Buying bikes for the whole family
Discussion
For my daughter's 7th birthday (though she is tall for her age), we are looking to upgrade her bike to one with gears. Myself and my wife are also going to get bikes, so we can do more of a family thing.
With the prospect of dropping nearly £500 on bikes I wanted to go in armed. I will look for a hard tailed mountain bike, aluminium type (i guess?) for myself, but will not be using it for anything too strenuous. The odd woodland path, muddy fields etc etc.
Wife & Daughter will just be general geared bike for long term use.
Current plan is to walk into Halfords and buy, but I dont want to do a ''Hi PC World, I want a laptop please'' and walk away with paying more then I should have.
Would Halfords offer a discount on buying three bikes at once?
Are there are good/bad ranges of bikes to look at? I was looking at the below as general use bikes - any good for the price?
For me:
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...
Wife:
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...
Daughter
http://www.halfords.com/kids-zone/kids-bikes/junio...
Any comments before my current account takes a hammering?
Thanks
With the prospect of dropping nearly £500 on bikes I wanted to go in armed. I will look for a hard tailed mountain bike, aluminium type (i guess?) for myself, but will not be using it for anything too strenuous. The odd woodland path, muddy fields etc etc.
Wife & Daughter will just be general geared bike for long term use.
Current plan is to walk into Halfords and buy, but I dont want to do a ''Hi PC World, I want a laptop please'' and walk away with paying more then I should have.
Would Halfords offer a discount on buying three bikes at once?
Are there are good/bad ranges of bikes to look at? I was looking at the below as general use bikes - any good for the price?
For me:
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...
Wife:
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...
Daughter
http://www.halfords.com/kids-zone/kids-bikes/junio...
Any comments before my current account takes a hammering?
Thanks
I would take a look at the B-Twin range from Decathlon. They seem to get very favourable reviews and offer decent value for money...
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-10829-bikes
Hopefully there is a store near you to take a look.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-10829-bikes
Hopefully there is a store near you to take a look.
The bike you're proposing for your wife is beyond rubbish, even for light leisure rides.
As above, try Decathlon for good value bikes, even their most basic models will be better than Halfords Apollo stuff.
Also, have a look at the online places like Wiggle. Generally they don't sell total rubbish like the Apollo above, as inevitably it'll have to go back to the shop once to have the wheels straightened, the brakes sorted out or the gears set up properly and that's not viable for an online retailer to deal with.
As above, try Decathlon for good value bikes, even their most basic models will be better than Halfords Apollo stuff.
Also, have a look at the online places like Wiggle. Generally they don't sell total rubbish like the Apollo above, as inevitably it'll have to go back to the shop once to have the wheels straightened, the brakes sorted out or the gears set up properly and that's not viable for an online retailer to deal with.
jamiebae said:
The bike you're proposing for your wife is beyond rubbish, even for light leisure rides.
As above, try Decathlon for good value bikes, even their most basic models will be better than Halfords Apollo stuff.
Also, have a look at the online places like Wiggle. Generally they don't sell total rubbish like the Apollo above, as inevitably it'll have to go back to the shop once to have the wheels straightened, the brakes sorted out or the gears set up properly and that's not viable for an online retailer to deal with.
As above, try Decathlon for good value bikes, even their most basic models will be better than Halfords Apollo stuff.
Also, have a look at the online places like Wiggle. Generally they don't sell total rubbish like the Apollo above, as inevitably it'll have to go back to the shop once to have the wheels straightened, the brakes sorted out or the gears set up properly and that's not viable for an online retailer to deal with.
Also, the bike you're looking at for your daughter will probably weigh more than she does!
If you can up the budget to around £275 for your daughter, I'd recommend Frog Bikes. If not, then for the budget you have, go for something second hand, as bikes depreciate quite quickly, and you'll get far, far more bike for your money.
As above. The bike you have chosen is reasonably for the money, although you will get equally as good if not better elsewhere.
The other two bikes are dreadful. All you will do is out your wife and daughter off cycling.
There are plenty of other places to try over Halfords - a proper bikeshop being one, or a Decathlon if there is one nearby.
I would suggest that £300 is about the starting point for reasonable quality adult bikes.
The other two bikes are dreadful. All you will do is out your wife and daughter off cycling.
There are plenty of other places to try over Halfords - a proper bikeshop being one, or a Decathlon if there is one nearby.
I would suggest that £300 is about the starting point for reasonable quality adult bikes.
Avoid cheaper bikes with suspension, it will be ineffective and add lots of weight.
The wife/daughter bikes are very heavy and will not be fun to ride, the Apollo Vivid weighs 16kgs or 35lbs. Thats far to heavy for a childs bike.
As others have said, the Btwin range at decathalon is well worth a look, as is the Pinnacle range at Evans. My wife has a Pinancle Neon One which she loves so I can recommend them. As an example, the Neon One weighs 10kgs, so an adults bike is 6kg lighter than the childs bike you found!
I can see why you want new bikes but Frog and Islabikes are good child-specific bikes and you can easily pick up second hand ones with minimal wear as children outgrow them. If you want cycling to be a family thing, you really need to think about lightweight bikes that they will enjoy riding, not heavy bikes that will be a chore.
You may need to add a little bit more to the budget but I'd personally look for a second hand Islabike, get your wife the Neon One and you find something yourself within whats left of the budget...
The wife/daughter bikes are very heavy and will not be fun to ride, the Apollo Vivid weighs 16kgs or 35lbs. Thats far to heavy for a childs bike.
As others have said, the Btwin range at decathalon is well worth a look, as is the Pinnacle range at Evans. My wife has a Pinancle Neon One which she loves so I can recommend them. As an example, the Neon One weighs 10kgs, so an adults bike is 6kg lighter than the childs bike you found!
I can see why you want new bikes but Frog and Islabikes are good child-specific bikes and you can easily pick up second hand ones with minimal wear as children outgrow them. If you want cycling to be a family thing, you really need to think about lightweight bikes that they will enjoy riding, not heavy bikes that will be a chore.
You may need to add a little bit more to the budget but I'd personally look for a second hand Islabike, get your wife the Neon One and you find something yourself within whats left of the budget...
pablo said:
You may need to add a little bit more to the budget but I'd personally look for a second hand Islabike,
Totally agree. I thought I was doing my son a favour with a Ridgeback Aluminium framed MX16 but even that was super heavy compared to his Islabike which I got off Preloved for £175, including mudguards, stand & bottle carrier which new totals £373.I expect to get most of that back upon resale too - try that with some Halfords Apollo rubbish!
If it was me I would spend most of the money on a new Islabike for your daughter and get you and the wife something simple of an auction site.
Financially and practically this makes much more sense. Simple, decent adult bikes are 10 a penny secondhand but the Islabike is rightly coveted and will always be worth a high percentage of the upfront cost.
Also as a family it will mean she will be able to keep up with you both and she will enjoy the whole experience so much more.
Edited to add: if you can find a geared Islabike for a decent secondhand price (and in good nick) then jump on it quick!
Financially and practically this makes much more sense. Simple, decent adult bikes are 10 a penny secondhand but the Islabike is rightly coveted and will always be worth a high percentage of the upfront cost.
Also as a family it will mean she will be able to keep up with you both and she will enjoy the whole experience so much more.
Edited to add: if you can find a geared Islabike for a decent secondhand price (and in good nick) then jump on it quick!
Edited by 272BHP on Monday 4th April 21:07
I would really think hard about the hardtail. Ridgeback does some nice entry level "commuter" style bikes which would work on unpaved pathways perfectly well, and will be far better on proper surfaced roads and paths. Unless you really intend to bash along bumpy trails, a hardtail at that price range is a heavy excess.
I reckon you need another £150-£200 on your budget to get you all onto something more appropriate that you'll enjoy and won't put you off cycling.
I reckon you need another £150-£200 on your budget to get you all onto something more appropriate that you'll enjoy and won't put you off cycling.
https://www.frogbikes.com/lightweight-kids-bikes/h...
The frog bikes get good write ups ,my mate has bought one for is daughter and is impressed with it
The frog bikes get good write ups ,my mate has bought one for is daughter and is impressed with it
subsea99 said:
https://www.frogbikes.com/lightweight-kids-bikes/h...
The frog bikes get good write ups ,my mate has bought one for is daughter and is impressed with it
My 8yr old son has one. It's not quite as featherlight as his older sister's Islabike was, but it was over £100 cheaper, came with both semi-slick and knobbly tyres, and he quite happily rode it round the red trail at Swinley on Friday without it falling to bits like and Apollo would've done.The frog bikes get good write ups ,my mate has bought one for is daughter and is impressed with it
I reckon it will do him for another couple of years, at which point I'll sell it on eBay and put the money towards second hand bits to build up a decent quality 26" hardtail for a fraction of the cost of what it would've been new. It's amazing how much more bang for your buck you can get out of second hand parts once the kids fit onto 26".
I'm not a 'Halfords Hater' either, but the kid's Apollo offerings are not great.
I've got an Apollo PsyKick in the garage - it's a geared, "full suspension" offering that did see some use, but wasn't very good at all, too heavy, and not what you'd call robust in terms of the gear shifters which were fitted. I can't seem to be able to give it away now. So whilst I have no experience of Islabikes or Frog output, given what parents who've bought them have said I recommend going down that route. I'd certainly not go down the cheap, mass-market route for a kids bike.
Generally speaking, I'd try to avoid Apollo and Carerra bikes from Halfords too. Although they are worth a look for Voodoo, 13, and Boardman bikes, especially with sales and deals on older bikes from stock.
Try a local bike shop or two. Get some advice. Some are refreshingly honest if you can get them to open up. At the lower end of the price range the bike manufacturers are still selling their bikes as "Mountain Bikes" but the gear sets they are supplied with are suitable only for 'light off road leisure riding" according to the component manufacturers.
Good luck with the search, though. Cycling as a family can be a massive amount of fun, but not on 'orrible 'eavy bikes it isn't, as my wife and kids would happily tell you. I learned the hard way, and wasted money in the process...
I've got an Apollo PsyKick in the garage - it's a geared, "full suspension" offering that did see some use, but wasn't very good at all, too heavy, and not what you'd call robust in terms of the gear shifters which were fitted. I can't seem to be able to give it away now. So whilst I have no experience of Islabikes or Frog output, given what parents who've bought them have said I recommend going down that route. I'd certainly not go down the cheap, mass-market route for a kids bike.
Generally speaking, I'd try to avoid Apollo and Carerra bikes from Halfords too. Although they are worth a look for Voodoo, 13, and Boardman bikes, especially with sales and deals on older bikes from stock.
Try a local bike shop or two. Get some advice. Some are refreshingly honest if you can get them to open up. At the lower end of the price range the bike manufacturers are still selling their bikes as "Mountain Bikes" but the gear sets they are supplied with are suitable only for 'light off road leisure riding" according to the component manufacturers.
Good luck with the search, though. Cycling as a family can be a massive amount of fun, but not on 'orrible 'eavy bikes it isn't, as my wife and kids would happily tell you. I learned the hard way, and wasted money in the process...
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1951558/
Great value and you wont lose much at resale time,there is also a frog bike for sale as well for the £200 mark
Great value and you wont lose much at resale time,there is also a frog bike for sale as well for the £200 mark
I've just done this recently for my family. There is nothing wrong with Halfords if you want a new bike, though here are a few pointers based on my experience.
Avoid Apollo like the plague even the Halfords guy mentioned this. I bought my 13 year old daughter a new Carrera ?? which has been great for the year or so she has had it. I have a new Voodoo Bizango which is good (am changing to a Boardman soon, though that is another storey)
Remember at Halfords to use discounts. I got a 10% code off the internet and am a (£13) member of British cycling which is worth another 10% (off all cycling stuff) so my Bizango was £486. It is possible to save some more (google).
Halfords are very hit and miss with their mechanics and set up so may be worth getting a LBS to have a look.
I was going to buy another new Carrera for my wife but as I cycle at Sherwood Pines I noticed an ex hire bike for sale. They sell off their fleet of mountain bikes at approx 6 months old, so I got a Felt MTB which is a June 2015 bike and we paid £200. To be honest the bike is brilliant and she loves it. It came fully serviced with new brake pads, seat and grips. I would have bought my daughter one. Most trail centres sell off their hire fleet for £200 - £300 and remember to make an offer.
For my son who is 9, I found a second hand Carrera Blast which was £75 from a bike charity. It had been looked at by their mechanic so had no problems. It came with trigger shifts which he finds much better than the twist gears on most kids bike. He has had it for 2 months now and loves it. As he is growing so quick I will be looking for an ex hire bike as above before too long.
Total spend for me on 4 bikes was about £1000 and don't forget all the kit, even just helmets and gloves add up.
Avoid Apollo like the plague even the Halfords guy mentioned this. I bought my 13 year old daughter a new Carrera ?? which has been great for the year or so she has had it. I have a new Voodoo Bizango which is good (am changing to a Boardman soon, though that is another storey)
Remember at Halfords to use discounts. I got a 10% code off the internet and am a (£13) member of British cycling which is worth another 10% (off all cycling stuff) so my Bizango was £486. It is possible to save some more (google).
Halfords are very hit and miss with their mechanics and set up so may be worth getting a LBS to have a look.
I was going to buy another new Carrera for my wife but as I cycle at Sherwood Pines I noticed an ex hire bike for sale. They sell off their fleet of mountain bikes at approx 6 months old, so I got a Felt MTB which is a June 2015 bike and we paid £200. To be honest the bike is brilliant and she loves it. It came fully serviced with new brake pads, seat and grips. I would have bought my daughter one. Most trail centres sell off their hire fleet for £200 - £300 and remember to make an offer.
For my son who is 9, I found a second hand Carrera Blast which was £75 from a bike charity. It had been looked at by their mechanic so had no problems. It came with trigger shifts which he finds much better than the twist gears on most kids bike. He has had it for 2 months now and loves it. As he is growing so quick I will be looking for an ex hire bike as above before too long.
Total spend for me on 4 bikes was about £1000 and don't forget all the kit, even just helmets and gloves add up.
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