New children's bikes: Frog comes fully equipped and presents child-friendly everyday bikes with low weight, good accessories and sporty DNA.
The British children's bike specialist has so far only been active in the sporty segment. Typical Frog are light all-rounders that can be retrofitted with components suitable for everyday use; also racing bikes, mountain bikes and even track bikes for kids from elementary school to teenagers. Now, however, the brand has developed a second mainstay: Frog now also offers everyday bikes, namely three models with 20, 24 and 26 inch wheels, which cover an age range of around five to twelve years. The model designations “53”, “61 ' and '67' refer to the minimum inside leg length that the child must have in order to be able to sit on the respective bike. And something else is new at Frog: the three everyday bikes are (if you ignore the wheels for very little ones) the first models with low step-through in the company's portfolio. The city bikes come in a classic design with two parallel down tubes - the women's frame of yesteryear, which makes it easier to get on and off and is therefore also ideal for children's and youth bikes, especially since the standover height is very low in all three sizes.
Sensible children's bike geometries
In general, the new models are closer to what you would imagine a children's bike to be in this country. So far, the Frog bikes have been characterized by a fairly stretched sitting position and a handlebar that is positioned rather low compared to the saddle - not exactly the optimal position on the way to school in city traffic. The city bikes are completely different, all of which are designed for a very upright sitting position. This upright posture is an important safety factor, especially for smaller children, who have a significantly restricted field of vision compared to adults.
Light, well thought-out equipment
Frog's everyday bikes are by no means "unsporty". With an eight-speed derailleur and V-brake including child-friendly brake handles, the equipment corresponds to what can also be found on the ubiquitous entry-level mountain bikes today. There are also light wheels that are attached with quick-release axles; the handlebars, which are pulled up and angled backwards, are held by a modern Ahead stem. The threaded holes for a bottle holder on the top tube show that these bikes can also be used on brisk tours.
First and foremost, however, it is about everyday journeys; This is evidenced by a Racktime system luggage carrier (on which suitable accessories such as a basket can be clicked), sufficiently long mudguards and a side stand that is solidly screwed to the rear triangle. A special version of the "Hebie Chainglider" chain guard, which is floating on the chain, is remarkable: the tried-and-tested anti-jamming and dirt guard was modified especially for Frog in such a way that it allows the chain's run-off angle to be changed from the sprocket, as is unavoidable with derailleur gears.
Please retrofit the light yourself
With all these features, the Frog city bikes, which are available in three colors, make a good impression, which is of course spoiled by the fact that the manufacturer does not provide for a permanently installed lighting system. The reason for this may be that Frog produces for a global market where local regulations and customs are of little relevance; for the users and their parents it means that they have to take care of battery lights as before with Frog and other sporting providers. This is not a major problem, especially since there are now permanently mounted spotlights and rear lights with a longer burn time from different suppliers. You just have to tell your children to turn them on - unfortunately there is no automatic sensor switch-on like in dynamo lighting systems.
With prices between 650 and 685 euros, Frog places its new models more in the upper range, the almost ten to eleven kilo light everyday bikes certainly offer real value. So the chances are good that the slim unisex children's bikes will soon be parked in noticeable numbers in front of schools, swimming pools and sports facilities...
WEB: frogbikes.de