August 25th, 2009
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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!
August 24th, 2009
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After watching her toddler spend hours playing with his cousin’s tricycle at their family reunion, Susan Hall decided that a bike would be the perfect gift for her son’s second birthday coming up in just a few months. She spent several weeks looking at kids bikes and finally decided on a sturdy looking metal tricycle. However, when she got it home, she realized with dismay that her son really couldn’t reach the pedals and it was a bit high off the ground for him to scoot with his feet. She kept the bike because she knew that he would grow into it soon, but was quite disappointed that it didn’t work out like she’d expected. Like most people, Mrs. Hall neglected to really take the time to figure out what she really needed.
The first thing that anyone shopping for a bike should keep in mind is the size of their child. Unfortunately, Mrs. Hall just figured that a tricycle would accommodate her toddler only to be disappointed. While it’s easy to make that mistake, you should always take into account your child’s size and height. Kids bikes are sized according to the wheel diameter. The size your child needs depends on their inseam measurement, or the measurement taken on the inside of your child’s leg. When looking at a bicycle schwinn, you will see bikes with wheels ranging from 12″ all the way up to 24″. A 12″ bike wheel should accommodate kids that are between 2 and 4 with an inseam of about 14-17″. The 24″ wheel is for kids 9 years or older with an inseam of 24-28″. You should be able to find a chart with the exact criteria for each size by searching online.
After size, you really need to take into account the tastes of your particular child. Luckily, two year olds are easy to please. However, if your child is 8, he may be particularly fond of Sesame Street characters, for example. Of course, you want your kids bikes to reflect their interests. Keep in mind, though, that what interests your son at eight, may be completely out the door by the time he turns ten. He’ll be stuck with a perfectly good bike with characters that are embarrassing to him. You may want to instead choose accessories bicycle that reflect their current interests. These can be easily removed and changed to match the current trends on your child’s age.
When choosing bicycle bikes for your children, you can make sure that your kids are not only immediately thrilled with their bike, but that it will grow with them for years to comes. Choose kids bikes based upon an appropriate size range. Also, make sure that you don’t pick a bicycle that will become out of date or inappropriate as your child grows. By keeping these things in mind, you can avoid disappointment or buyer’s remorse.
August 23rd, 2009
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Riding bikes is not only a great form of exercise, but it can be relaxing and fun at the same time. Riding with children can be a challenge, though. Children need to be taught at a young age about bicycle safety, just as they need to learn about automobile safety. In an automobile, children need to learn to get into a habit of using a seat belt, while on a childs bike; they need to learn about wearing a helmet. Starting children to use these important safety steps at a young age will get them into the habit and they will always want to use a helmet and a seat belt.
Children on their bicycle need to also learn the rules of the road. A child under the age of 10 should not be allowed on the road by themselves, as they are too young to develop and understand the rules. A child is short and many times can not be seen by a car. They often dart out in the road without thinking and are more accident prone. A childs bike is not often seen, as children have a habit of playing behind cars in the drive way. If someone does not know there is a child behind the car, the child and the bike will get hit. Practicing safe playing is very important, not only on children’s bicycle, but in general.
The best place to ride with your younger children is to go to your local park or a play ground. This way, you will be keeping your child safe and will not be in the traffic on the road. You can easily set up scenarios for roads in which your child can practice their safety skills. You can set up obstacles and have the children look before attempting to go into the path of traffic. You can practice your hand signals. The adult rides in front of the childs bike and makes hand gestures to turn and so the child can learn themselves. There are so many different ways you can practice safety without actually being on the road.
An adult riding on the road with a child who rides in a bicycle child seat or in a childs bike trailer need also to take safety measures when on the road. Always ride on the right side of the road, with the traffic, not facing the traffic. Bicyclists need to remember to yield to vehicles and pedestrians on the road at all times. Mirrors on your bike will help you to know what is behind and around you. You also want to be sure to wear your helmet and put a helmet on your children if they are riding with you. If you, as an adult, do not wear a helmet, you are not setting a good example, so you want to be sure you get into the same habits as your children do.
August 22nd, 2009
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Most children start to learn how to ride a bicycle when they are in the toddler years. These years are fascinating because children do not remember much of the stress and frustration endured when attempts are made at trying new things. Toddlers will try something over and over again, even when not successful the first time. This is the way that children learn. Because of this, it is important to understand the basics of helping children with bicycle safety. The basics of wearing bicycle helmets are very important to teach a toddler from a very young age.
One of the first things for a toddler to know about bicycle helmets is that it is important to put the helmet on every time he wants to go for a ride. When children are first starting to learn how to ride a bicycle, the temptation might be to let them ride without a helmet if they are just in the driveway, or are not going very far. But in order to ensure that they get into the habit of wearing the helmet, it is important to remind them to put the helmet on every time.
Another important fact for any toddler to remember is how to put the helmet on by himself. A basic toddler bike helmet is designed just like an adult helmet. There is a foam padding adhered to an outer shell. The straps are designed to wrap around the side of the head, and buckle under the chin. The bell toddler helmet has straps that are designed with a pinch free buckle. There are quite a few children that become fearful of the bicycle helmets just because they were pinched once when attempting to clasp the buckle. To make sure that the child does not become fearful of the buckle, it is a good idea to look into this kind of helmet.
Every toddler will eventually learn to ride a bike. The best scenario would be that every child becomes so familiar with wearing bicycle helmets that it is just like buckling a seatbelt when they get in the car. It is just so natural that they don’t have to think about it anymore. This way, every child will be safe in the case of an accident. Just like anything else in life, the temptation is to think that it will never happen to you. It does happen, which is why it is so important for toddlers to wear helmets from an early age.
August 21st, 2009
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I remember when I was growing up, and I wanted to ride bikes with my older bothers. They were all on bikes, and I was one my Big Wheel. I remember coming home and crying because they would leave me in the dust. There was just no way my Big Wheel could keep up with their two wheel bikes. I wanted a big boy bike, but my legs were just too short to even try to get on a bike, even if it did have training wheels. I knew my mom felt bad for me, but at the time there was no way she could solve my problem. Then one day she came home with a new balance bike. She told me that the bike would help me try to keep up with my brothers. At first, I was upset because the bike did not have pedals. What good was it to me, how was I going to be able to keep up with my bothers if I could not use the pedals for speed?
I soon found out that my mom was right. After I stopped pouting over my situation, I let me mom taking me outside to learn how to ride my new bike. I soon found out that the balance bike was extremely fun. All I had to do was sit down, and start walking. I could increase my speed if I decided to run. The next thing I knew I was making my way around the block. I was so excited and was having the time of my life. My mom was excited for me. She was also happy because she was able to see how my self confidence was increasing by the minute. She also knew that when it came time for me to ride a bike, I would be able to take to it very easily. It would be second nature to me.
My mom had heard about this bike from a friend in the similar situation. She used a balance bike to get her son though his little problem. She had learned about it from a cousin she had in Europe. They have been using these balance bikes for years. These bikes a very popular in Europe. They are so popular that they have recently started designing a tandem bike just for your kids to bring on a play date. The kids will love the fact that they will be able to ride around together. The innovative designs will make any kid on the play ground the talk of the town.