Hi MMmmm,
I have two girls, aged 8 and 6 and we have both Frog & Isla bikes. We started off with Isla's mainly because we hadn't heard of Frog bikes and so went along with the many people who recommend Isla's and I'd have to say, have been perfectly happy. Earlier this summer it was my eldest's birthday and we couldn't get an Isla in her size for something like two months so I then looked at Frog bikes. Handily enough they sell them in Everyone Bikes at the end of Northcote Road so I was able to go and physically see one which is something you can't really do with Isla's.
They are physically much the same, although many Frog fans would say that they have better brakes & gears than Isla's, although they are everso slightly heavier - not that you'd really notice though. The gears are different in that the Isla's have twist gears and the Frog has lever forwards for up and lever backwards for down - neither of my girls has really had any problems with either version though. Looking at them side by side, the Frog is slightly longer and the seat height is adjustable without needing an allen key which is also handy when you get to the common and realise that the seat is now too low!! Also, the Frogs come with everything you need - mudguards, two sets of tyres etc and are around £100 cheaper so in all respects I would say to save your money and go for the Frog.
The only thing I don't know is resale value. On both my previous Isla's I have sold them for only a little bit less than I bought them for, so the resale value is very strong. That being said, we looked after them well, kept hold of the original boxes and the girls didn't kick them around a lot. Only time will tell with the Frog - I'll post when the time comes.
Lastly, we were recently selling a house for a famous cyclist and she said that she would buy the Frog every day - enough said for me!!
Jonathan
Hamptons International
98 - 100 Northcote Road
020 7924 2170
dysonj@hamptons-int.com
