Bikes

Full Service Bike Workshop

Outdoor Sports Center has a very experienced and professional workshop staff. Whether you need a tube and tire change or a complete custom build for your next race, at our bike workshop you are always in good hands. We offer competetive pricing on skilled service for any bike. Minor repairs or tube and tire changes can be performed on the spot and the turn around on a tune-up can be as short as same day. We are proud to have a mechanic on our staff with the highest level of certification a mechanic can hold from the Barnett Bicycle Insitute. He is the only Certified Elite Mechanic in the state of Connecticut, so you can be sure that the level of expertise you are getting is the best available. We are as passionate about riding as our dedicated customers, so we work hard to get you out riding again as soon as possible.

Workshop Rates

Buying Your Kid a Bike

Buying your kid a new bike is an exciting experience for both you and your little one, we are here to guide you in any way we can. There certainly are lots of options to consider in the search for a new kid's bike, and there are some concerns to be aware of too. 

We have our opinions (read hands-on experience) of some of the lower priced box store bikes, and we realize that our bikes are not your cheapest option. We carry kids bikes from Cannondale and Specialized. The quality of these bikes is very high, they are built with parts that take longer to wear out and will be around for a while. That means that you can hand them down between kids, resell them, and most importantly you can rest assured that the parts aren't going to wear out while your child is riding the bike full speed down a hill.

This brings up a topic that is very important to all of us: Safety.

1. Our bikes are built by certified mechanics, infact we have the only two Barnett Bicycle Institute graduates in CT right now.
2. Our bikes are backed by 2 of the biggest brand names in cycling.
3. Our bikes all come with a FREE 30 day Tune-Up and Safety Check to be sure that you continue to be safe after you leave our store.

These things are very important to us. We want you and your family to enjoy cycling for years to come, and we want you to do so safely. Please come visit us and we can tell you more about what makes the perfect bike for your child.

Teach Safe Cycling

Last year we gave you the top tips and tricks for teaching your children to ride, and this year we want to zero in on making sure they stay safe on the road! The same safety precautions apply whether they are riding in the backyard, local trails, or around the neighborhood streets. When children learn biking safety at a young age, these guidelines become second nature to them, ensuring that they continue to practice safe cycling throughout their lives. We've put together a few of the most important rules to follow to make sure your little cyclists continue to stay safe and have a great time!

Always Wear a Helmet:

• Be sure your child's helmet is the right size: tight enough that it can't be pulled up or twisted around when buckled securely, and big enough that it covers the child's forehead.
• On the off-chance that your child does have a crash that impacts the helmet, it is mandatory that you replace the helmet right away. Helmets are considered a one-time use product, and after they have been heavily impacted once, they are no longer safe to use.

Check the Following Features to Ensure a Safe Ride:

• Brakes: make sure they are working properly.
• Tires: check that they have plenty of air, and the correct PSI.
• Bolts: the seat, handlebars and wheels should be screwed on tightly.

Additional Safety Tips:

• All the kid's bikes we sell come with reflectors, but it is wise to also use a taillight even during the day to be sure that drivers are aware.
• Be careful of loose pants and shoelaces, which can get stuck on the chain.
• Riding barefoot or in flip-flops is not very safe, so be sure your child has a good pair of sneakers.

Kid's Bikes for All Sizes

If you're shopping for your child's first bike, or need to go a size up from last year's, here is a quick guide to our kid's bikes and the different sizes we offer. Kid's bikes are sized in inches based on the wheel size. Be sure to always have your child sized by a professional here in our bike shop; riding the wrong size bike can be very unsafe. Once your child has outgrown a 24" bike, it is time to move on to adult bikes!

Cannondale

Trail 16"   |   Trail 20"   |   Street 24" (also available: Trail 24" and Race 24")

Specialized

Hot Rock 12"   |   Hot Rock 16"   |   Hot Rock 20" Single Speed (multi-speed options also available)   |   Hot Rock 24" (cross country, street, and Rip Rock fat tire options also available)

Balance Bikes - 12"

Strider   |   Specialized Hot Walk

Bike Service Pick-up

Let us take the hassle out of bike repairs. Schedule a time for us to pick up your bike right from your home for a faster and more convenient service than ever before. The best part is our pick-up service comes to you at no additional cost. Call today to book an appointment.

All Neighboring Towns
Our pick-up service is avaialble in Wilton, Ridgefield, Redding, Weston, Westport, Norwalk, New Canaan, Lewisboro and Pound Ridge. Not sure if you fall in our service area? Give us a call at (203) 762-8797

Easy Scheduling
We know life gets busy, so let us pick up your bike right from your home to make bike tune ups and repairs, hassle free. Our certified bike mechanics will diagnose your bicycle at the shop and call you with a quote. Once you have approved the quote, they will fix your bike and let you know when its ready. Our van pick up is operating during regular business hours Monday–Friday 10 am to 6 pm.

Put safety first without sacrificing your schedule and get the whole family's bikes tuned for spring. Our Outdoors Sports Center van can easily fit all of your family's bikes secured in the back. Check Out our Full Bike Service Rates.

Learning to Ride

It's the perfect time of year to teach your children one of the most important lessons of their lives - how to ride a bike! Cycling acts as a form of transportation, a form of exercise, a way to unwind, and a way to feel free. Everyone learns at a different speed and can learn at any age, so there is no specific time by which your child should be moving to a new step in the process. We've put together a step-by-step description of the best way to teach your children how to ride, a method that can be used to teach kids of all ages! Some children can learn this way without having to add training wheels at all, and some people have reported children learning to ride by this method in just one day. No matter what, be sure to take it slow and make it fun, and your child will be riding like a pro in no time!

Safety first! Make sure you teach your children about safety right from the start! As soon as they are introduced to a bike, they should be introduced to a helmet, so they always associate the two.

Balance Bikes

As soon as your child is beginning to walk or even just stand up on their own, you can introduce him or her to balance bikes. These are small, toddler-size bikes without pedals that help children feel comfortable sitting, steering and balancing on two wheels. Children can sit on the bike seat and uses their legs to push off, pulling themselves along and eventually picking up their legs to coast on the bike. These bikes help ease the difficult learning process of balancing before using training wheels. Our employee Slav got his son Maks started on a balance bike at just 16 months old before he was even fully walking on his own. They showed him the bike first and had him explore the different parts of it: "We got him to think of it as a big toy!" He practiced sitting in the saddle and playing with the handlebars, and pretty soon he was comfortable enough to pull himself along with his feet. We carry the Hot Walk Balance Bike from Specialized in bright colors that kids love. If your child is too big for a balance bike when you start the process, simply remove the training wheels and pedals from his or her bike so it can be used as a big balance bike.

Training Wheels

Once your child has mastered the balancing part of biking, it is time to learn about steering and braking on a big kid bike with training wheels! It is important for the child to learn the functions of the different mechanisms of the bike having to worry about tipping. The training wheels offer the necessary stability to begin safely practicing pedaling, braking, and steering. A child's first bike will generally have coaster brakes, also known as back brakes, which require pedaling backward to stop the bike. Kids' bikes are measured by the wheel size, not by the frame size, and it's best to go by the height of your child when figuring out what size bike to get. Kids' bike sizes range from 12" to 24". If your child is between 26 and 34 inches tall, a 12-inch bike will usually be the next step. Izzy and Maks both ride the Specialized Hot Rock with 16" wheels. We carry the Hot Rock in all sizes, and we also carry Cannondale bikes from the Trail, Race, and Street Series.

Taking off the Training Wheels

Once your child is comfortable maneuvering the big bike, it's time to take off those training wheels and relearn balance! When you first take off the training wheels, take the pedals off the crank arms as well, and lower the seat so that the bike becomes a big balance bike. The child can practice coasting again, with more confidence on their bigger bike. It's important for children to know that they can always put their feet down to catch themselves. Falling on pavement can be traumatic, so practicing in a smooth field will help cushion the blow. Next you will want to put the pedals back on, and have your child practice coasting with feet on the pedals. When that feels comfortable, he or she can start turning the pedals, and once the momentum of the slope runs out, encourage the child to keep pedaling. At that moment, your child will experience the joy of biking for the first time, and we have a feeling that he or she will never look back! As your child grows, you will need to start looking at larger bikes. The next step up from a 12" bike is 16", then 20" and 24". The larger bikes will have hand brakes and multiple gears for longer distances and bigger hills. Don't forget about all the fun accessories like baskets, bells, and handlebar streamers that allow children to ride with style!