Sports Basement offers Bell bike helmets at a discounted price. Always on sale, these discounted Bell mountain bike and road bike helmets are 30 to 60% off! Check out the selection at SportsBasement.com

Bell helmets (like the Adrenaline Black Carbon, pictured right) and other products are sold in most bike shops, sporting goods stores and mass retailers including Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Sears and  Kmart.

Maybe a new helmet didn’t make the Christmas list this year? If that’s the case, Bell offers a number of other useful accessories for bicycle riders or skateboarders.

Got an uncomfortable bike seat? Consider replacing it with a Bell  GelTech Seat  (pictured left) or simply cover with a new, cushy seat pad.

Need a reliable way to inflate bike tires? Consider a sturdy Bell tire pump. Need to keep your bike safe and secure in public? Check out our assortment of locks.

Doing some night riding? Don’t forget a light! Bell offers some powerful light systems that will illuminate any path.

Maybe there are new parents in your family? Well, even the youngest tyke can enjoy a bike ride with our child carriers, including the Bell Cocoon Child Carrier Seat (pictured right). This ultra safe, secure and comfortable bike seat includes a high back, 5-point harness, high-visibility rear reflector, a molded spoke guard and much more.

Know someone who commutes on bike through high-traffic areas? Consider getting them a Bell bike mirror so they can be more aware of their surroundings.

Maybe one of your friends or family members is planning a road trips and wants to bring their bikes along? Consider a Bell car rack.

Need some stocking stuffers? A Bell Emergency Bike tool or Bell bike bag would work. And our durable water bottles and hydration packs would be just the right fit.

Of course we offer a wide variety of helmet options for the kids, in boys and girls styles. The Rex line comes equipped with our True Fit technology, ensuring the easiest fit ever. The girls will love the Rex Earth First helmet(pictured left) and the boys will  shine with the Blazing Star version (pictured below right).

If you’re not sure where to go in your area, call 1.800.456.BELL and a customer service representative will help you find a store near you or visit our Where to Buy page to find a list of locations where Bell products are sold.

We hope that these suggestions give you some ideas for those last minute gift purchases. We’d love to hear what Bell products you decide to give, or if you receive any as gifts this year. Let us know by leaving a comment below. And of course, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Bell Sports!

There is, however, a portion of our society that take on the elements head first. No, we’re not talking about skiers or snowboarders (although they too surely are cold-weather warriors) … We’re talking about bike riders!

Some of them commute to work carrying briefcases and laptop bags while braving the cold. Others take joy in competing in cycling events while battling the rain and snow.

While December 21, 2010 marks the official first day of winter, there has been some bone-chilling weather over the last few weeks. So, in an effort to help get prepared for winter bicycling outings, here are some basic tenants for cold-weather bike riding:

1) Always wear a helmet. While this really goes without saying, it is just so important each and every time you ride a bike. The winter months can, and will, provide additional hazards: wet, slippery roads, less hours of sunlight, and less room for bikes on the road (due to snow banks or puddles). These are just a few of the added cautions to be aware of when riding during the winter, and shouldn’t deter anyone from taking their two-wheels to the street. Rather, they should shine some light on the necessity of wearing a helmet during every season.

2) Dress in layers to stay warm and be prepared to get wet! As detailed in the sketch below, there are a few necessary clothing items: 1) a water/wind proof jacket, pants and gloves, 2) warm socks, 3) waterproof boots or cycling shoes with neoprene booties. Having some sort of ventilation in your water proof jacket is important so that your skin can breathe as you crank and work up a sweat. In the case that you end up soaked, it’s good to have a change of clothes folded away in your bike pannier.

3) Make sure you have the appropriate winter gear: 1) Wear a helmet cover. 2) Sunglasses or goggles are great to keep your eyes protected from the extreme cold and rain or snow. 3) Wear reflective tape on your jacket. While many bike riders do this already to be better seen at night, cold days mean fogging mirrors and frosty windows in cars. Visibility is generally lower during the winter, which means that some sort of reflective tape is necessary. 4) A bell and a light. These are two things that any bike commuter should already have. 5)  Front and rear fenders. The absence of these means the rider will get continuous spray of watery slush as they pedal along. And if you forgot your change of clothes, then you might end up walking into work or school with a brown stripe up your back.

4) Be aware of the conditions. Unlike summer when the roads are dry and the weather is sweet, winter means wet, potentially slippery roads. 1) Test how slippery the road is. Quickly accelerate your back wheel to see if it grips or slips. While going slowly, try applying your back brake fully. This way you will get a feel for how much traction there is. 2) Brake carefully, and plan for it to take longer to stop. Be prepared to put a foot down on the pavement if necessary to help stop. In snowy and wet conditions, pump the brakes frequently to keep rims clear.

5) Find out more about bike safety and best practices for riding during the winter at the official website for the city of Toronto: Toronto.ca/cycling; the ultimate source for winter cycling: AllWeatherSports.com/winter; a website for everyday bicyclists: BicyclingLife.com; a top blog and online publication for product reviews and news in the outdoors world GearJunkie.com; and a website celebrating Earth-friendly foods and community living DeliciousEarth.wordpress.com.

Be sure to share your winter bicycling tips in the comments section below.

Image courtesy of Toronto.ca/cycling

• In Grand Haven, Michigan, “A $2,000 grant from the Neel Foundation is giving participants of the Love INC Tri-Cities Love Links Bicycle Ministry program a solid head on their shoulders.” What exactly are they doing to ensure a “solid head”? They’re using the money to purchase 300-400 Bell bicycle helmets! The way it works is that Love Links will be able to give away helmets when people come to the ministry for bicycles. Bikes are distributed to people twice a month — from May to the end of this month, so get on down there! The bicycles are given away based on a voucher system. Clients go to Love INC’s headquarters, 1106 Fulton Ave., to obtain a voucher. From there, they take the voucher to one of the many bike giveaway dates. “Not everyone takes (the helmets), but we encourage them to,” program coordinator Charmaine Velik said. Visit Love INC bicycle program gets dollars for helmets for more info. (Alex Doty, Grand Haven Tribune.com)
• The “Halloween Haunt” Grand Opening celebration of the Valley Health Center Milpitas, took place on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 143 N. Main St. in Milpitas. In a twist on the traditional Halloween fair, this healthy haunt event had free kids activities, free trick-or-treat, and free food, as well as free health and dental screenings for adults and kids, including vaccinations. Kids also learned about bike safety and got a free bike helmet by attending the bike safety seminar from 1:15 to 2 p.m. (thanks to the Santa Clara Family Health Plan). Read more:  COUNTY CURRENTS: Celebration of New Valley Health Center (Dave Cortese, MercuryNews.com)
• Recently, members of the St. Augustine Kiwanis Club in Florida, along with Crookshank K-Kids (their youth services group), sponsored a program on bike safety and gave each first grader at Crookshank Elementary a helmet. The club hopes that the helmets get the youngest students off to a safe and responsible start, developing healthy habits in terms of bike safety. “Keeping students safe while riding their bikes is an important priority for the St. Augustine Kiwanis Club.” Now that’s the spirit! Kiwanis Club distributes bike helmets at Crookshank, (The St. Augustine Record)
• Taking a cue from our Minneapolis Bike Cop friends Mark Klukow and Mike Kirchen, the Pratt Police Department (in West Virginia) is now passing out free bicycle helmets to local children. Pratt Police Chief Eric Eagle said the Greater Charleston Pilot Club and local McDonald’s restaurants are teaming up with the police department to provide helmets for town residents. He said the Pilot Club will provide the helmets, which the police department will distribute. Police will also distribute McDonald’s meal cards to children wearing bike helmets. Pratt police giving away children’s bike helmets (Staff, The Charleston Gazette)

We’re also conducting a bike-helmet giveaway right now too! It’s easy to enter for your chance to win a free Bell true Fit helmet: Simply follow us on twitter at @BellTrueFit and you’ll be automatically entered into our drawing for a free helmet once we reach 900 followers! Visit Bell True Fit Twitter Contest: Round 2 Complete, Round 3 Underway for more details

Free helmets, bicycle tours, bikes taking over the streets of Los Angeles, President Obama and The Bike Helmet Wars, and much more in this week’s installment of Week In Review: Bike News & Reviews from Around the World.

•  October 9: Critics of President Obama said he looked like a “dork” and an “unmanly wimp” after he was photographed wearing a helmet while cycling in Chicago in 2008 (pictured above) and Martha’s Vineyard just last month.  Well we say, “right on” Mr. President. By wearing a helmet, not only are you setting a great example for children and adults throughout the world, but you are also showing great judgment by protecting your head. Plus, we’re glad to see that you choose to wear a Bell Helmet! Read the full story at The Bike Helmet Wars (Virginia Postrel, The Wall Street Journal)
• October 10: The 2011 Amgen Tour of California is officially coming to Lake Tahoe. With ski resorts Northstar-at-Tahoe and Squaw Valley USA involved, riders will now take a ride around Lake Tahoe during the first stage, and will have to climb and descent Donner Pass, which reaches an elevation of 7,085 feet! Get the whole story at Major bicycle tour coming to Tahoe (Adam Jensen, The Record-Courier)
• October 11: Over the past eight years, Amscot Financial Partners has given away more than 30,000 free bike helmets to families living in Central Florida. The company is partnering with law enforcement agencies from 13 Florida counties to make sure that children get this vital protection. They will donate and distribute 7,200 free bike helmets on Oct. 23 in counties where Amscot does business. For more information on how to obtain helmets, contact Montrae Waiters, governmental affairs specialist for Amscot at (813) 637-6277. Check out the full announcement with events details and a list of locations at Amscot Financial Partners with Law Enforcement to Distribute 7,200 Bike Helmets in 13 Central Florida Counties. (PRNewswire.com)
• October 11: A 7 1/2 -mile stretch of road from East Hollywood through downtown Los Angeles and into Boyle Heights was over-run with an estimated 100,000 bicyclists, runners, walkers, skateboarders and roller-bladers for L.A.’s first CicLAvia.  This “open-street” day prohibited automobiles, and was intended to promote cycling and other forms of transportation. The concept of the ciclovia, which is Spanish for bicycle path is how organizers came up with the name CicLAvia. Organizers are in the early stages of planning four or five open-street days next year and one every month in 2012, with the ultimate goal to make CicLAvia a weekly event. For additional details visit An estimated 100,000 turn out for L.A.’s inaugural CicLAvia event (Joel Rubin, Los Angeles Times)
• In case you missed it: Tony Hawk’s Stand Up For Skateparks event in Beverly Hills takes place on October 17 … this Sunday! The Tony Hawk Foundation’s mission is to bring free, quality public skateparks to youth in low-income areas across the United States. This year as a co-sponsor of the event, Bell Sports is sending along trucker hats, stickers, helmets and pads to be given away to attendees. For more info on the event check out our last post Tony Hawk’s Stand Up For Skateparks Hits LA., Las Vegas

From a revolutionary chainless bicycle in Hungary to a couple who’s biking across the United States (and then through South America), biking is all over the news this week.

• Sept. 20, 2010: A Hungarian design team has unveiled a new chainless bike, powered by steel wires, that easily disassembles and can be organized for touring or racing. Dubbed the “Stringbike” – this game-changing technology uses two steel cables attached to pulleys, which move on swinging kidney-shaped discs as you pedal. Check out the video animation of how the bike works at Chainless Bicycle Uses Wire and Pulley System, Eliminating Grease and Increasing Cool Factor (Rebecca Boyle, PopSci.com)
• Sept. 23, 2010: Chico State and Luther College graduates fulfill their dreams of riding bikes across the country. Their ultimate objective is to bike the length of South America after traveling to the east coast. They plan to fly with their bikes to Ecuador and ride south. Find out more about their travels at Modern-day vagabonds bicycle across country (Dennis Nartker, Fort Wayne Daily News)
• Sept. 22, 2010: In an effort to promote walking and cycling in Los Angeles, a 7.5-mile stretch of city streets will be closed Oct. 10 to all motor vehicles. Starting at the nonprofit Bicycle Kitchen (706 Heliotrope Drive, just north of Melrose Avenue) the route meanders south and east through the Mid City area and ends at Hollenbeck Park. Streets will be closed to cars from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m Streets may close for bicycles (Rick Orlov, Contra Costa Times)

And, closer to home, in the Bay Area:

• Sept. 22, 2010: The league of American bicyclists issued awards to a handful of Bay Area cities for being the most bicycle friendly communities.   San Francisco, the Presidio, Palo Alto and Stanford University each were awarded gold. The top platinum award was given to Davis, California, as well as Boulder, Colorado and Portland, Oregon. Bay Area has top bicycle friendly communities (ABC 7 News)
• Sept. 23, 2010: Speaking of San Francisco, New Belgium’s Tour de Fat celebrates its fifth year in the city this fall. Events for this so-called “traveling, philanthropic cycling carnival” include a bike parade and a Car-for-Bike Trade Celebration. The events take place in Lindley Meadows in Golden Gate Park. Check out the Ten Commandments of the Tour de Fat and read Bike About Town (SFgate.com) for more information.

Promoting cycling safety for all ages, B2 Bicycle Blast on the Bentonville Square kicks off with a bike rodeo from 9am-Noon. Then the bicycle parade begins.

Never heard of a bike rodeo before? Well we’ve discussed them many times on the Bell True Fit blog including a Fast Fact’s Friday feature back in June, Did you know? The Rodeo Isn’t Just for Cowboys … but if you’re still unsure, a bike rodeo is basically a clinic that helps teach children the importance of riding a bicycle safely and what skills and precautions they need to develop to have a safe time on their bicycles.

And what better way to learn than in the midst of the world’s top BMX professionals?

During the rodeo Team Self Destruct will be putting on bike stunt shows at 10am, 10:45am, and 11:30am.

If you or your kid is interested in meeting a few of the biggest names in BMX and motorsports, there’s an all-star lineup attending and signing autographs including:

• Extreme sports legend Travis Pastrana
• Nike BMX Team rider Mike Spinner
• Professional BMX Racer Danny Robinson
• Professional downhill mountain bike racer and freestyle rider Jim DeChamp

Bell is taking part in the event as well: We’re donating 300 water bottles for giveaways to the registered Bike Rodeo participants, and we’ve donated some of the lender helmets for participants as well.

If you see a Bell Sports logo at one of the booths come stop by and say hello!

For more information on the event visit Bentonville Annual Bike Rodeo on facebook and follow @BVILLEBIKERODEO on twitter for real-time updates.

We hope to see you there!

With this milestone, we’re also donating five brand new True Fit helmets to Bike Cops for Kids in Minneapolis to help them in their effort to connect cops and kids using bike safety, helmets, and bikes.

City Hall, Down Town San Jose

Big thanks to everyone who re-tweeted and encouraged friends to follow. You all really are the engine that keeps us moving forward in making new connections.

OK, so the winner of Round 2 is … drum roll please … Toni Patton (@Totally_Toni). Congratulations!

Thanks for participating! Please pick a Bell True Fit size, and whether you’d like a boy’s/men’s or girl’s/women’s helmet (visit our Products page for helmet options), and then DM us your email on twitter so we can get your address to mail your free new helmet!

We still have two more rounds of free-helmet giveaways to complete, and we hope that everyone will continue to re-tweet for the chance to win.

For Round 3, when we reach 900 followers, we’ll donate five helmets to San Jose Bike Party – the organization dedicated to building community through bicycling.

Let there be bikes! SJ Bike Party

If you missed our posts on the first and second rounds, here’s how it works: Follow @BellTrueFit on twitter and be automatically entered to win a new Bell True Fit bike helmet!

Each time we reach another 100 followers, we’ll randomly select one of our followers to send a new Bell True Fit helmet to! Plus, each time we reach another 100 followers we’ll donate five helmets to an organization that is dedicated to helmet advocacy and bike safety. We’ll be giving helmets away when we reach 900 followers.

So keep on tweeting, and please encourage your followers to follow @BellTrueFit so we can reach our goals that much sooner!

Here’s what you can tweet: Follow @BellTrueFit – we’re giving away True Fit bike helmets as we reach 900 followers! Please RT http://bit.ly/amXY8A

And be sure to check out the San Jose Bike Party on facebook and twitter @SJBikeParty as well.

Summer brings out the outdoor adventurer in all of us, especially bicycle riders. There are a host of camps taking place all summer long across the country. While most of them are  dedicated to mountain biking there are some other interesting camps to consider.

The Carpenter/Phinney Bike Camp is the ultimate cycling vacation. Teen Treks is an adventure travel camp for people age 12-18. They offer 1 – 8 week trips in Europe, Canada, and the U.S., where they ride all day and stay at hostels, hotels, and campgrounds overnight. Of course the well known Camp Woodward has been offering extreme sports camps for skiers, snowboarders, skateboarders, BMXers and more for 15+ years.

Participating in a bike camp can be a fun, invigorating, and educational experience for adults, and especially for kids. And to those that like to be outdoors and adventurous, bike camp sure sounds like a lot more fun than a traditional arts and crafts type summer camp. The simple act of enjoying a bicycle cruise on a clear day is a wonderful experience. Sadly, many children never learn to ride a bike and miss out on one of the basic activities that children enjoy.

For children with cerebral palsy, riding a bike can especially be a daunting challenge. Fortunately groups like the United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County are helping more and more children and youth learn how to ride bikes. The Orange County Bike Camp, a joint effort of UCP of Orange County and the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County, is a week-long activity where children and young adults with disabilities can learn to ride a bike independently. With the help of a dedicated team of volunteers, the “campers” start with specialized training bikes that are adjusted as they progress in their balance and control. Eventually, some move on to solo riding on two free wheels!

Bell is a proud supporter of the camp and participated in the event as well, donating 22 Blade helmets, 14 Adrenaline helmets, and 7 Universal XL helmets for the bike campers to use while they learned to ride, and of course the riders got to keep their helmets!

Here’s a testimonial from one mother about the event:

“Bike camp was fabulous.  My daughter Delaney did learn to ride a two wheel bike without training wheels.  She is really proud of herself.  She has challenged family members to ‘a race’ and is saying ‘follow me’ as she leads our bike ride.”

With this milestone, we’re also donating five brand spankin’ new True Fit helmets to SafeKids USA for them to share in their efforts to keep kids safe.

Officer Mike and Officer Mark with a full load of Bell Helmets!

So without further adieu, the first winner is Jaclyn Reynolds (@jaclynfett)! Thanks for participating! Please pick a Bell True Fit size, and whether you’d like a boy’s/men’s or girl’s/women’s helmet (visit our Products page for helmet options), and then DM us your email on twitter so we can get your address to mail your free new helmet!

We still have three more milestones to reach and we can only get there with your participation. We’ll be giving away a helmet to a randomly selected follower each time we reach 800, 900, and 1,000 followers. We’ll also be donating five True Fit helmets to a non-profit, helmet advocacy or bike safety group each time we reach a new milestone. For this round, when we reach 800 followers we’ll be donating 5 helmets to Bike Cops for Kids – the Minneapolis based duo of Officer Mike and Officer Mark.

Their main goal is to “make a special memory stick into the hard drive of a child as they grow up in challenging situations”. Their aim is to connect cops and kids using helmets, bike safety and bikes to do it.

So keep on tweeting, and please encourage your followers to follow @BellTrueFit so we can reach our goals that much sooner!

Here’s what you can tweet: 

Follow @BellTrueFit – we’re giving away True Fit bike helmets  as we reach 800, 900 & 1,000 followers! Please RT http://bit.ly/cEQ5NV

And be sure to check out the Bike Cops for Kids on facebook and “Like” them!

• One-half political party, one-half street party, San Jose Bike Party is all about building community through bicycling. Made up of all types of bicyclists and human-powered transportation advocates, San Jose Bike Party rides include 2,000 – 4,000 riders on a given night! They ride anywhere from 15-30 miles throughout the South Bay from 8pm – midnight on the third Friday of every month. Follow them on twitter @SJBikeParty and find out how to get involved at SJBikeParty.org.
• Just a few miles north-east of San Jose, the East Bay Bike Party is a mobile party for riders of all ages, experience levels, and bike types, to meet, ride, and play together in the streets on the second Friday of the month. “Inspired by the massive number of people who go to the San Jose Bike Party every month, we decided that it was high time the East Bay (the best part of the San Francisco Bay, in our humble opinion) had its own bike part,” their website says.  In July the theme was Space Party, where they encouraged people to come dressed as an alien or an astronaut, sci fi character or planetary body, constellation or Tribble infestation…”  For August the theme is Superhero Ride, and they are expecting to see, “a lot of capes, masks and tights.” We, of course, like their enthusiasm for helmets: “And don’t forget, a truly super hero always wears a helmet and rides with bike lights.” Follow them on twitter @ebbikeparty and stay in the loop at EastBayBikeParty.wordpress.com

• The Midnight Ridazz is a group of bicycle enthusiasts who have been riding together on the second Friday of every month since February of 2004. The rides quickly grew from 8 people to current ride counts of 1300+ “Ridazz,” and they’ve gone nationwide! Their website, MidnightRidazz.com was created to help empower YOU to create your own rides, routes and “good timezz.” Start yourself on a recurring ride or throw a one timer in the daylight … it’s your ride. They offer a five step outline of how to create a ride, as well as some basic “rulezz” that will help anyone organize their own bike party. To find out more about routes, rules, and already scheduled upcoming rides, check out MidnightRidazz.com.
• Want to spice up your kid’s upcoming birthday party? Consider throwing your own bike party! Over at Disney’s Family Fun website, they offer some great suggestions for throwing a fun birthday bike party. “Invite a bunch of pals to bring their cycles, then turn your driveway (or perhaps a nearby school blacktop) into party central. Set up a station where kids can soup up their rides with homemade number plates, noisemakers, and handle-bar decorations. Next, turn them loose on an obstacle course that tests their skills — and lets them be silly too. Add a spoke-tacular cake, prize ribbons, and take-home goody bags that make everyone feel like a champ, and you’ve got the coolest party on two wheels.” (FamilyFun.Go.com)
• The Bicycle Music Festival is an all day, mobile, community music festival – completely bike-powered! A 501(c)3 project of the San Francisco Parks Trust www.sfpt.org, part of the mission of the Bicycle Music Festival is to, “promote sustainable culture in general by physically engaging and immersing our community in the magic of bike culture, and cultivating and nurturing a network of local sustainable musicians, through our free, community participatory, bicycle-based music events.” The Bicycle Music Festival features a 2000 watt pedal-powered PA system, as many as 15 bands, multiple festival stops, outrageous Critical Mass-style bicycle party caravans between festival stops, and zero use of cars or trucks. This year’s event takes place from Noon – 10pm PT on July 31 in San Francisco.  Follow them on twitter @bikemusicfest and visit BicycleMusicFestival.com for more information or to get involved.

As far as we could tell, there aren’t any “bike party” events outside of California … but we could be totally wrong! Do you know of a bike party that we left off today’s Fast Facts Friday list? Are you planning a bike party in your community? If so, leave a comment below or let us know on twitter @BellTrueFit.