There are some really great bicycling themed gifts for kids. Here are a few of my favorites:

I first discovered Nutcase helmets last year at Interbike and immediately loved them. Nutcase helmets are designed with tons of colorful graphics and they make wearing a helmet fun. They fit really well, thanks to the adjustable spin dial, and they don't fall backwards like so many children's helmets do. The magnetic closure is great too for preventing pinches when bucking your child's helmet. They come in both adult and kid sizes. I have purchased four in the past year, one for each family member. My middle school aged son loves the "glowing brain, for biking, skateboarding and scootering. My first grade daughter feels like a super hero in her "stars and stripes" helmet. Nutcase helmets are available locally at Green Guru's Cruiser Boutique in Boulder, REI, and Performance. They can also be found online at Amazon.

Bicycle Colorado is hosting its third-annual Colorado Bicycle Summit and has just announced that bicycle advocate Mia Birk will be the keynote speaker. Mia is best known for her work in transforming Portland into one of the nation’s most bicycle-friendly cities. Now a principal at Alta Planning + Design, she also wrote the book Joyride, and all attendees will receive a copy of her book courtesy of Bicycle Colorado.

The summit takes place Feb. 11-12 in downtown Denver. If you’re interested in seeing better bicycling in your community and across Colorado, plan to attend. The Colorado Bicycle Summit also includes focused breakout sessions, happy hour, legislative training and a chance to meet your state elected officials. Early bird registration will end soon, so sign up today!
Summit details: http://www.bicyclecolorado.org/to/summit

We did it last year so we thought we would do it again for 2012. We have tried all the products in the gift guide so hopefully you will like them as much as we do.

By Katie Macarelli

A few days ago I was reading a music review from the newspaper. The song the review focused on was described as "Alt Rock Meets Americana". Coincidentally on the same day 303 asked me to write something up for Pedal the Plains. This phrase is the perfect descriptor for my weekend at the Pedal the Plains. I'll explain the "Alt Rock" a little later, but Eastern Colorado is obviously the "Americana".

I grew up on a (still operating) dairy farm in Burlington, CO. I loved the town, the people, the closeness, the predictability of harvest, the unpredictability of tornados, my family, our farm, all of it. However, once I graduated high-school, and went to CU Boulder, I fell in love with the Front Range. I had literally never been hiking in the mountains until one week into my freshman year when I hiked (and fell off of) the Flat-Irons. Luckily I was hiking with a grad student who was a paramedic, but that's another story. When I first saw Pedal the Plains advertised in the Denver Post, I jumped up and down in my kitchen and pretended I was a cowboy riding a horse and roping calves.

My two little girls were amused. My husband was disturbed. "You should find a friend to do that with you!", he encouraged. Which translated to: "I will NOT be doing that with you. Have fun." And fun I WOULD HAVE, because a few days later, my friend Megan asked if I wanted to be her team-mate for a Pedal the Plains Contest that she'd won. She'd be blogging about the experience in exchange for two free entry-fees. My response? "Yes, yes, double yes!" (with more simulated horse riding and roping motions).