Islabikes CNOC 16- whatsize/ age range?

scott1 wrote:

I'm thinking of buying one of these as a step-up from a Giant Little Puddin for the youngest, who is soon to be 5 but is a little above average height for her age. I just wonder if we should plump for the next model up, Beinn 20 which also has derailleur gears. Has anyone had experience of these with a growing family- which would you recommend?

Thanks

Scott

I've recently bought a Beinn 20 for my eldest son's 5th birthday. He's about 75 %ile height IIRC and he is happy enough on it but not able to put both feet flat on the ground (he's slightly on tip-toes). As the previous poster said, the Islabikes sizing chart is pretty much spot on in my experience but, given how quickly they grow, I would be tempted to try to find a way to move straight onto the Beinn 20 - even if it means waiting a bit before doing too much riding on it...

HTH,

_

My 5yo son is in between the two in terms of frame size: the saddle on the cnoc 16 he has is near the highest setting (before the seat post's insertion in the frame is too little), but geometry wise, it's perfect for him that way. He can't even touch the ground on tippee toes but when he rides, it is the perfect setting for him to put power in his legs and pedal through: even pretty steep slopes are not an issue for him and doesn't need to stand on the pedals.

To me it looks like the Cnoc 16 frame is 'low', but long enough to be just fine in terms of fit once the saddle height and the handlebar reach are dialled in.

A 20 inch bike, at this point, would only represent extra weight to carry. Which would hinder his ability to lift the bike on and off kerbs, and maneuverability.

Gears would certainly be appreciated on longer rides, but then we don't tend to ride any longer than 10-12 miles at a time.

P.S.
I ride a 16 inch folding bike a few miles to/from work occasionally and from experience, smaller wheels have very little to do with ft. What matters most is the cranks/saddle/handlebar geometry that matters most.

scott1 wrote:

The thing that put me off is that she couldn't manage the old 20" bike we have "in stock", but then that frame is clearly bigger. I'll get one on order!

As you've probably worked out, that's because very few other bike manufacturers actually have any idea about appropriate geometry for kids' bikes. (Most are made for use with stabilisers)

The Islabikes, (and Australia's ByK bikes - we don't get Islabikes here) are made to actually fit a kid properly, so they can have their saddle where get decent leg extension, and still touch the ground with their foot/toe.

They're also lighter, have longer wheelbase for stability, larger wheels for framesize etc yadda yadda yadda.


Not all 20" bikes are created equal. All the best with your purchase, I'm sure it's a good decision you've made.