Celebrating 9 reasons why Frog bikes are great!

In celebration of our 9th birthday (yes we turned 9 on 14 February - we can’t quite believe it either!), we take a look back over the years and share 9 stories, 9 fun facts and some great testimonials as to why others think Frog bikes are great.

FROG FUN FACT 1: Did you know that the name Frog Bikes came to Jerry and Shelley (the Co-founders) over lunch in the local pub, their children said “yes, because boys like muddy things and girls like wildlife”. It was the only name on their shortlist, and they never found a name they liked more than Frog.

Born in 2013

Back in 2013, Jerry & Shelley Lawson made the incredible decision to start a business after a fruitless hunt for child-specific bikes for their own two children. Little did they know this decision would make their brand global!

Shelley Lawson, Co-founder of Frog Bikes said “We had both enjoyed careers in large corporations since leaving university but felt the time had come to build something ourselves. When we saw a gap in the market for lightweight, well-made bikes for children, we jumped at it.”

FROG FUN FACT 2: The business started out in a spare room, then a purpose-built wooden office was constructed in the garden, aptly named the Frog Pod.

Winning global accolades for their lightweight kids’ bikes and now selling in over 50 countries and in around 1800 retailers worldwide, the child-centred approach to the design of the bikes and the quality componentry used is what sets Frog bikes apart from the competition.

Building the brand

When deciding on the right brand, selecting a playful palette of colours was a must. After all, it is children that are drawn to the actual bikes aesthetics, and branding, whereas parents are interested in the bike’s componentry, safety and benefits.

FROG FUN FACT 3: Younger children think that the Frog in our splat is jumping in a puddle; some older children think the Frog has been squashed!

Choosing the right bike colour options for each bike range was key as every age group has different interests and different views on colours - and most children simply pick their favourite colour.

FROG FUN FACT 4: Did you know, that the most popular bike colour at Frog has always been red!

So, why are Frog bikes so great?

You don’t have to take our word for it, we’ve heard it from the mouths of the kids riding the bikes, the parents, Frog ambassadors, our reps, our wonderful stockists and our fantastic partners…

Here’s what they had to say about Frog bikes…

1. BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR CHILDREN

Everything from the bike geometry to the quality componentry has been expertly designed and selected to make a child's cycling journey as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

FROG FUN FACT 5: - Did you know that Dimitris Katsanis, the bicycle engineer who is behind the all-conquering GB Team track bikes that brought Olympic fame, collaborated with Sport and Exercise Scientists at Brunel University to help Frog improve the bikes’ geometry?

Dimitris Katsanis said: "Although the ultimate aim of the research is to increase the fun that children derive from riding their bicycles it is nevertheless a serious piece of engineering with significant results. This is more than a marginal gain. I wish we could find something similar for the Olympic bikes too.”

Each model of bike offers great features that are specific to a child’s anatomy, after all, children have smaller hands and shorter legs and arms than adults, so each part of the bike needs to fit them comfortably. The adjustable brakes and handlebar stem add-on provide room for growth, whilst the shorter cranks, scaled-down handlebars and easy to reach brake levers assist comfort so kids can travel further and faster.

“We researched many quality kids bike brands, but we kept coming back to Frog Bikes. We really liked the crank lengths and the sizing worked better as it was more specific to the child than other brands which in turn would result in children having greater confidence on the bikes and faster skills progression. Plus we had the huge benefit of not having to replace them regularly like the bikes we’d previously purchased.”
Partner, Newport Live

Take a look at the evolution of Frog Bikes here >>

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2. QUALITY COMPONENTS & SAFETY STANDARDS

Since the beginning, Frog has been using only high-quality components. These components have an immense effect on the ease of use and the fun that kids have with the bikes.

“Compromising on quality is not an option. Our children deserve the best. Frog Bikes = Quality!” Karim, Mountain Expert - Intersport Besancon, Parent & Stockist

We use components from top brands including Kenda, Tektro, Shimano and Quando who all have decades of experience building high-grade bike parts. And, our bikes frames, forks and components are rigorously tested and conform to EN, ISO & CPSC standards too - not all children’s bike brands offer that kind of standard regarding safety and quality.

“From the design viewpoint, they [Frog Bikes] are light, robust, comprehensively equipped and elegant. From the mechanic’s they are prefabricated beautifully, from a cycling instructor’s viewpoint (yes I am one of those too) they are perfect, they are light, comfortable, robust, comprehensive without being complicated and attractive to the students.”Stockist, London Bike Hub

FUN FACT 6: Back in the early days of Frog Bikes when there was limited resources, Jerry, Shelley and their children used to test the bikes themselves.

“The Frog bikes that we've had for 4 or 5 years are still going strong without issues and with limited maintenance requirements.” Herne Hill Velodrome, Partner

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3. DIVERSE RANGE

Our bike range extends from balance and first-pedal bikes to multi-purpose hybrids and more specialist bikes for road, track and MTB. In order to get more kids on bikes, we want to ensure that we have a bike range available for children to accommodate ages from 18 months to 14+ years, all abilities, and disciplines.

“We use Frog first pedal and hybrid bikes to teach young children how to ride. The range of sizes on offer makes it easy to find the right bike for any child visiting the velodrome, so they are quickly able to progress their cycling. Their extensive range of bikes helps give kids the opportunity to try many different disciplines, learning new skills and finding out what they enjoy most."Herne Hill Velodrome, Partner

FUN FACT 7: Frog Bikes sold just three ranges of bikes when it started out in 2013, a balance bike, a first pedal and a hybrid bike (now we have road, MTB and track range too).

Take a look at the full range of Frog kids’ bikes here >>

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4. EASY TO LEARN ON

The lightweight frames make our bikes easy to manoeuvre and all of the components are tailored to younger riders. This helps kids to build confidence in their cycling abilities whilst having fun.

“We bought the Frog Tadpole balance bike for my boy and couldn't be happier with it, it transformed his riding and confidence. He's happy riding on the pavement, in the park and at the BMX track. The back brake, steering overlock, weight and size have been its best features.

He has now moved on to the Frog first pedal 16" bike and was pedalling almost straight away, all the balance that he'd learnt from the Tadpole was a huge benefit. I'd say the same benefits apply to the first pedal bike. He will happily ride 10 miles alongside me on my bike. I'd recommend Frog bikes for any little riders.” Parent, Mr Burg

FUN FACT 8: It can take a child less than half an hour to transition comfortably from a Frog balance bike to pedalling freely on a Frog first-pedal bike.

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5. PERFECT FOR CYCLE RACES

Our affordable kids’ road and track bikes offer a super lightweight frame to help kids increase their distance, speed and performance for racing, including cyclocross, triathlons and track.

“A massive thank you to Frog Bikes for my super speedy Frog 70 bike, I got my fastest cycle time ever! My bike was really light getting it off the rack in transition and the gears were really smooth!... I would highly recommend the Frog Road bikes for triathlons!”
Current ambassador - Aria

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6. GETTING MORE KIDS ON BIKES

We really want to foster a generation of healthy, active and happy children with positive, lifelong habits. To help us achieve this goal, we partner with like-minded organisations, across all sectors, to collectively make a change and get more kids on bikes.

We work with everyone who shares our passion for bikes and getting kids active, from local schools and governments to holiday resorts and corporate organisations.

“The Schools Bike Fleet Scheme, that uses Frog bikes, aims to increase the number of children taking part in cycling by embedding it into the school’s curriculum. Some of the children using the Frog bikes have never ridden a bike before but now have the opportunity to cycle at school.” Cllr Caro Wild, Cabinet Member for Cardiff Council, Partner

See who we’ve partnered with here >>

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7. DESIGNED AND BUILT-IN GREAT BRITAIN

All our bikes are designed and built at our manufacturing facility in Pontypool, Wales - which helps us be more responsive to the market, lower our carbon footprint and create jobs to benefit the local economy.

FUN FACT 9: Did you know that Frog Bikes is the ONLY child bike company to build their bikes in the UK.

Stockists Billy Bilsland Cycles commented "We are huge fans of Frog bikes and in normal times we'd hold stock of every colour and size. With the well-documented industry-wide stock shortages Frog has been a shining light for us and our customers. Their decision to have production in the UK is paying dividends. Frog has been able to allow us to keep putting big smiles on young cyclists faces."

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8. SUSTAINABLE THINKING

At Frog Bikes we care about protecting the planet around us. Not only are we responsible for designing and developing products that are more sustainable, but also identifying and performing other projects that help minimise the environmental impact of our operations. Each time a Frog Bike is used, it’s contributing towards a more sustainable lifestyle choice.

“We are committed to reducing our emissions, and thanks to the extra skills in the business, we are now confident that we will reach net zero by 2050. The decarbonisation project has put sustainability at the top of our agenda, and it’s in all discussions down to the shop floor level. We hope to be one of the first bike companies producing properly green bikes.”
Shelley Lawson, Frog Bikes Co-founder >

Whilst we don’t profess to have all the answers mapped out just yet, we are continually working to integrate sustainability into each aspect of the business, but we understand it is an ongoing process. Take a look at our sustainability journey so far >>

“When deciding on which brands to offer for our bike subscription we looked for brands with the same values as us. Focus on sustainability in every aspect of the business was a top criterion. Bikes should be fun to ride, so we also wanted a brand that designed bikes especially for kids. For a subscription model, you also need bikes that are designed for longevity. Bikes that are robust and reliable. With that in mind, we felt that Frog Bikes was the right choice. And after learning how they work with sustainability, and how they care about getting more kids on bikes, we are certain that we have the perfect partner.”
Vanessa Lagerkvist from Sirqel (Norway), Partner

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9. LITERALLY PRICELESS

“The tadpole mini is one of the few very sentimental things we have of our little ones, it is literally priceless. They say you never forget your first bike but as a parent, I’d put this above any of my bikes!” Parent, Dean

It’s so amazing to hear that people hold Frog bikes in their hearts as an item that has value beyond any price, merely for the memories that have been made using them!

Shelley Lawson recalled “Some of the best days spent together as a family when the kids were small were when we all went out on our bikes together. Especially when we were exploring somewhere new on holiday, the sense of a shared adventure and a bit of physical exertion (perhaps rewarded by a view, or ice cream) brought us closer together, without a doubt.”