Tikes Bikes is giving away YOUR CHOICE of any PINK balance bike we sell! Follow the instructions below to enter. Prize can only be shipped to an address in the 48 contiguous US.
The contest ends on December 11, 2013 at 11:59pm. Winner will be randomly chosen and notified on December 12, 2013.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Looking for the perfect balance bike for your little loved one? We've made choosing easy for you by recommending balance bikes based on the age of the child. It's not a one-sized-fits-all solution* but it's a great start!
*If the child is shorter or taller than the average child for their age, take an inseam measurement by measuring the distance from the ground to the child's bottom in inches. Then add once inch to give the child the ability to touch the ground flat footed while sitting on the bike in the lowest seat position. Using the measurement, look through the bikes in our Gift Guide and review the inseam measurement for the seat. This should help you identify the bikes that will be a good fit.
Have questions or need a bike fitting? Contact us and we'll be happy to help you!
Last summer, my husband took our 3-year old son out for a mountain bike ride. A regular occurrence, they headed out for a web of trails in the forest. After deciding to take a new trail, they put on their helmets, buckled up their hydration packs and set out.
About 10 minutes into the ride, my son braked quickly. My husband, fearing he would plow straight into the back of his son and unable to get around him, braked knowing he would throw himself off his own bike. He flipped over the handlebars, kicking our son in the head and landed in the brush.
With a crying and scared son, my husband knew he had hurt himself but wasn't sure how badly. Lying there for a few moments and comforting our son, he hoped someone would ride by and provide needed help.
No one came. So they walked out with one arm dangling in shocking pain wondering how they would put the bikes back on top of the car and then drive home.
To make a long story short, my husband had a third degree AC separation in his shoulder joint and couldn't pick up a book, let alone ride a bike, for months.
When we mulled over what had happened, we realized that had he been knocked unconscious, our 3-year old would have been in the middle of the forest with no way to tell someone who to call.
We promptly purchased a Road ID personalized with emergency contact numbers for everyone in the family. Not only do we wear them while riding bikes, they are worn while running, kayaking, and winter sports such as skiing and snowshoeing. We've also put them on our children at events or venues where they might be separated from us.
A Road ID is the second accessory every little bike or scooter rider should have (right after a properly fitted helmet).
Nothing beats the smile on a child's face when they unwrap the perfect Christmas present. The moment of silence followed by squeals of delight are enough to melt the heart of even the biggest Scrooge. For so many kids, that sought after gift is a brand new bike to call their own.
Whether it is a balance bike for a toddler or a pedal bike for an older child, the feeling of joy and freedom it gives a child is priceless. The real question is how to surprise your child with the bike on Christmas morning.
Of course you can always have the bike waiting under the tree with a large bow when he or she wakes up in the morning, but here are a few more creative ways to surprise the child in your life on Christmas morning.
Create a 'treasure map' and place it inside a new helmet wrapped under the tree. When the helmet is opened, send the child on a hunt to find the hidden bicycle.
If you have an older child who might be expecting a bicycle for Christmas, you can always be sneaky and wrap the pieces of the bike individually. This gives the perception that he or she has more presents under the tree instead of one large gift. In addition, assembling the bicycle later in the day can provide a good activity for a teenager or as a task for the parent and child to do together.
When you are running short on time or if you are looking for a simple way to wrap a bicycle, they do make gift bags designed for bicycles. Although this might give away the surprise for a child who has been asking for a bicycle, finding such a large gift bag next to the tree might create some great anticipation for the child who is not expecting a bicycle.
Another fun idea is to purchase and wrap up a bicycle Christmas ornament. This gift not only is a fun representation of the gift the child is receiving, but also serves as a memento of this Christmas that can be used to decorate the Christmas tree year after year.
While the kids are unwrapping presents, act as if you hear something coming from the roof outside. When the family goes out to investigate, they discover the bicycle that was left by Santa on the roof ("it must not have fit down the chimney"). This is definitely not an idea for the faint of heart, but will sure make for a magical Christmas memory.
Once all of the Christmas morning unwrapping chaos has finally finished, mention that you think a present might have been forgotten. You can then head out to the garage or another room to retrieve the assembled bicycle for your child.
This approach of waiting until the end to surprise the child can work especially well for younger children who may be so entranced by a new bike that otherwise they would lose interest in opening any more gifts once they receive such an exciting gift as a new bike.
No matter how you choose to surprise someone with a bicycle this Christmas, the joy it will bring will last for many years to come. A bicycle is not just a toy or a mode of transportation, but a door to fun and freedom.
Hopefully this list has inspired you on ways to share the joy of a bicycle this holiday season. If you have any other fun ideas please share it with us in the comments!
We feel strongly that bicycle safety should always be a top priority. One the of best things you can do for your child to require them to wear a properly fitting helmet when they are participating in any sport on wheels: tricycle or bike riding, riding a scooter or go-kart, roller skating or skateboarding.
Unfortunately 80-90% of bicycle fatalities were cyclists who were not wearing their helmets.
Although most helmet laws require riders age 16 and younger to wear a helmet, the age requirement varies by city or state. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute has a great list of city and county helmet laws and we've presented the state-wide helmet laws below.
| State | Age |
| Alabama | <16 |
| Connecticut | <16 |
| Delaware | <18 |
| D.C. | <16 |
| Florida | <16 |
| Georgia | <16 |
| Hawaii | <16 |
| Louisiana | <12 |
| Maine | <16 |
| Maryland | <16 |
| Massachusetts | >1 and <17 |
| New Hampshire | <16 |
| New Jersey | <17 |
| New Mexico | <18 |
| New York |
>1 and<14 |
| North Carolina | <16 |
| Oregon | <16 |
| Pennsylvania | <12 |
| Rhode Island | <16 |
| Tennessee | <16 |
| West Virginia | <15 |
Please remember that just because your state or city does not have a law regarding the use of helmets, it is still of the utmost important that your child always wears a helmet. Putting on a bicycle helmet should only take a few second, but could save your child's life. If your child does not have a helmet or has outgrown theirs, please visit our helmet department to see the many styles and sizes we have available.