Islabikes to cease bike sales
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After eighteen years of production and sale of high quality children’s bicycles, Islabikes has announced it is to end the sale of bikes once its current stock is exhausted. The announcement comes as both the founder, Isla Rowntree, and current managing director, Tim Goodall, no longer wish to continue in turbulent times for the cycling industry.
The company remains solvent and sales continue for the time being, while stock remains. Islabikes emphasises that guarantees will continue to be honoured and there will be an ongoing supply of spare parts.
In a statement posted on the Islabikes website, Isla stated:
“Today, it’s easy to forget just how bad most children’s bikes were when I started Islabikes 18 years ago. They were monstrously heavy, fitted with outsized components and had dreadful brakes that were out of reach. They were so poor I believed they had the potential to put many children off cycling for life and I founded Islabikes to change that – to give children a better experience of cycling with the many benefits that brings.”
“Islabikes’s early success gradually gained attention from other and bigger cycling brands and, as a result of them following our lead, today good quality, well thought out children’s bikes are available from multiple places, and for me, that is a wonderful thing.”
“Tim and I would like to thank our many loyal customers, colleagues and suppliers who have contributed to the Islabikes story over the last 18 years.”
Isla Rowntree
Cyclists on social media have posted their sorrow at the news, noting how their own children have grown up with the brand, with reliable bicycles that have been sold or passed on to others after those children outgrew them.
Beyond the company itself though, it can be credited with kicking the industry into gear with better bicycles for children available from a number of suppliers – reliable, lightweight machines that are fun to ride, not simply toys. For that, its legacy will live on. And with its strong reputation, Islabikes will surely continue to attract a demand on the secondhand market for some time to come.
Cover image by Dave Haygarth, licenced under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0 DEED). Edited for rotation and aspect ratio. Original image available at: https://flic.kr/p/65zcq3. Image use does not imply endorsement by the photographer.
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