Freshening up an Islabike
Discussion
Love the bike that was done up!
But as mentioned, Islabike marketplace is bonkers just now, people paying all sorts for bikes and going really quickly.
I got a decent enough deal on a used Benin 24, needs new brake blocks but ordered some new grips for it as well as they were a little bit used and marked, gave it a good clean and tightened everything up. Now to clean up the Benin 20 and get that sold on, once I can get the gears to index, hate that job!
But as mentioned, Islabike marketplace is bonkers just now, people paying all sorts for bikes and going really quickly.
I got a decent enough deal on a used Benin 24, needs new brake blocks but ordered some new grips for it as well as they were a little bit used and marked, gave it a good clean and tightened everything up. Now to clean up the Benin 20 and get that sold on, once I can get the gears to index, hate that job!
Hadn't heard of these until I saw this thread. Had been looking at a frog 40 for my daughter's first pedal bike, but a cnoc 14 small looks ideal, and slightly lighter than the frog as well.
So I've got a bid in for a local one on eBay. I've got a month till her third birthday to try and win one or a frog!
So I've got a bid in for a local one on eBay. I've got a month till her third birthday to try and win one or a frog!
Deerfoot said:
Risotto said:
....my daughter has always ended up with her brother’s cast-off bikes and has never had a new one of her own.
That's exactly the situation we're in, my daughter gets my son's old Islabikes, we also buy new in red as it's sort of neutral colour-wise.my wife, who at 5'3" fits it nicely
Looking for a Beinn 29, we're on the Islabike waiting list, but if anyone can come up with a good s/h one or an alternative make/model please shout up.
We tried to find a nice Beinn 26 for my daughter, we gave up in the end and got a Frog 73.
So far I'm impressed. It cost us a lot less than an Isla would have cost (in fact it cost us less that we got for her old Beinn 24) but it appears to be 95% of an Isla for 60% of the price I'd have paid (used).
Good luck in your search...
So far I'm impressed. It cost us a lot less than an Isla would have cost (in fact it cost us less that we got for her old Beinn 24) but it appears to be 95% of an Isla for 60% of the price I'd have paid (used).
Good luck in your search...
To resurrect a thread
- have been looking for a "next stage up" bike for my son (6) who is outgrowing his 14" wheel Apollo Claw. Still rides it - and we've managed some 12-13 mile family rides with it (with a pub stop in the middle :-) )
But it was getting too small for him.
Had my eye on Frog 52s and Islabike Beinn 20's and had been keeping an eye on Facebook marketplace.
Anyway - an Beinn 20 came up on Facebook last night,- I responded within 3 minutes of the ad being posted (just luck there I guess!) and I picked it up with my boy today.
Cue - one happy 6 year old riding round the garden (will need to teach him how to use the gears properly) - and as a dad, I'm flabbergasted at the difference between that, and his previous Apollo.
For context - the Apollo with 14" wheels weighted approx just under 8 kgs (or close to 9 according to the Halfords site - but that's with stabilisers).
The Islabike weights 7.5Kg, and is a much bigger, more complex bike, with gears etc.
The equivalent Apollos' (According to Halfords site) with 18" and 20" wheels weight 12.5Kg and 14Kg respectively - which is more than my adult mountain bike!
Anyway - looking forward to taking him on some rides with it, and due course handing it down to his younger sister...
- have been looking for a "next stage up" bike for my son (6) who is outgrowing his 14" wheel Apollo Claw. Still rides it - and we've managed some 12-13 mile family rides with it (with a pub stop in the middle :-) )
But it was getting too small for him.
Had my eye on Frog 52s and Islabike Beinn 20's and had been keeping an eye on Facebook marketplace.
Anyway - an Beinn 20 came up on Facebook last night,- I responded within 3 minutes of the ad being posted (just luck there I guess!) and I picked it up with my boy today.
Cue - one happy 6 year old riding round the garden (will need to teach him how to use the gears properly) - and as a dad, I'm flabbergasted at the difference between that, and his previous Apollo.
For context - the Apollo with 14" wheels weighted approx just under 8 kgs (or close to 9 according to the Halfords site - but that's with stabilisers).
The Islabike weights 7.5Kg, and is a much bigger, more complex bike, with gears etc.
The equivalent Apollos' (According to Halfords site) with 18" and 20" wheels weight 12.5Kg and 14Kg respectively - which is more than my adult mountain bike!
Anyway - looking forward to taking him on some rides with it, and due course handing it down to his younger sister...
HiAsAKite said:
To resurrect a thread
- have been looking for a "next stage up" bike for my son (6) who is outgrowing his 14" wheel Apollo Claw. Still rides it - and we've managed some 12-13 mile family rides with it (with a pub stop in the middle :-) )
But it was getting too small for him.
Had my eye on Frog 52s and Islabike Beinn 20's and had been keeping an eye on Facebook marketplace.
Anyway - an Beinn 20 came up on Facebook last night,- I responded within 3 minutes of the ad being posted (just luck there I guess!) and I picked it up with my boy today.
Cue - one happy 6 year old riding round the garden (will need to teach him how to use the gears properly) - and as a dad, I'm flabbergasted at the difference between that, and his previous Apollo.
For context - the Apollo with 14" wheels weighted approx just under 8 kgs (or close to 9 according to the Halfords site - but that's with stabilisers).
The Islabike weights 7.5Kg, and is a much bigger, more complex bike, with gears etc.
The equivalent Apollos' (According to Halfords site) with 18" and 20" wheels weight 12.5Kg and 14Kg respectively - which is more than my adult mountain bike!
Anyway - looking forward to taking him on some rides with it, and due course handing it down to his younger sister...
We have a Beinn 20s in our lives. A great bike for our boy. What started off as “a bit big” has now become “a bit small” but he’s been convinced it’s the perfect size and that he’ll probably outgrow it this time next year (evil conniving, manipulating parents) so I have another 12 months to either win that lottery or hunt down that eBay Creig…- have been looking for a "next stage up" bike for my son (6) who is outgrowing his 14" wheel Apollo Claw. Still rides it - and we've managed some 12-13 mile family rides with it (with a pub stop in the middle :-) )
But it was getting too small for him.
Had my eye on Frog 52s and Islabike Beinn 20's and had been keeping an eye on Facebook marketplace.
Anyway - an Beinn 20 came up on Facebook last night,- I responded within 3 minutes of the ad being posted (just luck there I guess!) and I picked it up with my boy today.
Cue - one happy 6 year old riding round the garden (will need to teach him how to use the gears properly) - and as a dad, I'm flabbergasted at the difference between that, and his previous Apollo.
For context - the Apollo with 14" wheels weighted approx just under 8 kgs (or close to 9 according to the Halfords site - but that's with stabilisers).
The Islabike weights 7.5Kg, and is a much bigger, more complex bike, with gears etc.
The equivalent Apollos' (According to Halfords site) with 18" and 20" wheels weight 12.5Kg and 14Kg respectively - which is more than my adult mountain bike!
Anyway - looking forward to taking him on some rides with it, and due course handing it down to his younger sister...
Enjoy your new ride.
We've got a Beinn 20 here which I bought from a good friend who had used it for his 2 girls. My eldest has it now and she's had many good miles out of it and it'll go to my youngest when it's her turn. They're excellent bikes and worth the investment. The weight against a cheap BSO makes then a much better ride and therefore keeps them interested.
Isla bikes are great - and you've done a great job there, congratulations. Hope you have a lot of happy miles together.
My wife is quite....entrepreneurial...and when we bought our first isla (secondhand) she noticed they were selling for way more money on ebay than they were on Facebook. So we bought 5 from various Facebook sellers and resold them on ebay without touching them and the profit covered the cost of the one we kept.
Prices look to have levelled out these days across the platforms, but it is amazing how you can create value from nothing.
Back to your bike OP, I'd have to agree that far from devaluing the bike, you've probably added value.
My wife is quite....entrepreneurial...and when we bought our first isla (secondhand) she noticed they were selling for way more money on ebay than they were on Facebook. So we bought 5 from various Facebook sellers and resold them on ebay without touching them and the profit covered the cost of the one we kept.
Prices look to have levelled out these days across the platforms, but it is amazing how you can create value from nothing.
Back to your bike OP, I'd have to agree that far from devaluing the bike, you've probably added value.
Re s/h prices, we just sold a pretty much immaculate Frog 52 for £175 on Facebook, could have got a bit more but can’t be arsed with eBay anymore. First to see genuinely bought it, it was in really good condition and he just turned up and said “yeah, it’s perfect”, thrust the cash in my hand and went home.
We’re looking at 24” now, she is 8 but nearly 140cm with a long inside leg and I’m wondering what the best choice is, I’m reluctant to spend that much as she isn’t that keen on cycling and this won’t last that long before she’s outgrown it…
So the Beinn 24 is 8.4kgs, but I know from experience that they come up about 0.5kgs more than the stated weights. The Frog 62 is pretty much identical, weight is quoted at 9.5kgs. We’ve had both Islabike and Frog before and no complaints.
The Raleigh Pop (which I know she’d like) is nearly 12kgs and the Bobbin Gingersnap (which she’d probably love!) is 15kgs! I’m just not sure I could let her have the Bobbin at threat weight and with those crap pressed steel brakes knowing all the components are made of cheese. The Raleigh has v-brakes of a sort, and I’m confident I can get them to stop well. It’s £300 new and I think she’d get on with grip shift rather than thumb shifters
Will be on eBay/Facebook too…
Raleigh
Bobbin
We’re looking at 24” now, she is 8 but nearly 140cm with a long inside leg and I’m wondering what the best choice is, I’m reluctant to spend that much as she isn’t that keen on cycling and this won’t last that long before she’s outgrown it…
So the Beinn 24 is 8.4kgs, but I know from experience that they come up about 0.5kgs more than the stated weights. The Frog 62 is pretty much identical, weight is quoted at 9.5kgs. We’ve had both Islabike and Frog before and no complaints.
The Raleigh Pop (which I know she’d like) is nearly 12kgs and the Bobbin Gingersnap (which she’d probably love!) is 15kgs! I’m just not sure I could let her have the Bobbin at threat weight and with those crap pressed steel brakes knowing all the components are made of cheese. The Raleigh has v-brakes of a sort, and I’m confident I can get them to stop well. It’s £300 new and I think she’d get on with grip shift rather than thumb shifters
Will be on eBay/Facebook too…
Raleigh
Bobbin
Hi
Appreciate this post is a few years old now - great job on the freshen up btw! Where did you get the decals from please, can you remember? I see you mentioned the "bloke in France" so i've included France in the google search but can't see anything. If you could give me some more information i'd be grateful.
Cheers
Andy
Appreciate this post is a few years old now - great job on the freshen up btw! Where did you get the decals from please, can you remember? I see you mentioned the "bloke in France" so i've included France in the google search but can't see anything. If you could give me some more information i'd be grateful.
Cheers
Andy
IslaBike said:
Hi
Where did you get the decals from please, can you remember? I see you mentioned the "bloke in France" so i've included France in the google search but can't see anything. If you could give me some more information i'd be grateful.
Cheers
Andy
Hi, I've just tried putting 'Islabike decals' in eBay's search box and it only came back with two sellers - one on Poland, the other in France. From memory, it was the latter I used.Where did you get the decals from please, can you remember? I see you mentioned the "bloke in France" so i've included France in the google search but can't see anything. If you could give me some more information i'd be grateful.
Cheers
Andy
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