Hoy Bikes Review 2026 | Are They Worth It? UK Dealer Verdict
Parents ask us this one a lot, usually slightly apologetically: is a Chris Hoy bike actually a good bike — or are we paying for a name and an Olympic medal?
Reasonable question. Plenty of celebrity-branded sports kit is exactly that. Hoy isn't — but it's also not the automatic right answer for every child. Here's the honest breakdown, with real weights and prices from our own stock.
Where Hoy came from
Hoy Bikes launched in 2013 as a collaboration between Sir Chris Hoy — six-time Olympic champion and Britain's most decorated track cyclist — and Evans Cycles. Hoy was involved in the design brief rather than lending a signature to a sticker, and the kids' range converged on the principle every good children's brand reaches: get the weight down and size everything to the child, not to a shrunken adult.
The brand has moved through ownership changes since, which is why availability fluctuates — and why end-of-line Hoy stock at discounted prices is worth grabbing when it appears.
What we stock — real weights and prices
| Model | Weight | Age guide | Gears | Our price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoy Weee! 12" Balance | 3.45 kg | 2+ | — | £99.99 |
| Hoy Pentland 20 | 8.95 kg | 6+ | 7-speed | £417.99 |
| Hoy Pentland 24 | 10.8 kg | 8+ | 8-speed | £443.99 |
| Hoy Pentland 26 | 11.25 kg | 9+ | 8-speed | £476.99 |
Pentland is the adventure/trail line — lightweight alloy frame, wide-range gears and confident geometry for kids who ride beyond the park. Weee! is the balance bike, and at 3.45kg it's one of the lightest ways any child can start riding.
STANDOUT VALUE — £99.99
Hoy Weee! 12" Balance Bike
£99.99
At 3.45kg it weighs less than most toddlers' rucksacks — exactly what a balance bike should be. Genuinely superb engineering at a two-figure price. Red or blue.
View bike →What Hoy gets right
✅ Weight. The Pentland 20 is 8.95kg vs 10–11kg for a generic 20" — the difference between riding a bike and wrestling one.
✅ Proper brake levers. Short-reach, adjustable-span — a small hand can actually stop the bike in a hurry.
✅ Narrow Q-factor. Pedals sit closer together to match a child’s hips, so legs track straight.
✅ Gearing for short legs. Low enough ratios to climb rather than push — where most kids decide cycling isn’t for them.
✅ Resale value. Hoys hold second-hand value unusually well. A £440 bike you sell for £220 in two years cost you £220.
Where it falls short
❌ Availability is the honest problem. Ranges get discontinued and sizes disappear. If long-term spares matter, a brand with a stable lineup is a fair consideration.
❌ You are partly paying for the badge. Less than you’d assume — the engineering is real — but a comparable Squish is lighter and cheaper (below).
❌ Not a trail-centre bike. The Pentland handles bridleways, parks and forest tracks well. It doesn’t pretend to be more.
Hoy vs the alternatives
vs Squish. The head-to-head that matters, and we stock both. The Squish 20 is lighter (7.79kg vs 8.95kg) and cheaper (£324.99 vs £417.99); Hoy answers with a plusher build, trail-ready feel and stronger resale. On pure function-per-pound, Squish edges it — full detail in our Squish review.
vs Shyre. Our own Shropshire-born lightweight brand, and the value story is hard to argue with: the Shyre Hopton 20 is £319.99 to the Pentland's £417.99 at a near-identical weight (9.2kg vs 8.95kg), with the same child-sized levers and 7-speed gearing. Hoy has the famous name and stronger resale; Shyre gives you effectively the same engineering for £98 less, designed right here in Shropshire.
vs Frog. Frog has the biggest brand and the strongest used market, at the highest price. Hoy sits close on quality for less.
vs Islabikes. Isla stopped manufacturing in 2023, so that's a second-hand-only comparison — and a new discounted Hoy comes with a warranty and no wear.
vs a supermarket bike at half the price. Not close on weight or braking. But if the bike gets ridden four times a year, the cheaper option is the rational one and we'd rather tell you that — see our under-£150 guide.
The honest verdict — 4/5
Buy a Hoy if your child rides regularly, you want a bike that's still worth something when they outgrow it, and you can get one at our discounted prices. The engineering is genuine. Buy the lighter, cheaper Squish in the right size if pure value decides it — either way, get the size right first with our size guide.
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