Frog vs Islabikes for kids
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jonnugget69
Retro Guru
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I'm sure they started by asking the right price based on the market and their cost base. They have then managed to secure a sponsorship with a major cycling team. So what?!
And actually the cheeky thing is making a boat load of assumptions about a company that you have no knowledge of and assuming they make cheese because they only entered a market 4 years ago.
dyna-ti":7a0wfb8h said:
I'm sure they started by asking the right price based on the market and their cost base. They have then managed to secure a sponsorship with a major cycling team. So what?!
And actually the cheeky thing is making a boat load of assumptions about a company that you have no knowledge of and assuming they make cheese because they only entered a market 4 years ago.
mrkawasaki
Retrobike Rider
...v Hoy - also making a light and well considered kids range from the get-go.
Round here Islabikes are a prized badge of honour for the 'concerned parent' happy to pay the extra £50 or so for a reputation carefully built up through conscientiously 'doing it right' This gives some protection from the inevitable new competition in their strong if smallish customer base. The new brands can't compete on this basis - see current VW ads - and have to go lower with price, which in turn, slows their ability to build an Islabike-like reputation. Incidentally why did it take so long for a historical brand like Raleigh who have been churning out poor, heavy and unexciting kids bikes for years. It's guaranteed they'll be stepping up/copying in 2015...
Correspondingly for Islabikes to expand into the market sub-set seemingly being covered by the cheaper brands there would necessarily be a compromise or two and that could damage their unique and hard earned position.
If the market place requires two or three choices then that is what they will get, if only for a period... Typically an independent business well cared for and nurtured will be bought out by investors only to be abused and watered down. One talks scathingly about fast entry into a market through imitation - the hostile takeover is the fastest/most cycnical way in and IMHO the most deplorable.
Round here Islabikes are a prized badge of honour for the 'concerned parent' happy to pay the extra £50 or so for a reputation carefully built up through conscientiously 'doing it right' This gives some protection from the inevitable new competition in their strong if smallish customer base. The new brands can't compete on this basis - see current VW ads - and have to go lower with price, which in turn, slows their ability to build an Islabike-like reputation. Incidentally why did it take so long for a historical brand like Raleigh who have been churning out poor, heavy and unexciting kids bikes for years. It's guaranteed they'll be stepping up/copying in 2015...
Correspondingly for Islabikes to expand into the market sub-set seemingly being covered by the cheaper brands there would necessarily be a compromise or two and that could damage their unique and hard earned position.
If the market place requires two or three choices then that is what they will get, if only for a period... Typically an independent business well cared for and nurtured will be bought out by investors only to be abused and watered down. One talks scathingly about fast entry into a market through imitation - the hostile takeover is the fastest/most cycnical way in and IMHO the most deplorable.
Here's my take on this - as one of the first Frog dealers in Denmark.
18 months ago I BEGGED Islabikes to let me sell their stuff to our market and they just weren't geared to export. They were super-nice to talk to and full of integrity - but they just weren't able to satisfy demand on the domestic market as it was and were not geared for full-scale international expansion.
I saw the Frog stuff at the 2013 Bike Show and wrote it off as Islabikes copyism and because of the long queue of dealers waiting to talk to them I didn't have time to engage in dialogue - but I was still intrigued.
They got an agent in Denmark in July and I jumped in with both feet. They are very easy and pleasant to work with. And they are flying out of the shop. It's a solid product for its price. And they were willing and able to work with ME.
It's a shame Islabikes were not able to get their foot in the door of the international market because Frog are now perceived overseas as market leaders for lightweight kids bikes and are shifting some serious units. Islabikes will probably stay "niche" which may be what they want. I think there's room for both.
18 months ago I BEGGED Islabikes to let me sell their stuff to our market and they just weren't geared to export. They were super-nice to talk to and full of integrity - but they just weren't able to satisfy demand on the domestic market as it was and were not geared for full-scale international expansion.
I saw the Frog stuff at the 2013 Bike Show and wrote it off as Islabikes copyism and because of the long queue of dealers waiting to talk to them I didn't have time to engage in dialogue - but I was still intrigued.
They got an agent in Denmark in July and I jumped in with both feet. They are very easy and pleasant to work with. And they are flying out of the shop. It's a solid product for its price. And they were willing and able to work with ME.
It's a shame Islabikes were not able to get their foot in the door of the international market because Frog are now perceived overseas as market leaders for lightweight kids bikes and are shifting some serious units. Islabikes will probably stay "niche" which may be what they want. I think there's room for both.
secret_squirrel
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Nice summary - thanks
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Some of the other brands do full kids ranges. Some of the CUBE look nice an practical and have cool paint jobs.
Some of the other brands do full kids ranges. Some of the CUBE look nice an practical and have cool paint jobs.
when I was "lucky" to place an order to Islabike in 2008 for my sons bike, they had been the only company in the market which made light kids bikes - all the other big players in the market obviously did not see any potentional there. I talked in person with Isla about the deal and it was very pleasent for me to buy from them. Needless to say that the bike was a burner for my son and later on for my daughter. I sold it then nearly for that what I have paid for.
Nowadays they dont accept any orders from outside UK and US, to the dislike of many customers - especially in Germany; and this given "Hop-on" companies like, Frog, Kania, Woom, aso. the opportunity to sell their products. The market for light kids bikes is growing, so it seems there is enough space for not only one company in that field.
Even for high end / high priced
http://www.federleicht-bike.at/index.ph ... mtb-detail
http://www.federleicht-bike.at/index.ph ... sen-detail
:shock:
Nowadays they dont accept any orders from outside UK and US, to the dislike of many customers - especially in Germany; and this given "Hop-on" companies like, Frog, Kania, Woom, aso. the opportunity to sell their products. The market for light kids bikes is growing, so it seems there is enough space for not only one company in that field.
Even for high end / high priced
http://www.federleicht-bike.at/index.ph ... mtb-detail
http://www.federleicht-bike.at/index.ph ... sen-detail
:shock:
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i have 3 islabikes now and they are just superb quality.
just bought the nearly 2 year old a rothan balance bike which was 3.5 kg compared to 4 k.g of the tadpole. my little fella was born 3 months prem and that 0.5kg makes all the difference to him at the moment
I researched and researched and found the isla's still come out a good bit lighter all round, and for me they are a known quantity, silly light, superb quality and easy to resell.
i have had to wait quite a while for bikes from isla, which i find frustrating but its also quite quaint and very english
did i mention the quality
i have 3 islabikes now and they are just superb quality.
just bought the nearly 2 year old a rothan balance bike which was 3.5 kg compared to 4 k.g of the tadpole. my little fella was born 3 months prem and that 0.5kg makes all the difference to him at the moment
I researched and researched and found the isla's still come out a good bit lighter all round, and for me they are a known quantity, silly light, superb quality and easy to resell.
i have had to wait quite a while for bikes from isla, which i find frustrating but its also quite quaint and very english
did i mention the quality
