This is the tail of Char’s lovely little Isla Bikes Cnoc 16 (her first real bike), which is nearing the end of its time.
Shortly before Christmas 2013 we headed over to Isla Bikes in Ludlow to see if they had a bike, that we could buy as a Christmas present, for our teenie little 4 year old girl. Being the organised sort that we are, we somehow managed to forget Char’s shoes and she had to try the bike bare footed. However, she hopped on the bike, we grabbed hold of her jumper (to support her) and she duly rode around the showroom with a proud little grin on her face.
The Cnoc 16 was sized for her to grow into (saddle right the way down and (shoeless) tippitoes touching the floor).
The order was duly placed with instructions for Santa to deliver a pinky purple Cnoc 16 on Christmas day.
Sure enough, Santa did as he was instructed and a carefully wrapped bike was under the tree on Christmas morning. It was promptly thrown aside as Char tore into all of her other presents and was swamped by the thrill that is Christmas.
When Char was aked what she got for Christmas she would proudly tell everyone that she had got a bike with pedals, but without stabilisers.
The plan was to get Char riding without stabilisers. We put her in a hooded top, grabbed hold of it to support her when she started to ride, ran behind her then let go when she was pedalling. This worked great for the few seconds that it took her to realise that you’d let go of her hood; at which point she would promptly throw both feet to the floor and stop.
She drifted between going back onto her little Puky balance bike (one of the best balance bike out there) and riding the Cnoc. Progressively she gained a bit more confidence and started to pedal more and more, always needing a helping hand to balance her to get started. Then one day she went to the park with a friend who could ride a bike (also a Cnoc 16). She saw him riding, gritted her teeth and (not to be outdone by a boy) she turned the pedals and was off. Job done.
Her riding started to come on leaps and bounds and we would now go on family bike rides (with a Trail Gator on my bike to pull her up steep hills or along any roads that we rode on). She learned to steer more precisely, brake to stop, then brake to control her speed and I looked on with a smile on my face as any proud Dad would.
As Char grew, the little Cnoc grew with her. Seat went up, handlebars tilted forward to increase the reach and height. The Cnoc performed great. Its light weight meant the bike was easy for Char to ride and control. Char complained about the saddle being uncomfortable so we got a Maddison kids saddle which had more padding; however, after a year she asked to swap back to the original one which she now says she prefers. The cranks are lovely and short and the handlebars are a smaller than standard diameter, which means that they are comfortable to hold for small hands (when the grips don’t move).
The handlebar grips, the only negative I can think of. They have big rubber mushrooms on the end which flop about on the ends of the handlebar. The grips would also continually rotate on the bars and start to slide off. Securing the grips with hairspray (an old tip that I’ve used successfully over the years) wouldn’t stop the grips from moving. Eventually the mushrooms snapped off the end of the grips leaving tatty ends. Now they’ve fallen off though the hairspray now keeps them in place. Knowing what I know now I’d cut the mushrooms off with a sharp Stanley blade when the bike is new.
As Char grew stronger and taller we started taking her on mountain bike trails, with me using the Trail Gator to pull her (not always successfully) up the bigger hills. Berms, bumps, gravel, and mud were all attacked with gusto and a smile on Char’s face. We had crashes and tears and a few tantrums, but she would always brush herself down and get back on her bike.
Gradually I started using the Trail Gator less and less and eventually the day came when she didn’t need Daddy’s help to get up any of the hills. This I think is mighty impressive, considering that the Cnoc is essentially a single speed.
We’ve happily done six mile blue graded mountain bike trails and twelve mile cycle path rides.
Char’s legs now spin at a phenomenal rate (I’d love to fit a cadence sensor to her bike) and I no longer feel that I have to hang around for her; yes I could go faster, but I don’t feel slow.
Sadly little Cnoc has grown as much as it ever will and now needs to find a new home. However, I have become very attached to this little bike and all the memories that go with it. Perhaps I should put it in storage for when Char has her children?
Now, the retirement of little Conc means that there’ll soon be a new steed in the stable.
The obvious choice would be a Beinn 20, but I’m not going to go down that route. I’ve noticed a nice little Raleigh, a Performance 20, which is as light as a Beinn.
Curiosity has got the better of me and my LBS (Stourport Specialist Cycles) have ordered me one, which will be arriving next week. The question is, who’s more excited? Char or Daddy?
Watch this space for my initial opinion on the Raleigh…
gravitykids 
A bit late I know; but we stretched the life of our Cnoc16 – Whilst waiting for the next bike to become available (Hint: have at least 2½-3 years between children, so they can grow out of things before the next one needs them!)
i) put a longer seat post on it (a Beinn post works. Isla’s parts don’t generally cost too much (mind Isla’s postage though – having said that it is next day delivery). The bike still seemed reasonably balanced, although a longer stem, as well, would probably have helped.
ii) change the freewheel to a slightly smaller one (I cant remember now whether it was one or two teeth less), again under £10. His legs really were struggling to go any faster. The gearing is probably correct when they start (high cadence), but he seemed ok when it was changed. Our kids are small for their age so probably stronger than their height would suggest.
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