October 1, 2015

The five best kids bikes for Christmas 2015

Getting the right bike for your child is so important. The first steps into a life of cycling should be carefully nurtured and planned, they may path the way for years of confident happy cycling adventures.

I loved my first bike, being a child of the 80's it was all about a good sturdy shopper with streamers. Some of my best memories are just cycling round the block, an early taste of independence.

At Bell's we think a lot about these early experiences and the best bike to have them on. Here is our list of our top 5 favourite bikes for 2015.

1) Reid boys Roadster. £159 - £179

Available in two sizes from 3 - years. Simple and straightforward to ride. It has just one gear with a nice ratio and a front caliber brake and rear coaster brake (pedal backwards to stop) It couldn't be easier.

The Reid boys Roadster has a light weight frame and great geometry, the children's range from Reid is a wise and fun choice for a first (or second bike) We love that this is like a mini gents roadster in midnight blue.

It also includes free stabilisers for those who haven't yet fully got their bike legs.

http://bellsbicycles.co.uk/collections/children/products/reid-boys-vintage-roadster-20

2) Bobbin Gingersnap. 3 - 10yrs £159 - £200

We think the Bobbin Gingersnap is such a romantic introduction to cycling. Load your basket up and off you go, along country tracks or much rougher terrain, this little bike is tougher than it looks.

With a flexible steel frame, 7 speed Shimano gears and hybrid tyres the Bobbin Ginger Snap is a sensible choice for a budding cyclist. Plus it's the perfect bike with basket combo.

This year Bobbin have made some major improvements with their kids range, focusing on geometry and the differences in a child's body to that of a grown up.

The Bobbin Ginger Snap starts at 3 and goes right up to 10 year olds.

http://bellsbicycles.co.uk/collections/children/products/bobbin-gingersnap-20-6-9-years

3) HOY Meadowbank. 7 - 10 yrs £270

Adapted for the young aspiring champion, the Meadowbank 20 takes influences from not just track bikes in its simple, low-weight design but also the junior race BMXs. We love this bike, it's a great hybrid, it's wonderfully unisex and the quality is fantastic. Big thumbs up from Bell's.

http://www.hoybikes.com/kids/104-hoy-cammo-650c-kids-road-bike-4

4) Puky LRM2 balance bike. 2 - 5 yrs £75 - £95

Puky balance bikes are recognised as the most light weight balance bikes in the world, which means it's easy to ride and easy to carry when it can be ridden no more. If you want to skip stabalisers, go straight from your Puky LRM balance bike to just two wheels.

http://bellsbicycles.co.uk/collections/children/products/puky-balance-bike-lrm-2-3-5-yrs

5) Bobbin Ginger Snap balance bike.

We couldn't resist adding another balance bike to the list when we discovered the Bobbin Gingersnap first balance bike. We love that it is the absolute bare bones of a bike, no brakes, mudguards and obviously no pedals. This keeps the weight down nicely and the upright position makes it really easy to master. Bobbin never miss a trick with a basket though.

http://bellsbicycles.co.uk/collections/children/products/bobbin-gingersnap-balance-bike