Anyone got any real world experience?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-twenty-kids-bike/

They’re Wiggle’s equivalent of a Frog 55 or Islabike Bienn 20 and seem pretty decent spec wise.

They’re 600g heavier than the equivalent Frog and 1300g heavier the the islabike but they also £100 cheaper than the Frog and £200 cheaper than the Bien 20. I can’t buy a second hand Bienn for the £170ish I can get a Verenti for.

I also suspect that I can reduce the weight with some judicious use of the parts bin.

Having written all of that down it seems like a no brainer particularly given I generally can’t be bothered to sell on Ebay and my kids have done a good job of trashing their Cnocs reducing any re-sale value.

Am I missing anything?

1300g seems like a lot to try and loose from the build but 600g may be possible

Looks to be a good option.

What age will the rider be? I ask as we are soon to be looking at 20” bikes …….

You’d think they’d be able to get a bit closer to the Islabikes weight wouldn’t you? Where is the Islabike saving all that weight?

letmetalktomark – Member
1300g seems like a lot to try and loose from the build but 600g may be possible

Agreed – the steel handlebars seem a good place to start.

What age will the rider be? I ask as we are soon to be looking at 20” bikes …….

6 1/2 with a very competitive / jealous 4 1/2 year old little sister who will be inheriting a Cnoc 16 vice her Cnoc 14.

One disadvantage with the Verenti is they don’t do smaller 20″ bikes like Frog and Isla – I’d have liked to potentially get them both 20″ bikes around the same time.

ctk – Member
You’d think they’d be able to get a bit closer to the Islabikes weight wouldn’t you? Where is the Islabike saving all that weight?

Good question – looking at he spec it’s not frame, gears or brakes so I suspect it must be handlebars (steel on the Verenti), chainring, seat post, wheels and possibly tyres and pedals?

I am in a similar dilemma myself and am either going to buy a used Islabike or a used cheaper bike to upgrade/ weight weenie but I’d be buying a Ridgeback/Carrera for £50ish so plenty of cash for upgrades.

By the time you are spending £200 I think you might aswell just go the whole hog and get the Islabike.

Not all alu frames are made equal

Got a second hand verenti locally for £60, had considered the usual obsessive weight loss bits, but since the weight doesn’t appeared to have worried my daughter I haven’t bothered. We do tend to just ride monsell/ high peak trails etc, and usual holiday type stuff. Been a winner really, and still got a couple of years in it I reckon.

ctk – Member
I am in a similar dilemma myself and am either going to buy a used Islabike or a used cheaper bike to upgrade/ weight weenie but I’d be buying a Ridgeback/Carrera for £50ish so plenty of cash for upgrades.

By the time you are spending £200 I think you might aswell just go the whole hog and get the Islabike.

Ah yes but that “for just £200 more” logic leads you here:

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/products/bikes/item/beinn-20-large

then here:

http://earlyrider.com/collections/all-bikes/products/belter-20-trail-3

then here:

http://earlyrider.com/collections/all-bikes/products/belter-20-trail-3s

then (assuming you limit yourself to hardtails) ultimately here:

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/products/bikes/item/beinn-20-pro-series-5

and you’ve spent a grand.

I also think to take 2.6Kg of your £50 Ridgeback / Carrera to get to the Verenti weight you’ll need to spend more than the £120 difference unless you’ve got some carbon 20″ forks in your parts bin.

It’s just possible I’m over researching this though… can you tell I’m off work for half term?

swap the bar out for a cheap ebay carbon bar, rest of the weight is probably the fork, tyres and wheels.

I just bought my middle kid a rockrider 20 it weights 26.4lb, it makes no difference to him. That bike is a really good buy particularly as you are getting QR wheels.

Ah yes but that “for just £200 more” logic leads you here:

and you’ve spent a grand.

I also think to take 2.6Kg of your £50 Ridgeback / Carrera to get to the Verenti weight you’ll need to spend more than the £120 difference unless you’ve got some carbon 20″ forks in your parts bin.

I think it could be done for £120 (wheels,tyres,BB,chainset,parts bin) but where do you start looking for decent quality kids bike parts?! (gap in the market perhaps…) & is it worth the effort?

My coming up to 6 year old will need a new bike soon (he’s 125cm!) I’m looking at used Beinn 20s or Ridgebacks locally. He has a Ridgeback now and its decent.

Was in similar position last year and ended with a Pinnacle Ash 20 for my 5 yr old, it was in a sale and down to £200. A year later and the little tyke’s progressed from the usual round the park etc type runs to doing some of the easier,smoother blue runs at Glentress (Blue Velvet, Berm Bay Berm, Electric Blue) and he has built up to some decent cycles distance wise(well for a 6 yr old now!) too.