First pedal bike - Dawes Academy 14

rob13
rob13 Posts: 430
edited December 2017 in Family & kids cycling forum
Anyone have one of these? https://www.leisureoutlet.com/kids-bike ... ybrid-bike

My daughter is just turning 4, has been on a balance bike for the last 2 years (and is well away with feet up cruising, riding down hills etc) but I need to get her onto pedals. She's one of the smallest and just coming in at 38cm inside leg meaning that she needs something like the Dawes Academy 14 above, or an Islabike Cnoc 14


I know all about Islabikes, and i'm strongly considering buying one for when she's into a 16 or 20, but £289 against £190, theres a fair amount of difference in price. Spec wise, very similar weights, the Dawes has higher BMX style bars which I dont know if its a good or a bad thing at that age. Additionally, the gearing on the Isla is lower at 25t front, 14t rear in contrast with a 26t front 14t rear for the Dawes. Crank lengths only 2mm difference.

Seems like a solid buy? Anything i'm missing against going for the more expensive Islabike?

Comments

  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Hmm - dunno - the Cnoc 14s has a full chainguard - and I'd say the handlebars can be slightly lower - it's aimed at 34cm+ inside leg measurement - and your daughter is in the middle of that - so would be better off with the Cnoc 14 large (from the Islabike range). The rest of the specs seem about the same - like you say, 1 tooth difference on the chainring and the islabike cranks are slightly shorter.

    We've just got a Cnoc 14S for our 2 1/2yo (he's tall) - so we'll see what it's like - he does seem to have just had a growth spurt though, so we may have got away with the large - but the smalls seem in short supply right now - so should see >£200 selling it on.
  • rob13
    rob13 Posts: 430
    Just found the Raleigh Performance 14 at a very similar price and style (bmx bars) http://www.ridelow.co.uk/raleigh-perfor ... 2017.html#

    Seems to have the same gearing as the Isla, maybe a hundred or so grams heavier. I think they all have full chainguards but for some reason don't display them on the library photos.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    We’re going on the basis that the Islabike will retain some value on resale as it has a brand following.
  • rob13
    rob13 Posts: 430
    Slowbike wrote:
    We’re going on the basis that the Islabike will retain some value on resale as it has a brand following.

    I can understand that, but say that the Isla bike has a resale of £150, the Raleigh or Dawes only needs to fetch £50 (which any half decent kids bike should) to make the same return.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Rob13 wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    We’re going on the basis that the Islabike will retain some value on resale as it has a brand following.

    I can understand that, but say that the Isla bike has a resale of £150, the Raleigh or Dawes only needs to fetch £50 (which any half decent kids bike should) to make the same return.

    Yup its a gamble ... seems to be an active market for Islabikes though ... Dawes may be a tougher sale ...
    Mind u - my temptation is not to sell his first pedal bike ... but then he'll have a balance bike, pedal bike, then probably the first bike with gears .. first bike with drop bars, first bike with clips ... ;)
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    Rob13 wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    We’re going on the basis that the Islabike will retain some value on resale as it has a brand following.

    I can understand that, but say that the Isla bike has a resale of £150, the Raleigh or Dawes only needs to fetch £50 (which any half decent kids bike should) to make the same return.

    The economic argument should also take into account price changes, and these seem to be going up, especially after Brexit. New Frog bikes went up around 20% last spring, for example, and people are selling theirs for more than bought (not inflation adjusted, obviously). I mean, this could go the other way too, so tread carefully.

    In any case, if TCO for the Raleigh, Dawes and Islabike are all £100, I know which one I'd rather ride.
  • Steve-XcT
    Steve-XcT Posts: 267
    I'd just be looking at something short term ... unless you are mad keen cyclists...

    Until they can more or less ride a 20" they are unlikely to be able to go for a real family type ride... more something tailored for them. (Not a bad thing but different) and of corse it depends what sort of cycling you do as a family or want to do.

    Even then the bike (if half decent) is unlikely to be what's initially holding them back.

    When we started off on his 20 aged 5 I had no idea what we were going to be riding.... I took the stabilisers off his rubbish Halfords "bike" and said he could have a real one ... literally 2 mins later he was riding and we got the 20 that weekend...
    First ride was only a couple of miles then next weekend we planned 10 and ended up doing 20 (on a canal towpath so pretty flat) ... Then we drifted into single track... initially just because it doesn't involve roads... but now he'd obsessed...

    He's 8 and still won't ride on roads ... I'm happy as I rediscovered MTB and we are riding every weekend in Winter and more often in summer

    By the time they are 8 then if they are keen there won't be much difference between an adult ride and a family one.
    A month ago we did a 20 mile ride with 3000' of climbing all off road (at Afan)... passing a lot of adults... (there is no way I could have done this 3-4 years ago - I'd have had a heart attack in the first 30 minutes!)

    Each stage/bike we have paid more but only then once we knew what we wanted based on what he rides and what needed improving or was holding him back.

    Retrospectively I could/should have got a used 20" (we got an Evans Pinnacle one) and it was fine... by the time it really started holding him back he was big enough for a 24" wheel... He now races XC and we ride a lot of downhill and rough stuff... so he has 2 bikes...

    If he had preferred riding tarmac we would have completely different bikes or maybe bike... but starting off I honestly don't think it matters if you can get a half decent one.

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