To ask where you buy a kids bike from

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Posted here for more traffic. I'd like to buy 4 yr old DD her first bike. Need reliability and obviously safety. Thanks.

I have heard good things about Isla bikes

Local indie. Wouldn't trust halfords/ toysrus unless you are happy fixing their poorly built cheap rubbish when it comes with, i dunno, the stem on backwards or brakes set up with the car of a hippo.

We are also looking for a bike for DD. We went to Halfords (knowing the bikes were a bit heavy) and they were pretty useless. The salesperson at Evans was much knowledgable and helpful. I knew about frog and islabikes from here, but felt we couldn't justify the cost on something she won't use all that often. So we've pretty much decided on the Ridgeback honey. There are a lot of them on eBay, but unfortunately none are going up for sale near us, so we will probably going to buy it new.

Be VERY wary of Halfords. We've been stung twice by them for shoddy assembly. First time, asked them to fit stabilisers to a new bike, but one literally just fell off causing our son to fall off suffering various cuts and bruises. Turned out they only used the standard short bolts instead of longer ones that were needed for that kind of bike. Second time, first time out on his next bike and the front wheel came loose - the Halfords guy hadn't bothered to tighten up the bolts holding it to the chassis.

My cyclist husband always tells people to avoid Halfords.

Either a local independent shop or somewhere like Evans or Leisure Lakes are your best bet. I know that in the past he's told friends to pay a bit more and get a Specialized kids bike, they re-sell easily when outgrown and don't lose all of their value. That's what we've done in the past when our boys have outgrown their bikes and the money made then goes towards a new bike.

Never had a problem with Halfords but they are only as good as the people that work there.

If you go into a independent local bike shop, alternatively Evans cycles or Halfords. Staff will build and assemble your bike. They will also measure your child for the bike, and check they can reach peddles and handlebars/brakes etc. Halfords will also do an 8 week health check on the bike for free. Check make sure nothing's come loose. You can also buy helmets from there as well, again they will measure your child's head etc.
If you buy from Argos/online you will probably have to build it yourself. It's not rocket science, but can be fiddly, depending on type of bike, gears, brakes, etc.

Decathlon were great for DD's first bike. They were happy for us to spend hours trying them out.

More recently, a chap locally who buys second hand bikes and reconditions them. Really good mountain bike for £45.

Independent bike shop where the staff have knowledge and experience.

Queen I know a local man like that who has been doing that for 30 years, not bikes4U is it? He's very good, and has reconditioned specialised, Dawes, Trek for under £100

We recently bought the Ridgeback Honey for 3yo DD and it's brilliant - light and good quality. DD has gone straight to it from a balance bike and was cycling independently on her first try. It's also more sensibly priced than Isla or Frog. We looked at those as 6yo DS has a Frog but couldn't justify the inflated price tag for a first bike.

I think now, you are seeing more lightweight bikes that are cheaper than Isla,Specialised, Dawes, Ridgeback. The Isla cnoc(the 16" wheel one) has gone up in price to nearly £300 which is a hell of a lot of money for a first bike.

Local bike shop or Evans
We bought ridgeback and Specilized bikes for both boys because they were lightweight, easy to ride and have lasted soooooo well. In fact they still look brand new despite loads of use and when DS2 is finished with them they will be being sold (both makes sell well)

My DD has a frog bike, it's really light. Kids bikes are usually so heavy.

Always bought from Halford but a relative assembles them.

We started out on a raleigh but it was so heavy my son couldn't pedal it - so we got an Islabike. If you can stretch to it - its definitely, definitely worth it. So much lighter & easier to ride. If you buy second hand you will likely resell for pretty much what you paid too. Or Frog bikes are a good alternative.

really depends what you want from a bike - if you DC will just be cruising around the park, then go to Halfords or Decathlon and spend £70-80. The bike will probably weight more than your DC.

if you plan to cycle quite a bit and to actually really enjoy it, then I'd look at Isla (if you budget stretches that far) or have a look at a proper bike shop. There are a few good kids bikes out there (etc frog, Isla, some from the Raleigh range). but they are not cheap but worth their money. eBay is worth a look too if a new one is too expensive.

A bike shop, not a supermarket or a toy shop. A toy shop bike will weigh about the same as an adult bike and will have poor quality components. Do you want to put your kid on a bike with rubbish brakes?
If you can afford it then Islabikes and Frog are the best kids bikes (quality components designed for kids and lightweight). Islabikes only sell direct but Frog sell through local bike shops. If your budget is smaller then the Carrera Cosmos from Halfords is very good but Halfords don't always set bikes up properly. Get someone who knows about bikes to check it over.

I get second hand from
Local facebook page

Another Ebay here- ours hardly used BMW bike - £500 in BMW showroom, £60 on Ebay.

If you do get it from a shop avoid Argos etc as they need fixing together and not always as simple as it sounds!
Halfords are good and bike comes built to go.

DH teaches cycling volunteers in schools and is a semi-prof mountain biker... We've always used cudabikes.co.uk

Halfords or Toys r Us when they were little.

Frog bikes seem much heavier than Islabikes.

No, the matched range in Frog are much the same, the geared ones generally fractionally lighter, other than the new race isla bikes - and given that islabikes have transitioned their brand to even more luxury end suggests that they do see their losing the market at the lower end.

Frog, Hoy, Wiggins, Specialized, Puky all make good sized light aluminium bikes for young kids, as well as islabikes - islabikes are very good, but I think it's hard to justify the price if you're buying new.

The Islabikes 16" for example is 6.1kg, the Wiggins Macon 6kg and about half the price, the geometries are similar enough, and the parts are appropriate for small kids.

Halfords bikes are so heavy. Buy the lightest bike you can afford. Last seasons colours at independent shops are cut price. Isla, frog, hot, cube, dds first bike was a dawes blowfish which was a good balance of cost vs weight. If you buy a good brand you will get your money back on ebay later or part exchanging at an independent shop. That really applies to frog and isla

We buy 2nd islabikes from gumtree you can then sell them on after use for your money back almost they hold value well