Christmas is coming and for lots of us that means a trip to your local bike shop to buy a new bike – either for yourself or a loved one.

I fondly remember receiving my first bike on Christmas morning and the joy I had in riding it. Never mind the snow, I had to get out and ride. Everyone thought I was nuts, but they could see the smile on my face as I drifted through the slush and plowed into snowbanks. I don’t remember what that bike was, but I can recall the joy of riding it.

Can you recall your first bike? Send me a note about your earliest bike memory.

Years later I had the opportunity to spread the stoke when my kid unwrapped her bike on Christmas morning. Well, who am I kidding, there’s no way we wrapped it. Must have hidden it somewhere. She beamed when she saw it, and of course we went out right away to ride it, again in the snow. Bikes are a wonderful gift in and of themselves – the look, the feel. But beyond that, they also provide a lifetime of memories.

Help support a local bike shop this Holiday Season. Buy someone a bike. And while you’re at it, get yourself something nice too.