Having discovered that the pro-lite available in the UK has the gear shift on the down tube – thanks to my totally obsessive compulsive spec trawling and review trawling – we wont be getting that one, although the latest models have shimano sora type shifters I cant get one in the UK. Then my next choice was the Moda Minor but the cranks are 155mm which are short-adult length, not 8yr old length, so it does indeed prove true that the islabikes luath 24 is the best all round 24″ bike available for kids in the UK. My misgivings are that the wheelbase is long, only a single chain ring upfront as i know eli will care about top speed when racing daddy 
im sure it will be quick enough for a while though.
Surprisingly you cant buy online, i have to speak to someone between 9 and 5 – groan. Don’t they know that’s when people are working! And there is a 3 week lead time!
I do happen to be bidding on a Trek on ebay but im pretty sure they are shilling the bid so out of principle i will withdraw my offer (which is now at £251 for a second hand bike! Without shilling it would have been £100, much more like it.)
