Kid stuff

New bike tip: If you buy them a bike from a bike shop, it will be adjusted properly and be safe to ride. If you buy one from a department store or 'mart' chances are it won't be. Take it to a bike shop. It will cost some extra money, but it's well worth it.
Something else to consider ... Kids don't take care of their bikes. They also don't know if anything is wrong with their bike unless it won't move. Take the time to check their bike over now and then to make sure everything is nice and tight and in good working order. This will give you peace of mind and insure a safer ride for them.

About those training wheels: When you first get them, it's ok for the wheels to touch the ground. This will feel real safe and encourage more riding. Once it looks like they have the hang of riding, raise the wheels a little so the bike rocks from side to side a little bit. This will allow them to gradually get used to riding on the bike's wheels but still have the security of the training wheels. When it seems like they put in about 1000 miles a week on the bike going back and forth to friend's houses, etc., you can raise the wheels even more or remove them. It's your call. They'll let you know too.

Helmets: Helmets could save as many as 450 children a year. Need I say more? Children between the ages of 6 and 12 are at greatest risk of bicycle injuries. Look for helmets that adjust to growing heads and make sure they wear one every time they ride despite the "oh man, do I have to" stuff.

Rear view mirrors: If you use a baby seat or kiddie trailer, you should invest in a rear view mirror. It's very important to know what the traffic behind you is doing. And it's much easier than turning around to look when you already have your hands full balancing the bike with a baby seat on it or keeping the bike steady with a trailer attached.

Baby Seats: Safety tip When you stop somewhere, never put the kickstand down and leave your child in the baby seat even if you'll be near the bike. Kids like to move around and due to the high center of gravity created by baby seats, it's very easy for the bike to tip over. It sounds like common sense, but we've seen it happen.

1.	Do not push your child to ride a two-wheeled bike until he or she is ready, at about age 5 or 6. Consider the child's coordination and desire to learn to ride. Stick with coaster brakes until your child is older and more experienced.
2.	Take your child with you when you shop, so that he or she can try out the bike. The value of proper fit far outweighs the value of being surprised.
3.	Buy a bike which is the right size, not one to "grow into". Oversized bikes are especially dangerous.
4.	How to test any style of bike for proper fit:
	a.	Sitting on the seat with hands on the handlebars, your child must be able to place the balls of both feet on the ground.
	b.	Straddling the center bar, your child should be able to keep both feet flat on the ground, with at least 1 inch clearance between the crotch and the bar.
	c.	When buying a bike with handbrakes for an older child, make sure that the child can comfortably grasp the brakes and apply sufficient pressure to stop the bike.

Topeak Baby Seat

We recommend this particular baby seat mainly for it's quality construction and it's safety features. But out customers also like it because when you remove the seat, the rack it's mounted on remains on the bike so you have a place to carry things.

This is one Baby Seat that both kids and parents will be comfortable with. It's suspended to provide little ones with an extra plush and smooth ride. Plus it boasts important safety features, such as adjustable foot rests and safety straps, a quick-release padded safety bar, a 4-way safety harness, full child protection and dual safety latches that lock the seat to the included rack.

	Trailers which attach to the rear of your bike and can carry 1 or 2 kids in comfort and in all kinds of weather.
	Tagalongs which let your child 'ride' along with you in tandem style.
	Strollers which are great for jogging, shopping or just tooling around town.