LITTLE RIDER CO – ‘Industry Inspiration’ Interview Series - FROG BIKES

 

 

Meet FROG Bikes, a brand that puts kids first

 

A common mistake when searching for a child’s bike is to opt for a budget bike. Unfortunately, what many people don’t realize is that budget bikes are not designed specifically for kids’ anatomies, they are in fact simply a scaled-down version of adults bikes. This means that they can be as heavy as the child - which can lead to tears and frustration at not being able to cycle.If you imagine shrinking an adult, this would not create a child. Their limbs and body measurements would all be all wrong, so having bike features and components that are child-sized is important to a child’s success at cycling.Having a bike that is specifically designed for a child means it fits their anatomy properly. They will feel confident at maneuvering and handling the bike and it will make their journey as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

What makes Frog bikes special?

”Plainly put, the Frog bike designs are led by scientific research to ensure that the bikes’ geometry and components fit children properly. The bikes accommodate growing children so they can keep them for longer and they are robust enough to withstand years of use so that they can be passed on to several owners. But most importantly, Frog Bikes are made to ensure that kids can have many many hours of fun riding!”

Here’s some more detail and facts:

EASY TO LEARN ON

The lightweight frames make Frog bikes easy to manoeuvre and allow riders to balance, pedal and stop with more precision and control.

All Frog Bikes components are tailored to younger riders, helping to take away the stress of teaching children to ride. Frog Bikes select lightweight child-specific components without compromising on quality or safety, which also help to keep the bike lightweight.

Being able to lift and handle their bike, helps kids to build confidence in their cycling abilities whilst having fun and making learning to ride as quick and easy as possible.

For ease of handling, a kids’ bike should be around 40% of a child’s body weight. Frog bikes are one of the lightest kids’ bikes on the market.

 

Why do Frog Bikes use child-specific components?

“As children have shorter arms and legs, hands and feet, and narrower hips and shoulders than adults, bikes need to be specifically designed for their anatomies. All Frog bikes have been designed with the child in mind,”  

A lot of time, investment and research has gone into Frog bikes, to ensure that they are not only of premium quality but that they are perfectly suited for children’s needs.

Having a good ergonomic bike design that is built to achieve the most optimal riding position is fundamental for riding comfortably.

Frog Bikes offer:

  • A low riding position that gives kids more stability
  • A reduced length of top tubes to ensure a more comfortable reach (horizontal distance between saddle and handlebars)
  • Child-sized and ergonomically shaped saddle
  • Smaller brakes with easy to reach brake levers, offering better control and improved confidence for young riders
  • Youth-specific gear shifters with short lever travel and ultraslick gear cabling make changing gear and riding easy
  • And, as children have shorter legs than adults, the Frog Bikes patented crank allows for the distance between the two pedals to be narrower, so that children benefit from the most power each time their pedals go around

What range of bikes do Frog Bikes offer?

“From balance bikes for toddlers of 18 months, through to specialist bikes for road, track and MTB, for teens of up to 14+ years. Frog provides bikes to accommodate all children’s biking needs. And many components can be moved, raised, dropped or adapted in order to give the best position for the child when cycling, including the saddle, which can be moved forwards and backwards, and the handlebars can be raised, and if the child needs more growing room, a handlebar stem riser can be added too.”

Balance bikes

The balance bike is where a child’s cycling life begins. The Frog balance bike is essentially a toddler’s bike without pedals that help children develop the necessary core balance skills to cycle. A great alternative to using training wheels. 

The Frog balance bike range offers:

  • Tadpole Mini 10” bike for 18-months+
  • Tadpole 12” bike for 2-3 years
  • Tadpole Plus 14” bike for 3-4 years

 

First pedal bikes

The Frog first pedal bikes are ideal for a child learning to pedal, helping them to build confidence in their cycling abilities. They can also act as a balance bike for a taller child by removing the pedals.  

The Frog first pedal range offers:

  • Frog 40 14” bike for 3-4 years
  • Frog 44 16” bike for 4-5 year
  • Frog 47 18” bike for 5-7 years

 

 Hybrid bikes

The Frog hybrid bikes are versatile kids’ bikes, ideal for multiple-purpose use and disciplines - from forest trail riding to cycling to school. 

The Frog hybrid range offers:

  • Frog 53 20” bike for 5-7 years
  • Frog 62 24” bike for 8-10 years
  • Frog 69 26” bike for 10-12 years
  • Frog 73 26” bike for 12-14 years
  • Frog 78 26” bike for 13+ years

 

Road bikes

The Frog road bikes offer a super lightweight frame to help children increase their distance and speed. Great for road, gravel, cyclocross and triathlon use. 

The Frog road bikes range offers:

  • Frog Road 58 20” for 6-7 years
  • Frog Road 67 24” for 8-12 years
  • Frog Road 70 26” for 11-14 years

 

Track bikes

Frog track bikes offer aerodynamic teardrop tubes to reduce drag, which improves speed and performance! These bikes are great for kids looking to get into both track and grass track racing. 

  • Frog Track 58 20” for 6-7 years
  • Frog Track 67 24” for 8-12 years
  • Frog Track 70 26” for 11-14 years

 

 

Mountain bikes

The Frog Bikes range of MTBs is equipped with hydraulic disk brakes and junior specific suspension forks with lockout and compression control that work in unison with the rider. This allows riders to truly Push The Limits. 

  • Frog MTB 62 24” for 8-10 years
  • Frog MTB 69 26” for 10-12 years
  • Frog MTB 72 26” for 13+ years

 

 

 

Where are Frog Bikes made?

“Frog’s comprehensive range of bikes are designed at our offices in Ascot, Surrey and are built at our manufacturing facility in Pontypool, Wales.”

Keeping design and manufacturing locally enables Frog Bikes to be more responsive to the market, lower carbon footprint and create jobs to benefit the local economy

 

What safety standards do Frog Bikes meet?

“Frog Bikes are all subjected to safety testing to meet The International  Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards, ensuring they are safe for children to ride. The Hybrids, Road, Track and Mountain bikes are  even  tested to adult safety standards just to go that extra mile.”

Every single Frog bikes aluminium frame, fork and component conforms to standards set by EN and ISO. This means they have to undergo very rigorous testing, including impact tests, fatigue tests, force tests against handlebars and wheels and wheel truing tests.

Learn more about Frog Bikes fitting >>

 

What sustainability efforts is Frog making?

“Not only has Frog produced quality, award-winning bikes, but we also care about protecting the planet around us. We are responsible for designing and developing products that help minimise the environmental impact of our operations. And we are continually working to integrate sustainability into every aspect of the business.” 

 

 

Learn more about their quest to become a more sustainable business >>

Through extensive research and careful sourcing, Frog bikes are designed for longevity and are robust and reliable. They offer a long lifespan due to their adaptability too. And since the bikes are well crafted using premium-quality materials, they require less maintenance. And customers can benefit from being able to hand the bikes down to siblings or friends or make use of strong resale value and trade-in opportunities.

What key points do you recommend to look for when searching for a child’s bike?

“When searching for a suitable bike for your child, always bear in mind the weight of the bike in comparison to your child, what child-specific components it offers, how comfortable is the seating position, what safety standards does it meet, and will it grow with them?”

 

To find out more about Frog Bikes visit www.frogbikes.com

 

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