Small_Fiat #2 has outgrown her small Islabike Cnoc 14. She could progress to a cnoc 16, but is way too fast and needs something with gears. The Cnoc 16 is actually a little small for her anyway. So I tried her on her brother’s Beinn 20, which is the small version. She looks like she’s been plonked on a farm gate & could barely pick it up. Crank-to-seat length are fine, but even with the seat post down to the stops it was too big.

So the question is this: apart from the hideous contraption that looks like a scaffolder has run into a bike shop and gone “nah I can do better than this“, does anyone produce a capable, light weight, 18” wheeled, kid’s bike with gears that isn’t a BSO?

Dawes do the Blowfish 18. Singlespeed though, seems to be pitched well above BSO but cheaper than Frog, Isla etc.

Squish do an 18″ kid bike. Pricing seem Frog-esque. Singlespeed though.

Our little one went Isla Cnoc 14 to Frog 48. It’s OK but kind of like you it will soon be outgrown but I think it will last long enough to get her to a 20 with gears. Second hand Frog or Hoy as a cheap interim measure?

Can you get Byk bikes over there? The E350 is very good, my eldest has outgrown his and it’s waiting for the youngest to grow a bit. Byk only make kids’ bikes, rather than small versions of their main range. The standard E350 is a single speed, but I think they also do a three-speed.

You just need some custom 18” disc wheels to go on this:

Mini Beast Downhill MTB – 20″

Job done; thank me later.

Trek and Cannondale both do lightweight 20 inch wheel bikes with small frames which may be a better option . Trek wahoo has trigger shifters , Cannondale quick has twist shifters . Other than that they are very similar .

I’ve got a Carrera Blast 18 that you can have for £50.