Best bike for our daughters 6th birthday?

[Silver940]

Rosscow said:

For a decent Islabike of the variety I'd be after (Beinn 20 large) you're looking at a minimum of £225 on eBay - plus the expense/hassle of collections.

The spotty Frog 55 @ £255 is looking very tempting at the moment. I think I'd rather the Islabike but it's another £80.

My boy has a Frog 52. Been keeping an eye on re-sale values and they up up there with Isla Bikes. Not as many about but popularity is growing. I still think the big winner over and Isla is you can go to you LBS and buy one. ( I didn't pay full price by doing so )

[TSCfree]

Found a natty little Co. doing Children's bikes whilst at the NEC bike show. No idea how they compare to Isla Bikes, however they caught my eye as they looked good quality and it was pretty light too.
http://earlyrider.com/

[lauda]

Rosscow said:

lauda said:

Glad to hear all the positive reports on Islabikes here. We've just got the Rothan balance bike for my daughter's second birthday later this month. It seemed a lot to cough up for a kids bike but it sounds like we'll get a fair chunk back when it comes to moving it on. And my daughter's name is Isla so it was a bit of a no-brainer really.

Our daughter is also called Isla!

Good choice!

And I think we've answered your OP. It has to be an Islabike

[lauda]

schmunk said:

lauda said:

Glad to hear all the positive reports on Islabikes here. We've just got the Rothan balance bike for my daughter's second birthday later this month. It seemed a lot to cough up for a kids bike but it sounds like we'll get a fair chunk back when it comes to moving it on. And my daughter's name is Isla so it was a bit of a no-brainer really.

//Insert totes inappropes joke about 'Isla' 'bike' nickname here.

Behave! I've got a good few years before I need to be dealing with that sort of thing.

[Flippin' Kipper]

Rosscow said:

For a decent Islabike of the variety I'd be after (Beinn 20 large) you're looking at a minimum of £225 on eBay - plus the expense/hassle of collections.

The spotty Frog 55 @ £255 is looking very tempting at the moment. I think I'd rather the Islabike but it's another £80.

You will most likely find the cost of ownership of an Islabike is lower than a Frog, although the residuals on both are good.

Here is a picture of a cassette that costs about the same as a Benin20.

[AndyWoodall]

I should have added that my favourite LBS stocks Frog bikes and they seem to rate them very highly.

[Rosscow]

Cheers all. The local independent also stocks them so I'll have a look at one!

http://www.handsomebicycles.com

[covmutley]

My daughter had a frog in team sky colours last month. I'm impressed with it, particularly the nice touch of getting some touch up paint. Small thing I know, but good idea.

I also agree it's good not to have grip shift- my son has a giant bike that he can't really change the gears.

[Downward]

Something like a Trek Mt series if they still do them 20" wheel.

[uncinqsix]

The Specialized Hotrock 20 would be another option. My lad loves his one. Also relatively good resale because it's a "name" brand.

[Rosscow]

TSCfree said:

Found a natty little Co. doing Children's bikes whilst at the NEC bike show. No idea how they compare to Isla Bikes, however they caught my eye as they looked good quality and it was pretty light too.
http://earlyrider.com/

Wow, they look lovely but are even more than the Islabikes!! Out of our budget range I'm afraid.

[loudlashadjuster]

uncinqsix said:

The Specialized Hotrock 20 would be another option. My lad loves his one. Also relatively good resale because it's a "name" brand.

Be warned that these things are H E A V Y though. My son's friend simply can't pedal it up hills ( this one being a good example) that my son skips up on his Beinn, which is regarded with envious eyes.

I know the lure of a big brand like dad's and some "suspension" are strong with kids, but I know that the family with the Hotrock would swap in a heartbeat if they could.

[Rosscow]

OK, we're going to order a Frog 55 in spotty colours from the local bike shop.

£255, and they're going to assemble it for me. Also comes with 2 sets of tyres (hybrid and off-road) , bell, mudguards and reflectors as standard.

Compared to the Islabike at £329, no spare tyres, no bell and no mudguards it looks great value.

Time will tell on the resale but her little sister will probably inherit it anyway.

Thanks for all of your help, guys! Have a virtual beer on me

[Silver940]

Cover it in Heli tape Although they do send protective tape for them now. Glad I did with my lads, even with this kid of riding it looks in very good condition.

[S5V8]

Rosscow said:

OK, we're going to order a Frog 55 in spotty colours from the local bike shop.

£255, and they're going to assemble it for me. Also comes with 2 sets of tyres (hybrid and off-road) , bell, mudguards and reflectors as standard.

Compared to the Islabike at £329, no spare tyres, no bell and no mudguards it looks great value.

Time will tell on the resale but her little sister will probably inherit it anyway.

Thanks for all of your help, guys! Have a virtual beer on me

Great choice. I am in a similar position. Our daughter is 7 and has grown up with the normal run of the mill bikes. I got into mountain biking last year and know a bit about them and was shocked when I weighed her current bike and it was heavier than mine!

She won't ride it now as she has lost her confidence. At 14kg when she turns a slow corner she falls off practically every time. Last month we went to the http://www.bigbikebash.co.uk/ which was excellent and it got her interest back.

Most of the kids there had an islabike or a frog and were doing all sorts of jumps and tricks on them. I decided at that point to get her a second hand islabike bike but there was a frog exhibitor there and they let us take 3 frog bikes to try for test rides in an adjoining field. She loved it and at the 8kg weight point it was a breath of fresh air.

Like your girl she is getting a Frog 55 in spotty colours from Santa for Christmas and hopefully next year she will be able to ride a lot more and with me with any luck.

Good choice Rosscow

Edited by S5V8 on Tuesday 6th October 09:27

[uncinqsix]

loudlashadjuster said:

uncinqsix said:

The Specialized Hotrock 20 would be another option. My lad loves his one. Also relatively good resale because it's a "name" brand.

Be warned that these things are H E A V Y though. My son's friend simply can't pedal it up hills ( this one being a good example) that my son skips up on his Beinn, which is regarded with envious eyes.

I know the lure of a big brand like dad's and some "suspension" are strong with kids, but I know that the family with the Hotrock would swap in a heartbeat if they could.

The one we have is the single speed, non-suspension version. Can't get Islabikes here, and the weight of the Hotrock wasn't much more than the lightest equivalent available to us.

[walm]

Rosscow said:

OK, we're going to order a Frog 55 in spotty colours from the local bike shop.

£255, and they're going to assemble it for me. Also comes with 2 sets of tyres (hybrid and off-road) , bell, mudguards and reflectors as standard.

Compared to the Islabike at £329, no spare tyres, no bell and no mudguards it looks great value.

Time will tell on the resale but her little sister will probably inherit it anyway.

Thanks for all of your help, guys! Have a virtual beer on me

We've done both Islabikes and Frog. So far the Frog is winning simply because I had to replace one grip on the Isla very quickly since the mushroomy bar end can't take the battering.

[covmutley]

To add to my comments above, I think kids will find that the spotty/team sky colours are 'cooler', and that counts for a lot for most kids. Did for my daughter anyway.

You could argue that the Isla's are lighter still, possibly better residuals, but there is no doubt that the Frogs are great bikes.

I think its a good choice and I hope she loves it!

[loudlashadjuster]

The Frogs look like great bikes, I'm sure she'll be delighted

[Zigster]

I bought my sons a Ridgeback MX 16 when they were around that age - a decent kids' bike, although not as good as Islabikes.

The Ridgeback cost me about £130 and, for various reasons, it is near immaculate. I can't now even seem to get £50 for it so cost to own has been in excess of £80. As others have said - Islabikes might be expensive in the first place but they are very desirable second-hand so the actual cost to own is no more than a cheaper bike.