UKH

I'm very surprised and saddened to hear that Islabikes will cease production.

Both my kids have grown up on their bikes, indeed they actually taught my daughter to ride at their shop in Ludlow when she was 2.

I suppose the pack eventually caught up with the leader.

In reply to pasbury:

That's really sad news - my kids had them from Rothan balance bike to Creig 26 hardtail, probably bought between 8 and 10 bikes from Islabikes (and sold them all for almost what we paid for them - in some cases more than we paid for them!).

Brilliant bits of kit that have changed the landscape for children's cycling.

In reply to pasbury:

Yes, very sad. Bought them for all my grandkids, they were pretty much the only well made kids bikes you could get. Worth every penny.

At least there are a few other good options now.

In reply to pasbury:

I only every looked wistfully at them in ebay and thought 'If only I could afford one of them' when I have been buying bikes for my kids, but still sad to see them go.  What's the story though?  If they were so sought after how come they have ceased trading?  Ah BBC tells some of the story with a quick google...that bloody mini-budget again. 

Still I can't wrap my head round it.  A firm that produces something so in demand can't make ends meet? 

In reply to pasbury:

Oh no, both my daughters have had various ones.  Reminds me I have a few in the garage I need to get rid off.

Cheers

Toby

In reply to Dave Todd:

Almost exactly what I was going to write . What a shame . My kids will be saddened by this . 

In reply to Toby_W:

I should hang on to them - secondhand prices of Islabikes are only going one way

In reply to pasbury:

Sad news, but mildly amused that UKC’s RIP technology has (rightly) kicked in.

In reply to pasbury:

A few years ago I was delivering Bike ability to yr 6s in Kidderminster. One of the boys was wearing leg calipers for some condition. He did a great job and was successful on the course. Chatting with his mum afterwards she was super please but admitted that she was unsure if he would be able. She asked if there was anything that she could do to make his cycling life easier. There just happened to be an islabike being used by another of the students. I asked if I could borrow it for a few minutes and let mum pick up both bikes and try operating the brake levers. Young man received an upgrade. 😊

In reply to annieman:

If I could give you a 'like' on an RIP thread then I would...great story!

In reply to pasbury:

Islabikes got my daughters onto bikes, and we have three Luath Pro in the family now. Fabulous  design, with attention to every detail. Custom made cranks to get the lowest Q factor, geometry that makes it so easy to ride, light, and looks good. 
There are probably enough Islabikes in circulation now to keep UK kids going for another 10 years!

I think Isla Rowntree has achieved her goal of making the best kids bike, and now there are many more options than when our kids started. That shift is down to her vision, and our family are thankful for that. 

In reply to Pglossop:

That does seem to be the problem for them. Both their bikes work well at being passed down and hence failing the planned obsolescence test and they also gave a kick up the arse to the industry in general to provide better bikes for kids.

In reply to pasbury: I ve just had a look at the Isla website and as expected they are selling off stock . There is a Creig 26 for £599 which is an absolute bargain  . Anybody with a 9 year old or a child who will soon be 9 and might be interested in biking should take a look at this .

In reply to Bobling:

This report, I guess:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-67237686

In reply to pasbury:

There's always the Specialized Hotwalk Carbon. For toddlers looking for a lightweight aero design they can take to the park

https://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/bikes/kids-bikes/specialized-hotwalk-12w-c...

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Marginal gains, innit? 

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Bargain . Any parent who loves their offspring would be a fool not to get one . My 3 kids all learned to ride a bike on the same Isla bike balance bike . I sold the well loved bit of kit that was mechanical sound but cosmetically very  not , for £50. 

In reply to Bobling:

From the comments on here of people selling them on second hand for good money my guess is they made them too good and sturdy. 

If you sell something that lasts forever you only sell it once, sell something that wears out you will sell more. The trick is finding the balance between reliability and longevity and sales. 

In reply to Dax H:

now they are out of business, will the bikes go up in value as they become rarer and classics? Time to buy one and stick it in the loft wrapped in bubblewrap for my great grandkids to take on Antiques Roadshow