Like a bike and toddler bike buyers guide - comments?

alotronic

Sorry for cross-posting, just getting used to the new forum...

Hi all

I have cobbled together a buyers guide to like-a-bikes and the other alternatives on the UK markey (Specialized for your toddler anyone?). It's got descriptions, videos, bikes from £40 - £150 and a cool little geometry overlay of the main players.

You can read and comment here: http://www.baxterandfriends.co.uk/like- ... yers-guide

I would love parents who have one of these wee bikes to throw their comments in so I can improve the article. This is on my personal site and is meant to help parents come to a decision, I have no connection with any of the companies involved.

Cheers

Mosschops2

Nice link Alotronic.

(I got into trouble double for posting recently!! Although unlike you - I was asking a technical question, not giving info!).

Interesting about the likeabikes. Never actually seen one myself, or know anyone who has one!

Are likeabikes the only thing you'll be reviewing? Or might you expand into seats and trailers etc?? (Although they are probably well covered elsewhere).

(Also - sorry to be a pedant - the www.likeabike.co.uk link "In the UK they are marketted on this site: doesn't open in a new window. Sorry! just FYI!!)

Mister Paul

I've got some comments, from personal experience.

1. I don't think quality matters much. Last year Lidl did a wooden version for less than £20. I can't remember the exact price because by the time we got to the store they'd all sold out. So we had to buy one of the Lidl models from Ebay. I say that quality doesn't matter much because the boy (then 4) learned to balance with only 2, 20 minute sessions. Then he moved onto his Decathlon pedalled two-wheeler and didn't need the Lidl one any more. It is now winging its way around his mates, the parents of whom can't believe they hadn't heard of such a great way to learn to ride a bike before.

2. Our youngest boy was 2 in March. We bought him the Islabikes Rothan (and we got Cnoc for the older boy at the same time). Despite him being only a small 2 year old, the bike fits him. He walks it around the house very easily and, while he isn't old enough to balance yet, it is getting him used to 2 wheels and he's happy that he has a proper 2-wheeler like the rest of the family. The build and design is faultless. Isla is a pleasure to deal with, and will go out of her way to make sure that you are completely satisfied -she even drove to Birmingham one evening to come and fix a fault on the Cnoc.

The Rothan is way cheaper than any comparable alternatives, fits from the youngest age, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Oh, and while Isla does offer a buy-back scheme, you'd be far better off selling one of her bikes on Ebay. Given their reputation amongst cyclists who know their stuff, residual prices are very good.

MICHAELCYCLES

What about the ridgeback scoot looks like it will be in direct competition with the others mentioned and I want one for my daughter!

wong

I'm in the same boat. My son is 2 1/2 and has learnt to pedal a tricycle recently. I came across this - http://www.itsimagical.com.hk/vIE/Tiend ... ucto=30894
You can take the pedals, chainset and chain off and use it as a hobby horse. Then when they've learnt to balance, you can put them back on. Its got a front V brake as well. I think it was designed in Germany. Haven't bought it yet, but he's probably getting it for Christmas.

jackrobbo

my bro is 3 years old and he has been riding a like-a-bike since he was two and has recently moved on to a little ridgeback and to my amazment was pedalling without stabilisers in 20 mins !!!!!

amaze

owe it all to like a bike, he will be on the dh track soon :P

noteon

Great article! And that YouTube video made me laugh. I've got two two-year-olds, and I want to get them started on bikes.

Unfortunately, a few minutes of Googling seems to indicate that most of the brands in that article aren't readily available in the US. Any recommendations from parents in North America?

Thanks!

Shavedlegs

All really helpful advice. It is my daughters 3rd birthday soon and I'd ike to get her either the Likeabike or the Isla Rohan.

I just can't decide which, I'm a fan of wooden toys yet the Isla seems well thought out, good quality and I'd like to support the small business.

Anyone fancy making the choice for me?

Mister Paul

get the Islabikes. The service from Isla is faultless. It's a lot better than the wooden alternatives and will last forever, as it will need to from our experience. Everyone that sees the boy on it, or sees how quickly the older one learned to ride on 2 wheels, wants to borrow it.

Shavedlegs

I did get the Rothan. She loves it.

The build quality and finish is excellent as was the service.

I doubt I'll ever spend a better £80.

baudman

noteon wrote:

Unfortunately, a few minutes of Googling seems to indicate that most of the brands in that article aren't readily available in the US. Any recommendations from parents in North America?

Norco - watch the video, it's superb!

http://www.norco.com/2007bikes/Childrens/RunBikes/

baudman

I'm checking if I can get the Isla Rothan in Australia. Or little girl is pretty short, and we'd love to get her started as soon as she's tall enough. The Rothan's saddle goes ultra-low, so that'd help heaps.

Mister Paul

baudman wrote:

I'm checking if I can get the Isla Rothan in Australia. Or little girl is pretty short, and we'd love to get her started as soon as she's tall enough. The Rothan's saddle goes ultra-low, so that'd help heaps.

I think Isla does all the selling direct, from here in the UK. But I know that she will send ont out to you. They are pretty small and very light, so it is worth asking her for a quote.

baudman

The IslaBike was too expensive to send to Australia unfortunately (although Isla was happy to do so - but even she said it would be stupidly expensive).

And our little daughter is a little too short for most of the other makes. However, she's REALLY keen to get one (as you can see from the photo)

secretsam

Will check this out, would love to get kids on wheels (2yo twins)

baudman

I found out that Aldi had them for sale in Australia, starting 2 weeks ago. Thankfully, my local one had some left. Wooden, with plastic rims and pneumatic tyres.

The saddle is a little higher than what I was after, but it's a LOT cheaper price. Also, I had a play and I can flip the frame upside-down and with one extra drill hole in the saddle post, I can drop the saddle by quite a bit. Once her legs grow, I'd flip the frame back the right way - although it does look kinda 'easy rider' that way.

Now... can I resist giving it to her until Christmas...? (Coz her Feb birthday is out of the question!) :roll:

mountaincarrot

Useful summary alotronic.

It's such a shame that the Lidl wooden bikes seemed to go, never to reappear anywhere after Lidl sold their stock. If anyone knows if they are currently sold, You could certainly add that to your listing, and give them 100% thumbs up into the bargain.

The brand label was "B square", but I've not come across anything like it searching the web.

Lidl eventually dropped the price to £9.99 round our way. They came with pneumatic tyres and proper wheel bearings.

I made a few very useful mods to our one so it would fit our (then) fairly small 3 year old. (It's easy to modify a wooden bike with a jigsaw!

Since we live in a very hilly area, I also added a rear brake to it. (stolen from an old kids bike). The wheels have nice flat braking surfaces, and this mod was totally succesful.