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My son has outgrown his 14" wheel bike so we're looking to buy something 20" in the next few months than can hopefully last a few years. What does STW suggest?
Ideally around a £200 budget, less is always better and happy to go used! Been looking at the B'Twin hybrids or maybe the Rockrider ST900, though I'm not sure suspension and disc brakes are really needed at the minute! He's said he really wants gears as he struggles to get up anything that isn't flat.
Has anyone done the Bike Club monthly plan, are they worth it or a waste of money?
My son's second hand Isla Beinn 20 made him fall in love with riding.
Sold itt for what I bought it for nearly 2 years later as well. I gather Frog are similar 🙂
I'm selling a green frog 55 (the larger 20 inch size) once I've removed the doll carrier and given it a wash. Let me know if you're interested. Apologies for the stealth advert.
Other kids had suspension on 20 inch wheels but it adds a lot of weight. The neighbours Specialized was a lovely bike but much much heavier than the frog and the suspension hardly moves with the low weight of a child on it. YMMV
Edit: if going second hand Squish, Wiggins and Hoy are pretty decent and usually cheaper than Isla and Frog.
Second hand Orbea MX20
My lad's on a Giant ARX 20, bought used from here.
Superb bikes, he loves it and he rides miles and miles on it. It's green too which is perhaps most important.
Avoid suspension forks - heavy and pretty rubbish.
Isla bikes are ok, but in absolute terms they're really expensive for what you get. At one time they didn't have much competition but they have lots now.
However their second hand value retention is remarkable.
Second hand Orbea MX20
Very good shout. Without suspension of course!
Indeed, full v-brakes for ultimate lightness (has tabs for future upgrades), discs if you want, suspension if you want it heavier
My 6 year old lad loves his Vitus 20+
20 x 2.6 tan wall tyres. Seven speed with proper thumb trigger, and cable disk brakes
The large volume tyres soak up most of the bumps, rather than a massively heavy suspension fork that doesnt work well for little kids.
https://vitusbikes.com/products/vitus-20-plus-kids-bike
Its on offer at CRC at the moment, £250 down from £360
Just sold the grand daughters Cannondale Cujo 20 inch , great little bike , shes now riding a Vitus 24+, as above .. look at the Vitus kids bikes , great spec and value
2nded the Cujo 20. There's one in Hampshire on pinkbike for £200 at the mo. Recommended.
https://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/3434805/
HOWEVER, my 6 year old was getting a bit too big for it by her 6th birthday. I did her a custom build based on a Carrera Luna for her 7th, with her using a Trek Roscoe 24 inbetween. If I could have found a Cujo 24 I think it would have been the perfect bike for her at 6.
Build thread for the Luna.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/another-girls-bike-project-7-year-old-content/
Wild Bikes Go Outdoors.
Light and fine for general riding around.
£200
My 6 year old is on a Orbea MX20 which was an older model, just look around at what's available, facebook marketplace, ebay, etc, so many companies make good 20" models, with similar components, so hunt around locally.
Was just going to suggest the Vitus 20+ but I see someone best me to it. Got one at £250 from CRC the other day, daughter had first ride on it this evening. It certainly looks the part, tyres are fatter than the ones on my cotic!
A two year old one went for £230 + £20 p+p on eBay the other day.
Here we go, might as well Bob a pic up of a happy kid! It actually looks a bit small in that pic, but when she's sat on it it looks much bigger. I'm hoping for two years out of this one.
Think this is just before she rode through a stinky brown canine surprise. On her first ride on the new bike 🙄💩
The Vitus 20 looks great, thanks for that suggestion! Is it worth spending that little bit extra on the bigger + tyres?
Annoyingly I think he might be between sizes at the minute, he's not quite 6 yet and were not a tall family! Might have to wait a bit and get a cheaper 16" so he has something a bit bigger to tide him over.
Depends what it's for, for general riding and light gravel or CX racing a second hand beinn 20, the weight and resale are great and she prefers it for everything other than MTBing. For proper off-road there's a lot more options these days, but as others have said rigid is the way to go. I built the eldest a forme sterndale, 1x10 xt\zee and sdg contact points. Running super low pressure 2.1" tyres (8psi) it's good but if money was no object I'd get something like the Vitus, BMC, marin etc but still rigid.
I'm selling my boys 24" wheeled Hoy bike, it's got the usual scrapes and scuffs as you'd expect from a bike owned by a kid. But it's in fine working order.
Hoy bikes are very light, even lighter than the equivalent Islabike but with similar great geometry.
I'm in West Lothian so if you're local then you're more than welcome to come have a look.
I'm looking for £150 for it.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304611484631
I’ve got a Dawes academy here. Triple butted frame. Lovely little thing.
Where in the country are you? Look like rich pickings in this thread!
Keep buying and selling 2nd hand Isla bikes, you’ll never lose money.
That Vitus looks ace though.
Another vote for the Orbea MX20, mine ended up on an ex-demo Team Disc and aside from swapping out a shorter mech it's been faultless. She's 9 now and still fits it, she got it when she was about 7 IIRC.
She was on a Dawes Academy before that, also a very good bike but not one I'd buy new if I could help it as they don't hold their value as well as an Isla. It was lighter though, make of that what you will.
Might have to wait a bit and get a cheaper 16″ so he has something a bit bigger to tide him over.
Will be selling her previous Vitus 16 soon.... It's purple and pink though!
We got a Saracens Mantra 2.0R. Over budget new but presumably wouldn't be 2nd hand. Rigid, rim brakes, small block 8s, so it's quite light and easy rolling and I liked the geo. Has been great for my lad from 6 to 8 and the thing that really limits it is wheel diameter on rocks and roots, which only became so now he needs a bigger bike anyway.
Just got mini teapot 1 a Vitus 20 for their sixth birthday, very impressed for £230 having come from frog 40 and then 48 beforehand. Every bit as good, although suspect a frog/Isla would hold value better.
The Vitus is slightly more compact than the equivalent frog which may help if you're child is on the small side and jumping straight from 14 to 20".
Is you have Facebook there are dedicated buy sell groups for frog and islabikes.
I have an 18” Squish going spare and for sale at £160 if you’re interested.
It’s the blue one with green graphics - rrp£330, still selling at £270 online.
Pretty good nick, other than the scratches on the fork where my son kept leaning it against one of our walls [angry face]
I’ve PM’d you - south west based but willing to post.