Bike for son's 5th birthday

[GreatGooglyMoogly]

Does anyone have this? Or anyone who knows about bikes tell me if it looks any good?

Looks fine, but £££ for a 5 year old. Bikes for this age are much or a muchness but the biggest problem with bikes for 4 - 5 year olds is that their hands can't stretch enough to grasp the hand brakes properly.

For this reason, its always best to see the bikes in a shop and choose one with the easiest brake grip. Bikes on Amazon have reviews by users which is often helpful if you can't get to a shop to see them.

After seeing Islabikes recommended on here numerous times we bought one for our dc4, then was so impressed bought one each for all the others. The quality is far better than anything I've seen in a shop and much lighter so easy to learn to balance. The brakes are designed for little people too.

You can scroll down under bikes to see the range. They are more expensive, but you can sell them back to her and/or trade in for the next size.

I think they're the best bikes for children on the market.

Thanks. DS1 hasn't had a bike before so I anticipate lots of falling over, which is why I want a lightweight aluminium one. Unfortunately they are quite expensive!

Barking, do the Islabikes have some kind of chainguard so that the DC don't touch the chain? Also, is the centre bar low enough for them to be able to stand without hurting themselves between their legs?!

An extra light bike will not help a child who has never ridden before. Would be better off with a solid one which feels secure. The key thing about learning to ride, is to have the confidence to keep peddaling when all you want to do is put your feet down. A very lightweight bike will feel less stable.
Children from 8+ benefit more from lighter bikes.

Oh dear, really? Now I'm confused.

Sorry GreatGooglyMoogly, only just seen your next message.

My only advice is that I would phone Islabikes, or even Isla herself and talk to her about your concerns, I don't know enough about bikes to explain all the technical aspects but if you look at the link here for the Cnoc16 it shows where the chain is tucked behind the wheel thing, but again it would be best talking to Islabikes directly.

All my children have little legs and I too was worried about the centre/crossbar - it is at a sloping angle so none of them have had the problem of catching themselves. I think you can click on the specifications to get more info on the exact measurements, I remember this was a prerequisite before buying that I had to measure their inside leg measurements to make sure I got the right sized bike.

I would disagree about heavy being better than light as I can remember learning to ride on a heavy bike and struggling to keep holding it upright and get my confidence riding the thing.

They are very light but very sturdy and well built if that makes sense. I have found these bikes so good I bought the largest child version for myself!

I couldn't find the link before but here is the webpage that explains the different bikes and inside leg measurements
measurements

Thanks Barking, I've e-mailed Islabikes with lots of questions!

I would thoroughly recommend Islabikes as well. DD couldn't ride her Toys r us bike as she couldn't push the peddles but could ride her Islabike straight away. Very helpful on the phone, quick delivery.

They are expensive but apparently they keep their value if you want to ebay it afterwards.