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Christmas present. Isla bikes too expensive. What is available and not so heavy that will put her off with the weight when the miles increase? During the summer we were managing 6 miles together on the blues at trail centres. Want to do more of that next year.
Pinnacle are superb, as well (or better IMO) designed as Isla but cheaper. Check out the Kauri - the size of a 24" but has 26" wheels, like a scaled down 29er.
CycleSprog has a wealth of info on kids bikes e.g. http://www.cyclesprog.co.uk/bikes/mountain-bikes-for-kids/best-kids-26-wheel-mountain-bikes-2/
For 'light' MTB duty a rigid MTB will be a good cheap and light option... I'd second molgrips recommendation of the Pinnacle Kauri: one of the girls at our School MTB Club has one and it's a very well thought out bit of kit, well up to Blue Trails and XC MTB riding.
(Isla 24, Pinnacle, then some sort of Univega)
If you do want to go down the hardtail route then it's a bit more of a minefield as cheap suspension is worse than no suspension. My recommendations here would be the Vitus Nucleus 26* (when it's back in for Xmas - I hope) and the Whyte 403, bit of which we have in our Club.
* I work for WiggleCRC and Vitus is one of our Brands - but I think they have nailed the affordable kid's hardtail with the Nucleus 26.
Pinnacle, Frog, Hoy, Isla etc. second hand but wisely chosen.
Give it a good clean, paint touch up and freshen up with new grips and maybe pedals / saddle / tyres if they stuill look tatty after you've scrubbed it and it should do the trick. Just did this with a used BMX for my 8yo's birthday and he was over the proverbial lunar body with it.
I've got a nine year old Iskabike you can have for fifty quid.
Not 100% sure that's what you were after though.
If you do want to go down the hardtail route then it’s a bit more of a minefield as cheap suspension is worse than no suspension. My recommendations here would be the Vitus Nucleus 26* (when it’s back in for Xmas – I hope) and the Whyte 403, bit of which we have in our Club.
* I work for WiggleCRC and Vitus is one of our Brands – but I think they have nailed the affordable kid’s hardtail with the Nucleus 26.
what he said - got my daughter one back in Early Summer it's an awesome bit of kit - forks are bit shit, but that's it everything else is ace - my daughter razed it round CYB at a pace that really surprised me.
@bartimaeus why did it stop so quickly after release, i had a few people asking about it unable to get it..?
@Sui I'm pretty sure they sold out almost as soon as we got them in... as did the Vitus Nucleus 24. The Vitus kids bikes have been very well received - the designers are really passionate about what they do.
Personally I'm really pleased there are so many good kids bikes available these days - and I think we owe a lot of that to Isla Rowntree.
Bought a Wild 24 from Go Outdoors for our 9 year old a few months ago, which replaced her smaller frog 55. Its every bit as good, and 100 quid cheaper than the equivalent frog. She loves it 🙂
Orbea mx24. Great bike.