Which bike for a 4 year old?

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My daughter has had her balance bike for just under a year and has outgrown it. I want to get her a pedal bike and was hoping for recommendations.

I think the Cnoc 16 from Islabikes would be perfect for her but the price tag of £289.99 is quite steep, particularly as I think she may only get one - one and a half years use out of it (based on her current height). I know Islabikes have great resale value but we would most likely end up passing it onto her cousin who is two years younger. My husband is reluctant to buy s/h in case there is an issue with the bike and may end up costing us more.

Can anyone suggest an alternative similar but less expensive bike? Frog and Hoy bikes are not that much cheaper. I want to get her an easy bike to ride although she might not get much use out of it beyond these summer holidays and the odd weekend after that as she starts Reception in September and (based on past experience) will probably be too tired to ride it to school and back, at least for the first term or so. I may get her an Islabike further down the line but just want to encourage her to start riding a pedal bike over this summer holiday. Could the Wiggins Macon be a reasonable option?

Any responses would be appreciated.

In my opinion more expensive bikes are MORE worth it in the early days when the kids are new to cycling.

Get a second-hand Frog or Islabike. We got our 3 year old son a Frog 43 for £150, in immaculate condition. Alternatively, buy one new and sell it on in a couple of years to recoup the cost.

If you can afford the initial outlay, get a Cnoc. They hold their value brilliantly as Islabikes put their prices up each year. My two have had 3 Cnocs between them, all bought new, and I've sold all of them on when outgrown for no less than £50 below the new price. If you buy secondhand to start with, you could you even make a profit!

If you can afford it, Islabikes every time. We had one in every size from the balance bike and I reckon the actual cost to us was about £15 per child per bike. We definitely made a profit on at least one of them as Islabikes put their prices up after we bought it.

I second the poster who said it’s probably better to have the expensive bikes when they are smaller as they benefit hugely from the child-sized components and the lower weight. Both mine are on adult sized bikes now and they just have standard Giant bikes now, which they manage with fine.

Thanks for your responses.

Museumum - I understand what you are saying.

SoftSheen - my husband thinks it's too risky buying s/h as the bike might have some issues. He would rather buy new so that any issues would be easy to sort out. We have passed everything onto my niece so it would seem unkind not to do the same with bikes. We will be giving her the balance bike soon.

So, no potential alternatives then?

I've just read your messages, schooltripwoes and Piffpaffpoff - it seems that you are all recommending Islabikes. Incidentally, did any of you get your children to try them out first? I know their size guides are meant to be very good. My daughter's inside leg is just 1cm less than minimum inside leg for the Cnoc 20 but she is 4cm less then the approximate minimum height. Would you still recommend the Cnoc 16 or would it be worth visiting Islabikes in Ludlow for their advice? She is a cautious child so I want her to be comfortable with her new bike.

It’s up to you if you feel you have to give your nice £150 or more worth of second hand bike or not but it seems odd to make your own dd make do with a cheaper heavier less well designed bike just because of your niece expecting it handed down for free.
Just tell your ds/db that you need to sell the bike on to find the next size up.

I’ve never know a 4yr old start on a cnoc 20. Mine has a 14, his tallest friends a 16 at the same age. They’re all five now and only one is on a 20.

Another vote for Islabikes. We’ve had nearjy every size from balance bike to 26” mountain bike and 26” wheel road bike.

At smaller sizes a better bikes makes far more difference (over a cheaper bike) than at larger sizes. Say there is 1kg weight difference between two bikes of similar size, that can be 5% of a child’s body weight.

Get the Islabike. Allow your dd the joy of a light, well proportioned, well made bike. Don’t put her off with something that weighs half as much as her, is awkward to handle and will need lots of fettling.

Tell your family that you will not be handing it down as it was expensive. An excellent bike, but expensive. They will be welcome to first refusal though, before you out it on eBay/Gumtree/FB Preloved Islabike page.

Alternatively, you can lease a Frog bike for s few £/month , and exchange for a larger size as needed. I don’t know what happens if it gets broken or stolen though. (My personal opinion, based on being involved in kids cycle coaching for 5 years, is that Frogs overstretch the rider.)

The Bike Club - Frog bike leasing

Islabikes do go on tour [[
www.islabikes.co.uk/test-ride/ Islabikes test ride dates and locations]]

Thank you for your insights, museumum and BikeRunSki, very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Cheerful hijacking here so forgive me OP.

Our local bike shop has recommended Squish Bikes (DSs will be 6 and nearly 3). Are Isla bikes superior?

Thank you!

My ds has an islabike. We weren't sure which size to get so tried sitting him on a friend's cnoc 16 - it was slightly too big so we went for the 14L.

It's an amazing bike.

There is a whole Facebook group dedicated to selling them second hand.

With Islabikes, you'll get back what you pay for them if you buy second hand, and even buying new they hold their value like nothing else.
They don't sell through bike shops, so your local bike shop will sell you what they have.
I really can't recommend them highly enough

That’s very helpful, thank you!

Smallest boy went straight from a balance bike to a cube 160 and rode straight off, great bike and has a back pedal brake which is great for little ones.

His sister who age almost 9 could not get the hang of riding a bike got on a cube 200 and rode it almost straight away, like the Isla bikes etc they are very well balanced. Smallest boy has moved onto it now. I picked them both up second hand, £60 for the small one and £80 for the bigger one.