Second bike for 4 year old - Single speed or geared?

daniel_b

Morning all,

my daughter, who will be 4 this month, currently has an Islabike CNOC 14 (I think it is) which is a single speed, and she has learnt how to ride properly on.

Sadly it will not be too long, Christmas or early spring, until she is too big for it, and I don't want her to lose interest because it doesn't fit properly.

Considering something like the Be Inn 20 Large, or a Frog 52, but not sure whether bringing gears into the equation is a bad idea, or whether it could be useful, wonder what people have found with their own children?

I guess if she does not want to use the gears, I could just stick it in one cog, and then hope she decides she wants to use them awt some point - not much of a price different it would seem - £20 or so.

slowbike

TBH - I'd just go for one that has gears - she will want/need one eventually - at least then, even if she's not using the gears - you can select one appropriate for the conditions and let her ride.

My niece had a single speed bike that was heavy and gearing totally wrong - far too hard - she was ok on the flat, but any incline and she stopped.

Can't offer any real advice though - LSB is just mastering the balance bike ... I was going out for a TT last night and he wanted to race with me!

daniel_b

Thanks SB, I think that makes the most sense - I can get the Frog 52 geared variant for £270 from my LBS, which is where I bought the second hand Islabike from. They might even get a Frog 52 trade in of course, so might have a word.

They seem to sell so strongly second hand, there seems to be little reason to try and buy off of ebay.

Only thing I did notice is that the comparitive Islabike does seem to be 800g (10%) or so lighter.
As I will, at times, be towing said bike (With and without passenger), this is a consideration!

Pleased to hear your little one is cracking on with the balance bike, my daughter had a 'pre balance' bike from the age of 0, and then a proper one from the age of 1 I think.
We bought her the pedal bike last summer for her 3rd birthday, and I think it was marginally too big for her to start with, but she tried it properly this spring, and the magic point she could ride on her own was in May I think - and she loved it, and still does which gives me a very nice feeling :-)

dgstewart

My son has had a couple of years out of his Frog 52 - great little bike. Easy to just ride around but also capable for starting offroad trail riding (blue/red runs). I never got his until he was at least 6, maybe 7 though as he's quite small for his age. Your daughter must be quite big for 4?

The Frog 52 (in orange) is going up for sale now if you're interested, but based on NE Scotland so might be a bit out your way :-)!

daniel_b

dgstewart wrote:

My son has had a couple of years out of his Frog 52 - great little bike. Easy to just ride around but also capable for starting offroad trail riding (blue/red runs). I never got his until he was at least 6, maybe 7 though as he's quite small for his age. Your daughter must be quite big for 4?

The Frog 52 (in orange) is going up for sale now if you're interested, but based on NE Scotland so might be a bit out your way :-)!

Hello dg,

yes I think she is fairly tall for her age, which is handy as she will pretty much be the youngest in her class.

That sounds like a good review of the Frog 52 - did you buy it new?

She has a 47cm inside leg, so am thinking of getting her a Frog 52 or Be Inn 20 Large, which both have a minimum inside leg requirement of 52cm, so thinking she will either hit that by Christmas, or by spring at the latest.

Alas Scotland is the other end of the country to us, and imagine postage would be a fair whack - are you advertising it on here?

Cheers

lettingthedaysgoby

I got my daughter a Frog 52 as her first bike when she was 5 after she learnt to ride a single speed on a camping holiday. She got the hang of the gears in an afternoon and can now ride up hills faster than some adults. The funniest one being when she passed a guy riding a Bianchi on an 8% gradient

dgstewart

Daniel, yes I bought it new from my local LBS (they're doing well out of me for Frog bikes!). I've not posted it for sale yet, as not got a replacement yet, but will do soon. I think postage would be pricey so probably not any use for you.

My daughter is similar to yours then, tall for her age. She's 18 months younger than my son but 1 - 2 cm taller, so no hand me down bikes in our house :-(.

Agree with the last post above - very amusing to see little kids dance up the hills past adults! Only a matter of time before my son does it to me...

daniel_b

Thanks gents, that bodes well then, as if it ends up being spring, she will be 4 and 2/3rds by then, so likely about the same as your daughter LTDGB.

If she is anything like her mum, she will be ridiculously good up hills, I will be hitting the turbo hard to make sure I can keep up with her!

@dg - unlucky your daughter is so tall!
Expensive to buy them, but then I guess you get a fair chunk of cash back when you come to trade in or re-sell, so in reality not that bad a deal.