Islabike - Worth it?
Discussion
I'm in the market for a new bike for my daughter. She's seven & has outgrown her current thing. We had a look round Halfords yesterday & saw something called a Luna for £170 that would fit the bill but was frankly a bit rough round the edges.
She would suit an Isla bikes Beinn which is a touch on the stiff side at £300 although I don't mind in the least if I'm buying quality. Is it worth the difference bearing in mind she will out grow it again within I guess, about two or three years. It would seem to be a superior bike but obviously I only have web site images & reputation to go on.
I'd be interested to hear from any owners.
She would suit an Isla bikes Beinn which is a touch on the stiff side at £300 although I don't mind in the least if I'm buying quality. Is it worth the difference bearing in mind she will out grow it again within I guess, about two or three years. It would seem to be a superior bike but obviously I only have web site images & reputation to go on.
I'd be interested to hear from any owners.
We are on our 3rd Islabike and they are definitely good value if you can get over the initial cost. The balance bike and Cnoc14 were used for a year and sold for approx 75% of what we paid for them. Comparing the Cnoc to a specialised hotrock that the in laws have really highlights the quality & design of the Islabike & the market seems to appreciate it too with excellent resale which takes the edge of the high initial prices
Justin Cyder said:
I'm in the market for a new bike for my daughter. She's seven & has outgrown her current thing. We had a look round Halfords yesterday & saw something called a Luna for £170 that would fit the bill but was frankly a bit rough round the edges.
She would suit an Isla bikes Beinn which is a touch on the stiff side at £300 although I don't mind in the least if I'm buying quality. Is it worth the difference bearing in mind she will out grow it again within I guess, about two or three years. It would seem to be a superior bike but obviously I only have web site images & reputation to go on.
I'd be interested to hear from any owners.
Casual observation here: Islabikes seem a bit nerdy and more a choice made by parents than children. She would suit an Isla bikes Beinn which is a touch on the stiff side at £300 although I don't mind in the least if I'm buying quality. Is it worth the difference bearing in mind she will out grow it again within I guess, about two or three years. It would seem to be a superior bike but obviously I only have web site images & reputation to go on.
I'd be interested to hear from any owners.
We bought new kids bikes recently. Specialized were too long in the top tube. Isla didn't excite even slightly. Ridgeback was the way we went because the geo worked, they were fairly light, they were priced well and looked cool.
Having just sold some used Ridgebacks we got about 50% of new price. However, new price was quite modest given the quality of the bikes.
Santa got this for our 7yo's Xmas. Really good bike light and well built.
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/specializ...
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/specializ...
We've got five of them, including the Beinn 20 in large and small. The Beinn is great as it has an aluminium frame and gears. It means we can go out on 10-15 mile rides and he can cope with the distance and manage the hills too.
They achieve silly prices used, so we buy new or just very selectively pick up secondhand ones.
You do see Frog a bit more these days and Ridgeback, but Isla still leads the market. When we go to sports events with the kids over half the bikes are Islabikes.
They achieve silly prices used, so we buy new or just very selectively pick up secondhand ones.
You do see Frog a bit more these days and Ridgeback, but Isla still leads the market. When we go to sports events with the kids over half the bikes are Islabikes.
I get the line on the Islabikes being a bit nerdy but the lighter weight and great components make a worthwhile buy. Saying that. I just got hold of a Frog 55 for my 7 year old (he christened it today on the Barnett Demenss trails in Belfast). Frog saves you about 50 quid per price point. The quality of the components is a little lesser BUT still solid and better than what is on the BSO from Halfords.
Most importantly the frame, forks and wheels are very light so again make for a bike a little one can pilot confidently.
As a veteran MTB'er i would love for mine to be on a Kona, 'Dale, etc but the kids Cannondale we viewed in Dave Kanes was heavier £80 pricier than the Frog 55.
I've rambled but in summary, yes Islabikes are worth it but Frog's make for a very reasonable 2nd option if you can't quit stretch that far.
Most importantly the frame, forks and wheels are very light so again make for a bike a little one can pilot confidently.
As a veteran MTB'er i would love for mine to be on a Kona, 'Dale, etc but the kids Cannondale we viewed in Dave Kanes was heavier £80 pricier than the Frog 55.
I've rambled but in summary, yes Islabikes are worth it but Frog's make for a very reasonable 2nd option if you can't quit stretch that far.
Just got one for the boy blunder - figured it might be the only new bike he has as once he is bigger there are all mine for him to borrow/lay claim to as he's a lanky sod and I am a short arse. He bloody loves it - they are so light compared to the normal kids bikes, and I couldn't find a s'hand one for less than £210 on fleabay anyway. Figured as I had just blown a load of cash on new wheels I didn't really need it was the least I could do for the little blighter.
This is him 5 minutes after getting it -
cant stop him now!
This is him 5 minutes after getting it -
cant stop him now!
I've never known a bike as cheap as my daughters CNOC14 - bought for £175, sold after two years hard use for £163.
She's now on a Beinn 20 as it's the only bike suitable for a 5 year old that has gears. Might venture to another brand when she outgrows this one, depending what she wants but they've both been great bikes and she's absolutely adored them.
She's now on a Beinn 20 as it's the only bike suitable for a 5 year old that has gears. Might venture to another brand when she outgrows this one, depending what she wants but they've both been great bikes and she's absolutely adored them.
I keep trying to buy my kids Islabikes but friends keep handing down the bikes they had for their kids!
They had decent Ridgeback MX14 and MX16s to start with, but my 7 year old is now on a 20 inch wheel Probike donated by our neighbours. Seems churlish to turn down a freebie but the extra weight over and above an Islabike is very noticeable - I was out for a ride with my 7 year old the other week and he did struggle compared to when we borrowed a friend's 20 inch wheeled Islabike.
Go for the Islabike if you have the cash - your child will enjoy riding more. I haven't any experience of Frogbikes so can't comment on how they compare.
They had decent Ridgeback MX14 and MX16s to start with, but my 7 year old is now on a 20 inch wheel Probike donated by our neighbours. Seems churlish to turn down a freebie but the extra weight over and above an Islabike is very noticeable - I was out for a ride with my 7 year old the other week and he did struggle compared to when we borrowed a friend's 20 inch wheeled Islabike.
Go for the Islabike if you have the cash - your child will enjoy riding more. I haven't any experience of Frogbikes so can't comment on how they compare.
My daughter had a CNOC14 and now has a Beinn 20.
There's no doubting that they're excellently made and far, far better than the stuff you get in Halfords. But I'm wondering whether or not to get her another when she outgrows this one.
Only because I don't think she gets the use out of it that the bike really deserves.
That's partly our fault as we need to take her out more, but she's not that interested.
I do think that the comment above about them being bought by parents rather than kids is probably true. They make excellent sense from a parent's lightness/retained value POV, but perhaps lose out a bit on the kids' wishlist of garish colours/my mate's got one front.
There's no doubting that they're excellently made and far, far better than the stuff you get in Halfords. But I'm wondering whether or not to get her another when she outgrows this one.
Only because I don't think she gets the use out of it that the bike really deserves.
That's partly our fault as we need to take her out more, but she's not that interested.
I do think that the comment above about them being bought by parents rather than kids is probably true. They make excellent sense from a parent's lightness/retained value POV, but perhaps lose out a bit on the kids' wishlist of garish colours/my mate's got one front.
I know they're well made and have a depreciation curve that laughs in the face of anything automotive, but they're not the coolest looking things, nor the most hardcore.
We went with the Hotrock, it's our second after he outgrew the first - the 20 is better than the smaller one by the simple fact it uses more adult spec parts. It came with a RST fork which is pretty rubbish by say the standards of a mid-range adult fork, but it takes the buzz out and does actually have a damper - unlike some of their adult OE ones. The only high-end kids forks I can find are made by White Brothers and cost £700-£900!
Anyway, they're super-easy to maintain, it's mostly older spec 5-speed-ish area stuff so you might have to cast your mind back to cup/cone bearings and non-free body hubs, but it has neat features like a mech hanger that's held on with a soft-ish sacrificial bolt - it's a chainring bolt so most people will have a couple rolling about in the bottom of their spares box.
I know Isla will tell you that they actually measure kids and only they are building bikes for kids and not just making small adult bikes, but it's nonsense - yes they use light tubes, but the hotrock fits our lad perfectly.
We went with the Hotrock, it's our second after he outgrew the first - the 20 is better than the smaller one by the simple fact it uses more adult spec parts. It came with a RST fork which is pretty rubbish by say the standards of a mid-range adult fork, but it takes the buzz out and does actually have a damper - unlike some of their adult OE ones. The only high-end kids forks I can find are made by White Brothers and cost £700-£900!
Anyway, they're super-easy to maintain, it's mostly older spec 5-speed-ish area stuff so you might have to cast your mind back to cup/cone bearings and non-free body hubs, but it has neat features like a mech hanger that's held on with a soft-ish sacrificial bolt - it's a chainring bolt so most people will have a couple rolling about in the bottom of their spares box.
I know Isla will tell you that they actually measure kids and only they are building bikes for kids and not just making small adult bikes, but it's nonsense - yes they use light tubes, but the hotrock fits our lad perfectly.
Eleven said:
Casual observation here: Islabikes seem a bit nerdy...
...Ridgeback was the way we went because the geo worked...
I consider myself a little bit of a bike nerd but I wouldn't think twice about the geo on a kids bike!!...Ridgeback was the way we went because the geo worked...
We have a small Beinn 20 for our eldest son, it's a marvel. So light.
As long as you have the cashflow to spend £300 without worrying they are the cheapest bikes out there owing to the resale value.
walm said:
Eleven said:
Casual observation here: Islabikes seem a bit nerdy...
...Ridgeback was the way we went because the geo worked...
I consider myself a little bit of a bike nerd but I wouldn't think twice about the geo on a kids bike!!...Ridgeback was the way we went because the geo worked...
Also, the Ridgebacks came with front suspension. Now this is obviously a double-edged sword, however for trail use it's good and the forks perform well - I was surprised given the price point.
If Islabikes made their bikes look a little more interesting and not like a hangover from 1990, perhaps offer a front suspension model we'd happily look at them. But the models on offer just didn't tick enough boxes, however good the residuals may be.
To be fair, my lad is only 5 and already on a 20, he has the length the lanky sod but not the weight to make the extra weight of suss forks worth it. Once he has nailed it and grown out of it he'll be ready for the 14" frame On one Inbred I just built for our daughter.
If you are taking them to more gnarly stuff then I agree it would be worth more of a shop around... The Isla bikes aren't exactly designed for trail centre Reds, but they are perfect for long family rides like the FOD one.
Just need to find a T5 Transporter now...
If you are taking them to more gnarly stuff then I agree it would be worth more of a shop around... The Isla bikes aren't exactly designed for trail centre Reds, but they are perfect for long family rides like the FOD one.
Just need to find a T5 Transporter now...
Another Islabike owner here, been brilliant for both kids, No2 was struggling to get of staberlisers, 1 go on the Isla and she was off! Mainly due to the light weight of the bike and the free flowing drivetrain and tyres.
No1 has just moved from the 20" benin to a 24" Ridgeback. Shes loving the suspension and extra gears (it has a triple)but the weight and the brakes are the downfall.
No1 has just moved from the 20" benin to a 24" Ridgeback. Shes loving the suspension and extra gears (it has a triple)but the weight and the brakes are the downfall.
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