug? Fair enough, that certainly gives an insight into your character too.

Jesus, calm down people…

I think a 24 would be far too big. I know a little girl the same size as your kid who has a Beinn 20 small and she is the perfect size for it with loads of room for growth.