Page 4 | Is a bike a Christmas present or a every day essential?

WeavedLentils · 2023-11-17T16:50:05+00:00

I think it's an essential item that gets replaced as needed when children grow. Likes shoes and stuff.My friend thinks I'm mad to buy DD anew bike so close to Christmas and give it her now.

Bubblegum20 · 18/11/2023 18:43

Growing up me and my brothers used to get a new bike at Easter instead of Christmas or our birthdays, we had loads of family members buy us chocolate eggs so our parents always got us something to use outside like a bike, trampoline etc for Easter. I've carried this on with my own children too, I wouldn't personally get a bike for Christmas as it wouldn't get as much use as in the summer months, but everyone's got different financial situations

Lovemusic82 · 18/11/2023 18:53

I guess it depends on several things, how often you cycle? Do you cycle as a family? Does the child’s bike need replacing and they can’t go on family bike rides until it’s replaced?

when I was a child a new bike would be a Christmas or birthday present, if we needed a bike before Christmas we would usually get 2nd hand.

avocadotofu · 18/11/2023 18:56

Personally it's something that we just get as needed but I can understand why people get them as a gift.

FuckinghellthatsUnbelievable · 18/11/2023 19:00

Essential item. There’s a good second hand bike store close by. Bikes aren’t necessarily new or expensive. It’s often wet/ cold / icy for months so December doesn’t seem like a great time to get a bike.

Madameprof · 18/11/2023 19:07

My kids always had bikes as standard but they might have a second hand one or a hand me down. If they were getting a new bike (even a quite fancy second hand one) that would probably be a present for birthday or Christmas.

Sparehair · 18/11/2023 19:08

I don’t really understand the “actually useful” = not present. Most of what my kids are getting for Christmas are things they will use, so might be deemed essential ( scrum cap, ski helmet, leg pads, surf board) but otherwise you just end up buying a tonne of landfill surely? Assuming she has an existing bike that is still functional I’d leave it for Christmas.

Anycrispsleft · 18/11/2023 19:17

We decided early on to count them as essentials not presents, because where we are the kids have to cycle to school, so we woukd be a bit stuffed if one of our kids said "oh I don't want a new bike for Christmas" - we'd have to get one anyway when it was time to replace the old one and then the other kid would be justifiably hacked off. If money had been a problem we would have just made Christmas presents smaller.

PorridgePotter · 18/11/2023 19:20

Replace when needed as they all need bikes/scooters etc I think. They sometimes use them to get to school although not always, they actually all got new bikes recently.

However, we don’t spend an awful lot on DC at Christmas and they don’t expect us to. They get what they need throughout the year and have their own pocket money, which is a fair amount, all year too.

This year I will be spending £60 on each of them - I saw some other Christmas lists on here recently with so much on them and I was quite shocked. For me, it’s more getting something that is nice for them to open when we all sit and do our presents together, rather than getting lots at once just for the sake of it.

housethatbuiltme · 18/11/2023 19:30

Why and how on earth would it be essential?

There is no requirement to have/ride a bike. My oldest has never even bothered despite having several, my middle child doesn't even have one. I don't own a bike, neither does DH. My youngest has a balance bike but thats it.

There was 'wheels' day recently at DS school where you where to bring in a bike or something with wheels in for safety training/proficiency... 95% of kids brought scooters not bikes.

Pipistrellus · 18/11/2023 19:34

Why and how on earth would it be essential?

Transportation such as into town or to school

Pipistrellus · 18/11/2023 19:35

Or even if all the child's friends ride yo get about, as two on a bike is seen as dangerous these days

Cumulonimbusincus · 18/11/2023 19:36

Both DS and DD have Christmas birthdays so in our house things like bikes are replaced as needed otherwise they’d have to wait a whole year for everything, so gifts are fun things that they’d just like. We’re lucky that we can afford to do bikes etc as anytime gifts but we don’t buy them new, always second hand.

StardustGiraffe · 18/11/2023 19:39

Omg I loved the Christmases and birthdays where I got a new bike. It was such a great gift and felt so big and special compared to everything else.

Natsku · 18/11/2023 20:40

housethatbuiltme · 18/11/2023 19:30

Why and how on earth would it be essential?

There is no requirement to have/ride a bike. My oldest has never even bothered despite having several, my middle child doesn't even have one. I don't own a bike, neither does DH. My youngest has a balance bike but thats it.

There was 'wheels' day recently at DS school where you where to bring in a bike or something with wheels in for safety training/proficiency... 95% of kids brought scooters not bikes.

To get about. Would be harder for my DD to get to school and hobbies without a bike, and next year she's going to upper school where they have to travel 3km between lessons sometimes (woodwork rooms are in the lower school 3km away) in 15 minutes - could not do that without a bike.

Original poster

WeavedLentils · 18/11/2023 21:03

housethatbuiltme · 18/11/2023 19:30

Why and how on earth would it be essential?

There is no requirement to have/ride a bike. My oldest has never even bothered despite having several, my middle child doesn't even have one. I don't own a bike, neither does DH. My youngest has a balance bike but thats it.

There was 'wheels' day recently at DS school where you where to bring in a bike or something with wheels in for safety training/proficiency... 95% of kids brought scooters not bikes.

DD cycles to school and swimming, into town and the like. Her walk would be 3.5 miles to school - she'd be walking for an hour or more. Swimming and town are 2/2.5 miles so not far, but a bit far for walking, and too close to drive really, unless it's chucking it down. She also cycles to scouts of an evening when it's light enough - about 1.5 miles.
Otherwise, I'd be ferrying her around, costing loads of money and the logistics aren't always great (about us all getting to different places all at the same time/within 15 minutes) If she didn't cycle she'd be spending her pocket money in buses all the time. Or taking forever to get anywhere by foot.

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Notmetoo · 18/11/2023 21:07

It can be whatever you want but I would say it's a very common birthday or Christmas present.
It's not really an essential unless they need it for getting to school etc

Sunsept · 18/11/2023 21:09

We’ve never bought the DC brand new bikes, always been second hand so haven’t been given as presents.

I do remember being giving a brand new bike for my birthday as kid. So I’d be inclined to say present.

housethatbuiltme · 18/11/2023 21:23

I'm really curious what age of child yous lot are talking about... to be riding miles to school and town must at least be a teen right?

My DS 15 and still wouldn't have my teen cycling the roads round here in the dark in the wet/icy winter weather to go to school. I'm not even sure whats worse the super busy roads in the center of town or the rural ones where cars speed round blind bends etc...

We live pretty rural and its simply not safe or practical (live on a mountain and to get anywhere requires going up steep hills, you would have legs bigger than Arnie to ride from the school at the bottom of the mountain back up into town) to ride bikes to school.

Driving your kids round is hardly a bizarre part of parenting though and yes it does take time (thats also a standard part of parenting). Getting the bus is common too especially for kids whose parents don't drive that why they literally do special fairs and passes for teens.

If you gave them the money you spend on a new bike they would have more than plenty for a bus pass.

NewUserNewName · 18/11/2023 21:24

WeavedLentils · 18/11/2023 18:11

An Easter present???? What madness is this???? 😱

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You asked for opinions, and in my opinion at Christmas it’s too cold to even use a bike, and it’s definitely not a necessity, so Easter is the perfect time. No madness about it, it makes perfect sense.

However, I’m not British, so I generally don’t do presents like most here (all Christmas presents are from Santa, we celebrate name day,…)

MrsAvocet · 18/11/2023 22:09

There's no right or wrong. Depends on your circumstances.
My DS races and so whilst he was still growing I replaced his bikes as needed. I wouldn't wait until Christmas to replace a bike if he'd had a growth spurt in February and then make him race all Summer on a bike that was too small.
But his latest road bike was a birthday present. He's stopped growing now and there was nothing "wrong" with his old one, he just wanted an upgrade. I'm not that indulgent so he had to have it for an occasion. I didn't make him wait for his birthday to get it as we bought it for the beginning of the race season, but he knew he wouldn't be getting anything on his actual birthday and we stuck to that.
I don't think there is anything wrong with giving useful things as gifts anyway, in fact I'd rather have something useful more often than not.

Inanufpr1 · 18/11/2023 22:17

It depends! We replaced my daughters bike mid year because hers was small and she needed a new one. My son learnt to ride a pedal bike unexpectedly at 2.5 and he loves anything with wheels more than anything. So a new fancy bike and matching helmet for his 3rd birthday was his dream come true and I’ll never forget his excitement! We use our bikes every day for the school run and to get around though so they are vital. My son will probably get his next one as he starts school at close to 5 and that will be a mid year “you just need it” bike rather than a present!

ReadyForPumpkins · 18/11/2023 22:49

@housethatbuiltme it is essential if you cycle to school. It is like uniform and PE kit. Surely you can’t give that as presents.

Copperoliverbear · 18/11/2023 23:16

So close to Christmas I'd wait

Original poster

WeavedLentils · 19/11/2023 00:03

housethatbuiltme · 18/11/2023 21:23

I'm really curious what age of child yous lot are talking about... to be riding miles to school and town must at least be a teen right?

My DS 15 and still wouldn't have my teen cycling the roads round here in the dark in the wet/icy winter weather to go to school. I'm not even sure whats worse the super busy roads in the center of town or the rural ones where cars speed round blind bends etc...

We live pretty rural and its simply not safe or practical (live on a mountain and to get anywhere requires going up steep hills, you would have legs bigger than Arnie to ride from the school at the bottom of the mountain back up into town) to ride bikes to school.

Driving your kids round is hardly a bizarre part of parenting though and yes it does take time (thats also a standard part of parenting). Getting the bus is common too especially for kids whose parents don't drive that why they literally do special fairs and passes for teens.

If you gave them the money you spend on a new bike they would have more than plenty for a bus pass.

Edited

We live in the edge of Cambridge. Everyone cycles.

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Original poster

WeavedLentils · 19/11/2023 00:04

NewUserNewName · 18/11/2023 21:24

You asked for opinions, and in my opinion at Christmas it’s too cold to even use a bike, and it’s definitely not a necessity, so Easter is the perfect time. No madness about it, it makes perfect sense.

However, I’m not British, so I generally don’t do presents like most here (all Christmas presents are from Santa, we celebrate name day,…)

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Literally never heard of anyone giving gifts at Easter that's all 🤷‍♀️

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