Frog Kids Bikes?

[Booyaa]

Got one for my daughter, the spotty paint job, she loves it. Cracking bike.

 

[DCLane]

I looked at a Frog 70 for my youngest as his 'cross bike. It looked good but was over our budget. I also looked at the Forme Formeula (basic for the price), Dawes Espoir 26" (very heavy), Scatto JCross (wierd sizing), Hoy (agree very pricey), Genesis Col du Glandon (very nice but out of our budget) and the Worx 26" (ditto).

Carrera's TDF Junior, which I bought, ended up being re-sold on here as it wouldn't take 'cross tyres.

Finally we went for a second-hand Islabike Luath 26 with upgraded 18-speed Sora gears which I got for £230 plus delivery. It's fine for what it is and works well. We also know that we should get about what we paid for it when resale time comes.

It's worth looking at this test for kid's bikes.

 

[Stephenite]

Just bought and picked up a Frog 48. It certainly looks nice and tidy. Light and easy to pedal. The only thing is that it's a bit of a stretch for him at the moment, but will probably be fine come summer. When both of his toes touch the ground, he has to sit at the forward edge of the seat to properly reach the handlebars. I think my child is normally proportioned, so, the geometry of the bike is possibly a bit too sporty to be perfect. But we will see when he grows into it.

 

[Puddles]

We have a frog... lots of children at school have frogs too... some have Isla's... the Bikeability Instructors liked both equally.. my bike mechanic was impressed when he saw the Frog too...

 

[yerteasoot]

Im really thinking of getting my daughter a frog bike which can then be passed down to my son, my lbs will chuck in a 20% discount which makes it excellent value for money, did think about the Isla bikes but wjth the price in mind and the discount on the frog(he cant do it on the isla bike) im def swayed towards the frog.

 

[derrick]

One of our LBSs stock frog bikes, they do look well made and a reasonable weight. And the colours look good.got a lot going for them.

 

[benb]

I'd much rather spend a bit more on a bike that's well built, light, with decent components that my children will actually enjoy riding, than buy one that's cheaper, but heavy and crap, which they'll ride a handful of times and then give up because it's too heavy for them to be enjoyable.

I made the mistake of buying a "big name" bike for my son, and whilst he is fine riding to school and back, it's simply too heavy for him to do much distance on it. It weighs as much as my road bike! So when he is big enough, I will get him a Frog or Isla I think. They are expensive, but as with many things, you get what you pay for.

 

[e-rider]

I see that Islabikes have increased their prices by £50. I bought a Beinn 24 for £350 for my Son. That was a lot of cash but we do plenty of 15 mile rides together and hope to tour Holland soon on it. However, at £400 (new price) it would have just been too much and I would probably have bought a Frog bike instead.

 

[Cyclist33]

I'd much rather spend a bit more on a bike that's well built, light, with decent components that my children will actually enjoy riding, than buy one that's cheaper, but heavy and crap, which they'll ride a handful of times and then give up because it's too heavy for them to be enjoyable.

I made the mistake of buying a "big name" bike for my son, and whilst he is fine riding to school and back, it's simply too heavy for him to do much distance on it. It weighs as much as my road bike! So when he is big enough, I will get him a Frog or Isla I think. They are expensive, but as with many things, you get what you pay for.

With just as many things, you don't get what you pay for. I don't share your opinion but vive la difference. I spent about half as much by going to Decathlon, the bikes are built fine and the service is fine too.

So many parents seem to think (mistakenly in my view) that children will go off something if it isn't shiny, new and expensive. If you've brought your kids up well they are just as happy riding a heavy bike as a light one, indeed they have the energy for it and tend to enjoy the riding more than the object itself.

But if you want to carry on wasting your ££s and it makes you feel better.

 

[summerdays]

With just as many things, you don't get what you pay for. I don't share your opinion but vive la difference. I spent about half as much by going to Decathlon, the bikes are built fine and the service is fine too.

So many parents seem to think (mistakenly in my view) that children will go off something if it isn't shiny, new and expensive. If you've brought your kids up well they are just as happy riding a heavy bike as a light one, indeed they have the energy for it and tend to enjoy the riding more than the object itself.

But if you want to carry on wasting your ££s and it makes you feel better.

Do you apply that philosophy to buying your bikes too?

I bought both new and second hand Islabikes, and my child was equally happy with both of them. The difference over the previous bikes was that it was easier to keep up with the rest of the family. When I sold them I ended up with a much greater percentage of the purchase price with the Islabikes than the bikes prior to them so in terms of wasting money the previous bikes wasted much more money.

 

[benb]

With just as many things, you don't get what you pay for. I don't share your opinion but vive la difference. I spent about half as much by going to Decathlon, the bikes are built fine and the service is fine too.

So many parents seem to think (mistakenly in my view) that children will go off something if it isn't shiny, new and expensive. If you've brought your kids up well they are just as happy riding a heavy bike as a light one, indeed they have the energy for it and tend to enjoy the riding more than the object itself.

But if you want to carry on wasting your ££s and it makes you feel better.

Decathlon are probably a good balance between quality and price.
But I don't think there is any dispute that Islabikes are better. They are lighter and have better components.
Add in the good resale value, and I don't really understand your position that it's an expensive frippery to buy one.

FWIW, I bought my son a quite heavy Raleigh something. It weighs more than my road bike, and he has trouble doing distances as long as he would like on it, and finds some hills a struggle. A couple of kilos makes a big difference when you're 7. So I'm going to trade it in this year for a Frog or Isla. I don't expect to get more than 20% of what I paid for it 14 months ago. In retrospect and Isla would have been an all round better choice.

 

[Cyclist33]

I don't wish to sound unduly aged and grumpy, but "when we were young" we just had whatever old bangers we could get our hands on and I don't ever really remember running out of steam.

I suppose it depends what you want out of the bike over its life cycle. In the unlikely event that everyone realises they don't need a posh bike for their kids, the bottom would fall out of the market and the re-sale value would plummet. We live in hope!

 

[Cyclist33]

Do you apply that philosophy to buying your bikes too?

.

Pretty much. I like to have new and shiny things but then I do work for them. I also use my cyclescheme-d bikes for commuting. And I don't spend more than I need to just because I can. Last bike was a £400 mountain bike on a discount. Could have spend 50% as much again but didn't. It wasn't necessary.

 

[dellzeqq]

just picked up a Frog 43 for my grandson @FrogBikes . No Allen keys, no printed manual, just an on-line manual that covers the entire range and is therefore nigh-on unintelligible. This is fine if you have lots of Allen keys and you halfway know what you're doing with a bike, but not so fine if you don't have the keys or the experience. I've no idea what arrangements have with the bike shop, but the chain and brake cables needed a bit of lubricant.

And the rear hub doesn't turn nearly as freely as a Brompton rear hub - which is not asking much. It's designed to catch dirt, and I can foresee having to take the thing apart. The saddle is overdone and I'll look for a lighter job.

That said - the paint job is good and the brakes are well suited to small hands. I just think it's not quite worth £195. Had it not been for the coaster brakes I'd have spent £135 on a Specialized Hotrocks.

 

[ianrauk]

I'd have spent £135 on a Specialized Hotrocks.

Didn't take Little H long to get used to the coaster brake on his Spesh. In fact he became a little master at the rear wheel skid. It took him even less time to get used to normal handlebar brakes on his 'next step up' Raleigh.