Lightweight bike for 5yr old

drunkmonkey

Any recommendations, he's not a cyclist yet so I'll still need to use stabilisers. Bit of a hill coming out of the house so something as light as possible not to make it hard on him.
Just looking around and seems I need something with 16 inch wheels. His old Raleigh striker is too small and it's also very heavy.
Spotted this one in Evans cycles but can't see anything similar here.
https://www.evanscycles.com/en-ie/pinnacle-koto-16-inch-2019-kids-bike-EV275988

Taxuser1

wheel upgrade.

https://shop.lightweight.info/en/Certified,Pre,Owned/

drunkmonkey

His younger brother is using his old one it's a 12 inch..

smacl

Last kids bike we bought was a Frog bike. Great kids bikes IMHO, we go ours from Daly's in Dundrum.

Perciville

+1 on the Frog Bike.

Lumen

Don't use stabilisers. They are absolutely counter-productive and will delay proper skills development.

G1032

Wiggins bikes are light, well made. Every bit as good at the Frog bikes.

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/kids-bikes/wiggins-macon-kids-bike-16-wheel

You can order into the store to have a look at it with no obligation to buy

fat bloke

G1032 wrote: »

Wiggins bikes are light, well made. Every bit as good at the Frog bikes.

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/kids-bikes/wiggins-macon-kids-bike-16-wheel

You can order into the store to have a look at it with no obligation to buy

Yep. They're really good

drunkmonkey

Lumen wrote: »

Don't use stabilisers. They are absolutely counter-productive and will delay proper skills development.

What do you suggest instead? He's very cautious, afraid if he falls he won't get back up in a hurry.

One of the frog bikes a bit closer to me than dundrum but it's got gears which i'm not sure he should have starting off https://www.donedeal.ie/bicycles-for-sale/frog-55-bike/21554858

Take the pedals off? Let him scoot on it making it effectively a balance bike starting out, or lower the saddle so his feet can easily reach the ground.

I still remember my mam and dad holding me up on my bmx in the driveway where we used to live and that wasn't yesterday lol.

My eldest was 3 starting out and I made the mistake of leaving the stabilisers on hers too long but really once they went she wasn't long getting it.

The fact is he's going to fall off at some point , it's part of learning. Some of us with years of experience still do

A Law

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/kids-bikes/carrera-cosmos-kids-bike-14-wheel-white

My lad has this. Find it very good. Had 30% and use the AXA card when I got mine. Also come in 12"

JMcL

+1 for frog as well - should be similar price to the Evans one you linked to, plus it'll pass to the younger sibling(s) as well if looked after. Go for 16" - not 14" and don't worry too much about gears.

Try to avoid stabalisers. Take him somewhere flat where he can practice - he'll probably get the hang of it in an hour or two. Aside from the skills aspect, stabalisers are also a menace where there's any sort of slope running across the path/road as the kid ends up riding at an angle

Lumen

drunkmonkey wrote: »

What do you suggest instead? He's very cautious, afraid if he falls he won't get back up in a hurry.

One of the frog bikes a bit closer to me than dundrum but it's got gears which i'm not sure he should have starting off https://www.donedeal.ie/bicycles-for-sale/frog-55-bike/21554858

As Enfilade says, take the pedals off and lower the saddle so he can use it as a balance bike.

My kids were cycling proper pedal bikes at age 3-4 but are teenagers now and they still remember how much they loved their first balance bikes! They were gutted when I sold them on, the betrayal still burns. .

Alek

From my research in this topic, in the increasing weight order. All highly recommended from the usability / kids geometry standpoint.

First: Woom bikes are great and possibly the lightest.

Second Islabikes (super sturdy, slightly heavier)

Third Hoy Bonaly from Evanscycles

Fourth Frog bikes

Nisio

Another vote here for the wiggans kids bike, light and the brake levers are a good size for kids hands

Lewotsil

+1 on frog bikes ....and lose the stabilisers

C3PO

I used a harness similar to this and had both my kids cycling in less than a day!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BikyBiky-Learn-Cycle-Safety-Harness/dp/B008AVIZNU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=kids%2Bharness%2Bcycling&qid=1555112489&s=gateway&sr=8-1&th=1&psc=1

drunkmonkey

That harness looks like the way to go rather than stabilisers. Think I'll pay a trip to Halfords tomorrow just weighted the little Raleigh striker and it's 10kg which probably explains why they struggle with it.

Type 17

For practice, get them onto grass - the higher rolling resistance keeps things slow, so they don't feel that the bike is running away, and if they do fall, it's a lot softer than concrete/tarmac.

harringtonp

Bought a Woom 4

https://woombikes.com/products/4?ls=en#section-product

for my little fellow last year just a couple of months before his 6 birthday. He loves it and glad didn't go for the Woom 3. Have done sections on 3 greenways on it BTW.

I'd be weary of their customer service though, mail below. Note that the "buckle" never got worse and never became a real issue

----

Hello Paul,

It may well be that this happens.
Please drive only a few meters then it should not be better you can sign up again.

Best regards, Dominik

woom GmbH
Inkustrasse 1-7 / Halle 14 / Top 5
3400 Klosterneuburg
Europe / Austria

phone +43 2243 23923
woom@woombikes.com
www.woombikes.com
Facebook Instagram
Awards
....................................................................
On Thu, May 3, 2018 at 12:21:32 CEST, Harringtonp
Hi,

Not sure what happened but the bike has arrived. I have just set it up and notice that the front wheel is about 2mm out of tru, see video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMt8MXLChdc&feature=youtu.be

It is not really something I would expect from a bike at that price and am wondering is it something that could get worse with time (I needed to let the front brake out a little).

I'm happy to try him on it but if it gets worse in the next few months would you be able to send a replacement front wheel ? I would be happy to change over the tyre and tube on to it.

Or do you have other procedures you follow in these cases ?

The rear wheel is fine by the way.

Regards Paul.

drunkmonkey

Halfords a bit of a disaster no carreras or wiggin in stock, 2 week wait and need to click and collect online, was going to buy 2 today with the trade in deal.
Just pulled the trigger on this, https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/early-rider-belter-trail-16-732612

Alek

It's the rollce royce of kids bikes, dear sir. Well wear!

drunkmonkey

Stumbled upon it when looking at the specialized riprock coaster. Hopefully it'll be with us a good few years...first bike I noticed with a belt drive.

work

Have purchased early rider bikes for up to 7yoa (current age). I do not believe you will do any better than this, incredibly light and well built. I think they have gone online unfortunately though.

mloc123

G1032 wrote: »

Wiggins bikes are light, well made. Every bit as good at the Frog bikes.

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/kids-bikes/wiggins-macon-kids-bike-16-wheel

You can order into the store to have a look at it with no obligation to buy

Yeah, bought a the Wiggins balance bike for my son and it is very good. Light and proper components

letape

I’m a big fan of Islabikes. We’ve had them all from the Rothan balance ike to the beinn 20.

The cnoc 16 is a really nice, light bike.

iryka

My little one had Early Rider Belter 16".I loved the bike.I wish I could have one:)No grease,no dirty trousers or dirt in a boot.Really lovely one.But!Its very expensive and,as my son is on the shorter side,it was slightly more difficult to ride ER,compared to Isla16".The geometry of the bikes is slightly different.He was ok to ride ER from first go and he liked the bike,but could not be as fast as his friend on Isla.So I bought him Isla 20"as a next bike and he really enjoys it.If your child is taller one -I would definitely go for ER Belter,otherwise Isla is good.

drunkmonkey

He's tall for his age easily over the size requirements for it, I'd love to get his little brother on it but he's a few cm shy of the inside leg height, going to take them down to the car park one by one by the weekend and which ever one takes to it owns it.
Glad I asked the question about the bike, I've gone from must need stabilisers to thinking of having one of them on a pump track in the next few weeks. The sooner they can follow me off road the better way too much dust on my own bike it's got very little action since the first guy was born.
Have one of those training vests ordered from biky biky and the bike is packed just waiting on pick up by DHL.

Rew

My oldest kid (6) has started on Strider balance bike -> Halfords Carrera Cosmos 14" (no pedals) -> Halfords Carrera Cosmos 14" (with pedals) -> Cube Kid 20" 7 speed.

Middle fella (4) went Strider -> Cosmos 14" (with pedals)

Youngest (2) has started out on the Strider now.

Carrera is 6kg the cube is about 9kg. Hills are always a problem with the Carrera, grear in the Cube helps and we went with it as it has a big bail out ring just for that.

A lot to be said for removing the pedals for awhile for instead of going with stabilisers, the older 2 are flying around no prob and the transition to pedals was easy.

drunkmonkey

You can't by the Halfords in store only click and collect via online and going that way it'd be the end of the month before there in store to pick up.
They were very disappointed yesterday all set for new bikes and we had the paw patrol scooter ready for trade in. Rang around a few Halfords and they were all the same no carreras or wigging available off the shelf. If the other bike shop in portlaoise was open would have ended up with some frog bikes was disappointed going home with nothing for the pair of them.