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...

[seafoodudon]

That sounds good. Think I have managed to twist DH's arm about the Islabike though...

[TheFutureSupremeRulersMum]

I was going to say get a pink one and respray it but I see Uri Geller has already suggested that. Proving he really does have psychic powers

[Luggage16]

my daughter has a red puky bike if that helps :)

[Tweetinat]

Just came to add my voice for the Islabike and see that you've persuaded your DH we have the red one and I'm so glad we went for it. So light compared to standard steel frames and the resale value is excellent. My dad is bike crazy and spent a good hour on the phone to them discussing them and and away super impressed. Can't go wrong really.

[AstonishingMouse]

Very good, I am quite tight but I think islabikes are lovely and well made and gender neutral so they get used loads and although horribly expensive are still quite good value for money. DS didn't use his heavy old steel bike much so although cheaper it wasn't good value for money.
Isn't 3 a bit young for a proper bike though?

[seafoodudon]

Perhaps, but she is very keen and has had goes on other kids bikes (with stabilisers) and managed to pedal along a bit (she is pretty tall and surprisingly well coordinated for a daughter of mine - she was flying along on her scooter before her 2nd birthday). Even if she's not entirely ready to do it just now, I think she'll be raring to go before next Christmas, and as she's really keen to have one, I don't see the harm in making it her birthday present.

[beatricequimby]

Buy a red isla bike if your family are at all likely to be really into cycling. My ds and dd have them (handing on down the family) and youngest will inherit them. They are totally different from halfords bikes because they are so much lighter. This means that your child will be able to cycle much further at a younger age so you can go for an enjoyable cycle ride together sooner. My ds at 7 could do 15 miles off road so we could really enjoy cycling together.

[AstonishingMouse]

I think balancing and steering are harder to learn than pedalling, which is why it's generally easiest to learn these skills on a balance bike and most kids can then go from a balance bike to a pedal bike quite easily. Pedalling is fairly easy for most kids so they learn to ride a bike with stabilizers quickly but it can then be difficult to manage balancing with the stabilizers off.
I've never bought mine bikes for Christmas or birthdays, just at random times. I remember being quite disappointed as a kid when I got a bike for a birthday but couldn't actually ride yet! I think children may not be any more excited by what we see as a major purchase than they are by a couple of random presents that cost a total of £20 or something.

[ivykaty44]

isla bikes hold there price second hand -so if you have two children and then sell it you will not lose a lot of money

[ivykaty44]

also a lot of the cheap bikes are really hard fixed gear and an adult that can ride a bike would struggle to ride, think about putting your bike in the hardest gear and then cycling in that gear constantly - not easy.

get a proper bike and make it easy for her

[seafoodudon]

Thanks folks, think we're convinced. Astonishing she has been asking for a bike for months, I really don't think she'll be disappointed when she gets it for her birthday, and she'll get plenty of little random gifts from friends and other family members.