Kids bikes

get on your bike

Is it worth the investment of an Islabike for a 4 year old & possibly a 6 yr old. They both Hav their own bikes at the moment & are flying on them but wondering would a lighter, better bike make much of a difference

Cheers for thoughts in advance

kona

Unless they race in clubs, IMO buying expensive bikes for kids is silly, spend the money on a good one when they are teenagers. Kids go through probably 3 or so bikes by the time they get to 26" wheels

smacl

What I did for my kids bike was to put new lighter tyres on them, strip them down and regrease everything. The old MTB tyres were much heavier and slower on the roads, so this made a real difference on a small budget.

If you have the cash, Isla bikes seem to be worth the money. If you keep them in good nick they also seem very easy to sell on, so the final cost may be lower than you'd think. Depends really whether the weight of their existing bikes is starting to annoy them to the extent that they're cycling less.

Lumen

If they're flying on the bikes they have then I wouldn't chuck money at new ones.

It's a slippery slope...

manwithaplan

My 7 year old has an Islabike and it's great but I'm not entirely convinced it was worth the money. He's the second of our four children though so the bike will be handed down. Maybe keep an eye out for a second hand one.

seven stars

I had a recent thread asking a similar question.

We went with an Islabike in the end, and I'm still not sure whether it was the right thing to do. It's hard to justify the cost in the current climate. On the plus side: it's a lovely bike, he really likes it, it's very light, and he probably cycles more than any alternative we could have bought. On the minus side: it was pricey.

They do seem to retain more of their resale value than other bikes, and if he uses it a lot over the next few years I'll consider it money well spent.

Lumen

seven stars wrote: »

It's hard to justify the cost in the current climate.

I certainly don't think anyone should feel bad about seeking reasonable economies, but the fact remains that regardless of the size of the rider it is difficult to make a business out of selling bikes built from durable parts for less than a couple of hundred euros.

Bikes are not toys!

ashleey

I've just bought an islabike luath 26 for daughter number 2. Both bikes will be handed down in a few years which improves the economics. Also they get more use than the previous heavy lumps which again improves their cost to use balance. As they are red then they are unisex too which helps. Don't buy one until they are 9/10 also and they will fit for around up to age 14. All considered then that makes their high starting price worthwhile. Best of luck.

petethedrummer

If the kids are old enough to be out on the road then yeah, buy a good bike. If they are just messing around in a garden, estate or field then I don't see the need.

El Vino

If you have 2 kids but the Islabike for the older one as soon as he fits the 26" one, normally around 8 yrs of age, the sizing guide on the website is very accurate. having them on the standard size wheels is great for, tubes, tyres etc.
Beinn is a great bike, my eldest had one, it is perfect now fro his brother and I will get 60% of the value of it 2nd hand when he finishes with it.

get on your bike

Cheers for replies. They are flying on their bikes at the minute. As said they are 6 & 4 & mad for the cycling. Think I may stick to what they Hav for the moment & try put a few quid aside for down the road so to speak. Seen a lovely little Merida wit gears that would suit the 6 yr old also. Anybody got one of them. Think there was 4/5 gears on it also