Islabikes founder regains '100%' ownership of legendary children’s brand and launches new website to keep the bikes alive

Isla Roundtree has launched a new Islabikes website, to keep the bikes made by the brand over its 18 year history in use.

The spare parts website features a parts selector tool, with images, to help owners locate required components when refurbishing bikes.

The 2005 founded brand, which was best known for its children's bikes, halted production in October last year, citing a “turbulent and difficult time for the cycle industry”.

Rowntree - who stepped back from her role as managing director in 2021, transferring majority ownership of the brand to her first employee Tim Goodall - is now “100% owner of Islabikes again”, according to a press release sent by the founder.

The former pro racer and national cyclocross champion will run the website, alongside one colleague, having been appointed as director in December 2023.

The most recent company accounts, from December 2022, showed that the business had net assets of £4 million and 21 employees.

Discussing the new venture, Rowntree said: “Every time I pack a part and send it out I enjoy the thought that it is keeping a bike in use. The overall performance of an Islabike was the result of my meticulous attention to the design detail of the individual components. They all worked together to create something special. Replacing worn or broken parts with Islabikes Original Components will ensure that every bike continues to deliver on its design promise.”

Islabikes has long championed sustainability within the cycling industry, launching the ‘Imagine Project’ - whereby bikes would be used by children and then returned to the brand for refurbishment - in 2016. In addition, it built-in backward compatibility to its newer models, meaning that components from more up-to-date machines could be fitted to older bikes, thus offering up an improvement for the rider.

“We sold nearly 250,000 Islabikes – some may need a little love and care by now, but most can be rejuvenated with a few parts, ready to be enjoyed by another generation of children,” Rowntree said. “Keeping older Islabikes going for as long as possible is the best use of scarce materials and energy. Although there will not be any more new Islabikes, this sustainability message is more important now than it has ever been.”