BMX vs good cycling bike (Islabikes) for kids

get on your bike

Hi all,

Just wondering what yis think. I know it's early but thinking of presents for kids at Xmas, purely from a what do I have to save point of view.

They love their bikes & was wondering if I can 1. Justify the cost of a BMX. We the people seed start @ €400 which to be fair is pricey enough. They say they are very well built, geometry is right etc etc. a halfords equivelent is €200 odd so quite a saving Althou bike apparently alot heavier. Again can u justify the difference. Also I Hav to get 2 of em. One for a 7 yr old & the other a 5 yr old.

Secondly I'm wondering if I'd it better putting the money into a Islabike which seem to have great rep for kids cycling bikes. Light with the right geometry etc. the boys are into going & do go to the skateparks hence dd BMX influence.

Mmmm any thoughts?

AlanConnolly

I'd be going Halfords for the moment.

Spend the money you save on stuff for YOUR bike.

Seriously, don't think the lads would get any benefit outa a bike costing extra €200...... Once it 'looks' great they'll love it

Miklos

You can't beat a BMX for the sheer simplicity of it. Very little to go wrong there, very little for the lads to have to think about except pedalling and looking out for cars!

CianRyan

If the 8 year old is using it in skateparks there's no way I'd trust the Halfords bike and it would have to be a BMX.
WTP make great bikes and they'd last them years, they're not just kids bikes, half the lads in their 20's in the skatepark would be riding them.

fenris

A heavy bike will be a problem for the 5 year old in particular, look at the kids weight compared to the bike then think about yourself cycling a motorbike!

Any up hill gets to be a problem and as I discovered, little hands can't always generate the stopping power needed to stop a realtively heavy bike moving fast (rental bike, Morzine, big bump on little head and lots of explaining to Mum and Grannies)

The BMX for the older one if he has a bit of power in his legs might not be a bad call, but for the younger one the Islabike or something similar is the way to go as they are light and have brakes sized for little hands.

The last thing you need is the youngest getting put off cycling because of trying to keep up with the big brother when on a heavy bike, whereas the heavier BMX will slow down the older lad and survive whatever he throws at it (or it at), giving you some chance of gettig both out together.

There is always a market for bikes like the Isla bikes when he grows out of it whereas most of the cheaper heavier Halfords type ones just end up in the skip.

get on your bike

Interesting comments. Cheers. Do u think de WTP seed would last them a good few years

El Vino

If buying a BMX check out the Top tube length, you might have to go to the manufacturers website to find these. Kids of 5 & 7 need an 18" TT max and preferably a 18" wheel. The We the people Arcade comes with an 18" wheel (also 20" model.)
Rutland leisure are selling Haros on ebay.co.uk with 20" wheels and 18" top tubes with a big discount.

I'd be tempted to buy the older one the Islabike as you will be able to pass it to both, My 8 yr old is on his older brothers Beinn 20 now and his sister is on his old Cnoc 18. They are great bikes and you usually can make a decent amount back when you sell on.

I'm now scouring ebay for 2nd hand BMXs as they have discovered the skate park and dirt jumping.

get on your bike

El Vino wrote: »

If buying a BMX check out the Top tube length, you might have to go to the manufacturers website to find these. Kids of 5 & 7 need an 18" TT max and preferably a 18" wheel. The We the people Arcade comes with an 18" wheel (also 20" model.)
Rutland leisure are selling Haros on ebay.co.uk with 20" wheels and 18" top tubes with a big discount.

I'd be tempted to buy the older one the Islabike as you will be able to pass it to both, My 8 yr old is on his older brothers Beinn 20 now and his sister is on his old Cnoc 18. They are great bikes and you usually can make a decent amount back when you sell on.

I'm now scouring ebay for 2nd hand BMXs as they have discovered the skate park and dirt jumping.

Cheers for reply. Would never get away wit de elder lad on Isla or similar & younger on BMX. The younger one would Hav serious bragging rights etc but it is a good idea. I'll check out those ones u recommended. Is rutland leisure web based or is there a shop locally

Lumen

AlanConnolly wrote: »

I'd be going Halfords for the moment.

Spend the money you save on stuff for YOUR bike.

Seriously, don't think the lads would get any benefit outa a bike costing extra €200...... Once it 'looks' great they'll love it

I could not disagree with this more. Decent vs crap kids bikes are like the difference between a Cervelo (or whatever) and a Dublin bike. They can appreciate the difference if they're given the opportunity to do so.

Of course if they're just going to use them for hacking around the garden/estate or whatever then it doesn't matter, but there are plenty of opportunities for proper cycling with kids.

I wrote a bit about my experiences with BMXs and Islabikes here a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=80077882

Kids bikes are just like adult ones, there's no one type of bike that's good for everything, but I would probably avoid gears for as long as possible as kids don't really get much advantage out of them.

get on your bike

Lumen wrote: »

AlanConnolly wrote: »

I'd be going Halfords for the moment.

Spend the money you save on stuff for YOUR bike.

Seriously, don't think the lads would get any benefit outa a bike costing extra €200...... Once it 'looks' great they'll love it

I could not disagree with this more. Decent vs crap kids bikes are like the difference between a Cervelo (or whatever) and a Dublin bike. They can appreciate the difference if they're given the opportunity to do so.

Of course if they're just going to use them for hacking around the garden/estate or whatever then it doesn't matter, but there are plenty of opportunities for proper cycling with kids.

I wrote a bit about my experiences with BMXs and Islabikes here a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=80077882

Kids bikes are just like adult ones, there's no one type of bike that's good for everything, but I would probably avoid gears for as long as possible as kids don't really get much advantage out of them.

That haro mini looks really good. Where can u get them

Lumen

get on your bike wrote: »

That haro mini looks really good. Where can u get them

http://www.bikestore.ie/catalogsearch/result/?q=haro+mini&x=0&y=0

fago

Santy brought 2 Isla bikes for my 4 and 6 year olds this year.

They are expensive but like anything else an investment. I compare the use that they get out of them to the neighbours kids with the standard much heavier bikes.

The biggest difference with the lighter bike is that they are likely to want to get on them and cycle because they are fast, well balanced and easy to ride.