5 Things to Know When Gifting a Bike

Are you considering buying a bike as a gift for Mother's Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Groundhog Day, Best Friend Day, etc.? Are you looking for the perfect present for an upcoming birthday, anniversary, or wedding? No matter the occasion, we want to make sure that you feel confident in your decision.

Below are our top five things to consider when buying a bike as a gift:

1. Sizing
   
   When choosing a bike, sizing is critical to having a safe and comfortable ride. You want to ensure that the recipient will be able to confidently come to a stop, as well as easily hop on and off their bike. Sizing guides are featured on each of our model pages, but if you have any questions – don’t hesitate to reach out to us through our chat function on our site or via phone at 800.631.0630. Is the recipient between sizes? We recommend reaching out for personal guidance..
   
   
2. Color
   
   You may love our Cardinal Red Willow 3 or Gloss Coral Brighton Beach Cruiser, but does that mean your sister or cousin will be as obsessed as you are? Know your husband absolutely loves Army Green? Go for it! If you aren’t quite sure about favorite colors, we recommend sticking to simple, classic colors like Black and Ivory (and these happen to be our best sellers, too)!
   
   
3. Timing
   
   Need a bike as a present by this weekend and it’s Tuesday? Your holiday party is coming up tomorrow? We always do our best to accommodate deadlines, however there are two things out of our control: the assembly schedule of your local bike shop, and FedEx transit times. We estimate your bike will be ready for pickup within 10-14 business days after your order is placed. Many times bikes are ready to roll quicker than that, but sometimes it just isn’t possible to ship a bike from our east coast warehouse to Minnesota, to have ready in two business days. Give us a shout before ordering so we can do everything in our power to meet your need-by date. And before you ask - overnighting a bike incurs a minimum of a few hundred dollars in shipping, and can lead to extensive damages in transit, so we do not offer express shipping on bikes. But like we said, reach out to us ahead of time, and we will do our best to get your gift as quickly as possible.
   
   
4. Riding Style
   
   Riding style and comfort can vary from person to person. Has the recipient had a severe back injury? Our Wythe model may not be the best fit because the posture is much more aggressive, however our Willow and Driggs feature an upright style that is quite ideal for such a situation. Does the recipient live in hilly San Francisco? An 8-speed or hybrid bike will be much more preferred for tackling those steep inclines. We don’t want to be the cause of a premature end to your friendship because you purchased the wrong bike.

5. Still Not Sure? We Also Offer Gift Cards
   
   If you are feeling intimidated about picking the right color, size, or model of bike, or you want the element of surprise without the hassle of a return, we also offer gift cards. Our e-gift cards will be delivered right to the email address used during checkout, and are a great option to ensure the recipient chooses the perfect bike for their lifestyle. Drop us a note and we will be happy to give you a certificate to gift wrap so the recipient has something fun to open.

Did you buy a bike before reading this post and realize you need to change a size, color, or model? If the bike hasn’t yet shipped, give us a shout via email or call us at 800.631.0630 as soon as possible, and we’ll do our best to sort this for you. If the recipient has already received the bike and isn’t quite in love, email us, and we can discuss our refund and exchange policies! Have general questions? Give us a shout and we’ll help you out!