How to Celebrate National Bike Month

Cycling/biking/uni-cycling/tandeming--whatever you prefer--riding a bike is no longer reserved for Tour de France competitors and children. With cities like Minneapolis and Portland leading the charge, the U.S. is slowly, but surely, embracing riding a bike as a widespread means of transportation. There is no better time to celebrate the biking trend than during May, a.k.a National Bike Month. Originally started to encourage bike sales, the month now focuses on safe riding (i.e. helmets) and the health benefits of choosing a bike over a car. (Thanks to BeWellPhilly for clueing me in.)

National Bike Month is great for promotional products distributors for a few reasons: holidays mean money, there are numerous bike-related promotional products (see below), and the National Bike Month website offers a how-to on bike month promotions with links to logos, bingo sheets and more. Here are five bike products to sell before the end of May.

This one is a "Duh!", but did you know the industry had promotional bicycles? I forgot until I searched PromoMarketing.com. There are many bikes available, including tandems and surreys. So, obviously you need to sell these/bring them to Expo East next week so the entire PM staff can troll the show floor on a surrey.

For those with more aquatic interests than terrestrial ones, try the In Pool Exercise Bike from Hammacher Schlemmer. Exercising in water is great strength and resistance training. Plus, riding a bike in a pool just sounds cool.

Bike bottles have been in the industry almost as long as pens have. They offer all-over branding. Suggest these 20 oz. Bike Bottles from Huffermen Inc. to your exercise-focused clients. The bottles are USA-made and BPA-free. For other sports bottles, turn to this week's Editor's Picks.

Triathlon season is upon us. How do I know? Because I was almost run over by a group of cyclists on Kelly Drive yesterday. The elite competitors need shorts with their sponsors’ info on them and events need shorts with their logos on them. Get to spandex selling with products like the Men's Bib Bicycle Shorts from FP Services Inc.

You do not have to ride a bike to support bike riders. That's where pins like the Bike Lapel Pin with Spinning Wheels from Pinnovative Designs come in handy. The pin is great for companies making a push toward eco-friendly transportation.

Unrelated, today is also National Chocolate Chip Day. So, take a bike ride while eating some chocolate chips?