Frog or Islabike?
Discussion
What would your daughter prefer? I know I was never bothered about SH bikes as a kid, but today's yoof...
We had two Islabikes for my daughter in the past, but ended up getting some cheap old BSO from Halfords this time around because she wanted to be able to choose it. Pretty sure she chose that over antying else I suggested because it had 'proper' 26" wheels rather than being another 'kid's' bike with 24" wheels.
Also, I think the Islabikes start to look a little plain for older kids. Frogs seem to get good reviews and, IMHO, look a fair bit more exciting to a kid.
ETA: She was 10 when we got her the latest bike.
We had two Islabikes for my daughter in the past, but ended up getting some cheap old BSO from Halfords this time around because she wanted to be able to choose it. Pretty sure she chose that over antying else I suggested because it had 'proper' 26" wheels rather than being another 'kid's' bike with 24" wheels.
Also, I think the Islabikes start to look a little plain for older kids. Frogs seem to get good reviews and, IMHO, look a fair bit more exciting to a kid.
ETA: She was 10 when we got her the latest bike.
Kell said:
Also, I think the Islabikes start to look a little plain for older kids. Frogs seem to get good reviews and, IMHO, look a fair bit more exciting to a kid.
This. Isla bikes are great and have high residuals, but If you let your kid select a bike, I doubt they'll pick an islabike
I loved my bike as a kid but looking back, it was rubbish. I certainly wouldn't have wanted an islabike, they're a bit naff looking.
It's usually the dads that are in favour of the Islabikes and their sensible stuff like lighter weight and better components.
Hmm. I probably have got my sensible Dad head on a bit.
She really wants a racing bike (ie drop handlebar) but as we ride trails/paths I really don't think she'll get the use out of it. And they are expensive.
She's not particularly brand-savvy. Nor girly, so It's not got to be pink...
I'm leaning towards an Islabike because her friends have one
She really wants a racing bike (ie drop handlebar) but as we ride trails/paths I really don't think she'll get the use out of it. And they are expensive.
She's not particularly brand-savvy. Nor girly, so It's not got to be pink...
I'm leaning towards an Islabike because her friends have one
boyse7en said:
Hmm. I probably have got my sensible Dad head on a bit.
She really wants a racing bike (ie drop handlebar) but as we ride trails/paths I really don't think she'll get the use out of it. And they are expensive.
She's not particularly brand-savvy. Nor girly, so It's not got to be pink...
I'm leaning towards an Islabike because her friends have one
The Luaths have drops and yet can take pretty chunky tyres, loads of kids use them for cyclocross. A pair of nobblies for trails and a pair of slicks for road - sorted.She really wants a racing bike (ie drop handlebar) but as we ride trails/paths I really don't think she'll get the use out of it. And they are expensive.
She's not particularly brand-savvy. Nor girly, so It's not got to be pink...
I'm leaning towards an Islabike because her friends have one
We bought a Hoy Bonaly 24 for my 10 year old, a Hoy Bonaly 20 for my 6 year old and a Raleigh Performance 24 for my 9 year old girl. All are fantastic and follow the Islabike philosophy such as light weight and quality components that are right-sized for children. They probably won't have as good a resale value but look a lot better which the kids love. Cheaper than Islabike too, they seem to have upped prices a fair bit over the years.
Wiggle have also started doing their own brand in this market http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-twentyfour-kids-bi...
Half the price of a comparable Islabike, looks just as boring, and is 1.2kgs heavier, however, looks a better offer than you get a Halfords.
Half the price of a comparable Islabike, looks just as boring, and is 1.2kgs heavier, however, looks a better offer than you get a Halfords.
we've just bought the boy a Frog, having had nothing but Isla's up till now.
He wanted drops, and the equivalent Isla was about £100 more. The frog came with two sets of tyres.
It's a good bike, well made, light. Does everything he wants and it zips up the hills with the slicks on.
Frog were complete muppets (see what I did there...) with the build though; wrong brake pads, no tyres or inner tubes etc. Took ages to sort out, but all is good now.
we won't get the same return when we sell it, but he's happy.
He wanted drops, and the equivalent Isla was about £100 more. The frog came with two sets of tyres.
It's a good bike, well made, light. Does everything he wants and it zips up the hills with the slicks on.
Frog were complete muppets (see what I did there...) with the build though; wrong brake pads, no tyres or inner tubes etc. Took ages to sort out, but all is good now.
we won't get the same return when we sell it, but he's happy.
In a similar situation with my soon to be 6y/o daughter.
Have ruled out Isla bikes on cost.
Frog looks good as our friends Son has the Frog52 and it seems a good bike for the money.
Also looking at Cube and Merida as they come in a bit heavier than the Frog but still no more than 10kg and under £200.
Have ruled out Isla bikes on cost.
Frog looks good as our friends Son has the Frog52 and it seems a good bike for the money.
Also looking at Cube and Merida as they come in a bit heavier than the Frog but still no more than 10kg and under £200.
petsco said:
we've just bought the boy a Frog, having had nothing but Isla's up till now.
He wanted drops, and the equivalent Isla was about £100 more. The frog came with two sets of tyres.
It's a good bike, well made, light. Does everything he wants and it zips up the hills with the slicks on.
Frog were complete muppets (see what I did there...) with the build though; wrong brake pads, no tyres or inner tubes etc. Took ages to sort out, but all is good now.
we won't get the same return when we sell it, but he's happy.
I'm looking at the Frog 67 now, as they've got 15% off. He wanted drops, and the equivalent Isla was about £100 more. The frog came with two sets of tyres.
It's a good bike, well made, light. Does everything he wants and it zips up the hills with the slicks on.
Frog were complete muppets (see what I did there...) with the build though; wrong brake pads, no tyres or inner tubes etc. Took ages to sort out, but all is good now.
we won't get the same return when we sell it, but he's happy.
My daughter's inside leg is 64cm, but if she has a growth spurt in the next 4 weeks she'll be pretty much at the 67cm recommendation... maybe...
I'll just repost this with regard to price...
There are people I've read about that bought an Islabike SH and sold it for as much, or more than than they paid after a year or two. So while the buy-in price is high, you effectively get low cost cycling...
Here was my take on ownership:
With regard to Islabikes, they're not as expensive to own as you might think.
I've bought my daughter two - both of which she's outgrown - and her latest one is a Halfords Apollo Elusion.
What I would say is that Islabikes are unbeatable in terms of weight and usability. And while the buy-in price IS high, so are the returns you get on them. And that's what you have to look at to see how much a bike actually 'costs' you.
The first one was a CNOC 16 which retailed (at the time) at £229. When we came to sell it, I'd heard that Islabikes resold well and priced it at something like £150. In hindsight, it was way too low.
The first person to ring bought it for full asking price, but I had people calling me up for days afterwards offering up to £180 unseen (on the strength of the pictures on the ad).
Total cost to own the bike, £79 - but it could have been as low as £49.
The second was a Beinn 20, which retailed at £329. Knowing that it was likely to sell well, I offered that one for £250 and took £240 for it. The woman that came to pick it up had bought another SH Islabike that day, as she had twins, and paid more for the other one, which was in a much, much worse state. So, again, I probably could have got more for it.
Total cost to own the bike - £89, could have been less.
I mention these facts and figures, because her very first bike was Christmas present of a Dora the Explorer Halfords thing with stabilisers. From memory, this was £69 from Halfords and that sold for a fiver. And it was a dangerous pile of poo too. I'm not very mechanically minded, but I know how to set up brakes, and there was nothing I could do to get them working properly.
Total cost to own the bike - £65. Only £14 less than her first Islabike, which was streets ahead in terms of build quality.
I have no doubt that when we come to sell her current Apollo, that I will see very little of the £119 we paid for it (and that was half-price). I'd expect to list for about £30 and maybe get £20.
Expected total cost to own that bike around £100.
What I would say, however, is that the reason we didn't go for an Islabike this time around, is that they do look a little dull in comparison to offerings from other manufacturers (maybe more so for boys). This time I let my daughter choose her own bike and she was made up with that whole process. Partly, I think (in fact I know) because we ended up with a 14" woman's frame and 26" wheels, rather than another 'kids'' bike.
Nothing will compare to getting a cheap, cheap SH bike in terms of cost of ownership, but cheap new bikes are not always as cheap as you think. Plus what she's ended up with is probably heavier than mine, will cost more to own than an Islabike long term and she finds it hard to use the brakes as they're too big for her hands.
However, it may be that she uses it more than an Islabike, because she likes it. And that's my final point - it has to be something they'd be happy to be seen on (for older kids), and something they'd enjoy riding (for younger kids). After all, they get bought to be used, and that's the main thing.
There are people I've read about that bought an Islabike SH and sold it for as much, or more than than they paid after a year or two. So while the buy-in price is high, you effectively get low cost cycling...
Here was my take on ownership:
With regard to Islabikes, they're not as expensive to own as you might think.
I've bought my daughter two - both of which she's outgrown - and her latest one is a Halfords Apollo Elusion.
What I would say is that Islabikes are unbeatable in terms of weight and usability. And while the buy-in price IS high, so are the returns you get on them. And that's what you have to look at to see how much a bike actually 'costs' you.
The first one was a CNOC 16 which retailed (at the time) at £229. When we came to sell it, I'd heard that Islabikes resold well and priced it at something like £150. In hindsight, it was way too low.
The first person to ring bought it for full asking price, but I had people calling me up for days afterwards offering up to £180 unseen (on the strength of the pictures on the ad).
Total cost to own the bike, £79 - but it could have been as low as £49.
The second was a Beinn 20, which retailed at £329. Knowing that it was likely to sell well, I offered that one for £250 and took £240 for it. The woman that came to pick it up had bought another SH Islabike that day, as she had twins, and paid more for the other one, which was in a much, much worse state. So, again, I probably could have got more for it.
Total cost to own the bike - £89, could have been less.
I mention these facts and figures, because her very first bike was Christmas present of a Dora the Explorer Halfords thing with stabilisers. From memory, this was £69 from Halfords and that sold for a fiver. And it was a dangerous pile of poo too. I'm not very mechanically minded, but I know how to set up brakes, and there was nothing I could do to get them working properly.
Total cost to own the bike - £65. Only £14 less than her first Islabike, which was streets ahead in terms of build quality.
I have no doubt that when we come to sell her current Apollo, that I will see very little of the £119 we paid for it (and that was half-price). I'd expect to list for about £30 and maybe get £20.
Expected total cost to own that bike around £100.
What I would say, however, is that the reason we didn't go for an Islabike this time around, is that they do look a little dull in comparison to offerings from other manufacturers (maybe more so for boys). This time I let my daughter choose her own bike and she was made up with that whole process. Partly, I think (in fact I know) because we ended up with a 14" woman's frame and 26" wheels, rather than another 'kids'' bike.
Nothing will compare to getting a cheap, cheap SH bike in terms of cost of ownership, but cheap new bikes are not always as cheap as you think. Plus what she's ended up with is probably heavier than mine, will cost more to own than an Islabike long term and she finds it hard to use the brakes as they're too big for her hands.
However, it may be that she uses it more than an Islabike, because she likes it. And that's my final point - it has to be something they'd be happy to be seen on (for older kids), and something they'd enjoy riding (for younger kids). After all, they get bought to be used, and that's the main thing.
For a 24" I'd look at the Verenti from Wiggle. Seems like a decent spec for decent money.
If anyone is in the market for a smaller bike than the OP, I just bought a secondhand Ridgeback Cherry 20" for my diminutive daughter, off ebay, and she absolutely loves it.
Yes it's slightly heavier than the frog or islabike, but notso heavy that it'll wreck her strava segments. ;-)
It's not got front sus so that makes it lighter than many of the offerings out there.
It was a fraction of the price so I don't even need to think about resale value. There's one on ebay now, same seller as I got mine from. Would highly recommend.......
If anyone is in the market for a smaller bike than the OP, I just bought a secondhand Ridgeback Cherry 20" for my diminutive daughter, off ebay, and she absolutely loves it.
Yes it's slightly heavier than the frog or islabike, but notso heavy that it'll wreck her strava segments. ;-)
It's not got front sus so that makes it lighter than many of the offerings out there.
It was a fraction of the price so I don't even need to think about resale value. There's one on ebay now, same seller as I got mine from. Would highly recommend.......
Edited by campionissimo on Monday 12th September 17:41
I have been very impressed with Frog bikes. I bought my daughter a Frog52 3 years ago which she was very happy with. As soon as her little brother was tall enough to ride it he wanted it... I ended up buying her a new Frog 62, in the same colour (red) and he now has her old bike. The newer one has 8 gears and thumb shifters as opposed to 7 gears and grip shifters. The guy in the LBS told me that the new one comes with free servicing for life.
I agree that focussing on the cost of Islabikes is a mistake, particularly when the focus is solely on the acquisition cost.
Kids' bikes by their very nature are 'disposable' in that you will always want to dispose of the thing at some point, whether after one child has outgrown it or three.
They're also unlikely to 'wear out' in this time so it's pretty short-sighted to overlook what it'll cost you over the 3-5 years it will be yours.
Islabikes are hands-down winners in this regard (buy a secondhand one for £250 today and you can almost guarantee you'll get that in three years for it) so unless someone can't afford the initial price, or has compelling reasons for preferring another bike/brand (colour/availability etc.) it seems to me a no-brainer to go for one. That they are just brilliant bikes just makes it an easy choice.
I'm one of those who have gotten effectively free cycling from Islabikes. If I moved the two I have now on at market value I'm looking at less than £100 outlay for four bikes for two kids over 10 years, and - importantly - they have not had one issue or fix required other than the odd bit of brake and derailleur adjustment. They are light, handle well and the kids love to ride them.
There were few grumbles about colour or suspension etc. once they saw how lumpen and grotty most of the things their friends have, with squidgy plastic brake levers and enough weight to force them to get off and push up hills my two can fly up.
Listen to me. I always sound like a bloody evangelist in these threads. Gotta keep those resale values high until my kids grow up though, right
Kids' bikes by their very nature are 'disposable' in that you will always want to dispose of the thing at some point, whether after one child has outgrown it or three.
They're also unlikely to 'wear out' in this time so it's pretty short-sighted to overlook what it'll cost you over the 3-5 years it will be yours.
Islabikes are hands-down winners in this regard (buy a secondhand one for £250 today and you can almost guarantee you'll get that in three years for it) so unless someone can't afford the initial price, or has compelling reasons for preferring another bike/brand (colour/availability etc.) it seems to me a no-brainer to go for one. That they are just brilliant bikes just makes it an easy choice.
I'm one of those who have gotten effectively free cycling from Islabikes. If I moved the two I have now on at market value I'm looking at less than £100 outlay for four bikes for two kids over 10 years, and - importantly - they have not had one issue or fix required other than the odd bit of brake and derailleur adjustment. They are light, handle well and the kids love to ride them.
There were few grumbles about colour or suspension etc. once they saw how lumpen and grotty most of the things their friends have, with squidgy plastic brake levers and enough weight to force them to get off and push up hills my two can fly up.
Listen to me. I always sound like a bloody evangelist in these threads. Gotta keep those resale values high until my kids grow up though, right
The handy thing with Frog's is you can buy them built ready to go from your LBS.
My 2nd eldest daughter now has a Frog 72 in the funky Union Jack colours, we let her choose between that and a small adult bike earlier this year, she is more interested in riding now which is a good thing and much faster!
Frog's are close to isla bikes in quality now, they have done lots of work on crank lengths and how wide they are to make them good for kids. Trek have a similar offering now too, I'd say choice of quality bikes for kids is better than ever.
The Frog Road bikes come supplied with off road tyres as a deemed suitable for CX.
My 2nd eldest daughter now has a Frog 72 in the funky Union Jack colours, we let her choose between that and a small adult bike earlier this year, she is more interested in riding now which is a good thing and much faster!
Frog's are close to isla bikes in quality now, they have done lots of work on crank lengths and how wide they are to make them good for kids. Trek have a similar offering now too, I'd say choice of quality bikes for kids is better than ever.
The Frog Road bikes come supplied with off road tyres as a deemed suitable for CX.
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