AIBU to give DC hand me down bike for Christmas?

We have always passed down bikes with our kids. But the hand me down one was never a birthday or Christmas gift. The new one for the eldest would be. Last year I actually did get the youngest a brand new bike for Xmas as she’d only ever had her brothers. She’d never said she minded but I thought she’d like a new one of her own.

This is why we don’t give bikes as presents. They’re a mode of transport (but then we live in a very cycling friendly city).

I wouldn't give dc2 the bike as a gift. Especially if they hadn't asked for one. Clean it up and save it for the spring and just let them have it.

I don't think it's unfair dc1 is using their present on a bike and dc2 gets one "free". It's a hand me down and the kids choose what they want? It's more undair dc2 gets all the hand me downs and never the new shiny one 😆 (not judging you at all, I have the same situation in my house but do feel bad sometimes dc2 gets most things second hand)

We spray painted DS’s bike and put new decals on it before giving it to DD.

That was for her birthday though a few months after DS had had the new bike for his birthday. We put it in my parents garage while DH repainted it etc so it seemed like a different bike to the children.

The next (and last bike) they had they had at the same time new for Christmas as they were adult size ones that would last.

I don't think there's anything wrong with gifting hand me downs as such - but giving your DC2 his brother's bike while DC1 gets a new one is wrong, unless he also gets another present. I don't think it needs to be of equivalent value, as he is getting the bike, but it does need to be of equivalent excitement. You could, perhaps, give DC1 a small additional (second hand?) present to make it equal.

My ds1 outgrew his 20" bike recently. My exh thought it was awful that ds2 would be inheriting it and "he'll never know what it's like to have a new bike"

In the end I bought a 24" bike for £30 from Facebook marketplace which ds1 is delighted with. I didn't give it to him for Christmas. This way both of them get a bike new to them but not brand new.

The icing on the cake was that I also needed a new bike so I also bought one second hand off Facebook marketplace partly to prove a point to my exh

I think it is perfectly reasonable to pass bikes down the family. Kids bikes are almost always outgrown before there's any significant problems with them and it's definitely better to buy a decent bike that will do several children than multiple cheap ones that will likely end up as landfill pretty quickly. As the youngest of 3 children I got my first ever new bike for my 21st birthday but I'd been fine with my brother's outgrown bikes til then.
However, I wouldn't ever give a sibling's hand me down as a main Christmas present that would be really unfair.

Like a PP, mine have always had 2nd/3rd/4th hand Islabikes (then mountain bikes) as the quality is so much better than a new one from Halfords. There’s a big age gap between mine and the little one has had big sister’s balance bike and bikes for several birthdays (she’s only 4 and not aware her sister had them, and if she did she wouldn’t care). Eldest is getting a secondhand musical instrument for Christmas this year. There’s nothing wrong with a preloved gift! So much better for the planet our children will inherit.

Give dc2 an alternative Christmas present that they would like/need and just hand down the bike

You’re overthinking it.
DC1 gets what they asked for - a bike.
DC2 should get what they asked for. The free bike is incidental.

There are advantages and disadvantages to birth order. One of the eldest’s advantages is they often get to experience newness, while siblings get seconds. That’s ok. They also get to stay up later, and tell stories about their older kid experiences.
Younger ones get to ride on the coat tails, but often have to fit around the schedules of older ones. It’s swings and roundabouts.

No, wouldn’t do this. Sell DC1s bike on marketplace or whatever and buy DC2’s new.

This, 100%.

This

Find a good second hand bike for dc1. When they need adult sized bikes, buy them each a new one.

I buy my kids very good bikes. I justify it because both kids will get to ride it. They are also always second hand.

I generally pimp the bike when I give it to second child- new bottle carrier, bell, maybe some stickers, or cool spike lights etc that make theirs.
could you do any of that to make it “theirs”

I had second hand bikes as presents as a kid, but they didn't come from another family member. Not that I know of anyway.

If DC2 knows it belonged to DC1 I don't think you can give it as a present, but fine to hand it down once DC1 gets his new bike.

If your younger child doesn’t want a bike get your younger child a special present, something else entirely. Then after Christmas the older sibling just passes on the old one. but if your younger child would also like a new bike you buy them one.

I have quite a few siblings, understatement, and I’m the eldest, but I remember us all getting new bikes so everyone was treated the same. I don’t even think it was a Christmas or birthday present we just were taken to get new bikes.

If you can afford it buy both your children a new bike. If not wait until you can. Child 2 will always feel different if you don't. I was child 2..... the only time I had a brand new bike was when I bought one myself as an adult.

Get DC1 a secondhand bigger bike. Hand down his bike to DC2. Do both before Christmas. Adjust Christmas budget accordingly and split evenly between two kids.

This.

You can't give your child their older siblings bike for Christmas OP, surely you must be able to think of something else to get them?

So whenever Dc2 needs a new bike, they always get DC1s old one and whenever DC1 needs a new bike, they get a new one?

To add to that, DC2 gets a hand me down gift they didn't ask for for Christmas while getting to watch DC1 open a shiny new gift they wanted for Christmas?

You realise you can't possibly do this don't you?

I wouldn't give either bike as a Christmas present. The younger child will never get a new bike, you shouldn't make it into something special when only the older child gets to experience it. Get it separately as a new family bike to be handed down.

I don't know how old the kids are, but are they likely to know or care if a bike is new? A bike is a bike.

Clean up the old bike, paint it? new bell, lights, saddle etc to make it a bit different, some ribbons on the handlebars and maybe they'll just be happy to have a bike to ride.

Also, consider buying the bigger child a second hand bike rather than new.

You can tell I'm a child of the 60's.

@mugler I just thought that it could be a learning opportunity for the older boy to give his old bike to his younger brother, that's all.