Introducing Isla Bikes
When Isla Rowntree was asked by her sister to recommend the best children’s bike for her nieces, she took the challenge seriously. She searched high and low, but found nothing worthy of recommendation; at the time, children’s bikes were often viewed as novelties and built without the needs of growing children in mind.
So…Isla decided to design a bike herself. And so, in a converted cowshed in the tiny village of Claverley in Shropshire, Isla set about creating a new generation of bikes which would revolutionise children’s experience of cycling. They would need to lightweight, designed for the different needs of children at every growth stage, include bespoke components designed specifically for children and be built with the highest quality materials to deal with the rough and tumble children put them through.
Having revolutionised children’s cycling and grown into a globally recognisable brand, Isla Bikes has continued to revolutionise the cycling industry by developing a range of cycles which cater to the needs of older generations
Imagine Project
In a world where consumer demand is ever increasing and our throw-away-culture defines consumer habits, Isla Bikes has chosen to act The Imagine Project is a ground breaking approach to sustainability in the cycling industry. Using a ‘closed loop’ or ‘circular’ supply chain, Isla Bikes are developing long-lasting bikes which are rented to customers, returned to the factory, refurbished and rented out again, with the raw materials designed to be separated and reused when each bike is eventually retired.
Incredibly, nothing from the Imagine Project will go to landfill.
“Can you imagine a time when raw materials are so scarce and costly that it is no longer viable to make new bicycles? Manufacturing everywhere is based on taking raw materials, turning them into products and when they are finished with, throwing them away. This is wasteful and unsustainable and it has to change. There must be a better way.” - Isla Bikes
In the Words of Isla Bikes
Building a more sustainable and equitable society
Pink is not the problem - Gender and the cycling industry
A ground breaking approach to maternity and paternity leave
Cycling and mental health
Interested in finding out more about Isla Bikes? Head to their website here and follow them on social media here.