Biking Apparel

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When we first started out as biking newbies, we didn't think we'd need any special biking apparel or accessories, and that was true for short casual rides. However, as we started biking longer distances, in different weather, at different hours, and at faster speeds for commuting, our normal everyday cotton T-shirts, etc., weren't ideal. In hot weather when we sweat a lot, the clothes would be wet, and we'd feel cold once we cooled off since it took a long time for our clothes to dry. Our hands also got sweaty and would feel slippery on the handlebars without wearing gloves. Pants with wider legs would often get caught in the gears. Biking in the winter would yield frozen fingers and ears. Longer rides would result in rather sore private parts :/ Hence, we started purchasing better exercise and bike-specific apparel over the years as we biked more and more.

Biking Apparel for Kids

For a short jaunt to the school or circling the blacktop, there's no need for special biking apparel for the kids, but when they're biking the same long distances and under the same conditions as adults who need good biking apparel, the same reasoning applies for the kids. However, the selection is a lot more limited for kids, especially the little teeny ones.

Cycling Clothing

Following are brands that carry kids cycling clothing and that we've purchased:

Here are resources and tips from other families:
Rascal Rides: Clothes & Accessories

Helmet

Boy, was it difficult trying to find a small enough helmet to fit our 9-month old, especially since all of our boys are on the very petite side. Yes, we've read all the articles recommending kids to be 1 year old before riding on a bike, where the recommendation is mainly due to concern over the kid's neck strength being able to take any jarring/sudden motions/jerks while on a bike or in a trailer. However, all 3 of our boys were able to lift their heads from the time they were born and had no problems with their neck strength, and our doctor told us they were very strong compared to most infants. So, as informed parents, we made a judgment call that they were ready for riding on a bike.

The smallest helmet we could find in local bike shops was still too big, so we actually ended up ordering a helmet from Europe, where apparently their kids' heads are smaller than Americans. Be aware there are different standards for the helmets between the U.S. and Europe, but we figured if it was good enough for Europeans where they actually cycle more than Americans, should be good enough for us.

Once our boys were older, we transitioned them to the Nutcase helmets. We like the Nutcase helmets, because in addition to biking, we also use them for skiing :)

Helmet we ordered from Europe:
Polisport Mini Guppy Helmet (XXS)

Smallest helmet we could find in the U.S.:
nutcase helmets: baby nutty