# A new bike for Little Ms. Admin



## Shaun (9 Jul 2012)

Little Ms. Admin's bike was stolen a few months ago and with one thing and another I haven't quite got around to replacing it yet, but yesterday she told me (_in no uncertain terms_) that she needs a new bike for the school holidays so I need to get one sorted - ASAP!! 

She's 8 ¾ (_the three quarters counts when you're that age_) and at the taller end of the scale for her age so do you have any recommendations? (Ideally something light and that will last her a few years).

Thanks,
Shaun


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## Andy_R (9 Jul 2012)

Islabike beinn26 - large is a 16" frame, small is a 14" frame
Specialized Myka 13" or 15"

Personally, I'd go for the Islabike as they hold their value really well and resell very easily


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## Ian Cooper (9 Jul 2012)

Get the lightest bike available. I just bought a bike for my 9 year-old daughter - the Raleigh 'Ivy' - 24" wheels, the bike weighs 25lbs (under 12kg), which is the lightest bike I could find anywhere in that size. Unfortunately it's only available in the US.

The lightness of the bike is essential at that age. My daughter really noticed the difference between this new one and her old cheap and nasty 30lb+ tank of a bike, and she's enjoying riding a lot more now that she can actually manoeuvre her bike.


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## Fab Foodie (9 Jul 2012)

Something like this?
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/24quot-poply-id_8151500.html

Or this?

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/24quot-original-1-girl-id_8220236.html


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## Andy_R (9 Jul 2012)

Fab Foodie said:


> Something like this?
> http://www.decathlon.co.uk/24quot-poply-id_8151500.html
> 
> Or this?
> ...


Both of those weigh 13.5Kg - that's almost 30lbs


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## Ian Cooper (9 Jul 2012)

Andy_R said:


> Both of those weigh 13.5Kg - that's almost 30lbs


 
Incredible, how much kids' bikes weigh. My daughter's last bike weighed more than my steel touring bike, and she was a quarter my weight when I bought it for her. That's the equivalent of me owning a bike that weighs 120lbs. I can't even imagine how that would be - no wonder she had problems lifting it.


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## MattHB (9 Jul 2012)

Ian Cooper said:


> Incredible, how much kids' bikes weigh. My daughter's last bike weighed more than my steel touring bike.



It's mental. We got a little bike for my step son who is 3 and it weighs about as much as he does! I suppose no matter how small the bike, it has the same amounts of joints and welds as an adult version.


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## Andy_R (9 Jul 2012)

MattHB said:


> It's mental. We got a little bike for my step son who is 3 and it weighs about as much as he does! I suppose no matter how small the bike, it has the same amounts of joints and welds as an adult version.


I don't necessarily agree with that - my son's islabike (beinn24) only weighs 10.3 Kg. I think the problem is that the majority of parents don't see the point of buying a good bike that the child will grow out of, especially parents who don't cycle themselves. We paid £300 for his bike, but then I also expect to get about £220 for it when he outgrows it. That's £80 for a really top quality kids bike that he LOVES riding. How many kids on cheap heavy bikes can go 25+ miles?


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## Ian Cooper (9 Jul 2012)

MattHB said:


> It's mental. We got a little bike for my step son who is 3 and it weighs about as much as he does! I suppose no matter how small the bike, it has the same amounts of joints and welds as an adult version.


 
Yeah, but speaking as an engineer, I can see by the way that they're built, that they don't need to be anywhere near that heavy. And many of them are made from heavy steel. Why not make them from aluminium, reduce the diameter of the tubes and reduce the number of gears? My daughter has trouble changing gears at all, so I don't see the need for the 21 gears she has on her latest bike. She could manage on 3 - that would reduce a lot of the weight right there - no need for the derailleurs. Then there are the tyres - I mean they bung these massive (and heavy) knobby tyres on these bikes, and it's not as if my daughter is going to be going up and down mountains and through jungles in Borneo.


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## Boris Bajic (9 Jul 2012)

I don't think weight is as much of an issue as geometry and fit.

My littl'uns all did the gentle graduation from 16", through 20" to 24" kid's bike.

The 16" and 20" were heavy, but the geometry and build quality were good in both cases. The 16" had one gear, the 20" five. All three kids rode both in succession.

They all then went through 24" bikes (all up to this size were MTB look-alike machines). The 24" bikes were aluminium-framed (I had two because the kids were close in age). Despite being aluminium, they were still heavy-ish. This was simply not a problem. Weight is an issue really only when climbing. All the children loved to climb in the Malvern Hills (and loved to descend even more). No issue with weight. My kids were not mini-Pantanis, just kids on bikes.

What was important to me was that the quality was good, the components were good and the geometry made riding a pleasure. I think the weight of children's bikes can be high, but it is not an issue to get one's knickers in a twist over.

All our kids were doing fair mileages on these clunky MTB-type machines (70 miles to their grandmother through hilly Wales) from the ages of 8, 9 or 10. They had nothing to compare the bikes to, so the weight was not an issue. There were one or two moans about saddles, which were addressed.

Now much older, they all ride good, lightweight Italian road bikes and love them. None of them has ever made a single negative comment about the weight of the smaller, heavier bikes they rode as kids.

I hear similar moans about the reach to levers on kid's bikes. As long as there's some adjustment, you can usually find a safe fit.

All my kids' bikes were bought from my LBS. It's a place I trust and the quality is good. None were 'known' brands.

If there was a sizeable market for built-to-a-weight kids' bikes, someone would be meeting the demand with volume machines. Realistically, there is not. Even parents who are keen on cycling (as I am) have more to think about than shaving a few kilos off a kid's bike.


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## Crackle (9 Jul 2012)

Isla, Ridgeback are the two I've experience of, both fine makes for kids bikes.


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## Shaun (9 Jul 2012)

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll have a look. Do Islabikes have local dealers? I can't think that I've heard of anyone in Hull selling them.


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## Crackle (9 Jul 2012)

Also worth contacting them to see if they are at any events. They often turn up at events with their range of bikes.


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## Panter (10 Jul 2012)

Islabikes were just a little too far for us to look at, so we ended up getting a Decathlon MTB.
It's the bottom of their range Rockrider, it seems sturdy, is not excessively heavy and hasn't missed a beat yet.
In fact, we're so impressed with it, we're getting one for my Wife.


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## Shaun (23 Jul 2012)

Cheers for all the feedback. 

We ended up getting the Ridgeback Destiny (_I couldn't get the wife to go the extra few quid for the Islabike_) from Cycle Heaven in York - who gave us a great service - review here.

It's actually a very nice bike and she's loving riding it - but still hasn't quite got her head around how gears work yet. 

Thanks,
Shaun


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