Orbea 24" Team or Islabike Beinn 24"

r80rew
r80rew Posts: 5
edited June 2015 in Family & kids cycling forum
Good Morning,

Please be gentle with me as I am new and a little naive when it comes to bikes but now my son is getting a little bigger I can see it changing.

My son (7) currently has a second hand apollo single gear bike and the other day when repairing a puncher it dawned on me how heavy it was. This then got me thinking about treating him to a new bike. I have been recommended Islabike Beinn 24" and can't find a bad word about them so that is high on the list currently however I have also found the Orbea 24" team which is a similar weight, spec and slightly cheaper but looks like a real mountain bike. The main difference is that the Orbea has trigger gears where the Islabike has grip shift.

Please can somebody provide me with a little advice. I don't really want to spend more than 400 and currently dont want to consider any other bikes.

Thanks in advance
Andrew

Comments

  • Underscore
    Underscore Posts: 730
    My eldest has a Beinn 24 which has been brilliant - he's used it for both cyclocross and grasstrack racing in addition to general use. However, the Orbea does look good. Provided it is a similar weight, it looks like a worthy alternative (though possibly a bit more MTB focussed). My only concern is whether small thumbs would be able to push the levers far enough easily enough when it comes to shifting gears. It might also be worth taking a look at resale values...

    HTH,

    _
  • r80rew
    r80rew Posts: 5
    There are very few Orbea MX24 team's for sale to be able to get a genuine feel for resale value. The Orbea weighs in at 9kg which is pretty good.

    Can anybody help with how a 7 year old would get on with trigger gears?

    Hopefully will be in a position to order a bike this week!!!
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    I don't know what size the Orbea is but it's worth noting that Islabikes tend to be significantly smaller for the same wheel size than others: make sure you actually get him on whatever bike you choose before you buy it.
  • r80rew
    r80rew Posts: 5
    The Islabike will be slightly lower which is ideal now but within a couple of months the Orbea will be a comfortable enough fit. I have managed to get him on the Orbea but without a trip to Islabike that looks to be an impossibility.

    I am interested with the thoughts about grip shifts as I have never found them easy to operate.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    r80rew wrote:
    I am interested with the thoughts about grip shifts as I have never found them easy to operate.
    Bompetta, aged 5, has had no problems with the ones on her Beinn 20, and I guess they're the actual same parts
  • bruce225
    bruce225 Posts: 129
    With my little girls(age 7) Sram X3 I did the modification which can be found on the net, slightly squashing the clip inside the shifter.It made a massive difference allowing her to easily select gear 1 which she couldn't originally get
  • Underscore
    Underscore Posts: 730
    I have 3 boys, between about 5.5 and 8.75 - the younger two on Beinn 20 smalls and the older one on the Beinn 24 (though wanting a Luath 26 for his birthday). All the bikes have similar grip shifts (the 24 has 8 speed while the 20s have 7 speed) and, while they are all fine with them now, there has been the odd struggle to get into gear 1 when they first got on them (i.e. at about 4.5). However, I would not expect a 7+ year old to struggle once they've got used to it.

    _
  • r80rew
    r80rew Posts: 5
    Still no decision made.....

    Have added frog bikes to the list.
  • wasp707
    wasp707 Posts: 116
    If you're still adding to the list, what about the Hoy Bonaly 24? £320 from Evans.

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/hoy ... e-ec063491
  • 33whitey
    33whitey Posts: 19
    I've just gone through the same decision as both my kids had Beinn 20's and in terms of spec/weight they are very similar but the Orbea looks far nicer in the flesh (Black&Funky :lol: ) and more of a mountain bike which was what my daughter wanted.

    The plus points on the Orbea now that i've bought one are, the gear cable is internally routed, brake cables are fully enclosed, qr seat clamp, mini front chain guide, frame and fork fixings for disc calipers and a more durable looking wheelset.

    The whole bike and components look and feel better made and generally sturdier than the Islabike.

    My daughter is a very small 10yr old and has no problem with the trigger shifter either and I'll be getting another for my 8yr old son at Xmas.

    Cyclelane in Scotland had them in stock and delivered free of charge.

Categories