subject: Useful Information [print this page] One of the most memorable things you will ever give to your child is their very first bicycle. With this one gift you literally open up the world to them. Suddenly they have the means to go places without having to hitch a ride with their parent's. The bike will keep the child happy until they are finally old enough to drive. The more things a parent knows about buying childrens bikes the more likely they are to make the perfect choice.
Do not assume that just because your child is young that you do not need to consider your child's personality when you are selecting a bicycle. By now you should now if your child is going to want to go fast, if they are into roughhousing, or if they are prone to being careful with their belongings. You should also try to find a design that is their favorite color. The more your child likes the appearance of their bicycle, the more use they are going to get out of it.
Not only are kids hard on their belongings, especially their bicycles, they also grow quickly. As nice as it would be to give your child a brand new bicycle, sometimes a used bike is the smarter option. Before purchasing a used child's bike you are going to really want to inspect it and make sure that it is in good working order. If the bike is covered in rust, or the moving parts are jammed, pass on it and look for another bike.
The bike is going to get left out in the rain and snow. It might even be left in the middle of road and get run over by a car. Since the bike is going to be damaged, the parents might want to look for a good quality used child's bike which will not cost as much.
One of the biggest mistakes parents make is purchasing a child's bike that is to big for their child. The idea is that the child will be able to grow into the bicycle. The problem is that if the bike is too big for the child they will not be comfortable riding it. If the bike can not be adjusted small enough for the child to handle it easily, than the parents need to look for a different bike.
If your child is going to be riding the bicycle by themselves and is not very experienced you should plan on attaching training wheels. The training wheels will keep your child secure and safe while the become accustomed to the bicycle.
The worse thing a parent can do is give a child a new bike and not instruct their child on how to ride it. If the child has never ridden anything but a tricycle, the parents need to attach training wheels to the bike and make sure that the child is comfortable with the new bike before detaching the training wheels. When the training wheels do come off, the parents need to supervise whenever the child is riding.
The human skull is no harder than the average watermelon shell and it is nearly impossible to put back together. Since a single fall from a bike can leave a child with permanent brain damage it is important to combine buying childrens bikes with the purchase of a helmet. Make sure the helmet fits snuggle against the child's skull.
