Cycling UK Forum

fast but dim wrote:I read half this thread before looking at the prices

Absolutely ridiculous!

IMO they're aiming at demographic where rich dads wear rapha, think that you need to spend a grand to get decent wheels, and won't ride a bike unless they're head to toe lycra and smashing KOM's on strava.

Maybe, but if you had a precocious 9 year old, smashing all the club records and competing effectively in races, where would you go for a bike?

The solution for one person I know has been to buy Islabikes frames and build them up for his child, but not every parent can do that.

Vorpal wrote:

fast but dim wrote:I read half this thread before looking at the prices

Absolutely ridiculous!

IMO they're aiming at demographic where rich dads wear rapha, think that you need to spend a grand to get decent wheels, and won't ride a bike unless they're head to toe lycra and smashing KOM's on strava.

Maybe, but if you had a precocious 9 year old, smashing all the club records and competing effectively in races, where would you go for a bike?

The solution for one person I know has been to buy Islabikes frames and build them up for his child, but not every parent can do that.

I'd buy Isla's normal range. The performance delta can't be *that* huge.
OK, club records are fun and all, but unless you're in spitting distance of world records I'd save up for their bigger bikes.

MartinC wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:For adults it clearly does, I think we're debating whether it does for kids, and if it does, how big it is.

The adults buy the bikes not the kids.

The point's not lost on me, promise, but one of our learned colleagues has previously said they'd rather spend the cash on their own bike than a child's

I think the residuals will be very informative on these.

Vorpal wrote:

fast but dim wrote:I read half this thread before looking at the prices

Absolutely ridiculous!

IMO they're aiming at demographic where rich dads wear rapha, think that you need to spend a grand to get decent wheels, and won't ride a bike unless they're head to toe lycra and smashing KOM's on strava.

Maybe, but if you had a precocious 9 year old, smashing all the club records and competing effectively in races, where would you go for a bike?

The solution for one person I know has been to buy Islabikes frames and build them up for his child, but not every parent can do that.

I would instill in them that they, as the rider, are more important than the bike they ride, and the way to success is through hard work and dedication.

I'd get them a good second hand bike.

fast but dim wrote:

Vorpal wrote:

fast but dim wrote:I read half this thread before looking at the prices

Absolutely ridiculous!

IMO they're aiming at demographic where rich dads wear rapha, think that you need to spend a grand to get decent wheels, and won't ride a bike unless they're head to toe lycra and smashing KOM's on strava.

Maybe, but if you had a precocious 9 year old, smashing all the club records and competing effectively in races, where would you go for a bike?

The solution for one person I know has been to buy Islabikes frames and build them up for his child, but not every parent can do that.

I would instill in them that they, as the rider, are more important than the bike they ride, and the way to success is through hard work and dedication.

I'd get them a good second hand bike.

And there's the old saying which is worth remembering where children and your pocket is concerned:- "riding a heavy bike makes you stronger and builds character"
If they ask what character is,tell them it's a seekrit ingredient that only the best and most successful riders have.But don't mention EPO

I was somewhat playing devil's advocate. I don't think I would spend that much money on a child's bike, even if I was raising the next Wiggo.

The market for needlessly expensive (and we all define our own value of needless) child sized bikes is pretty much the same as that for needlessly expensive adult sized bikes. For every well off parent who indulges their own whims but baulks at spending money on their kids there'll be a non-cyclist who thinks their little darling should have the best of everything.

Islabikes have identified a gap in the (global) market, it'll be interesting to see how well they do and if anyone else follows them. The knee jerk reaction from the begrudgers in this thread may well be identifying a very healthy secondhand market for these. It's a bit like Bromptons - there's a healthy demand for a premium product but many won't/can't pay the price of a new one so secondhand values are good. This actually props up the new price 'cos people are happy with the retained value.

In some ways this echoes what's happened with bikes for women. Ten or 15 years ago it was heavy hybrid or nothing but now the manufacturers, quite rightly, offer a full range. The outrage at the price of these kids bikes echoes the same old divisive 'these things should only be available to us proper cyclists' meme. It's always striking that when people are in favour of character building it's usually for other people not themselves.

Whether or not I'd buy an expensive bike for my grandkids or not I think Islabikes should be congratulated for extending the range of products available for all cyclists. Inclusiveness isn't divisible - in the same way there should be affordable bikes for those who want them there should be high quality ones or those who want to enjoy one. Surely we all want as many people to enjoy cycling as possible however they do it?

Let me get this straight since it keeps coming up that someone would rather spend the money on themselves than their kid. I was the person who said that. The reason being is I haven't even spent close to the cost of these kids bike on my bike. I preferred to spend more money on getting out and about with my young child. Also with a change in the kind of riding we want to do a more suitable bike for me would benefit the whole family more due to sharing the carrying of our child and better distribution of total touring load (I.e. I take more of it about 75% I reckon).

My statement that I'd rather spend the money on my bike sounds very selfish but if you really look into our family situation it's not. IMHO at 3.5 years (he'll fit a 4 yo suitable bike as he's tall) he's never going to appreciate the £800 isla pro bike. That money would allow us to replace my forks with something that could take front rack. Or it could buy me a bike I've seen at a touring specialist bike shop recently. That would leave money to go towards a second-hand frog or islabike. However he spends more actual cycling time on the back of my partner's bike or cycling round our small back yard. A pro kids bike would be criminal for just that.

Perhaps at the larger bike sizes for older kids doing more or more adult like riding get could make sense. The 4 year olds bike doesn't make sense to me but the larger ones could for those really into it. If my lad.gets into competitive cycling at a junior level I'd spend as much as I could on supporting him. Spare cash wouldn't allow me to get him a £1000 bike just like it hasn't allowed me to get such a bike for myself.

I think we've been joshing somewhat, TM - I certainly was

We've got 2 Luaths (700c road / touring bikes) in the garage, and they were a good buy at around the £450 mark. But the welds on the bog standard alloy tubes are very agricultural, and the frames are not light. They are built for strength rather than speed. Not a bad thing, but it does make them a dubious starting point for a significant upgrade. I've swapped the wheels for better ones, as the originals were poor. But I would see spending hundreds on Ultegra levers etc as a waste of money. I cannot see how the upgrades add up to the asking price for the dearest Luath. They must be hoping to lure the gullible.

Bonefishblues wrote:I think we've been joshing somewhat, TM - I certainly was

And little ol' me too

But kid's can put up with anything if they think it's in fashion

reohn2 wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:I think we've been joshing somewhat, TM - I certainly was

And little ol' me too

But kid's can put up with anything if they think it's in fashion

...which is why I had such a battle with Mrs BFB when I sprung from the undergrowth talking about an Islabike for our daughter, who, I was assured would actively prefer something made of gas pipe with fluorescent accents, tassels, pom-poms, a front basket and citing the name of at least 17 well-known childrens' characters.

A patient exchange ensued over a number of months, culminating in an Islabike's purchase, with the revelatory consequences I've spoken of before.

So great has been the behavioural & attitudinal change in my wife that she still frets to this day about that extra .8kg that our daughter's spotty Frog bike weighs over the equivalent Islabike

Disc brakes still aren't allowed in circuit races are they? Have Isla missed that point in trying to be even more elitist than they already were or is the plan that the kids who own one of these massively expensive bikes have a second, compliant one, for events.

MartinC wrote:Whether or not I'd buy an expensive bike for my grandkids or not I think Islabikes should be congratulated for extending the range of products available for all cyclists. Inclusiveness isn't divisible - in the same way there should be affordable bikes for those who want them there should be high quality ones or those who want to enjoy one. Surely we all want as many people to enjoy cycling as possible however they do it?

+1 and well said

Bonefishblues wrote:I think we've been joshing somewhat, TM - I certainly was

I know and I can take it. I just wanted to say it again in case someone comes to the thread and skips a bit. My earlier post does make me sound selfish. I should have edited it to clarify.

BTW if I had a better paying job with enough money to spend thousands on my bike I'd actually consider doing similar for my kid. Not at 4 years old but when a bit older and I'm sure he's into cycling not just into knockabout cycling like most kids. If he's into the same sort of cycling as I am then why not spend a bit on him IF you have the disposable income. If my bike was a say £2000 I feel £1000 on my kids bike is fair if he'll benefit from it and can understand the benefit.

PS if he ends up like me he'll be a gear freak doing the same cost/benefit analysis that I do with bike purchases. Geek probably not consider these pro bikes worth the money. Of course he's too young for that now but he's shown an interest in mechanical items already. I just need to nurture that a bit.