16" Islabike!

M.C.

I know there is a little post duplication here but I really wanted to emphasise how good the bike is and how good the service was.

My 5yr old son has well and truly grown out of his 14" Raleigh, so I decided it was time for a new bike for Christmas. I looked around at all the options that google could turn up, including all the big brand names. I was however swayed by popular opinion to go for an Islabike and I believe it was the best choice. The other bikes all seem to be overly heavy with poor suspension gimics and bells and whistles that just aren't needed.

I wasn't sure whether to go for the small 20" or the 16" as he was just only just shy of the min inside leg for the 20", but I remembered how I was much more confident on a smaller bike when I was a kid and stopped doing silly tricks when my parents bought me a massive bike. I suspect he will grow out of it rather quickly, but I have a younger son who will benefit.

The CNOC16 is a brilliant little bike. It's much lighter than his old 14", and the frame looks really nice. The wheels run straight and true and the tyres are perfect for young legs as they roll nicely. The componets are impressive with a proper headset and stem arrangement, a good quality chain and a cassette with a really nice click.. but the most impressive items are the brakes. They are a breath of fresh air on a kids bike. They are very powerful and the leavers are perfect for small hands, requiring very little effort to pull. The moaning about brakes has stopped!

I can already see how much easier he finds riding it. He used to moan after a mile or two, now I have to reign him back.

The telephone ordering was great too with good advice and payment process. They said they would e-mail the day before delivery so I could make sure someone was in and they did. The bike was well packaged and undamaged, supplied with two spare tyres, spare decails and good instructions. All I had to do was straighten the bars and put the pedals on. Everything elese was spot on and needed no adjustment (apart from seat height).


Well done Islabikes, we have a very happy boy (and dad) at Christmas!

Janbo25

Glad to hear your report, we are going to get our son a new bike for his 5th birthday in Jan, and had nearly fully decided on a Islabike and after your review think it's deffinately made our minds up. He's very tall and already outgrown is 16" Trek bike so we will be getting the 20" so hopefully our experience will be as good as yours.

simon_e

Janbo25 wrote:

we will be getting the 20" so hopefully our experience will be as good as yours.

Measure his height and inside leg and they will be able to tell you over the 'phone which size - there are two sizes of the 20" Beinn, my son has the smaller one. We have bought three Islabikes to date and yes, both the bikes and Isla's small team are every bit as good as people say.

Mike Healey

Small turnout this morning - only 22 - and guess what make most (n-1) of the new bikes were?

Joined in the kids warm-up exercises to make a team - not a good idea as am now in possession of very stiff adductors

RonB

Gotta agree with you there MC, though we ended up with the small 20 after a few test rides at Ludlow. Good to see a review of the bigger bike on the website too. All the best,

Ron

scale20

Good to read a positive post on islabikes.

My daughters been on a Specialized hotwalk for the past 18 months and has come on well.

Its her 4th birthday today and shes been battering my head about having a bike with pedals like dad's!

I've gone for the CNOC 14 because shes quite pettite for her age. I also looked at the mainstream makes and they all seemed to be too much compared to the islabikes who seem to have hit every nail on the head when it comes to kids.

I phoned them the other day to make an appointment to go and see the bike and couldn't believe how helpful and friendly they were. Im quite excited now to go Ludlow on Friday and pick up her new bike. Unfortunatlry the little un can't come with me but I'm sure it will all go well if go in armed with the right measurements!

hearndenemma

agree with all the above, my daughter had CNOC 14 for christmas service from Isla bikes was great, very impressed with bike !!!! we are now looking to get our 10 year old an Isla bike.