searching for a unisex bike and more generalised gendered toys/clothes ranting

[seafoodudon]

My almost three year old has requested a bike for Christmas (which she will in fact get for her birthday not long after Christmas). Being not yet 3 there is a long list of requirements including peddles (she is somewhat unimpressed with the balance bike she got last birthday),a basket and a seat for a doll. However, she's also asked for it to be red. This didn't seem to be an entirely unreasonable ask, until I started looking.
Has anyone seen any red 14" bikes anywhere, that are vaguely unisex?

I have two pre-school girls who are not mad on pink, and I'm very happy to keep it that way (for both 'political' reasons and because I'm a cheapskate and would like to reuse items if we have a boy in the future). However, this means that they often get the unisex/boy version of things (blue scooters/raincoats for e.g.) and I am horrified by the number of people who comment on them being 'boys' things. Part of me doesn't give a hoot, but the elder daughter is starting to notice and whilst she isn't asking for the 'pink' stuff exactly, she has started to make comments like 'blue is for boys and pink is for girls'. Which all goes to illustrate why I am so keen to find this red bike, which I'm sure must exist somewhere (without it being branded with spiderman/Disney cars etc).

Perhaps I'm asking too much...

I've got two girls as well and neither of them have had a pink bike ever. Or one with those tinsel thingys hanging off them. have you been to a bike shop as opposed to toysrus etc? Actually think my dd's 14 inch one was from Decathlon.

I've not been into a bike shop but looked online at Decathlon and Halfords and Amazon, and then got frustrated... Thanks, Cabbage, glad there's hope, I'll continue my search.

Ok, yes, just found what I want on the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative website -but for £185 instead of c. £50 that the pink and purple ones are selling for in Halfords - and that's without buying the basket and the doll's seat and the bell etc which will push it way over the £200 mark (which are mostly included in the cheapy ones).

Oh why oh why is being 'right on' so bloody expensive? Yes I'm sure the EBC's version is going to be far better made, but she's also likely to grow out of it in a few months...

The Islabikes seem to have really good resale value, and the Cnoc 14 comes in red? Crazy price, but they are going on ebay used for close to the original value, so could be an idea.

one for £80 on ebay?

Thanks Merrow, will look up. Thanks Tea and Cake, that's just the ticket - kind of you to search for me, sadly it's a 12" and I think as she's a ridiculously tall not-yet-3 (in 4-5 year clothes), we'll need to go for the 14".

Merrow - just looked at the Islabikes - exactly what I'm looking for - but £200 without even stabilisers!!! I'm sure these are great quality, and worth every penny, but I can't help feeling outraged at the cost of avoiding pink!!! Now off to twist DH's arm...
PS the really silly thing is that DD just said 'red' in her list of wants and I'm sure at any other minute might just as easily have said pink - and I'm sure that if she did unwrap a pink bike she'd be totally thrilled and wouldn't even remember that she'd requested red. But now I feel all up on my high horse...

Dont know if you're anywhere near Cambridge for this one?

There is this which is a little cheaper

Can't you get one and have it resprayed?

Halfords bikes

puky bikes are nice, and unisex

here

Ignore my post i was typing im wrong field

Thanks educatingarti - that's great, right kind of price range. Will keep eyes open to see if it comes back into stock.
UriGeller - yes, I guess I could, hadn't really thought of that. Wouldn't know where to go to get it done, but I suppose I could look into it. Good point.
Bruffin - I've not seen anything on Halfords website that is red but not covered in spiderman or cars. Perhaps I didn't look hard enough.
Bundaberg - yes, just the kind of thing I'm looking for, but again, about £100 more than I'd hoped to pay, and also... 'puky' really? Who came up with that branding.

Thanks heaps everyone, really appreciate all the suggestions. Nice to see there are a few egs of what I was looking for out there, just frustrating that they come with such hefty price tags!

it's german lol. pronounced pooky

tbh I think a lot of decent bikes come with a high price tag. the bonus being that you can sell them for a lot on ebay!

Just in case anyone else stumble across this thread then this is the cheapest unisex red bike I've found so far at £125 including p and p: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00C3L9F96/ref=dra_a_rv_ff_fx_it_P2000_1000?tag=dradisplay0bb-21 - however, please don't buy it as they've only got two left in stock and I haven't made up my mind yet!

Look second hand - there was a great bike workshop in my local town which sold on reconditioned bikes, including children's ones. Then there's ebay, gumtree, local papers, car boot sales, some dumps/tips have shops to resell stuff that's too good to throw out.

It's probably too short notice to look before Christmas though but I reckon if you scour all of these places for a few months something will come up for a reasonable price.

I know the Islabike is incredibly expensive, but it's really good. Have a look at how much it weighs compared to cheap bikes. DS started riding a cheap, heavy steel bike but always got tired before we had even made it home from the park. We got him a lovely red Islabike which he whizzed around on, and which DD could ride when she was about 4, and DS2 will use after her. It is really light and well made, and you can ebay them later for not far off what you paid for it.
Mine have all gone from a balance bike to a pedal bike without stabilisers.

You could buy a pink one and a can of spray paint...?

Thanks Mouse - I will just pop your reply under DH's nose - I completely agree with your logic - (touchwood) we'll have at least three to use it! I hadn't really thought of the possibility that she wouldn't use stabilisers, but thinking about it, I don't think I had any on my first bike. Though I was a bit older than she is.
Ah, Bundaberg, that is a little less weird (though if only she didn't need to use it on an English street!) - and I really like the fact that these bikes are a 'girls' design, so you can get your leg through easily.
Yep, Bertie, will keep that up my sleeve as a last resort!

I can't really help but wanted to empathise! I tried to get a red bike for my (then) 4 year old a couple of years ago and gave up. In the end for various reasons (incl someone else wanting to buy it) we had to go to a shop where they had two bikes of the right size one for 'girls' and one for 'boys'. It's exasperating. I have a younger ds so feel the same about wanting to hand things down. I would suggest trying to get a silver/plain one and some red electrical tape/stickers that she can decorate it with herself (if such a thing as plain bike exists!)
Good luck and you are not alone (despite what the TV would have us believe) x

Thanks Innat, good to know I'm not the only tightwad/unreconstructed feminist out there!

I bought one from Halfords that was from the girls range three months back that was lime green and white...really pleased it wasn't pink!!!