Bikes - has anyone bought a frog bike?

[Loueytb3]

Trying to decide between an islabike (which we can't try out) and a frog bike, which is sold by our local bike shop with aftersales service. There are very few frog bikes available secondhand so I can't work out what their resale value is going to be. Islabikes are going for only a little less than the new price on ebay.

I just wondered if anyone had bought a frog bike and had any feedback - positive or negative?

Its for DS3 and we are looking at the frog 43 or 48.

[imip]

We have a few isla bikes and were looking at the frog for dc2. Dh checked the frog out instore. He loved the gear system over the islabike gears, but we are going for the islabike as he preferred the build quality, and it is still lighter (and more expensive!). The dc we are buying it for would suit an 'easier' bike to ride. She currently has a ridgeback, and once she tried out her older dcs islabike, she refused to ride the ridgeback anymore.

We have 4 dcs, so we are handing them down, so it doesn't feel like money wasted.

If money was tight, I'd probably pitch for the frog. Others in our position are going for the frog and it seems they will get popular.

[RunningOutOfIdeas]

Have you considered a Hoy bike? Evans Cycles sell them. I have just bought one for DD. It is as light as an Isla bike but with better gears. I did consider a Frog but the extra kilo in weight put me off.

[PoppyWearer]

We went for Frog, not sure what type, and DC has got on really well with it. Simple to ride for a complete beginner, and nice and lightweight too.

[MurkyMinotaur]

I don't have either but I've heard that children's bikes can be quite weighty and it's worth checking out which brand makes lighter ones. A friend of mine chose a frog model with that in mind.

[IsItMeOr]

We got a frog for DS. He hasn't got the hang of it yet, but it certainly is fine for weight - I can balance him with one hand without too much trouble.

Given how quickly he will grow out of it, we were pleased to save a bit of cash over the islabike, and it was really nice to be able to collect it from our local bike store. We will almost certainly pass it on to the charity shop when DS has finished with it, so the resale value isn't so relevant to us.

[IsItMeOr]

Plus the frog bike looks exactly like what I think a child's bike should look like, e.g. it comes with a bell (very important when you're 5).

I gave another woman (age c.60) a very happy moment when she saw me collecting it, as apparently it looked exactly like the one her dad bought her when she was young.

[Loueytb3]

I haven't heard of Hoy bikes (after Chris Hoy I presume). Will have a look at those, thank you.

He is the last DC so no passing down. There is barely any difference in price between the islabike and frog bike for his size. So its not so much the price, but more the convenience of having it from a local store vs the (possibly) higher resale value of the isla. Plus the islabike is a bit lighter. But because we can't test it out I don't know whether that is a real concern.

And the older two have never had such an expensive bike. Having said that, we are looking at a secondhand islabike (or possibly frog) for DS2 who is about to grow out of his bike. When I went into the bike shop yesterday there were several other people with kids testing out the frog bikes, and the shop had sold a few that day so they do look as though they are going to be popular.

[christinarossetti]

My dc have/have had both. We bought an Islabike nearly 4 years ago and 2 children later, we've not spent a penny on it and it still looks like new.

My dd's Frog bike is nearly 2 years old, and she has had lots of good use out of it. It isn't quite as high spec as the Isla eg there are a few scratches now and we had to replace a brake cable (although this could be due to the wear of an older child).

I think either decision is the right one tbh. The resale value of the Isla will remain high and it's a fabulous bike especially for little ones. I imagine that Frog's will resale high too. When comparing prices, factor in that the Frog comes with a bell and mudguards, which you have to buy separately for the Isla.

[FairyPenguin]

We have Frog bikes and love them. We were same as you, choosing between Islabike and Frog, but went for the one we could try out in the local shop. Both DC love their Frog bikes. We have a 43 and a 52.

Our friends bought Islabikes for their DC and when I lifted those, I actually couldn't tell the difference in weight.

I think the Frogs will have a good resale value, esp as there aren't that many around.

We have recommended them to so many people who have seen our DC on them. Love them!

[MeanwhileHighAboveTheField]

Go for a Frog bike - great to be able to buy from a local bike shop. Also you can probably take it back in for a free service after about 6 weeks.

Islabikes are fantastic, but IMO the one thing they do wrong is not sell through bike shops.

It will be interesting to see what the resale value of Frog bikes will be - I'm guessing fairly high. But the resale value isn't why you buy a bike really...

[RockySpeed]

We're all about specialized hotrock in this house! Similar price to frog

[CMOTDibbler]

Islabike - they go on and on, and everything is correctly sized for children. Build quality is excellent, and they are made in the UK by a company who pay their staff a living wage.

DS is having his third Islabike for christmas, and this was the first we went to see them for it. The measuring instructions on their website are excellent.

[5madthings]

We are also trying to choose between a frog or an isla bike!

Would be cnoc 16 isla or 48 frog I think. Local stores stock the frog so am going to go and look, just wondering about resale as isla bikes hold their value. If it was for one of the older madthings I wouldn't worry as we would hand it down but madthing5 is our youngest and likely last so will want to sell it.

We looked at specialized but was really disarming with their 16" bike.

[5madthings]

The hoy bike is more expensive than an isla bike! I thought legally all bikes have to have a bell at point of sale.

The mudguards on the frog are a plus point for us.

[BikeRunSki]

We are on our third Islabike. We considered a Frog last time - sold locally - but were put off by the extra kilo. We also didn't think the build quality was that good. DS (6) and DH race - islabikes are prevalent and I have never seen a Frog at a race.



Islabike have a very comprehensive fitting guide on the website and give very good advice over the phone. Because everything on the bike - brake levers, cranks etc is also so well scaled and througher out - tge bikes tend to fit straight out of the box with minimal fettling. And you know how they are selling fir nearly new price on eBay - they'll do that for you too.

[BikeRunSki]

Islas can have optional mudguards.

When looking at bikes, beware that children's bikes are normally refered to in wheel sizes and adult bikes are refered to in frame sizes; confusingly these can be the same numbers!!! So a 16" kids bike is about right gir a 4-5 year old, but a 16" adult bike is a small adult size - be careful when looking on the websites of manufacturers/shops that sell adult and kids bikes.

[christinarossetti]

The Isla mudguards are 25 pounds, so the equivalent Isla for my dd's bike would have been an additional 75 pounds.

The prices of the smaller sizes look more comparable.

[MeanwhileHighAboveTheField]

Specialized are good, but so much heavier. And then there is the back pedal brake...

[5madthings]

Having just measured madthing5's inside leg the frog 48 is too big but she is big enough for the cnoc 16 so we have just ordered one online.

She is whizzing around on her 14" balance bike so hopefully she will be off on the isla bike :)

[BikeRunSki]

You won't regret it.

[CMOTDibbler]

I agree .

[MeanwhileHighAboveTheField]

She'll be off straight away!

[BikeRunSki]

At 3.5, DS went straight from his balance bike to his Cnoc in about half an hour, no stabilisers etc.

What colour did you get 5? The new Isla colours are awesome.

[Takver]

I'd definitely agree that the resale value is a big benefit with an Islabike. DD is on bike no. 3, and each time I've sold the used bike on ebay for at least as much as I paid for it. Bike no. 2 came second hand to us, was used really well here, and was still in very good condition to go on to another child.

I've found their fitting service excellent - measure your child's height and inside leg (for buying them some new trousers online, of course ) and give them a call.

My only caveat would be that I'd be reluctant to buy islabike if I didn't have a good inside place to store it, or if I thought it would get knocked around. For the same reason I've always put a stand on the bike so that there's no tendency for it to get thrown down on the ground.