The First Step in Learning to Ride a Bike is Safety

There are few things more liberating than the freedom and fun of riding a bike. Learning to ride a bike is a milestone in most children's lives, but like most things that offer such a tremendous reward, there is also a risk. Parents should spend time teaching their child the basics of bicycle safety and treat it as a required step in learning to ride a bike.

Head injuries account for more than 60% of all bicycle related fatalities involving young cyclists. Generally, kids dislike wearing a helmet. To encourage use, let them pick out their own helmet and remind them that the reason they have to wear it is because you would never want anything bad to happen to them. No helmet, no bike. Period.

For kids ten and under, most cycling accidents are caused by some lapse in judgment or loss of concentration. Kids injure themselves running into stationary objects like parked cars or mailboxes. They collide into each other or ride off the curb. Stress that being alert is even more important than wearing their helmet and riding safely matters. Let them know you are proud of their ability to make good decisions and ask them to be a leader when they are riding with friends.

As your son or daughter begins to roam more freely on their bicycle, sit down and discuss the new locations they'll be allowed to ride. Indicate danger spots; parked cars that obscure vision, active traffic spots, extreme hills and ensure they understand how they will deal with each circumstance.

For nearly all grownups, recognizing and reacting to traffic signs and regulations is usually 2nd nature, however we oftentimes fail to remember that youngsters have not taken driver's education classes. Show your youngsters the direction traffic should go, how to handle a 4-way stop and other intersections along with the significance of the traffic signs in his or her bike riding area.

When driving along with your youngster in the car, ask them if they know traffic signs and speak with them regarding exactly what they might do in the event that they were on their own bicycle rather than in the vehicle. Bring up illustrations of motorists that are not really paying sufficient attention and use that to demonstrate the significance of remaining alert.

Understanding how to ride a bicycle is really about one essential skill - balance. A lot of authorities suggest a great method that will not require training wheels. This has been the process within Europe for quite some time where many children learn to ride using a balance bike that has chain, pedals or sprockets and is powered by the child's feet.

While teaching your child to ride, make the lessons about balance, not pedals. In case you don't have a balance bike, take off the pedals, drop the height of the seat as low as it will go and permit the child to try out their sense of balance by walking the bike.

As they begin to get better at their balance, take them to the top of a small hill and let them coast down the hill, skimming their feet on the ground as they ride. This is going to hasten the learning process and help the health of your back as you won't always be the person continually pushing the bike around the neighborhood.

Always make sure that your child's bicycle is in good, working condition. Pay close attention the brakes, both front and back. These can degrade quickly when used frequently and kids have a way of improvising stops when they do. This may lead to a rapid deterioration of sneakers as they become the primary braking mechanism.

Check the tire pressure and rotation. Make sure all the spokes are intact and the gears and gear shifters are functioning. Check the seat, handlebars and tires to ensure nothing is loose.

Riding together is the perfect way to practice bike safety and its a lot of fun. Get out there and ride today!

Balance bikes work. I was astounded at how fast my 3-year-old learned and you will be too. We love the preBike from Strider from the youngest of riders.

What To Wear Mountain Biking In Cold Weather

Deciding what to wear while mountain biking in cold weather can be a challenge. This is because, while it may be cold outside, when you get out there and start riding, your blood will start pumping, and you will start to heat up. When you start to sweat in cold weather, problems can start to happen. With the wind blowing on you while riding, you may start to get a chill.

Below you will see a list of clothing that will make your outings much more comfortable.

Colder weather can be terrible for your toes. This is especially true while biking. With the wind blowing on your toes, and the lack of circulation caused by the pressure of pedaling, you will definitely want to take extra precautions. Neoprene booties allow you to cover your shoes and keep them warm.

It seems that when cold weather hits, your fingers and your toes get hit the hardest. Because of this, warm gloves are essential. There are weird looking gloves called "lobster gloves", that make your hands look like lobster claws. They are much warmer than regular gloves because they group fingers together, but still give you the mobility needed to shift gears, and use the brake lever.

The problem with wearing heavy socks is that they are often huge and bulky. This makes for an uncomfortable fit when worn in shoes. To get around this, silk ski socks are much more lightweight and functional. They are comfortable, and warm.

When flying down a hill, the cold wind can be painful for the eyes. Snug wraparound glasses can provide protection from wind, debris, and cold temperatures.

When it comes to underwear, the recommended material is polypropylene, which is both lightweight and nice for colder weather.

Wearing jeans and a jacket that protect you from cold, chilling wind is important while riding. You want to be able to vent some heat as you will warm up once you start riding, but you want to prevent wind from chilling you.

To keep your head and your ears warm during winter riding sessions, wear a fleece liner underneath your helmet. This is important because 50% of your body's heat can be lost through your head.

If you want to get into shape so you are better prepared for whatever life throws at you, on and off a mountain bike, I recommend the P90x workout video. All you need for it are dumbbells or P90x resistance bands, and a pull-up bar.

SIDI Diablo GTX Cycling Shoe

Northwave Bike Velvet S B S Cycling Shoe Womens

SIDI Dominator 6 Carbon SRS Cycling Shoe

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