Frog bikes - does anyone have one?

[TrickyD]

DS suggested one of these as a Christmas present for his 4 year old DS. They are obviously more expensive than basic Halfords bikes, but apparently they hold their second hand value.
We ordered one and it is sitting in the cellar until Christmas. Has anyone got any any thoughts on them? Just want reassurance really that the cash we forked out was worth it.

We’ve had several. They’re excellent, really nice to ride, light and easy for kids to handle, great quality. And yes we have found they hold resale value very well.

We have one, it's leased through bike club to mitigate the big expense in one go. The one we have we bought for 4 year old DS's birthday, he can ride it brilliantly, never needed stabilisers or anything and I think the lightness of the bike has really helped.

In contrast, my older DS got a different bike from Halfords and still can't ride it properly!

We're getting a frog balance bike for DDs second birthday next month.

Frog bikes are amazing and yes, they hold their value very well. Ds has had several over the years.
The reason they are more expensive than halfords bikes us because they have better quality components that are made to last, they're a lot lighter (so much better for little children) and they are designed better ergonomically (so better riding position etc).

They hold their value amazingly well. We've had several for our DC and really recommend them.

Thank you! I am feeling very reassured now within ten minutes of posting.

Very much worth it. Lovely bikes!

Worth the cost and definitely hold resale well-you’d expect to recoup 60-70% at least.

Same here. Was surprised how much the resale value was. There is one that’s been through my 2 DCs and is now working its way through 3 cousins. British brand too iirc.

Lovely bikes.

Another good option is Squish. Slightly lighter than Frogs, excellent quality. We moved from a Frog to a Squish for the next size up as I couldn’t get hold of a Frog in the right size, and have been very happy.

Not an owner - they weren't around when my children were young - but I'm a kids' cycling coach and a lot of our club ride Frogs. They're very good. They are light (as children's bikes go), robust and have decent quality components. Plus they are actually designed for typical children's bodies, not just shrunk versions of adult bikes.
They, and other premium children's bike brands, are more costly than the type of thing you can buy in Halfords or similar and I understand why parents don't want to spend a lot on something that is going to be outgrown, but honestly, the difference is massive. And they last well, so if you have younger children one bike will last for several owners, or you can sell on and get a large percentage of the purchase price back.
It's a higher initial outlay but if you use for multiple children or sell, the actual cost isn't that different to a cheap bike thst won't last, and your child will have a much better experience.

They are great but ‘squish’ bikes are much better, lighter…. Halfords or Argos bikes are rubbish, very heavy and hard to ride, I’d certainly buy a ‘squish’ or ‘frog’ over them any day they are worth the money.

Christmas1988, yes, Squish do sound good, DS checked them out but out of stock and even Frog numbers were low.
I had never heard of them and DS had not until he started to notice lots around his home in Chiswick.
Well, it has solved the Christmas present problem, albeit expensively.

We have had many over the years and they are great bikes.

Yes frog bikes are really good both for riding and resale. Good choice!

As for the cost of them. I bought a Islabike Cnoc 14 DC1 was 4 for £250. We sold it last year when both the DCs outgrown it for £100. (DC1 is 10). I could have gone higher because I got so many messages wanting to buy it. This is to just confirm what @MrsAvocet says.

We switched to Frog after the Cnoc because the local bike shop sells Frog. Both make very good children's bikes.

I'm a big fan. My daughter has one who is 4 and my 2 year old has the tadpole balance bike.
I got them both on ebay.
They both love their bikes and ride them a lot.

Less expensive than Isla bikes! We came to them late but DS2 has done a 30 mile ride on his Frog 78.

We’ve had several Frog bikes too and they are hands down the best we’ve had (although admittedly our budget wouldn’t stretch to Islabikes so can’t compare!)

You are an incredibly generous grandparent. I think my parents would politely tell me where to go if I suggested they buy my child a Frog bike!!

We have Islabikes but Frog are pretty similar. I bought a second hand one for DS to learn on, now passed down to the 5th child to use it, still going strong and I would be able to sell it for not much less than I bought it for. Definitely worth the money to buy a decent child’s bike.

We have Frogs and Islas for our children, safe in the knowledge that we'll be able to re-sell them. They are excellent.

Frog are good. We have a Strider bike for DS, starts as a balance bike, then you add the pedals.

Got it for Christmas last year when he was just turned 4 and has been riding confidently since March-ish. He's grown out if it quicker than I thought he would though. My parents have got him a BMX type bike for this year. I can't remember what actual make it is but it cost a fortune and has been hand picked for him by my Dad and Geoff from the bike shop as a collaborative effort

@MrsAvocet

Are Ridgeback are any good please ? Or Forme ? I'm thinking of doing a monthly rental but the frog is much more per month

Ridgeback are pretty good bikes sleepingrabbits. Quite a few of the youngsters at our club ride them. I haven't actually looked at the relative weights but having picked them up I'd say they aren't quite as light as Frogs or Islabikes which probably accounts for quite a bit of the price difference, but they are a lot lighter than some other well known makes and seem decent quality.
I've not seen a Forme in real life yet but I've read good reviews.
If you're planning on hiring from The Bike Club, they only carry reputable brands. I only know a few people who've used them in real life but they've all been satisfied customers and I've read positive comments here and elsewhere.
I'd always encourage parents to buy the best/lightest bike that they can afford but never to put themselves into any kind of financial difficulties in order to get a particular brand. When Islabikes first came out they were really in a different league, and they probably do still have the edge, with Frog snapping at their heels, but lots of other companies have cottoned on and are now producing much better children's bikes than in the past. There are still plenty of absolutely dire kids bikes out there that weigh nearly as much as their riders, but there are lots of good ones too. Don't worry if you can't get one of the most expensive brands, there are lots of decent alternatives.

@MrsAvocet thank you for the info, yes my DS is struggling with a Halfords cheapie, the pedals are grating when turning and so it need a service. I was thinking maybe to do the bike club, as he could ride a taller one and no point in polishing a 💩 😬😂

100% recommend. We've had several over the years and they really are the best. So lightweight and resell so highly!