The list of available kids’ bike accessories is long. There are accessories that are fun and others that are safety related. Some of the more common safety related bike accessories include helmets, headlights, reflectors, and flags. Other accessories are more for dressing up the bike and include handlebar streamers, baskets, spoke beads, or radios. Training wheels for children’s bikes are also an available accessory.
Helmets are one of the most important of all the kids’ bike accessories. Protective headgear is required by law for child cyclists in many US states. The age guidelines vary from state to state and sometimes county to county within the state. To make sure the proper helmet laws are followed, look online for helmet laws or guidelines that pertain to your area. The local police department may also be able to provide information.
Other kid’s bike accessories include reflectors, headlights, flags, and horns, all of which help to keep a child riding a bike visible. There are several different types of reflectors, including reflectors that are placed on the bicycle spokes, those that are attached to the seat area or by the handle bars, and adhesive reflective strips that can be placed on any solid surface of the bike. Other safety accessories are bicycle locks and flexible rear-view mirrors that attach to the handlebars and allow the rider to see what is behind him.
Although horns and bells can be fun for the child, they also provide a safety function in allowing the cyclist to warn other riders or pedestrians that they are coming. Both bells and horns come in a variety of styles ranging from plain and practical to whimsical and fancy. Some have popular characters on them, others are solid colored. Horns and bells both attach easily to the bicycle handlebars.
Not all kids’ bike accessories are for safety purposes. There are plenty of accessories that are purely for fun and for decorating the bicycle. Spoke beads and spoke covers attach easily to the wheel spokes adding color, a fun look, and sometimes cool noises as the wheels turn. Handlebar streamers, baskets, and seat covers are all available in a wide array of designs, colors, and character prints, allowing a bike to be customized. Water bottle holders, radios, personalized license plates, and colorful handlebar grips are some other kids’ bike accessories that are widely available.
Bike accessories can usually be purchased anywhere kids’ bikes are sold. Toy stores and department stores also sometimes carry accessories, even if they do not carry bicycles. The Internet, of course, offers a wide variety of kids’ bike accessories through various vendors.