Toddler Bicycle for Boys or Girls

August 1st, 2009 No comments »

Have you ever considered getting a toddler bicycle for your young boy or girl?  I am sure you have probably considered it more for your boy because young males tend to want to have more adventures and riding bicycles is one of those early adventures that is available.

Of course, once we get older riding a bike is no longer as big of an event or adventure as it once was to us.  But at the time when we first did it, it was extremely important.  And even for guys like Lance Armstrong it can become a living which makes you millions of dollars and a vehicle to become incredibly famous.

And if you’re worried about the inevitable injuries and crashes that are going to occur you can buy some safety gear.  There are specific headgear and Gyro toddler helmets that you can buy to protect that most important head and brain area of your young children.  And you can also get elbow pads and even knee pads and cups to protect your boys from any kind of damage they might suffer.  You’ll also want to be there teaching them when they first start riding.

One of the biggest things you can do before you even let them step foot on the toddler bike is to give them some safety ground rules.  The usual ones apply like looking both ways before going out onto the street.  You can only allow them to ride their bike at certain times of day when there is non-peak traffic in your neighborhood.  And you’ll also want to set boundaries as to how far they can go away from the house and on what roads they can travel.  All of these simple precautions will keep your child safe and allow them to have a good toddler bicycling experience.

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There’s Nothing Quite Like a Boy and His Toddler Bike

August 25th, 2009 No comments »

I will never forget the look on my son’s face when he got his first real bike. It was for his birthday, which fortunately for us and gift giving comes in the spring. Despite the fact that it was a cold spring, there was no stopping him when it came to his first toddler bike. As soon as he unwrapped it he was begging his father to put it together – it was easier to wrap in the box! So, in a mere matter of minutes the wrench was out and they were assembling it. Just a few minutes later he was off and riding!

However, there was a bit more going on behind the scenes than my son ever knew. There were quite a few toddler bikes for us to choose from. We wanted to take everything into account particularly toddler safety when it came to riding his bike. We knew how much fun it would be for him, but we also knew that there were certain inherent risks involved in bike riding and we wanted to do everything that we could to protect him against those. Up until this point, he had been riding in a stroller bicycle so this would be his first taste of freedom!

One of the things that we took into account when shopping for his new toddler bike was that the better he fit in his bike, the safer it would be. The things that we wanted were that the seat’s would be adjustable – we wanted a bike that fit him now when he was younger and smaller, but also something that would fit him for years to come. The same was true for being able to adjust the height of the handle bars. In addition, we were looking for a bike that was lighter weight. We did not want him to have to be lugging around a heavy bike which would end up being cumbersome for all of us. And finally, not as important to us, but something that we knew he would care about – the way it looked! We wanted to get a bike that he thought looked cool since he would not see all of the other features that were so important to us.

In the end, I think we got the perfect bike for him! It fits him well now and he enjoys riding it. We also know that it is safe, even safer with the toddler bike helmet that we gave him for his birthday as well. We are looking forward to seeing him get years of enjoyment of his bike and even some day growing out of it and moving up to a bike without training wheels!

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Easy Steps to Teach Child to Ride Bike

August 30th, 2009 No comments »

It’s one of the monumental moments of childhood, for both parents and kids alike.  What child doesn’t remember learning how to ride a bike?  And what parent doesn’t agonize about the best way to teach child to ride bike?  The experience can be fraught with anxiety for everyone involved, but it doesn’t have to be.  In fact, it can be a fun, memorable time that serves several important purposes and teaches several important lessons to both child and parent alike.  More than just a bike riding experience, the teaching process facilitates communication, trust, helps kids learn how to learn, and helps parents learn how to teach.

First, parents, it’s a great idea to do a little bit of research.  This can be as simple as asking friends what worked for them, or conducting a simple Internet search.  Many, many parents and kids have gone down this path before.  Once a parent is comfortable with the process, and has a game plan, it’s time to buy the bike.  A correctly sized bike is extremely important when trying to teach child to ride bike.  The seat needs to be at the correct height; the child’s feet should be able to rest flat on the ground, in order to facilitate control of the bicycle.

Once the bike is purchased and properly fitted, it’s time to start the teaching.  Many, many parents will agree on two or three major principles to adhere to when it’s time to take off the training wheels and teach child to ride bike.  First, it can be helpful to take the pedals off for a short time.  Second, find a grassy area that has a gentle slope.  This will help the child start rolling and also cushion any early falls.  The first step is to have the child simply pick up his or her feet, and try not to fall over.  Once this is accomplished, he or she can start rolling a short distance, simply putting the feet on the ground to stop.

Once the child is comfortable with rolling, and has developed a basic sense of balance and control of the bicycle, the pedals should be reinstalled so that the child can start using them.  Now it’s time to really learn about how to ride bicycle!  The child may need some assistance with starting, but should be able to maintain his or her balance rather successfully after the prior training.  He or she can start pedalling for longer and longer distances, and then move to the pavement to really start moving.  In these easy, simple, steps, parents can teach child to ride bike, and the process can be fun for everyone involved.

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An Adventure in the City on a Specialized Bike

August 29th, 2009 No comments »

A couple of years ago, I got a phone call from a friend of mine who lived in the city.  She told me that she had a few days off from work, and she was wondering if I would want to come up to spend some time with her.  I had not been up there for a visit yet, so I told her that I would do my best to get up there.  We had made plans a while back to ride our bikes around the city, but I had not purchased my specialized bike yet, so I wanted to wait.

After she called me this time, I knew that I would be ready.  The only problem this time, was that my vehicle was out of commission, so the only way that I could get up there was by taking the train. I checked the schedules on the South Shore Line website, and they worked out with me, but at the bottom of the screen, I read in big bold letters, “No Bikes Allowed on the Train.”  I was crushed.  I wanted to take my specialized bike with me, but it seemed that the train rules would not let that happen.

I called my friend to tell her, and she told me that she and her friends had a few spare bikes up there, and it would be no problem for me to borrow one of them.  When I asked her if she had a specialized bike, she told me that she had quite a few.  “We have a bike cruiser, a downhill bike, even a hybrid bike!”  Since I had quite a few to choose from, I told her that I would be on the next train up for a visit.  I went to the station right away, and hopped on board.

When I got to the city, I found her waiting with a few of her friends.  They were all on their bikes and they had one waiting for me.  I was stunned because the bike that was waiting for me was not just any bike, it was the exact specialized bike that I had at home.  I was so excited!  I told her that she had the bike that I wanted to bring up, and she wasn’t surprised.  We had very similar taste when it came to the bicycles that we rode.  One of her friends was riding the hybrid bike, and another rode the bike cruiser.  We took off out of the train station and made our way all around the city.  To this day, it is one of the best memories that I have about riding around in the city.

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Short bike Shorts for My Sister’s Birthday

August 28th, 2009 No comments »

A couple of weeks ago, my sister reminded me that her birthday was approaching.  Since she moved to the city, and had a much smaller apartment, I wanted to get her something that I knew she would use.  I knew that she had been riding her bike everywhere that she went, so I decided that I would get her something to go with that.  I went down to the local bike shop to see if there was anything that she would like, and I found these amazing short bike shorts.  They were just her size, and they were black, her favourite color.

I looked around for a bit to see if there were any others that may fit her a little better.  They had a large selection of the spandex bike shorts, as well as the hot bike shorts.  There was one pair in particular that reminded me of my childhood.  They were black, with a long leg, and they had a bright pink stripe down each side.  I asked the man at the store of there were any others in the back, and he told me that everything that I saw on the shelves was what they had in stock.  In the end, I decided that the plain black short bike shorts were the ones that I would get for her.

I was happy to find out that the short bike shorts were on sale that day, and I would be saving quite a bit of money.  I called my brother to let him know that I had gotten the shorts for her, to make sure that by some strange coincidence, he did not go out and buy her the same gift.  Luckily, he hadn’t, and it was at that moment, that I came up with a wonderful idea.  I knew that my brother was also riding his bike a bit more since his car had quit working, so I decided to that I would buy him the men’s shorts.

I went back into the store and asked the man if the men’s short bike shorts were on sale as well, and he told me that they were!  Not only were they on sale, but they had several colors to choose from.  I didn’t want to get him the exact same shorts that I had gotten for my sister, so I decided on the red ones.  I don’t usually get them each a present when it is one of their birthdays, but since they were on sale, I could not resist!

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Bikers of All Classes Love a Schwinn Bike

August 27th, 2009 No comments »

It should come as no surprise, to anyone who investigates the sport, that biking is a favorite past time of both children and adults alike.  With so many uses, and so many applications, it is a sport that truly offers something for everyone.  Everyone from babies to seasoned professional athletes can find a bike, or biking setup, that works for them.  Every use from quality family time, to playing outside, to even exercising indoors, can be fulfilled using a bike.  One of the most popular brands is a schwinn bike, and it’s easy to see why. Schwinn offers quality products of many kinds and is one of the standard bearers of the biking industry.  Schwinn carries more name recognition that other popular biking phrases such as tyres bike or shimano bike; and many people gravitate to their products for these reasons.

In recent years, one of the most popular biking accessories has been the bike trailer.  Invented to give toddlers a safer and more comfortable place to enjoy the family bike ride, numerous companies now offer the products.  The schwinn bike trailer is among the most popular, perhaps because it even converts into a double stroller, all without using any tools.  It can be used behind a bike with either one or two tots safely strapped in, who have a greatly reduced risk of injury should Mom or Dad take a spill off of their bike.  It is easy to use and attaches to nearly any bike.

Biking is not just for the outdoors; in fact, even gym rats can enjoy all the features of a schwinn bike, right in the gym.  Exercise, or stationary bikes, are extremely popular.  They offer pre-programmed, computer controlled programs, that help to maintain a focused workout time.  These high-quality bikes aren’t just for the gym, either.  They are affordable and can easily be used right from a person’s home.  Whether purchased for the gym or for home, biking is always a great form of exercise, and the stationary bikes can provide that exercise in any type of weather.

Bikers of all classes are undoubtedly looking for bikes and biking equipment that are high-quality, and are also affordable.  There are several brands that offer products that would fit this description, and by purchasing a scwhinn bike, a consumer is all but guaranteed to fulfill both desires.  Reputation also counts in bicycle purchases, and the schwinn brand offers one of the best in that area.

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Owning a Balance Bike Helped My Daughter Learn How to Ride Her First Bike

August 26th, 2009 No comments »

There is nothing like having your four year old come home and announce that she can now ride a bike. When my daughter made her announcement I had to find out what she was referring to. I soon found out that while she was at her friend’s house she was riding around on her friends balance bike. I had never heard of a balance bike before then. So I went to the Internet to do some research on the matter. I found that these bikes have been around for decades. They have been tremendously popular in Europe. Their popularity is just starting to grow in the United States. As we are starting to learn more about this bike in the United States, in Europe they are designing the tandem bike for your kids to take on a play date.

I found out that a balance bike has many benefits. This makes one wonder why these balance bikes have taken awhile to gain the popularity in the states. The main benefit is that riding the bike provides the rider with better balance and coordination. The rider will be able to go from riding a run bike to directly riding a bike. They will be able to bypass the need to use training wheels. It is like providing your kids with the tools they need to be able to crawl before they walk.

It is a very big deal when your child moves from riding a bike with training wheels to riding a bike without training wheels. It is one the moments that a parent will remember forever. This is also a nerve racking experience for a parent. One of the reason why, is that your child is usually terribly nervous about making this transition. They are afraid they may fall and hurt themselves, or afraid they may not be able to do this. Using a balance bike to prepare for a two wheel bike builds confidence. It will also make the rider my self reliant. You will find that your child cannot wait to switch over to a real bike. There is a real sense of excitement in the air. Part of this confidence comes from being confident in the mechanics of how to operate a two wheel bike.

It is surprising that more parents are not investing in a balance bike. The benefits completely outweigh the cost. By purchasing the bike, you will provide your child with more than just a way to entertain themselves. You will also be supplying them with a sense of confidence that lets them know they can handle everything. You will also be buying a peace of mind for yourself.

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