Islabikes gone bust-Lightweight bike for child?

[Hard-Drive]

+1 for a second hand Islabike. Absolutely no point in buying new as it will get scratched etc.

There's always loads around as kids do grow out of them very quickly. Don't go and buy something massive for them to "grow into", you'd never ride an adult bike that's way too big!

My lad is now on his 3rd Islabike (He had a Cnoc 14, Beinn 20 and now a Beinn 24). All have been brilliant, all bought on Facebook Marketplace locally, and all sold on there too. I've made a small profit on each one by selling them spotlessly clean and DIY serviced (a clean, lubed chain, properly adjusted brakes/gears and new cable caps etc really does make a bike look loved and make haggling very hard!)

[Bonefish Blues]

...as does using a mild car polish - brings the frame up very nicely.

[McMoose]

Hoy Bonaly and Carrera Cosmos purchased second hand have both done us well. You will probably pay twice the price for an Islabike and in terms of the spec I cannot see what you get for the extra money. Other than the Brand snobbery.

[bristolbaron]

Tickle said:

We've had Frog in the past, Hoy Bonaly have been the best so far though, very light.

I will go Hoy again for my daughter's upgrade, really impressed.

Hoy have been discontinued too! Brilliant bikes, I’m not sure why they didn’t gain the traction of Isla and Frog, but we’ve gone the Frog path now.. still have my boys 16” Bonaly in the garage, I’ve been putting off the dreaded FB marketplace

I posted this on another thread when we first bought it, I love this photo, he was so determined to learn to ride

[Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area]

I recently bought a Boardman Jnr 20 for my 6-year old daughter. It’s excellent and as good in every way as her old Islabikes Cnoc 16. Also good value at £340.

[magpie215]

Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area said:

I recently bought a Boardman Jnr 20 for my 6-year old daughter. It’s excellent and as good in every way as her old Islabikes Cnoc 16. Also good value at £340.

agree the Boardman junior bikes are hard to beat in terms of VFM.

[Tickle]

bristolbaron said:

Hoy have been discontinued too! Brilliant bikes, I’m not sure why they didn’t gain the traction of Isla and Frog, but we’ve gone the Frog path now.. still have my boys 16” Bonaly in the garage, I’ve been putting off the dreaded FB marketplace

I posted this on another thread when we first bought it, I love this photo, he was so determined to learn to ride

Great shot!

I've lost interest in FB marketplace, it's fking hard work dealing with people!

[benny.c]

My daughter has a Frog which has been great and my son used to have a Trek Wahoo. The Trek was a cracking, light bike that comes in a variety of wheel sizes. You can sometimes pick them up cheaply as they don’t seem as well known as the usual premium kids bikes.

[Craikeybaby]

Isla Bikes kick started the premium children's bike market, but now there are loads of brands offering decent bikes. My boys have had a couple of Frogs, an Orbed and a Vitus.

[NickXX]

Frog are excellent - 4 year old was off like a rocket on his from day 1.

[sjg]

Yes, even at Halfords you can get decent kids bikes once you pay a bit more. The Carrera and Boardman ranges are decent, both of my kids used a 16” wheel Carrera I bought secondhand and it was as light as the equivalent Isla or Frog, decent alu frame, brake levers for small hands, Kenda tyres on good spoked wheels, etc. Next up was a 20” Raleigh and a 24” Vitus MTB.

Isla were groundbreaking at the time but loads of brands caught on to making good bikes just smaller.

[HiAsAKite]

I have a islabike benin 20 which my eldest has just passed down to our youngest.

We bought it 2nd hand.

I cannot emphasise how much better this than the scaffold pole steel usual kids bikes. Plus they are actually designed to be usable for kids.
If you want you child to enjoy cycling, buy a 2nd hand islabime, frog, squish etc.

It is 2kg lighter than the 14"wheel bike he had before, or the 12" wheel starter bike he had.

Weight makes a massive difference at this age.. when the bike may way 40% or more of what the child weights, this is a big deal.

Literally today just bought his next bike (hence handing the benin down to the youngest).. this time 2nd hand Frog 62. Would have happily bought a benin 24 if i could have found one.

And its basically free cycling.. when we come to sell the islabike and frog, im pretty confident we will get back at least as much as we paid for them.

As i said above, if you want your children to enjoy cycling, dont buy them halfords mild steel scaffold pole special, get them an islabime, frog, squish etc.
Its more expensive upfront, but you will get back the money when you resell.

Edited by HiAsAKite on Sunday 21st April 18:48