Bike for 4 year old

sleepyholland

Santa is about to be asked for a Frog 48 for the young lad. He is coming from a balance bike that he mastered over the last 2 years.

https://www.frogbikes.com/lightweight-kids-bikes/first-pedal-bikes/frog48.aspx

The weight, good build quality and ease of riding is a big attraction of the Frog.
The fact that there is a younger brother to inherit it makes it slightly better value.

I've ruled out Isla bikes for this stage, but at the last minute had my head turned by a cheaper Raleigh (in his favourite colour).
http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=9&pg=18054

The Raleigh would be an easy sell on Christmas morning but would I regret it later. It's 10KG versus the 6.75KG of the Frog.

1st hand reviews of either bike welcome!

Alek

It's 10KG versus the 6.75KG

Ever fancied cycling on a 50kg bike? If your 4 year old weights 15kg, this is more or less the proportion....

I went for Islabikes Cnoc 16 for my small framed 4yo (96cm, 12kg) and it was a huge hit. I doubt he would even be able to start rolling a 10kg one.

sleepyholland

Thanks - the Islas look like great bikes alright.

10KG is pretty hefty. That was my thinking all along.
I imagine the longer wheelbase makes it easier to balance too.

I guess I'll stick with the Frog.
They do seem well built and come with 2 sets of tyres (slicks and studded), mudguards and a bell!

CramCycle

Frog is to expensive for what it is IMO. Your young lad is 4, he will have a limited usage from it.

The raleigh can be gotten in a lighter version for cheaper from Halfords: http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/kids-bikes/raleigh-mx16-kids-bike-16
or a BMX at 9kg:
http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/kids-bikes/raleigh-fury-kids-bmx-bike-16
or if weight is the issue, 6.8kg for 200euro:
http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/kids-bikes/carrera-cosmos-kids-bike-16

Alek

This Cosmos seems fine, but the looks... Frog with 2 sets of tyres and other extras is still a competitive option, especially due to better resale value. Not as good as Isla's, but still.

sleepyholland

Thanks for the suggestions.
That little BMX was another on my list.

Tough to justify the high price of Frogs and even more with Islas but the reviews are usually glowing. Hard to know how much confirmation bias is at play.

I've been using the hand-me-down factor to justify the spend.

Alek

You are welcome to give my son's Cnoc 16 a try if you're near Dublin. I was going for a Frog myself but then tried an Isla and was sold

sleepyholland

thanks for the offer (and the advice) but I most likely won't be in Dublin to take you up on it.

CramCycle

Alek has a fair point, it will probably hold its resale value slightly better. If you are going to have it as a hand me down. 250 is not bad, considering you will get at least 3 years out of it if not 5. Between 5 and 7euro a month + maintenance. With a small lump sum back at the end if it survives.

Chuchote

Dunno about resale value - the Bike to Work has brought the price of adult bikes down, and I suspect that secondhand kids' bikes will reflect that thinking.

But if you're getting a bike for a kid, you want him or her to absolutely love it.

How long will the kid ride this bike - two years? How much is that per week? Is it worth that? That'd be my thinking. (And also, if a bike is heavy and clunky and the kid doesn't ride it at all, is that a better or worse deal than the dearer one…)

Alek

and I suspect that secondhand kids' bikes will reflect that thinking

Second-hand Islabikes are quite steadily selling at 50-70% of the original price.

How long will the kid ride this bike - two years?

It really depends how fast they grow. My midgety kiddo outgrown his balance bike in 1,5 years, but the new 16" pedal bike should last him for 2-3 years.

How much is that per week? Is it worth that?

I spend much more than e250 per two years on cycling and I'm perfectly happy with what I get for it. Why should I give inferior treatment to my children? They will ride the best I can afford for them, if only they want to. So far they do.

Lumen

Chuchote wrote: »

Dunno about resale value - the Bike to Work has brought the price of adult bikes down, and I suspect that secondhand kids' bikes will reflect that thinking.

High quality kids bikes last indefinitely with minimal maintenance, provided that they're kept indoors.

You might get the odd paint scrape and knock to a derailleur, but the drivetrain doesn't really wear out like it would on an adult bike.

martyc5674

My kids have had Islas and now have frogs... both great bikes, you will get most of what you paid for the frog back, you'll have to give away the Raleigh. They learn so much quicker on the frogs and Islas it's a no brainer IMO. MARTY.

sleepyholland

Thanks all.
Letters have been posted now and we are hoping Santa will squeeze a Frog 48 down the chimney. I must keep an eye out for Islabikes in the locality and will definitely consider them down the line.

harringtonp

Even the light bikes are ridiculously heavy. My little lad was just gone 3 when he first rode a pedal bike. No stabilisers, he went straight from a balance bike.

It was so heavy for him though that he could only ride on dead flat ground. When the novelty wore off he went back to the balance bike and now with no novelty in that either he doesn't bother with a bike at all. He is 4 and a half now and I will just wait till he is strong and big enough to ride those tanks properly before reintroducing it. He is still only 15kg.

I've often fantasised over a scaled down bike with a thin frame, thin wheels, thin drive chain and thin pedals. How strong does it need to be for 15kg at slow speed. With proper design it should be well possible to come up with something under 3kg. Some day somebody will make a killing on selling these.

Chuchote

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-I-built-a-walnut-triathlon-bicycle-frame/

As an income-less college student, it can be difficult to get into the sport of triathlon. Swimming and running are fairly cheap sports, but outfitting a bicycle that is competitive can be daunting. I bought a road bike from a bike swap for $600 a couple years ago, but it wasn't great for triathlons and I recently got a dent in the top tube that worried me. Luckily, as a part of my engineering curriculum I learned what I needed to build my own frame out of locally sourced black walnut wood…

Macy0161

For us, not quite Irish twins (but close) has meant the same size bike the whole way up. That has meant some BSO's over the years, but really haven't found any reluctance to use them. Only real issue is hills with the weight in my experience, but the majority of their cycling at that age was around the house (as in laps of the house), and parks. We've rarely got two years out of them size wise which is another reason that it has been hard to justify the prices of two isla (or similar) bikes. Plus not being bothered about them being left out also means they get used more.

A few years ahead of you, but the last two birthdays have brought the Carrera Surano/ Abyss hybrids, which I'm hoping they'll get a bit longer out of. 26 inch wheels, no suspension (so no weight penalty), and light - hoping to get at least 3 years out of these ones. These ones will be kept inside.

ted1

Lumen wrote: »

High quality kids bikes last indefinitely with minimal maintenance, provided that they're kept indoors.

You might get the odd paint scrape and knock to a derailleur, but the drivetrain doesn't really wear out like it would on an adult bike.

It's the fact that they grew that causes the issue.

JMcL

We've a Frog 52 for our eldest girl, and it's a very nice bike. I showed her how to use the gears properly and clocked her doing around 30km/h on it. As she's got 2 siblings coming behind her so there's a good chain of inheritance so the initial cost is less of an issue for a good bike. Went with the Frog as it was available in the LBS.

She previously had an Early Rider Belter (now being ridden by her sister), which is a seriously nice kids bike. I looked at the current prices however and it seems to have taken a €100 price hike (Brexit related?) since we got it 2 years ago, so for that I couldn't really recommend it over Isla/Frog these days

Alek

Early Rider Belter

Seriously the best looking kids bike ever. I was contemplating it for some time - I decided it was too expensive compared to Isla at the end, offering only marginal gains - but when I saw it live I wished I was a kid again myself and could afford it

JMcL

Alek wrote: »

Seriously the best looking kids bike ever. I was contemplating it for some time - I decided it was too expensive compared to Isla at the end, offering only marginal gains - but when I saw it live I wished I was a kid again myself and could afford it

Indeed, i still maintain its the coolest bike we have in the house, and I got some slagging from her over saddle envy when I stuck a Brooks on the new commuter :-D

sleepyholland

Santa brought the Frog 48 and it is a massive hit.

Lovely, well-built bike, sturdy with a long wheelbase and the 3.66 year old was up and running on it after about 15 minutes of holding him while he figured out the pedals. A few days later and he's negotiating tight spaces, jumping off kerbs and pulling backwheel skids. He's just about tall enough for it so we should get decent mileage.

It's a very easy bike to ride, it just wants to go forward, but most of his quick adaption is down to 18 months on a 12" balance bike.

Thanks all for your help.

Thicas15

My friend is 30 and he still afraid of cycling

uck51js9zml2yt

Got my son a frog a year ago. Took him a while to hop on it ( pun intended!)
Within a few hours he was spinning around the phoenix park on his own.