16 inch wheeled bike for 4 year old

tangled_metal

Any recommendations? Third bike after 12" and balance bike. They don't last long do they? Hence the £150 budget.

They all seem to be 8kg to 12kg although I did spot one at 6kg for a tenner more. If you can suggest a decent spec bike weighing 6kg for less that would be perfect.

Thigh_burn

Try a secondhand Frog? Just got one (a larger model) and am very impressed.

oxoman

2nd hand islabike or frogbike is probably as good as it gets for that money. A new bike for that budget will weigh a ton.

tangled_metal

Actually the 16" islabike is down as 6.1kg but I've seen a bike that's new for £160 that's 6.0kg. If it's a choice between overpriced islabike, second-hand (or third hand you just don't know) islabike or a new bike from another brand that's a similar spec and weight. Well it's the new one for my money.

7005-T6 frame, cromoly forks with guard eyelets, ahead stem, v brakes with adjustable levers, sealed BB, 6kg weight, etc. Is that the islabike or the cheaper one I've seen?

mikpem

You could also have a look for a 2nd hand Hoy Bonaly, my son has one and loves it. Pretty light weight and well put together.

natrix

My son has a Hoy bike and is very happy with it, a second hand Hoy would be a good idea along with Islabike & Frog. There are some cheap Chinese childrens bikes on ebay that are not as light as claimed.................

tangled_metal

Checked out a Carerra Cosmos 16" bike today. It's very light and looks good. The only issue is my son is only just big enough. Well I'm not completely sure he is. He can ride it but since the halfords store is very cluttered he couldn't get going properly.

The question is whether to take a chance on this 6kg bike that he'll grow into or not? I remember getting new bikes and they were always a bit big for me. He's growing out of his 12" and I think he won't get enough time out of a 14" bike. Bikes are too expensive to last just 1 year. At £160 the cosmos is a new bike at Islabikes second-hand prices or less and it's a decent bike.

We are planning on using it with a follow-me tandem thing which attaches to the axle and the kid's bike is towed along. One idea is to tour this way for our summer holiday. So any views on whether to get this bike that's perhaps a bit big would be appreciated. BTW we're not keen on the hassle of buying a second-hand bike and then selling it to get the money back. We want a new bike then after he's grown out of it we'll work out what to do. Probably sell via local noticeboard.

oxoman

The way kids shoot up a slightly oversized bike wont matter. My youngest went from a 20 inch to a 24 inch wheeled bike then straight to a 27.5 wheeled bike in less than 2 yrs and he's not quite 12 yet.

tangled_metal

So you reckon it's worth the risk to buy the bigger bike? I could take off the reflector fitted to the seat tube. It'll allow an inch lower seat height. The height issue is made worse because we had his seat on his 12" bike lower than he should to give him more confidence learning to ride. That was so recently that we've never raised it. So the saddle is nearly at tyre bottom making for a much bigger jump in height.

The other issue is the bike looks like it's a bit long for him. Looking at other 16" bikes this one seems to be bigger overall. Slightly higher than a hoy bonaly and longer. He'll be on tippy toes and leaning a lot further forward.

Hmmm! It's not so clear cut I reckon. I don't want to get a 14" because he'll outgrow it within 6 months to a year.

mikpem

I'd go slightly bigger, if he has started riding already he will soon have grown enough to fit.
We put our son on his 16" Bonaly at around 3, The seat was slammed to the bottom but he could just about fit and managed fine.
He does cycle speedway and all the kids there are on the biggest bike they can reach the floor on (some stand on a block of wood at the start!), so he was in the same boat as the others.
That reminds me I have to lift his seat a bit, not even 4 yet and he is 110cm!

natrix

That Carerra Cosmos 16" seems a good deal at £160 (down from £230) and only 6.8kg. However, I wouldn't get a bike that's too big, it could put him off cycling or give him back ache etc. My son went straight from 12" to 16" because he was big enough and growing rapidly, but for my daughter we got a 16" which she rode for a year. You should be able to sell a 14" one for at least £100, so it will cost you about £60. Might be the difference between a great touring holiday and a not-so-great one......................

tangled_metal

He's tall enough I think to ride it but the standover height isn't the issue it's the reach to the bars. It looks a bit stretched out to me.

I think we need to visit a bigger Halfords store because the one we went to was too cluttered to test ride. Plus there was one spanner monkey busy and nobody else to assist. There's a bigger store nearby so we'll take him next weekend. He'll be able to ride in a straight line without anything in the way there plus they have slightly more shop staff and at least one knows his stuff.

tangled_metal

Cosmos works out well for him. He's taken to it really well after we took it to a car free cycle route. Trouble is it's made him too fast for me to jog along with him. Must he due to the larger wheels and how it fits him better. Now we'll have to be riding a bike when he does.

Good news is our followme tandem will help with getting to safe places for him to ride. One issue with his bigger bike. We can't fit our bikes and his inside the car to get somewhere to ride. Our bike rack is knackered so we're considering buying roof top bike racks for our bikes and his in the car. Anyone got recommendations for cheap but good racks? Is the £29.99 halfords roof bike rack any good? The old paddy hobkirk roof bars they once sold had a reputation for flying off the car on the motorway. I'd hate for that to happen with the Halfords bike racks if they're rubbish.

How do you carry a 16" kids bike? On top of the car? Inside the car? Boot based rack?

oxoman

Small bikes like that I would stick in the boot as a lot of racks won't fit them that small. Nothing wrong with halfords, some of it is rebadged thule apparently. Otherwise get thule, loads of second hand ones on eBay.