Up next in 10
Islabikes' founder Isla Rowntree talks us through their new 'Jimi' mountain bike, part of the new Icons range aimed at the older rider.
Read our first ride report here https://singletrackworld.com/2019/01/first-ride-review-islabike-jimi-a-mountain-bike-for-those-who-refuse-to-grow-old/
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0:05
hi I'm Hannah from single track and I'm
0:07
here with isry who is the founder of
0:09
isab bikes to talk about their new range
0:12
of the icons so this isn't for children
0:16
is it Isa no icons is a new range that
0:18
we're launching today for older
0:21
people so so why older people that's a
0:24
completely other end of what you are so
0:26
well known for yeah the story is very
0:29
similar SAR to what inspired me to
0:31
launch our children's range which is 13
0:33
years ago now at that time my sister and
0:37
my close friends were having children
0:39
and as the bicycle person in the family
0:42
I I would get asked for advice on what
0:43
bites to get for their children and
0:46
there wasn't anything that I felt was
0:47
really um appropriate at that time they
0:50
weren't very good and weren't meeting
0:52
the children's needs and that's why I
0:53
started idab bites and now my parents
0:56
are in their 70s they're Keen cyclists
0:58
but they started to struggle with the
1:00
bikes that they got and I've made
1:01
modifications for them to make
1:03
cycling um easier and so that they
1:06
continue to do what they love doing and
1:08
that's same same reason for doing icons
1:11
range icons range so there's three bikes
1:14
in the range there's a a joany yep which
1:17
is is that the an urban bike that's
1:20
intended for people about town going to
1:22
the shops visiting friends taking the
1:24
grandchildren out it'll be okay on mild
1:27
off-road Sr routs that kind of thing
1:29
okay okay and then there's a Janice yes
1:32
and that's road bike right but it
1:34
doesn't look it's not a drop by road
1:35
bike though is it no no I mean given
1:37
that the the audience that it's aimed at
1:38
it's a very lightweight road bike
1:40
intended for enthusiast Road Riders but
1:43
are starting to struggle with the riding
1:45
position on dropped handle bars and the
1:46
controls okay yeah and then there's the
1:49
Jimmy which is what we have here here
1:51
yeah so this is the mountain bike mhm uh
1:54
and it's it's well it's not a women's
1:56
bike but I think some people might look
1:58
at it and go oh it's got a step through
1:59
frame
2:00
it's that's aicure that you put across
2:04
the
2:05
range well do you want to tell us why
2:08
that's there yeah so all of the range
2:09
have got low step through um differing
2:12
frame designs according to the usage of
2:14
the bike but um as we age obviously our
2:18
bodies change and uh some of some of our
2:20
meability becomes more restricted and
2:24
having a low step through enables you to
2:25
get on and off the bike without having
2:26
to swing the leg right over your back
2:28
wheel so uh yeah that's it's got a low
2:30
step through nothing to do with gender
2:32
that's a throwback to the Victorian
2:34
times more long skirts big skirts yeah
2:37
but you know you could wear a big skirt
2:38
with it if you really want wear a big
2:40
skirt with it yeah but you know that
2:41
would NE not necessarily be the most
2:43
practical outfit for what this bike is
2:46
capable of is it this is definitely a
2:48
mountain bike absolutely yeah yeah and
2:51
um what we're seeing with a generation
2:53
of older people now is they're still
2:55
very active and they're not stopping
2:58
doing the things that they love and for
3:00
people that are mountain bikers that
3:02
includes mountain biking and this is a
3:04
very capable mountain bike that's
3:06
intended for proper off-road use um but
3:10
for people that are perhaps in their 70s
3:12
and starting to struggle with some of
3:13
the features on um more conventional
3:16
mountain bikes right and it's
3:18
interesting to see that there are no
3:20
ebikes in the range this is a range
3:22
that's aimed at people who are still
3:24
aerobically fit but it's some of the the
3:27
strength and the um flexibility that's
3:31
going is that right absolutely yeah yeah
3:33
yeah so um ebikes are great and they
3:35
have their place but uh we we're aiming
3:39
uh for people before they're ready to
3:40
make that move into ebikes this range so
3:43
let's look at what uh some of the other
3:45
features then we've talked about the
3:46
step through frame the frame the whole
3:48
frame the whole bike is very light isn't
3:50
it yes yeah and weight is it's an
3:52
obvious thing we all love light bikes
3:54
but it becomes even more important as
3:56
your muscular strength's diminishing so
3:58
what we found when we've looked at the
4:00
capabilities of people as they Agee is
4:02
their aerobic capacity is still very
4:04
good but they're not able to muscle up
4:06
the hills in the way that they were and
4:08
if you give them a light bik with really
4:09
low gears they can still can still
4:13
manage really well so very light as well
4:16
really like yeah and we really made that
4:18
a one of the main design aims of it I
4:22
think there's something psychological
4:24
about it as well because this sort of
4:26
kind of Step through bike you're used to
4:29
picking them up and the than weighing a
4:30
ton and then you pick this one up and it
4:32
it's like picking up a child's bike so
4:34
and it is not just the physical riding
4:37
it uphills where the lightweights
4:38
important it's also getting it in and
4:40
out of the back of the car as you age
4:42
and sometimes there I say over Styles or
4:44
Gates that are lock the steps into the
4:46
studio where we are yeah it's it's it's
4:49
it's the general um um maneuverability
4:52
of it it makes it much easier if it's
4:54
easy to pick up so this one I think is
4:56
9.9 kilos across the sizes is that right
4:59
for this size the medium size and we've
5:02
got a extra small to large and the extra
5:05
small is really tiny which is also worth
5:07
noting because people at the in in in
5:10
the generation that these bikes are
5:11
aimed at aren't as tall as maybe our
5:13
generation because we're all getting
5:15
bigger as each generation comes along
5:17
and also um we do tend to shrink a bit
5:20
as we age as well you know what hetin
5:22
one is really small do you know what
5:23
height the tiny one is in up than or
5:25
it's a range of heights but it it will
5:27
suit somebody down to about 4 foot 10 4
5:30
10 to it and it depends on your body
5:32
proportions but I I'm at the the topper
5:35
end of the range on the extra small
5:36
right okay so you've got room to shrink
5:39
then yeah I have yeah so um you
5:42
mentioned in passing there the gearing
5:45
what um what gearing have you gone for
5:47
we've just gone for really low bottom
5:48
gear which is typical on most mountain
5:50
bikes these days anyway um yeah gears
5:54
have got lower and lower in in the time
5:56
that I've been mounting biking but
5:57
obviously having a really low bottom
5:59
gear super super important but one of
6:01
the things we've done on this is we've
6:02
gone for a uh Shram grip shift right and
6:06
this is from direct feedback from my
6:08
parents that they struggle with thumb
6:09
shifters now their th are getting
6:11
arthritic and yeah they can't change on
6:13
the thumb shifters and that just allows
6:15
you to use the whole hand right to
6:17
change and and that's something that's
6:19
on your CH children's BS as well is same
6:21
reason but at the other end of the AG
6:22
Spectrum yeah so um and we have had a
6:25
tester out um on this bike and I've
6:27
ridden it too and and he commented on
6:30
the brakes um and how good they were
6:32
yeah so you've you've designed them for
6:35
older hands too yeah they're they're a
6:36
standard tram braake the reason that
6:38
we've chosen Shram is that the pivot on
6:40
the Shram brakes is closest to the
6:41
handlebars okay um and that means when
6:44
you wind the reach right in that the
6:46
angle of the lever is still um still
6:49
running away from the bar a bit because
6:51
if you have a pivot a long way away that
6:53
the Leever is pointing in towards the
6:54
bar at the bite point which feels
6:56
awkward um and they've got a very light
6:58
action and the reach does actually
7:00
adjust shortest on the on the shrine
7:02
levers which again we've learned through
7:04
our children's bikes right that's why
7:06
we've gone for those okay and um what
7:10
else you the cranks are a different
7:13
length across the range as well yes they
7:15
are yes we've got our own cranks so
7:17
these are our own own
7:19
design lengths from 160 165 170 175 for
7:23
the different sizes of bike that becomes
7:26
more important when you're smaller
7:27
having the right length cranks is
7:28
important for anybody MH um but if
7:31
you're small and forced on to longer
7:34
cranks as you age and maybe your um hips
7:37
and knees haven't got the full range
7:39
anymore or maybe you've had a hip or
7:40
knee replacement and they don't bend as
7:42
far um then the short cranks become even
7:45
more important and we've actually got
7:46
even shorter ones than these available
7:48
and we'll change them at the point of
7:50
purchase if you've got a particular
7:52
physical need that the shorter cranks
7:54
would suit suit you better for and
7:56
they've also got a really low Q factor
7:59
um which allows us to get the bottom
8:01
bracket lower which makes getting on and
8:03
off easier um but still maintain a safe
8:06
lean angle so you don't catch your
8:07
pedals on when when you're cornering and
8:10
and things and then if you wanted to
8:12
make it even easier to get on and off
8:14
there's an optional dropper post as well
8:16
yeah and dropper posts have obviously
8:17
been designed for mountain biking and
8:19
and for doing much more technical
8:21
terrains so that you can get your weight
8:23
down um and get um yeah for when you're
8:25
doing steep stuff downhill but there're
8:28
also
8:30
um great for actually just physically
8:32
getting on and off so if you really are
8:34
struggling to get on and off into and
8:37
and get starting and stopping because
8:39
maybe your balance or your coordination
8:41
or you've got physical limitations with
8:43
your limbs then you can put the the
8:45
saddle down to get on with both feet
8:47
flat on the floor start riding lift the
8:50
saddle to ride height and then put it
8:52
down again in anticipation of stopping
8:55
yeah and so yeah so it's um acoss the
8:58
range that you so you could have drop a
8:59
post on the road bike as well and
9:01
actually it's probably most useful for
9:04
certain people that need it on the on
9:07
the urban bike on joury because when
9:09
you're in an in about town you're
9:11
stopping and starting getting on and off
9:12
much more frequently and we we've also
9:15
got some riders that are returning to
9:18
cycling after a very long time because
9:19
their doctors have encouraged them to do
9:21
more aerobic exercise they age and other
9:24
aerobic exercises become difficult and
9:26
they may be very nervous and again The
9:28
Dropper post is really good just helps
9:30
them yeah get going um and then I think
9:34
the last feature that I can remember
9:36
that's about uh the sort of aging body
9:39
was the the rims they're specifically
9:42
easy to get your tires on and off is
9:44
that right yeah absolutely this is the
9:46
sort of detail that we've got in the
9:48
bike and there are lots that you
9:50
wouldn't think of unless you actually
9:52
know somebody quite well right that's
9:54
that's that that's at this stage in life
9:57
and this came directly from my parents
10:01
they they won't go out on their own
10:03
anymore because they can't change a tube
10:05
because their hands uh are becoming less
10:08
dextrous and less strong they can't get
10:12
the tire on and off anymore Y and Che
10:14
the Advent of tubless rims which are
10:16
absolutely great and we all love
10:18
actually makes that more different even
10:19
worse it's even worse and it got tighter
10:21
recently because of tubeless rims and as
10:24
we all know you still have to take a
10:25
tube with you because you're still going
10:26
to get a puncture at some point that
10:28
requires
10:29
a proper fix even though and you don't
10:31
want to be on the more unable to unable
10:33
to get home and and the conversation I
10:36
have with my parents is just ring me Mom
10:37
if you can't get home but they won't
10:40
they won't go out because they they like
10:41
they used to being
10:43
self-sufficient and uh they don't want
10:45
to bother me at work and and drag me out
10:47
if they've got a puncture so the rims
10:49
the internal profile is unique to to us
10:53
we've designed it so that it's really
10:55
easy to get the tire on and off so what
10:58
about geometry what have you gone for
10:59
there we've gone for a steering geometry
11:03
that will be recognized by the target
11:05
age group that's the bikes intended for
11:09
um as we know head angles have got much
11:11
shallower uh stem shorter and bars wider
11:14
and that's great and and we're all used
11:16
to riding those bikes but um I did try
11:19
my parents on that sort of steering
11:21
geometry and they just went what's this
11:24
it feels horrible and I think it's not
11:26
just about what you're used to it's also
11:28
just noting the the way that people are
11:30
riding um um as they age my parents
11:34
still love going out and they still ride
11:36
on single track but they're not doing
11:38
the riskier side of things anymore
11:40
because they don't want to risk falling
11:43
off and breaking a hip and that ending
11:44
their cycling life and so we did notice
11:47
that it says it's it's suitable for
11:48
drops up to 61
11:50
cents yes yeah we didn't try one yeah
11:54
and it's it's perfectly robust enough
11:55
for for for for really quite adventurous
11:57
riding but yeah you tend to get more
12:00
cautious and um the steering geometry
12:04
also reflects that so it might be a bit
12:07
interesting doing drops on this anyway
12:09
given we've got a rigid Fork so um some
12:12
people might think that a suspension
12:14
Fork would be more comfortable but
12:15
obviously you've got reasons for going
12:18
for rigid so what are they yes we we
12:20
agonized over the fork and actually
12:22
started out expecting to put a
12:24
telescopic Fork on the bik and we're
12:26
designing it but any telescopic Fork is
12:28
going to the minimum of a kilo of weight
12:31
right which is a lot and we said at the
12:34
start that you mentioned lightweight is
12:36
really important
12:38
and the when when we actually looked at
12:41
the type of riding that the age group
12:43
that this bike's aimed at are doing so
12:45
you're in your 70s people are a lot more
12:47
cautious because they don't want to fall
12:50
off and break something that's going to
12:52
um and in their cycling life and for the
12:56
when you're riding more slowly and
12:59
you're not activating a suspension fork
13:00
in the same way so obviously not going
13:03
to be doing dangerous drop offs and layy
13:06
down Hills anymore or if you do you go
13:09
for something else you go yeah or if you
13:11
are you go for something else exactly
13:13
and a different kind of bike um and and
13:16
whilst they'll be riding on single track
13:18
and maybe quite technical you pick your
13:20
way along it cautiously MH and not not
13:22
going particularly quickly and so we
13:25
felt that the weight penalty of a
13:27
suspension fought for something that was
13:29
wasn't going to be activated very often
13:31
in the riding really wasn't worth it you
13:33
it all the way up the hills um to really
13:35
not get much benefit from it but it's a
13:37
carbon Fork though isn't it it is a
13:38
carbon Fork yeah and um we designed this
13:41
for this range of bikes it's super light
13:44
it's got load of clearance it's also mud
13:46
hugger compatible okay and uh yeah which
13:49
mud mud Huggers mud guards front and
13:52
rear will fit on fit on this bike really
13:54
shape under the crown it will fit
13:56
straight into it okay our tester that's
13:57
the first thing he did before off was
13:59
put mud guards front and rear yeah so um
14:01
yeah it's obviously an important thing
14:03
an important thing yeah yeah and we
14:05
we've also got fitments for for bike
14:07
packing stuff which which may not be
14:09
necessarily used by this but it makes
14:11
the fork more versatile Y and other
14:13
people might be interested in that cool
14:16
so these are available now yes as of
14:20
today as of today on Isa bikes yes on
14:22
our website um and we've got a first
14:25
ride review of this over on single trap
14:27
we got a first ride review of the Jimmy
14:28
and we' got a rundown of the whole icons
14:31
range on the website now so if you're
14:33
interested in this bike want to know a
14:34
bit more want to see some more pictures
14:36
want to see how our tester got on in the
14:38
snow on it then hop on over to single
14:41
track world.com thank you for joining us
14:43
and thank you Isa for coming today
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