Holiday Gift Guide 2017: Kids Bikes and Bike-Related Presents

If you are like me, one of your favorite childhood memories of Christmas was finding a bicycle under the tree. This gift giving guide is full of my top picks for bikes (and bike-related goodies) for every age. There’s a ride-on toy for the pre-walker, a first bike for your preschooler, and even a little something for mom and dad.  At the very end, we’re listing holiday deals as we find them.  

Scroll down to find our to browse gift ideas by age group.  Alternatively, if you are looking for something specific, jump to one of these comprehensive product guides:

Balance Bikes

• The Best Balance Bikes for Toddlers
• The Best Balance Bikes for 3 to 5 Year Olds

Pedal Bikes

• The Best Bikes for 3 to 5 year Olds (14″ bikes)
• The Best Bikes for 4 to 6 year Olds (16″ bikes)
• The Best 20″ Mountain Bikes
• The Best Fat Bikes for Kids (20″ and 24″ bikes)
• The Best 24″ Road Bikes for Kids

Child Bicycle Carriers

• The Best Rear-Mounted Child (Baby) Bike Seats
• The Best Front-Mounted Child (Baby) Bike Seats
• The Best Bicycle Trailers
• The Best Trailer-Cycles

Helmets and Other Accessories

• The Best Helmets for Toddlers and Young Kids (1 to 4 years old)
• The Best Helmets for Kids (5 to 12 years old)
• The Ultimate Guide to Kids Cycling Clothing
• The Best Sunglasses for Active Kids
• The Best Hydration Packs for Kids
• The Best Mountain Bike Shoes for Kids

Best Bike-Related Gifts for Baby

Don’t leave baby out of the bicycle fun!  As soon as baby can crawl, sit, and explore, you can start introducing them to a pre-bike, and once their neck is strong enough, you can add a helmet to your bike rides.  For more information on biking with a baby, read our Guide to Biking with Baby.

Early Rider Spherovelo

As beautiful as it is practical, the Spherovelo makes for an eye-pleasing nursery decoration when junior isn’t busy riding it.  For babies, the bike can be used with stabilizers to keep it from tipping. Later, once they’ve gotten the hang of things and developed their core strength, the stabilizers can be removed to help develop balance and gross motor skills.  For more pre-bikes, read our post on our favorite ride-on toys.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Nutcase Baby Nutty

The Nutcase Baby Nutty is the tiniest helmets in the Nutcase collection, and one of the tiniest helmets on the market.  They come in a variety of fun colors and designs, and look adorable in addition to being safe.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Best Bike-Related Gifts for a Toddler

Every toddler needs a balance bike.  The benefits are endless: they develop confidence, gross motor skills, and provide exercise.  And if your little one has already mastered a balance bike, we have the best first pedal bike for TINY tots.

Strider Sport

Long the leader in the balance bike market, the Strider is a classic.  Any toddler will be very happy to wake up Christmas morning to this under the tree; and the foam tires won’t even mark up your hardwood floors when they immediately start riding it around!  Read my Strider review for more info; or for additional balance bike ideas, read our article on the Best Balance Bikes for Toddlers.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Cleary Gecko

If you have a young bicycle prodigy, consider the Cleary Gecko for their first pedal bike.  It is tiny enough to fit kids starting around 2.5 to 3 years old, and is not only the littlest pedal bike on the market, it is also one of the best.  Read my detailed review of the Gecko for more information.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Giro Scamp MIPS Helmet

The Giro Scamp MIPS helmet is my top pick for toddlers.  The MIPS technology provides maximum protection, and it is lightweight and breathable enough to keep rambunctious toddlers going strong.  The other great thing about the Scamp is the fact that it comes with a “pinch-free” buckle.  Your kid will never know the pain of having their neck skin pinched.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Best Bike-Related Gifts for 3 to 5 Year Olds

Whether your pre-schooler wants a balance bike or is ready for a pedal bike, we have our top picks for your kiddo.  And by this age, kids are daring and dangerous, so make sure they have a good helmet for their lid.

Woom 2 or Woom 3

The Woom 2 and Woom 3 are our favorite bikes for kids in this age group.  They are the lightest weight kids bikes on the market and are nothing but perfection from wheel-to-wheel.  To determine whether the Woom 2 (14″ bike) or Woom 3 (16″ bike) is best for your child, get out a tape measure and then head on over to the Woom website to look at their size charts.

To learn more, read our detailed reviews of the Woom 2 and the Woom 3.

Buy:  $339 to $369 at us.woombikes.com

Kali Chakra Helmet

This mountain bike style helmet provides excellent rear-of-the-head protection, and a visor to shield developing eyes from harmful UV rays.  It also looks really cool.  Read my Kali Chakra review for more info.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

ZippyRooz Gloves

ZippyRooz gloves are affordable and well-made.  They come in half-finger or full-finger versions and a variety of cute fabrics.  Read my ZippyRooz review for additional info.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Best Bike-Related Gifts for 6 and 7 Year Olds

Kids in this age range will be best suited to a 20″ bike.  Whether your family enjoys commuting around town or hitting up the mountain bike trails, we have some picks to help make things even more fun.

Prevelo Alpha Three or Prevelo Zulu Three

Depending on the size of your child and the type of riding your family likes to do, either the Prevelo Alpha Three or the Prevelo Zulu Three is the bike that you need under the Christmas tree.  Both bikes are light weight and will introduce your child to gears.  The Zulu Three has a front-suspension fork if your child enjoys riding off-road; if cruising around town is more your jam, stick with the Alpha Three.

Buy: $499-$899 at PreveloBikes.com

Bern Nino Helmet

This helmet happens to be a favorite of a lot of cycling-savvy families I know.  Why?  It looks cool, with its hipster vibe and visor, and has a comfortable, low-profile shell due to Bern’s “Zip Mold” design.  The other great thing about the Nino is that you can add a “snow liner” to the helmet for use during winter weather.  If you are the kind of family that bikes year round, this is your helmet.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Fox Ranger Jersey

We love the Fox Ranger jerseys — both the adult and kid versions.  They are bright, moisture-wicking, and look cool.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Camelback Mini M.U.L.E

By the time kids are this age, they are riding longer distances and are finally strong enough to carry the extra weight of a hydration pack.  The Camelback Mini M.U.L.E is the kiddo version of the classic adult Mule, so kiddo can be just like Dad.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Five Ten Freerider Shoes

The best bike shoe for flat pedals that I’ve found, the Five Ten Freerider shoes get rave reviews from parents for withstanding abuse.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com 

Best Bike-Related Gifts for Kids Ages 8 to 10

Your 8 to 10 year old is big enough and capable enough to move to a more grown-up bike.  We prefer 24″ bikes for this age group that are discipline specific, so we’ve included a road-bike and a fat-tired mountain bike.

Framed Mini Sota Fat Bike

With a fat bike, snow doesn’t have to spell the end of bike season.The 24″ Mini-Sota is the child’s version of the Framed “Minnesota.”  Pretty clever.  It includes high quality components like a SRAM X4 1×9 drivetrain and Avid BB5 disk brakes.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Pinarello Speedy Complete

The Speedy Complete is one sweet little bike, as you would expect with the Pinarello name.  The 6061 T6 aluminum frame and fork keep the weight down–the complete build tips the scales at just under 20 pounds.  All the components are brand-name: Formula wheels, Kenda Tires, Shimano drivetrain.  It comes in black or white.  For other options, check out the Best 24″ Road Bikes for Kids.

G-Form Protective Pads

If your child is hitting up the bike park,  you will want to make sure they have the best protective gear available—and these G-Form pads are it.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Lazer Nut’z MIPS Helmet

The Lazer Nut’z comes in both a MIPS and non-MIPS version, but I would highly recommend the former.  If you’re not familiar with MIPS it stands “Multi-Directional Impact Protection System”—i.e. it will protect the head from a variety of different imapcts.  MIPS is the most robust safety technology on helmets today; if you can afford it, you should get it.  The Lazer auto-fit system is also awesome because it ensures the helmet is properly adjusted.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Best Stocking Stuffers for Kids of All Ages

Nutcase Bicycle Bell

Little kids (and big kids alike) love bells.  These Nutcase bells make a nice sound and look cute too.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Shining Buddy Bicycle Lights

Now that the days are getting shorter and the sun is lower in the sky, adding lights to your child’s bike is smart.  These tiny lights easily attach to their handlebars and seatpost (or even the back of their helmet).  Kids also think they are fun.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Knog Bike Lock

I’m a sucker for all Knog products.  I keep their little lights on all my bikes for those just-in-case, didn’t make it home before dark situations.  The Knog Party Frank is a light-weight bike lock that comes in a variety of fun, kid-friendly colors.  It comes with three sets of keys, so if your kiddo loses their key, all is not lost.

Buy: $Check price at Amazon.com

Mike and The Bike

This is one of my son’s favorite books.  Luckily, with its rhyming cadence and fun illustrations, I don’t mind reading it over and over and over.  For additional books about bikes, check out this list of our favorites.

Best Gifts for Mom and Dad

Let’s by honest: mom and dad are the folks that make family cycling possible.   It’s great to buy your kiddo a bike but if they can’t make it uphill, you’re not going to go very far.  Here are gifts for mom and dad that will enable fun for the whole family.

Thule Chariot

The Thule Chariot is the ultimate gift for a sporty mom or dad of a young child.  It is a bike trailer slash running jogger slash cross country ski kid hauler.  Out of all the trailers on the market this is our favorite thanks to the suspension, high-quality construction, and ease of use.  It comes in single and double versions.  For more information, read our Thule Chariot Cougar review or our Thule Chariot Cross review.

Buy: Check price at Amazon.com

Tow-Whee Tow Rope

Here’s a great stocking stuffer.  The Tow-Whee is an easy-to-use, extremely helpful tow rope for hauling young kids up hills and on long rides.  Lighter and more affordable than a trailer-cycle, it also has the added bonus of allowing kids to ride their own bike and develop skills.  To learn more, read our detailed review of the Tow-Whee.

Buy: $39.99 at Ebay.com

Yuba Spicy Curry Cargo Bike

Put the minivan in the garage, and pull out a cargo bike instead.  The Yubba Spicy Curry has a Bosch motor so you can speed up steep hills.  The Spicy Curry isn’t cheap, but compared to a car it is–and it comes with all the extras: lights, fenders, kickstand, wheelskirt, etc.

Buy: $4,499 at REI.com

Holiday Deals

As we find new holiday deals we will add them here.

• Stampede Bikes – 15% off with coupon code BLKNOV17