I’m a bit lost with the choice, the prices seem to be around the same £250.00 which I find a little shocking TBH !

Mr Smith Jnr currently has a 16″ wheeled ridgeback MX16, and its been a great little bike, light and tough enough for any child, but he now need s a 20″ bike… to continue to follow me around the blues, and some lil bits of the Dog at Cannock chase 🙂

…But which one ?

Suspension forks ? Gears ? your experiences would be appreciated.

Standard reply from me isla bike. My middle lad has got a bienn 20. 7 gears, no suspension,very light weight.

Quality is excellent as my eldest lad rode around on it for 3 years (He was doing the follow the dog on it!!) before my middle lad.

As above, got to be Isla bike I’m afraid.

carlosg jnr MK1 has a Raliegh ‘Hot Rod’ 20″ , 6 gears ,ally frame . It weighs less than the 16″ wheel Mongoose he had before and he flies up the climbs in our local woods on it. They go for around £40 on fleabay if you’re/he’s not too bothered about a 2nd hand bike (ours was free , leant against the metal skip at the recycle yard)

Isla Beinn 20.

They may appear expensive but they keep their value well so you’ll probably sell it for more than you paid for it.

gary fisher pre caliber

Hi, I know it’s a lot of money, but the way i see it is that if our kids have good bikes,they will want to ride them more because they can go quicker and do more with them. I wouldn’t buy myself a cheap bike so why buy them one that is overbuilt and has heavy, ineffective suspension. For these reasons I have bought Isla bikes and they have been brilliant. 5* IMHO. My boy is very happy with his Beinn’s and uses them both on and off road and thinks he is Mark Cavendish! So that’s no suspension and 7 gears I think and it seems plenty.
cheers
Tim

Go second hand – 20″ wheels only last a couple of years til they grow out of them
eg.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/specialized-hotrock-20-Boys-Bike-7-9-yrs-/261064069893?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3cc8a19305#ht_500wt_1413

Carrera Blast,Ridgeback MX20,Hotrock,etc all good.

I`ve paid around £50 for similar bikes from ebay then sold them for almost the same after 2 years.

Isla bikes are very nice but are beyond my means,but really any decent branded aluminium hardtail that originally retailed for around £200 is pretty good these days. Kids don`t tend to wear out drivetrain parts,so most wear is cosmetic.

Just avoid full sussers,anything from Toy r us and Halfords Apollo range.

My eldest has been on a Spesh Hotrock 20 since he was 6 – I can highly recommend it.

My lad had a Kona Makena

Good bike and will soon be handed down to his sister

I’m about to unload my lads Trek MT60 if you are near Nottingham/Derby and want a look?

Either something out of Decathlon, or a Dawes Redtail

Dawes Rocket, Alu, rigid forks, 6 gears, nice and light. Got a nearly new one in black my boy has grown out of. Email in profile if you’d like to have a look.

Carrera Blast,Ridgeback MX20,Hotrock,etc all good.

+1

Specialized Hotrock – my son had one, soon to be inherited by little sister. Only kids bike of that size that I’ve come across with a suspension fork that actually seemed to be useful.

Heard great things about them Isla bikes from absolutely everyone who’s had one mind, bar none, and, as said, they hold their value so the scary purchase price might not be quite so scary?

Carrera Blast for my 6yr old.

always good resale value on isla bikes which makes them good value.

Mine have a the Kona one above and the Ridgeback

both good bikes but tbh i would get something with rigid forks.
I have yet to see the fork actually compress when they are riding them even up kerbs without unweighting.
I will probably buy some cheap rigid forks from the bay
Isla do hold their value but so do any decent proper MTB tbh and some without the outlay at the extent of an ISLA bike.

I bought both sh at £75 and expect to only loose £25 per bike over 3-4 years
I worked out Isla at about £50-£75 per bike and the outlay being way more than the two i bought. They do hold their value though and violate the 33% – 10 % per year rule.

hotrock.my daughter loves hers.mind you i just found the bb had been geased with a wipe from an oily rag from factory.tightwads.

mine have had islabikes since they were 2.
just bought a carrera blast 20″ for my 6yr old, really well made, light, nice bike and they (halfrauds) have a sale on at the moment so its £160.
would highly recommend.

Dawes Lightning. Reasonable kit and not too heavy.