Decent multi use starter bike for my boy
Discussion
Hope someone can offer some useful input, because I don't really have a clue.
My boy is 4 (5 in April) and loves his bike. The stabilizers came off this time last year and we can barely get him off his current one. It's a Raleigh MX12, with 12" wheels.
As well as riding round the garden, and coming for rides with me, he goes every Tuesday night through the spring and summer to a club with about 300 other kids where they have races by age group around a tarmac circuit which I guess is about 800m. He loves it and peddles his heart out but kids on bigger bikes leave him for dead.
I am not a pushy parent, and never expect him to be the next Mark Cavendish (although he did start out at the same Tuesday club) but since he needs a bigger bike anyway and gets loads of use from it I would like to et him something decent. The lighter the better as well for the wife lifting it in and out of the car.
He also like the local BMX track.
On Tuesday nights, and at BMX there are kids aged 4 and 5 on bikes that cos long hundreds of pounds, like I say, I have no desire for it to take over his life, but snce he enjoys it and seems quiet good I don't want him to lose spirit when other kids fly past him every week.
So, requirements are budget up to £200. Must be OK for BMX track, cycle club on tarmac, and general things that kids his age do on a bike.
I've narrowed it down to 2, but wondered if some of you, who actually know what you are talking about, had any input
Cheers
http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/cnoc16.html
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/specialized-hotrock...
My boy is 4 (5 in April) and loves his bike. The stabilizers came off this time last year and we can barely get him off his current one. It's a Raleigh MX12, with 12" wheels.
As well as riding round the garden, and coming for rides with me, he goes every Tuesday night through the spring and summer to a club with about 300 other kids where they have races by age group around a tarmac circuit which I guess is about 800m. He loves it and peddles his heart out but kids on bigger bikes leave him for dead.
I am not a pushy parent, and never expect him to be the next Mark Cavendish (although he did start out at the same Tuesday club) but since he needs a bigger bike anyway and gets loads of use from it I would like to et him something decent. The lighter the better as well for the wife lifting it in and out of the car.
He also like the local BMX track.
On Tuesday nights, and at BMX there are kids aged 4 and 5 on bikes that cos long hundreds of pounds, like I say, I have no desire for it to take over his life, but snce he enjoys it and seems quiet good I don't want him to lose spirit when other kids fly past him every week.
So, requirements are budget up to £200. Must be OK for BMX track, cycle club on tarmac, and general things that kids his age do on a bike.
I've narrowed it down to 2, but wondered if some of you, who actually know what you are talking about, had any input
Cheers
http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/cnoc16.html
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/specialized-hotrock...
Woaha!
My Son has also just turned 5, and has just outgrown his MX12!
Anyway, I trawled around the local LBSs and checked out a few and settled on the Hotrock. The geo suited him nicely. I had some concerns about the rear coaster brake, but my lad really struggles with normal lever brakes - we were at Bluestone back in the summer and he couldn't stop himself on the steep hills without dragging his feet on the floor. But I didn't think he'd 'get' back peddling to slow down but took to it straight away in the shop.
It's also made of the same material as my Endruo (which is nice) it's noticably lighter than his old MX12 depite being bigger and lighter than the Giant, Trek and Dawes bikes we tried.
My Son has also just turned 5, and has just outgrown his MX12!
Anyway, I trawled around the local LBSs and checked out a few and settled on the Hotrock. The geo suited him nicely. I had some concerns about the rear coaster brake, but my lad really struggles with normal lever brakes - we were at Bluestone back in the summer and he couldn't stop himself on the steep hills without dragging his feet on the floor. But I didn't think he'd 'get' back peddling to slow down but took to it straight away in the shop.
It's also made of the same material as my Endruo (which is nice) it's noticably lighter than his old MX12 depite being bigger and lighter than the Giant, Trek and Dawes bikes we tried.
Have a look at the Ridgeback MX16. Shop I worked a did the Specialized, Ridgeback, Giant kids bikes etc (and others on order) but I always favoured the Ridebacks in 12, 16 and 20" wheeled flavour.
They are good quality alu like the hotrock, but they have proper brakes (up to your lad really if this is a good thing or not) with proper childrens levers.
Importantly for me they use a 1inch quill stem where the hotrock has an a-headset - this means theres extra adjustment in the bars so the bike grows with the kid a bit longer. And there a chunk cheaper than the Specialized equivalents.
The other main reason is that the majority of young tinkers seemed to pick the Rideback models out as favourite because they usually come in small-boy friendly, eye searingly bright colours, like neon orange or nuclear puke green. Which is ACE if your 4 years old!
(Not sure what colour the 2010 MX16 is though)
They are good quality alu like the hotrock, but they have proper brakes (up to your lad really if this is a good thing or not) with proper childrens levers.
Importantly for me they use a 1inch quill stem where the hotrock has an a-headset - this means theres extra adjustment in the bars so the bike grows with the kid a bit longer. And there a chunk cheaper than the Specialized equivalents.
The other main reason is that the majority of young tinkers seemed to pick the Rideback models out as favourite because they usually come in small-boy friendly, eye searingly bright colours, like neon orange or nuclear puke green. Which is ACE if your 4 years old!
(Not sure what colour the 2010 MX16 is though)
I'd be looking at something like this....
http://www.bmxtalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=319...
The wheels are a bit delicate for hacking about off curbs and general street abbuse but he'll fly round the tarmac course, and it's build for the BMX track so covers those 2 bases.
http://www.bmxtalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=319...
The wheels are a bit delicate for hacking about off curbs and general street abbuse but he'll fly round the tarmac course, and it's build for the BMX track so covers those 2 bases.
HundredthIdiot said:
The CNOC 16 is a really, really nice piece of kit.
My son went from a Hotrock 12 to that, and there is no comparison at all. The Islabike is on a different level altogether.
+1.My son went from a Hotrock 12 to that, and there is no comparison at all. The Islabike is on a different level altogether.
Also, you`ll get a good chunk of money back if you decide to sell later on. A Cnoc has just sold on the bay for £82 used. Not a bad return.
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