Road/racer bike for 10 year old daughter -Where??

[numbum]

Please can anyone point me to where I might be able to get a road/racer bike with thin tyres for my 10 year old daughter as she is struggling to cycle with us on her current bike - she is small for her age at 135cm but is very fit. My son now borrows my old bike (tourer) and enjoys riding with us so much more. Second hand or cheap new would do - they sold these when I was kid but now it's big fat hard work tyres every where.

On ebay there is a 5 speed girls racer by emmelle but I don't know anything about the brand

your advice would be appreciated and bring harmony back to our bike rides!!!
Thanks
Caroline

 

[oxbob]

Any idea what size frame she might fit?

 

[wafflycat]

Islabikes.. If I had a youngster, that's the first brand I'd be going for.

Some of the major brands bring out kids' versions of road bikes, but they seem to be limited editions and can run expensive too. Example:-

http://www.bianchi.com/uk/products2009/Junior_RoadMtbBmxCity_Y9B42.aspx

I've seen one of those IRL and it was *gorgeous*

If you were willing to travel, Uncle Madgett's Magic Emporioum in Diss, otherwise known as Madgetts in Diss, Norfolk, has the occasional kid's road bike in. The last one I saw there was a lovely thing, beautiful electric blue high gloss paint jobbie, scaled down version of adult road bike.

 

[numbum]

HI..

Size: she is 135cm with an inside leg of 63cm ish not sure what size that equates to, but she has (finally!) started to grow over the last couple of months so a slightly bigger bike might work too.

The isalbikes look fantastic - Luath 26, but £349 is still quite steep for a bike that may last a couple of years. We have a garage graveyard of small bikes! Money and OH no object I would go for one of those!!

Caroline

 

[wafflycat]

There's a vibrant cyclocross scheme in the UK, with loads of kids taking part. How about getting in contact with some clubs and seeing if any secondhand kids' cyclocross bikes are available?

http://cxmagazine.com/small-cyclocross-bikes-kids-juniors-short-search

On the plus side, Islabikes hold their value well, so you could always sell it once your daughter outgrows it and recoup some of the cost that way.

 

[wafflycat]

Plus Islabikes have a buy-back scheme for when you trade up to the next model.

 

[wafflycat]

Digressing... on the Islabikes web site

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/gallery/gallery.html

I love photo number 36

 

[wafflycat]

There is that.

 

[wafflycat]

Have Decathlon stopped doing their kid's road bike?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Digressing... on the Islabikes web site

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/gallery/gallery.html

I love photo number 36

Great isn't it - I think the youngster is zooming through on the inside to lap again!!

My boy is 2 in a couple of months and I'm getting him the balance bike - I'm really quite excited about it!!

 

[Jonathan M]

Have Decathlon stopped doing their kid's road bike?

Yes, they sold them all off this time last year for about £35 & certainly Stockport has never carried them again. I bought one for my son from e-bay last year, think the guy had stocked up on them and was selling on to others.

They are OK little bikes, not as sorted as the Islabike range, but with triple gears, dual pivot canti's etc.

The sometimes come up on ebay, often for stupidly inflated prices though.

To the OP Emmelle was a bike range similar to Raleigh, don't know if they still exist or if they do they may be classed nowadays as BSO's (Bicycle Shaped Objects).

 

[ufkacbln]

NOt too young for the new Catrike Children's trike.... excellent pedigree and from experience of the adult nes - very fast!

 

[Corvette chic]

www.islabikes.co.uk

You know you want to.

almost worth having a child lol