Daughters first bike

merlin40

Hi guys not sure if I'm in right place of forum but Im looming to get my daughter her first bike for her birthday end of next month, and was looking for so thing that possibly has puncture protection without breaking the bank so any advice would be great

Thanks

shirley_basso

How old is she?

Age 3-4 get an Islabike or Frog. Most other bikes are too heavy.

My son is 3 and happily does small BMX tracks on an Islabike 14 (small) , going down some pretty steep ramps.

As you get older, Decathlon is a good place to start.

I wouldn't obsess about puncture resitant tyres, either - they are generally very heavy.

photonic69

Look at Frog bikes. Don't get a cheap BSO from Halfords etc. They weigh a ton and are rubbish. More likely to put anyone off riding than encourage it. (my daughter had a BSO and it weighed 16kgs! And she was 6 years old!) Frog bikes are kid specific and light weight. Check out 2nd hand on the likes of FB etc. They hold their value very well.

gomezz

The trouble with kids bikes is the kids out grow them so damm fast.
As said some kids bikes weigh more than adult bikes and then can you justify spending a lot more to get a lightweight bike.
My grandaughter had two before we got her a better Polygon xtrada 5 from Go Outdoors, a great bike for the money, she was 11 yrs old by then and loves it.
She manages Sherwood Pines blue trails well with it.

edward.s

My son went through 3 frog bikes of progressively larger size - I never failed to get over half the value back on selling any of them. They are a really nice light machine, I would recommend them wholeheartedly.

I believe there are some subscription type services now where you pay monthly and get an appropriate bike - not sure if that is of interest or not.

daniel_b

I ordered my daughters first (balance) bike before she was born

We started with a bargain CNOC14, then a Frog 52, a Frog Road 58 (Bit of a mistake), Frog 62, and now we are on to a Frog 73, packing 26" wheels.

I've made a small profit on all of them apart from the Road 59 - we bought that because she wanted a drop handlebar bike 'like mum and dad' but in reality she wasn't comfortable on the drops, or with the reach, gear and brake levers etc.

Having said all that, at the age of 9 now, and having had a load of skills sessions with her club, I'm seriously thinking about a road bike for next year - we're able to cover 20+ mile distances now without too much whinging, and I think a double at the front, and thinner tyres would help her travel further, more easily, and ascend hills more effectively.

Anyway, I digress - give us some more details, and I dare say there may be some more recommendations.

The other bonus with Frog/Isla bikes, is that there is a ready market for them ALL the time, they are constantly being bought and sold - there are dedicated facebook pages for selling them.
As my daughter was after a lime green 73 though, that took a bit more hunting, and I eventually found one 50 odd miles away via marketplace - condition was 9/10, and I didn't even bother trying to barter - I thought it was a fair price.

I have always started looking for the next one before the current one is too small, as if it's a particular colour, and or you want it within a certain distance, it can take a little while - also as they get bigger I guess they last a bit longer, so less are for sale if that makes sense.

When I find the right one, I hide it in the garage under a sheet, and then at some point when she is not around I give it a good clean and service (Maybe fit mudguards, change grips and saddle if needed), so it's ready to go when we have to gift it to her.

monkimark

Being first bike, I presume progressing to pedals but small size. Although I guess it is possible that your daughter is 35 but never learned to ride.

I've bought 2nd hand Frog bikes for the last 3 bikes for my daughters, there are always loads for sale on ebay or Facebook groups/marketplace and as a result, there is always a market to sell them on (for about the same amount generally).

I bought my youngest a Squish bike for her first, which was very similar to Frog but quite a bit cheaper, flip side being that the resale value/market is much smaller.

MattFalle

Bambino at age 5 had a Raleigh road bike - proper Shimano 8 speed 1x set up, cx levers, sti shifters, the whole caboodle.

£400 new.

Better value than Frogs but not the bling.

daniel_b

To be fair, when I bought the Road 58 second hand for £190 in what must have been 2018 or 19, they were £440 new, and had all the same kit the Raleigh had.

*I appreciate they are a lot more now, but then what isn't and I suspect that Raleigh isn't £400 anymore?

I'm all for buying better value examples and not buying because of a name, but the fact remains that a Frog or Islabike will not lose very much, or could even make you a profit if you're in the right place at the right time.

I happened to see a facebook listing on the day it was posted for an 18 month old Frog 62, a damaged saddle (£10 delivered from frog) and a few scuffs here and there, but mechanically fine.

He was a proper bike person but wanted shot of it, and put it on for £80.
I happened to be travelling to within a few miles of where he lived that very day, so offered him £120, and went and collected it.

The guy had been inundated with messages, people asking him to courier it etc.

That's the one I just sold for £180, but could have gotten £220 plus for it no bother.

It took me a while to get my head round it, but the initial cost is justified by the ease of sale combined with a healthy resale value.

You won't get that same demand for a lot of other makes unfortunately.

shirley_basso

Agree with all of the above.

I bought my son's second hand Islabike 14 for £200 and a 16 for £100. Will easily recover the £200 and £100 when it comes to selling.

Trying to work out if the subscription model is worth it. Definitely is if you buy new, not so much if you are as shrewd as dan_b.