Islabikes new bikes for the elderly

[thelawnet]

After essentially inventing children's bikes, Islabikes are now trying to create a new niche, specific bikes for the elderly.

These are named after three elderly people (or two would be elderly if they had not died at 27), Janis Joplin, Jimi Henrix, and Joni Mitchell, respectively, road, MTB and urban.

The common features:

'easy tyre change' wide lip 28h rims
12mm t-a sealed bearing hubs
SRAM DB Level hydros 160mm front 140mm rear
Close reach brake levers
a 'bottom-friendly saddle As we get older our skin can become more susceptible to pressure sores. The Islabikes own saddle fitted to the Icons range focuses on a combination of foam density and saddle shape. This is the key to saddle comfort.'
Carbon fork
7005 alloy frame
11-40t cassette
single chainring with low q-factor crank, and proportionate length crank arms
twist shifter
step-through frame

Dropper posts apparently an option on all models.



Joni is £800 and comes with mudguards, rack 26x1.5" mixte tyres in smaller sizes, 27.5"x1.6" mixte tyres in larger sizes. It has a bash guard, unlike the other models. Weight is 11kg in 26", 11.5kg in 27.5", with flat pedals., and there is a 32t chainring and 8 speeds
Jimi is £1200 and comes with 2.25" Rocket Ron Speed tyres, 27.5" or 29" depending on frame size, 26t chainring and 10 speeds. 9.9kg no pedals supplied.
Janis is £1200 and comes with 700x30c tyres, and again 10 speeds (SRAM GX), with a choice of chain ring between 26t and 38t, but 30t by default, and weighs from 9.14kg (XS) up to 9.58kg (L), without pedals.

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https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazin ... -road-bike

The Joni seems much better value than the others! 11-46t cassette would give quite a bit more range (Sunrace do make them in 10-speed) for the more expensive bikes.

[MikeF]

I obviously need a new bike!

[landsurfer]

After all anybody over 60 is elderly and can't see a cynical (ageist ) marketing exercise when it's in front of them .........

[Bonefishblues]

Familiar it looks...
https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/urban-bi ... boEALw_wcB

[Mike_Ayling]

The elderly here in Melbourne Australia fang around on ebikes!

Step through frame good, 1 X 10 wide range cassette not so good. These may be great for mountain bikers who can afford a new chain each week but for the codger market a 1 X 11 IGH would be better on the low maintainance front although the gear range would be a lot narrower.
If the IGh was Rohloff however, the range would be much better.

I am part of the marketing demographic but my next bike will be an ebike.

Mike

[mark a.]

First thought: fantastic!

Second thought: wait, where's the ebike?

[iandusud]

I'm not convinced about the 1X transmissions. I would rather see a double chainset. This allows for closer ratios and less chance of the chain coming off at the front.
An "elderly" friend of ours recently asked me to help her choose a new bike after she tried my wife's AM Jubilee and discovered that cycling doesn't have to be hard work and can in fact be very enjoyable! After I had explained how much a Moulton would cost her... I said I would research some other options. In the end I came up with a few that met the necessary criteria: light, step-through frame, comfortable, good range of gears. The one I recommended most, and the one she bought was a Trek FX3 Women's with the step-though frame option. She couldn't be happier. This bike is available with either V brakes or hydraulic discs and I suggested that she choose the rim brake option. I just think that simplicity of maintenance is a big plus on a bike that will be ridden for recreational use, primarily in dry conditions. It does have a triple chainset, and would prefer to see a double but there you go....

This bike has an alloy frame, carbon fork, weighs in at 11kg and cost £500.

Just saying...

[Bonefishblues]

I said I would research some other options. In the end I came up with a few that met the necessary criteria: light, step-through frame, comfortable, good range of gears. The one I recommended most, and the one she bought was a Trek FX3 Women's with the step-though frame option. She couldn't be happier. This bike is available with either V brakes or hydraulic discs and I suggested that she choose the rim brake option. I just think that simplicity of maintenance is a big plus on a bike that will be ridden for recreational use, primarily in dry conditions. It does have a triple chainset, and would prefer to see a double but there you go....

This bike has an alloy frame, carbon fork, weighs in at 11kg and cost £500.

Just saying...

Indeed.

Islas are lovely things, but there's no doubt that they are fiercely expensive on a like-for-like basis, and as an adult bike don't carry the cachet and therefore the strong residual values that the kids' bikes do (and the price puts them within touching distance of e bikes). As you and I illustrate, this is a market with plenty of viable options.

[Oldjohnw]

This member of 'The Elderly' is blind to marketing - mostly - so will stick with his 15 year old hybrid. Mind you, step-through has merit, especially when loaded with panniers, tent etc.

Price wise, the more expensive of this trio is getting into ebike territory.

[Bonefishblues]

Because step-throughs can be bespoke, too:
http://www.beaumontbicycle.com/

[531colin]

After essentially inventing children's bikes, Islabikes .........

Not really.
In the days when we had British Standards, there were not only BS parts for adults bikes, but junior bikes had BS parts as well.
About the last hanger-on of this was pedal thread sizes. Standard (adult) pedal threads are 9/16ths of an inch.....and thats for Italian, French, and Taiwanese export stuff, I don't know about Far Eastern stuff for their indigenous market.
Childrens pedals had a smaller thread, I guess half inch, and this carried on, possibly helped by BMX which adopted the clumsy Ashtabula crank which doesn't really have space for a 9/16 hole.
But originally BS junior bike parts covered quite a range....smaller bottom bracket axles, cotter pins, smaller diameter handlebars, short-reach brake levers, smaller diameter seatposts, narrower hubs, smaller diameter handlebar stem, fork steerer
All of this went in the "race to the bottom" where childrens bikes bacome garish toys named after the latest tripe on the television.

[thelawnet]

Indeed.

Islas are lovely things, but there's no doubt that they are fiercely expensive on a like-for-like basis, and as an adult bike don't carry the cachet and therefore the strong residual values that the kids' bikes do (and the price puts them within touching distance of e bikes). As you and I illustrate, this is a market with plenty of viable options.

Well residuals are perhaps more relevant on the kids bikes as they are only needed for a few years and then sold.

So there is a relatively modest cost of ownership in that sense.

An adult bike is more of an outright purchase.

As for the prices on these, I guess there is not THAT much competition in terms of something specifically lightweight and accessible.

This is a similar concept but heavy https://www.southsea-cycles.co.uk/produ ... ing-7-bike

[Brucey]

I think it is a good idea, and there is probably a (niche but appreciable) market for this kind of bike. Quite a lot of good bike shops have always built bikes to this kind of spec (lightweight, with low gearing, flat bars etc) for their customers, and to be able to buy a known spec of this type off the peg is probably what is required in this age of internet shopping.

cheers

[pwa]

As I've said before, my wife's 700c bike is a re-purposed Islabike that started out as a bike for one of our kids in their early teens. With a longer stem and the saddle set back a little more it fits the Missus like a glove. I later swapped the wheels for something much nicer and put a better lower geared chainset on, but the frame and forks are close to ideal for a small adult.

Islabikes try to make bikes that meet a real practical need, which I welcome. I'd want to know that the hubs have decent seals though. The original wheels on our two Islabikes had poorly sealed hubs. Maybe they have improved on that score.

[LittleGreyCat]

Saw this in the Grauniad.

Elderly bike? Hmmm....god idea.

65 and over???????

How VERY dare you!!!

Noting that the target for development was a couple in their mid 70s, I might grant them 75 and over.

Also noting that many years ago we bought a pair of Giant Dutch Bikes with alloy frames. Mine had a cross bar but the other was step through. Hub gears, fully enclosed chain, hub brakes, carrier, integrated lock....and cost about £400 at the time.

Recently donated to charity as they were no longer being used, but a light step through frame isn't a new idea.