Looking to buy a bike for a (just) 5 year old girl and another for a 7 year old. Both will effectively be their “first” non stabiliser bikes. The older one has an Apollo that was inherited but it weighs more than me…

Isla Bikes would be the choice but too spendy at the moment – any others to look at?

Thanks

Call Isla bikes to see what second hand ones they got in? They normally have a few due to their exchange policy

Check out Frog Bikes

2nd hand isla bikes?, if you’re looking for lightweight then there’s no other real choice.

My lads 24 Gary fisher pre caliber was pretty light, his younger bro has it now.

Just checked eBay, there is a few on there

Got two Cnoc 14’s to sell here.

In an ideal world, I’d like to buy new. They deserve a treat! WIll look at 2nd hand Isla Bikes if no sensible options available. The Frogs look good but much closer to Isla Bike prices than Decathlon!

I got a barely used apollo xc20 of ebay for my son but spent a bit of money on it. dropped a chunk of weight with some bmx racing tyres, change the seat etc. And also changed the gearing so he can actually ride it up hills and round the bmx tracks. Cost about £60 all in, not an Isla bike but still a decent bike and will do for the next year or 2 until he moves on…

Flatfish – I’ll measure her (the youngest) tomorrow to see if that’s viable. What would you be looking for for one of them? Email in profile if you can send me over a few details and perhaps a piccie? I’m Cheshire based. Would need to be great condition? Thanks

Try a Cuda bike; we got a great one for my (then) 7 year old.

Marin Hidden Canyon 20″ both mine have used it and it has served them well, probably may have survived without the suspension forks, which would have saved the weight.

not sure if kids are really bothered about if a bike is brand new as long as they like it – their choice seems more based on if the grips are the right colour and does it have a bottle cage mine have had new bikes and bikes I’ve built up from ebay can’t say they got any more excited – actually a trip to bike shop is bad because good chance will want to pick some overpriced bit of bent metal that looks cool to kids but will be crap to ride… mean dad won’t get them a puppy either

Sorry make that cnoc 16’s.

I’ll mail you later.

flatfish – that should be better actually.

I wouldn’t say the ‘lightness’ of the Islabikes is very impressive tbh

not sure if kids are really bothered about if a bike is brand new as long as they like it

I’d apply the same argument to weight too. Rigid forks may very well be ‘better’ but if they ride a bike with crap suspension more, who am I to argue?

yunki – any suggestions for lighter bikes?

My son’s Carrera Blast (20″) is pretty good for the money. £170ish IIRC.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_729003_langId_-1_categoryId_165602

Of course, my son’s classmate over the road has sensible parents who bought exactly the same bike in good condition off gumtree for £35… a lesson for the future I think 😕

Decathlon subsin nuckets are pretty cheap and look fun.

I don’t have any lighter suggestions I’m afraid.. I just remember feeling quite dejected yesterday as I lifted yunki jr’s £200 Islabike into the car, swiftly followed by his cousin’s £40 bso..

See if you can find a used Trek MT60 on Gumtree. Pay no more than £100. They are light enough, adjustable (two crank drillings) and have some limited front suspension like daddy’s. We bought new when they first came out. Four other friends bought the same bike on my recommendation and trial! All sold on or passed on easily.

I really don’t think the premium for isla bikes is worth it.

Isla Bikes and Specialized seem to have really good residual values making secondhand purchase not that good value – but it does mean the high acquisition price is off-set by the secondhand resale value.

A neighbours sons Carrera was dumped outside my garage the other day and I checked the weight and it was surprisingly light.

My choice would be a secondhnad Terk, Giant, Scott, Marin or Ridgeback as these don’t seem to command such a high price but are all well made and a decent weight.

We bought a 20″ wheel Trek for our son as his first proper bike. It had most of the isla bike features but was single speed. I thought this was better for learning as it taught him to get up off his back side and stand on the pedals. Once he out grew it we sold it on and got good money for it. It was still in good condition.
Bought a 24″ wheeled isla bike last xmas. Looked at what else was around and everything else seemed to have too much of everything.
Triple chain ring front, and 8 speed rear… Steel suspension forks. It mostly dead weight.
Bought the Isla used and replaced grips, pedals and brake blocks. A good polish up and it looked new. It will sell on easily after he has outgrown it.

to be honest with 2 kids you may find that an initial investment in Islabikes, and then moving them on when they grow out of them, isn’t much more costly than alternatives which may be less fun for them to ride. Our boys are 10 and 7 and currently on a Beinn 26 and a Beinn 24. Over the years we have also had a Cnoc 16,and a Beinn 20. With the exception of the Beinn 24, which was bought new a few months ago for the youngest, all the others have been used by the eldest and then passed down, and then sold. Because the retail cost goes up every year, it’s possible to get a fair return on a 3 yr old bike. For example, we sold the Beinn 20 large a few months ago for £150, after 2 kids had loads of fun out of it over 3 or so years from new, at which time I think it cost a shade over £200

I don’t have any lighter suggestions I’m afraid.. I just remember feeling quite dejected yesterday as I lifted yunki jr’s £200 Islabike into the car, swiftly followed by his cousin’s £40 bso.

If you look a the numbers, they are surprisingly lighter. All the cheaper ones appear to be at least 50% heavier, like the £240 trek mt60 weighs something like 6kg more than the equivalent £300 Islabikes, the Carrera Blast weights 6-8kg more depending on which weight you believe. The Decathlon ones are roughly the same weight as those two, so probably the closest to Islabikes weight at Decathlon prices is the Decathlon bikes assuming you’re buying new; they aren’t that heavy for kids bikes.

With the even smaller bikes it is just as bad, I did tons of research when buying Rose’s 14″ one and the only one close in weight was the Frog, which was a fiver cheaper. You can pay £150 for a Ridgeback, but even that was 50% heavier.

With the even smaller bikes it is just as bad, I did tons of research when buying Rose’s 14″ one and the only one close in weight was the Frog, which was a fiver cheaper

yeah, I did similar when ordering the Beinn 24 back in June. I could have got the 24 inch Frog for around £80 ? less, but it was at least 3lbs heavier I recall. Thats a heap of weight for a 7 yr old when you look at body/bike weight ratio

Cheers for all the replies! The weight thing is key for me as my kids are all skin and bone. Unlike Daddy…

If it helps the new Isla bikes are significantly lighter than the old ones.
We have two Beinn 20s and there must be a 30% difference.

I’ve also just sold a well used (4 years+ by 2 boys) Cnoc 14 for the same amount I bought it for. That’s value!

Is an Isla bike really necessary? They are nice but my daughter managed fine on an immaculate Carrera Luna picked up for £16 via eBay .

JGG – no, not necessary hence the request for alternative options. The weight however, is important for reasons mentioned above.

I don’t get the obsession with light weight/rigid kids bikes. My son had a cnoc 16, he managed to snap it, i hate to think how long the 30% lighter one would have lasted. He then had a hotrock 20 that survived 2 seasons in the mountains and got him down stuff that a really good (better) young rider couldn’t do on his rigid bike. The suspension might be “crap” but even 1.5 in takes the sting out of rocky trails.

The weight penalty for something like a hotrock or a Scott voltage is more than made up for by the better all round ability imo

to be honest with 2 kids you may find that an initial investment in Islabikes, and then moving them on when they grow out of them, isn’t much more costly than alternatives which may be less fun for them to ride.

+1 you’ll get most of the money back

ianv – the OP’s kids are 5 and 7, I may be wrong but I’d guess they’re unlikely to be doing a season in Whistler.

😉

I don’t get the obsession with light weight/rigid kids bikes. My son had a cnoc 16, he managed to snap it, i hate to think how long the 30% lighter one would have lasted. He then had a hotrock 20 that survived 2 seasons in the mountains and got him down stuff that a really good (better) young rider couldn’t do on his rigid bike. The suspension might be “crap” but even 1.5 in takes the sting out of rocky trails.

Surely the vast majority of 3 or 4 year olds aren’t doing rocky downhilling though? Obviously if you’re hardcore enough that you’re breaking bikes something burlier and heavier is probably appropriate, but really, how many 4 year olds ride in the kind of way that they might break their bikes? And being able to pick up your own bike is really nice for them, not to mention that it makes the inevitable walk back carrying the bike when the 3 year old gets tired a bit easier.

Not to mention that if you live somewhere with seasons and uplift and that kind of thing, the ability to ride it up hills may make less difference than in other places.

joe – as an interesting comparison, my eldest at 10 is not a bad wee rider and can get his Beinn 26 round a gentle red trail. Our most local ride is the Cathkin Commonwealth trail, which he rides 80% of, using the chicken runs. In addition to the Islabikes he also has a Trek 4300, with a suspension fork and a triple. Bike is same size frame, but weighs 30 pounds vs the rigid Islabike at a tad under 20 pounds. He can ride more of it, faster, on the Islabike…

The Carrera Blast 20 is actually pretty light, the Blast 24 is a properly heavy lump though. No idea why such a big difference.

My 7 yr old has a Blast 20 and it’s really brought his riding on. Bought it 2nd hand as he was indifferent to cycling at the time.

His older 9 yr old brother has always loved riding so bought him an Orbea MX24 Team which is seriously light and Deore mech, shifter etc. It’s like a smaller quality adult bike. Weighs under 20lbs I’d guess.

Plan is that the 7 yr old will inherit the Orbea when his brother moves to 26″.

Why look for anything else? All of my sons islabikes so far have been sold for more than they were bought for and you can’t get cheaper than that.