BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Leading children’s bicycle brand, Islabikes have added the Cnoc 14 Small and Cnoc 20 to their range.
These updates also include new colours and graphics and the introduction of Islabikes’ own brand tyres.
The Cnoc 14 Small has been specifically designed for two types of young rider. Those who are ready to ride at 3 years old but are physically small for their age and not yet big enough for the Cnoc 14 Large and also for children who are physically advanced, allowing them to ride a bike much earlier than is typical. The Cnoc 14 Small will retail at £259.99.
The Cnoc 20 on the other hand, is targeted at riders around the age of 5 who are physically taller than average. These are riders who are tall enough for a 20 inch wheeled bike but benefit from not having the added complication of gears. Retail price for the Cnoc 20 is £299.99.
In addition to these two new models, the full Islabikes range has benefitted from a host of updates, perhaps most notable of which is a new range of colours and graphics inspired by feedback from existing Islabikes customers.
All models benefit from spec improvements, however, the biggest updates come on the Creig and Luath. The Creig now comes with a new narrow/wide aluminium chainring paired to Islabikes’ low Q Factor chainset. This works in conjunction with Sram’s GX 10 speed rear mech, giving reliable, simple shifting.
The Luath, like the Creig, now goes 1 x 10 for lightweight and simplicity. 11-36 cassettes ensure that an excellent range of gears is maintained. Also new to the Luath 24 and 26 is Islabikes own smaller diameter handlebars which are designed to provide improved grip and shorter reach to the brake levers.
The Rothan, Cnoc and Beinn models have now all upgraded to Islabikes’ newly developed own tyre. Featuring the same multipurpose tread pattern developed for the new Pro Series, they are designed to grip well on grass and light tracks but also offer low rolling resistance to aid smaller riders. Each tyre is sized proportionally to the size of the bike and has 72tpi casing which delivers a suppler ride than many standard tyres. Reflective side walls provide important additional safety and remove the need for spoke reflectors, while puncture protection helps children keep rolling trouble free.
Islabikes have also introduced updates to their frames across the board. Lower bottom bracket heights have further improved already low standover heights, making the bikes easier to ride and control. Key to this development is the new low Q Factor chainset, first unveiled on the Pro Series. Islabikes developed this chainset for both their original and Pro Series bikes simultaneously, not only to deliver a lower bottom bracket height, but to make pedalling for the child both more efficient and comfortable.
Additionally, Islabikes have managed to drop a small amount of weight from their existing frames. Lessons learnt from the design and testing of Islabikes’ Pro Series range were key to this evolution.
Lastly, the updated Creig and Luath frames also benefit from better mud clearance achieved by the removal of the chainstay bridge. Islabikes have retained mudguard compatibility on the Luath by developing a new stealth mudguard mount in the rear of the seat tube, which is not only easier to fit, but also looks cleaner.
Dave Bowater says: “We are constantly developing our bikes. Following on from the addition of the Pro Series earlier in the year we are now extremely excited to be further adding to our range with the Cnoc 14 Small and the Cnoc 20. This means we can offer further sizing options to be sure the next generation is on the right bike at the right time”.
For more information on Islabikes: www.islabikes.co.uk
