# Help with difficult decision



## ChrisV (6 Aug 2016)

Tonight I broke the front brake on my daughter's bike after promising to fix her brakes

Does anyone know what this nut is called? I could maybe fix it if I got another.

I think I need to bite the bullet and buy her a new one.

However, at £350 for an Islabike, I said to my wife I'd need to keep it in my security enhanced garage and she wouldn't be able to take it out whenever she felt like it.

So what's the point in that? she asked.

My daughter likes to take it out, ride about the street, dump it back in garden and go in and watch TV etc. She will be 7 in a month.

Saw a £100 20" wheeled bike on Decathlon at 11.6kg but felt like the worst father on earth for depriving her of a super duper light one. Looked at Islabike at £350 but honestly can't see how we'd keep it safe/not wrecked while at the same time allowing her to continue a childhood where she gets to experience fun things instead of obsessing about keeping things neat and tidy.

So £100 11.6kg bike she can throw about like children do or £350 8kg one that is honestly cry every time she bumped down a kerb?!


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## ChrisV (6 Aug 2016)

Problem with Islabike is we can't get her on one in LBS before investing a substantial amount of money.


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## midlife (6 Aug 2016)

Brake cable pinch bolt 

Shaun


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## T4tomo (6 Aug 2016)

Do thieves regularly roam your back garden?


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## Tin Pot (6 Aug 2016)

ChrisV said:


> View attachment 138031
> Tonight I broke the front brake on my daughter's bike after promising to fix her brakes
> 
> Does anyone know what this nut is called? I could maybe fix it if I got another.
> ...



You are not the worst father for spending wisely, it's part of your role.

Cheap and cheerful, or "investment" - it's your call.

I'll be getting my boy a £150 bike that will last a couple of years of occasional use, and pass down to his sister.


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## Booyaa (6 Aug 2016)

ChrisV said:


> Tonight I broke the front brake on my daughter's bike after promising to fix her brakes
> 
> Does anyone know what this nut is called? I could maybe fix it if I got another.
> 
> ...


I don't get that to be honest. We got our daughter a Frog bike, in the hope that it will be kept scratch free etc but it's not, it's been well used. We are coming to the end of it's useful size unfortunately and there are a fair few scrapes on it but I've never seen a bike that doesn't have that. Glad we got her a good bike so she could enjoy going out more and hopefully encourage her to do it more. Dreading having to buy a new one though, might go cheaper this time!


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## shouldbeinbed (6 Aug 2016)

I don't mean this nastily but It sounds like you'd make cycling an islabike something she'd want to avoid for fear of the rules list and Spanish inquisition.

Buy her a bike you don't particularly care about the cost or condition of and just let her be a kid having fun on it.


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## raleighnut (6 Aug 2016)

You should be able to get a new pinch bolt at any decent bike shop.


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## AM1 (6 Aug 2016)

shouldbeinbed said:


> I don't mean this nastily but It sounds like you'd make cycling an islabike something she'd want to avoid for fear of the rules list and Spanish inquisition.
> 
> Buy her a bike you don't particularly care about the cost or condition of and just let her be a kid having fun on it.



Good bit of advice that


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## simongt (6 Aug 2016)

Agree. As a child, having a bike is about having fun, so a 'cheap & cheerful' model is one to go for. If said child displays interest in looking after their bike, then progress from there.


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## stoatsngroats (7 Aug 2016)

shouldbeinbed said:


> Buy her a bike you don't particularly care about the cost or condition of and just let her be a kid having fun on it.


Agree... It's not all about the bike...


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## Goggs (8 Aug 2016)

When I was that age, as far as I remember, all it had to have was wheels. Buy her the cheap one. Plenty time yet for her to become class-conscious.


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## mickle (8 Aug 2016)

My boy has five bikes. Just sayin.


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## Vantage (9 Aug 2016)

I didn't have a £170+ bike till I started working and bought myself a Raleigh M_Trax Ti-1000 for £350 if memory serves.
Both my girls have Decathlon £150 bikes and I never once had a complaint. The missus rides a £170 Decathlon bike and her 17 year old son borrows it from time to time. No complaints there either.
A £150 bike will be more than enough until she shows an interest in cycling and buys her own. She'll live.


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## Drago (9 Aug 2016)

T4tomo said:


> Do thieves regularly roam your back garden?


They only need to roam it the once.


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## S-Express (9 Aug 2016)

Thieves tend not to target bikes for 7 year-olds...

Also, it's a bit extreme to consider spending £350 just because the current bike needs a 50p nut/bolt from yor LBS.


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## Nibor (9 Aug 2016)

You could also probably cobble a fix with a Knarp


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## midlife (9 Aug 2016)

Nibor said:


> You could also probably cobble a fix with a Knarp



I had to Google Knarp .... every day is a school day 

Shaun


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## dianelc (18 Aug 2016)

We bought our daughter a 16 inch ridgeback for her 5th birthday. She has great fun on it but every time she sees the cheap bikes with doll seats and streamers she asks if we can buy her that bike. To her baskets and accessories are more important than quality. We have added a basket and doll carrier and bell and she still asks for the cheap bikes. It's all about fun.


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## ChrisV (29 Aug 2016)

Hi,

Sorry not to reply, how rude! I took her to Decathlon in the end and got this:






Think it was about £100 and she loves it! All's well that ends well


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## Racing roadkill (15 Sep 2016)

Isla bikes are fantastic things, very nicely designed and made too. However, they are very desirable to the light fingered fraternity, partly due to the fact there is a big demand, and second hand Isla's are not much cheaper than new ones. As for the rough handling that you'd expect from a child, they are built to take knocks, cosmetically they may end up a bit ropey looking, but with a bit of TLC, that's not a big problem. Just try to make sure she doesn't leave it lying around, then walk off somewhere without it.


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