As I've mentioned before, the trick with kids bikes is finding one that fits AND is light enough for the kid to ride uphill, to lift up over curbs, and to pick up off the ground after a crash. 

Learning to ride a bike is hard work, so it's great if you can greet the kid's window of enthusiasm with a bike that fits and lots of time to practice.

Jasper was ready to bike last fall. The ideal bike for him would have been a 14 incher but most bike shops jump from a 12 inch bike to a 16 inch one. After a big search of our friends' garages, we finally came across an aluminum framed 16 inch bike with a seat that you could lower all the way down. The ultra low seat allowed Jasper to put his feet down comfortably.

Jasper fell in love with this blue bike as soon as he hopped on and realized his feet could touch the ground. He named it "Alie-y" because it had an alien sticker on the cross bar. Sometimes I'd hear him chatting to his bike the way you might talk to a horse. He rode it to school a lot last fall. I'd run beside and eventually behind him as he picked up confidence and speed. The boy and the bike were a beautiful team.

Around here, I have to admit, we send the kids mixed messages about bikes. We definitely have a strong 'love the bike you're with' attitude and encourage the kids to ride whatever fits them and look in their friends' garages before heading to the store. In our circle of friends, there's a lot of gear swapping as kids outgrow their old equipment. Passing bikes, skis, skates, snowsuits, boots and lots of clothing through the wider tribe has helped all of the parents spend less. And well made equipment lasts and lasts and lasts -- which is good for our wallets as well as the planet. Just the other day my friend's daughter was wearing a snowsuit that I've seen at least four other kids in our neighbourhood sport. Seeing her hop down the street in that suit brought back all kinds of great memories of the big kids who used to be her age. There's something sweet about hand-me-downs beyond the savings.

But the other part of the message Derek and I send our kids is that really good gear can make fun activities awesome and is worth saving up for. Derek and I both have a number of bikes for different purposes. Some of his bikes -- like his fav mountain and road bike -- are so special they don't live in the garage. He and I also have several pairs of skis each, again for different purposes. And we agree that our kids should have great bikes.