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Which one? Seems to be quite a lot of choice. I’m told frog bikes are very good, looking at them they seem to be very close in sizes, so not sure if we will need a 40 or 48.
He was good on a balance bike but I made the mistake of buying a bso (that he picked) and it weighs more than my bike so he has been put off. Don’t want to make a second mistake.
No change with the lockdown of trying in store and birthday is next month.
He,s 110cm tall.
Giant ARX are very much worth a look.
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/arx-20
Light, stable, excellent value for money. All the right touches, like reach adjustable brake levers, thinner grips etc.
Got a Frog for our 4 year old, it's quite nice and she likes it. Had an isla bike before which was undoubtedly nicer but couldn't stomach their updated pricing. The details on the isla bike where better, thin grips, better brake levers etc. Whether it was worth a hundred pounds over the Frog is debatable.
Got a little Dawes balance bike as well, their kids stuff seems nice too.
When I sized the Frog I just measured the inside leg and followed their guidelines. Seemed spot on. I'd always get a bike that's the right size rather than one that needs grown into, even by a cm or 2.
Sophie has a commencal ramones 16
We went balance bike to a couple of BSOs and my son never really got on that well. At 5 and a half I got a second hand Isla Beinn 20 for under £200, and it totally transformed his approach and he loves riding now.
My advice would be buy secondhand, ride it until it doesn't fit, sell for pretty much what you paid. The Islas hold their value so we'll, mostly because they're just great little bikes.
Do yourself a favour and at that age just get them something relatively cheap and cheerful. They wont recognise or appreciate the additional quality of a decent kids bike over a bog standard one from Halfords or something with stipes and bright stickers etc. You know...fun. And ultimately they are growing so fast at that age they'll blow through the bike in no time so don't invest anything signifiant in the bike and save getting their first decent or proper bike until they are older and if they decide they actually like cycling...unfortunately my kids have not shown such an interest.
I jumped on the Frog bikes for my kids and they've been brilliant things and I'd recommend them all day long...but they're not cheap and although you get very good resale returns that partially funds the next bike, it would have just been simpler if I'd have got cheaper bikes for how the kids used them. I think the Frog 69 I got for my eldest she outgrew that in about a year and it was handed down to my younger daughter and she's outgrown it in a year to 18 months or so and I can count the number of bike rides on one hand, mostly they just messed about and played on them so all that quality components and lightweight frame was wasted on them.
Also thinking back to when I were a lad and what I did with bikes was I trashed them. I was building ramps, skidding, falling off alot damaging me and the bike, dropping it onto the floor. It was a tool for playing and not a thing for serious bike rides. And as a result the bikes I had were scratched, dented and trashed by the time I finished with them. I had a blast though. Forcing kids on boring bike rides in my experience just causes you headaches as you end up fighting with your kids when all they want to do is play...and if they start scratching up your expensive kids bike that you want to keep in good condition to maximise resale value, and the kids leaving them in the street as they go off into a mates house to play something and it gets nicked, then you get all p'd off and get angry with your kid for no good reason at all other than to protect your 'investment'.
Go on all kids are different and if all your kid wants to do is go on proper bike rides all day then fair enough, but if the bike is a play thing then don't bother with the more expensive bikes. They're like cat food in that it is designed to appeal to the cat owners and not the cat...the cat would rather have a manky old bird than a bowl of tender beef stew in thick gravy with peas and carrots. Similarly expensive kids bikes are designed to appeal to the parents rather than the kids who just want go faster stripes, lasers and mudguards you can fold back on the tyre so it makes a noise like a motorbike.
I bought an Islabike for my granddaughter for a little over £100 on ebay. It needed a new tyre and cable but otherwise perfect. The good thing is that it's much lighter than cheap Halfords bikes so when she is setting off a tiny effort on the pedals gets her going. She went from balance bike to riding the Islabike in about 5mins. It's not cheap but they do hold their value.
Frog, hoy, Isla, etc secondhand is way to go 16-20 inch wheels depending on your kids height
Definitely get rigid, 1x and not heavy 36 spoke wheels!
A lot of decent brands like specialized, cube, trek etc make entry level kids bikes that are way overspecced & overweight, when the specialist kid brands are lighter & more fun
Pinnacle. As good as the fancy ones but cheaper. Proper tyres unlike Islabike.
We got a new condition specialized riprock for our 3-and-a-half year old for £50. Tbh it's a bit big for him, but it would suit a 5 year old fine. Decent quality kit on it, the only odd thing is it's a rear coaster brake but he picked that up quickly too. Step up from a bso in quality, but same price. Win win
Also, hes completely smitten by the naming and just wants to ride it on rocks. Tells me the big wheels are better for them..
About to sell a red Isla that my 7yo has grown out of - if your interested PM me.
Wish I'd read this before I pressed go on a £90 more expensive Frog yesterday!
Still the same size Frog is 250g lighter, sure no end of blokes have justified way more £90 to upgrade to Dura Ace when the rider is far heavier than my skinny wee daughter.
A decent light bike will encourage the kid. My lad did 13k on his first Islabike outing, just wanted to keep going, he was about 5. Obviously there' a balance to be struck between spending silly money (and the Isla probably qualifies there) and weight, but a shitty heavy BSO is no comparison to a bike with kid-sized saddle, cranks, levers that they can have some fun on.
I got most of my cash back when selling on the Isla, so in that sense, they're good value - if you have another kid lined up fr a handmedown, then buying something decent makes sense also. There are a ot more companies making decent stuff now than there were, too.
Vitus 16 or 20?
I've just got our slightly less than 4 year old the 14 (as per This thread)
She loves it, I think it's ace, the 16 and 20 look pretty cool as well.
The argument around his long it lasts and potential returns is there against buying new/used, but you could day that about pretty much everything!
Hopefully she'll get a good year out of this then we'll move up a size. So long as they ride it and it doesn't sit unused, then spending a few quid more doesn't matter!
I got my lad a Wiggins like this:
https://www.cyclerepublic.com/catalog/product/view/_ignore_category/1/id/14290/s/wiggins-macon-16/
Dunno if you can still get them, it was a while ago, but a great little bike. It’s light and has proper geometry so it fits him well. Recommended.
I went for the ramones 16 because of the brakes; tyres; crank size; gearing.
My 5 year old (116cm tall) has an islabike beinn 20 small. Got it second hand, mint condition for about £250. New they're 400. It's really good kit.
He had been a wizz on his balance bike, but refused to ride his first pedal bike with the pedals on. I suspect that the small wheels made the handling a bit twitchy.
First time out on the Beinn he did 7km, and didn't want to stop.
I reckon it will fit him for a good 3 years, and I'll probably get most of the money back when it comes time to sell it on.
I can't recommend Early Rider bikes highly enough. They are fantastic but quite expensive.
Just bought my daughter an Early Rider Belter 16.
She was on a "Halfords special" and couldn't quite get it. It weighed near on 10kg! Within half hr on Belter 16 she was away. I was looking at Vitus 16 as well . Look very good value. I wanted second hand but kept losing out on Ebay.
Yes the Early Rider is expensive and yes she has no understanding of it being more expensive then any other bike but I like bikes and this has helped her out. We now go full bore around park for an hr a day. 🙂
Also I will defo be able to flick it on on Ebay for 200 quid when she outgrows it. So in reality 100 quid for a year of riding, that's not bad.
Wild bikes from Go Outdoors. Lighter than the equivalent Isla and cheaper.
I have had Isla bikes but can’t fault the Wild for the money.
Mini loved his Carrerra Cosmos.
Secondhand good condition Islabike and then resell for you bought it for.
I've just bought a Cnoc 14, which currently is pedals off, for my boy and it's transformed things from his original balance bike. Person selling thought it was worn out but simply had loose handlebars, headset, saddle and brakes. Quite an achievement and perfect after 2 minutes spannering.
Light, tight, sharp things. Going to get a Beinn20 small as the next step.
We just bought an early rider seeker 14 for our 5 year olds birthday. I’m really impressed with the quality of it. He loves it too & is just progressing from balance bike to pedal bike.
The new Early rider Hellion is an amazing bike and has helped turn our six year old girl into a surprisingly quick trail rider; the wife can’t keep in touch with her anymore 🙂 they are pricey but a pretty special bit of kit. It’s worth checking the recommended sizes as they differ with stand over height from quite a few other bikes.
We also had Isla bikes before and still have a Vitus 20, which is a cracking bike. If you are interested in a Vitus 20, drop me a line as I was planning to sell it after the lockdown. All the above are great bikes and would give lots of smiles for the miles.