After a long & rainy Northwest winter there's nothing I look forward to more than getting back on my bicycle. Apparently I have lots of company: according to BikeLeague.org over 57 million American adults ride a bike at least once a year (as of 2002, I'm sure that's higher now).

Savvy promotional marketers know that usefulness is the #1 reason a recipient will hang on to swag items they're given, so why not brand some good bike-related items this year? Here are five of my favorite swag ideas in this category:

BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC BIKE BOTTLES 

Bike bottles take a lot of abuse & anyone who rides regularly will probably appreciate a fresh new bike bottle. This Biodegradable Custom Bike Bottle is made in the USA and holds 24oz. of water. It will fit in any standard bike bottle cage & the neck is large enough to drop ice cubes through.

Most of the biodegradable bike bottles are white or clear, but this one comes in blue & green in addition to translucent clear. This one also has a nice range of cap colors to match your company color scheme. Priced from $.99/ea, this is a great swag idea for tradeshows or outdoor events.

Power Marketing Tip: Stuff bike bottles with smaller items like pencils, candy or special-offer coupons before distributing them.

CUSTOM BICYCLE BELLS are another fun bike-related swag item to put your logo on. Bells are a safety item every urban bicyclist can use, and this chrome-plated number has a definite retro appeal. Your logo is printed in full color under a clear protective dome, and the bells mount easily to any standard size handlebar. Our Custom Bike Bells have a low minimum order of 100 pieces and are a unique swag item that people will remember!

PROMO BIKE TIRE PATCH KITS come in several different sizes, but I like this one because it's small & inexpensive with everything a person needs for up to six repairs. The translucent plastic box is wrapped with your custom, full-color label as shown & contains 6 patches, glue, sandpaper and (thankfully for some) instructions.

Priced at under $2.00 this Custom Patch Kit is a great, creative marketing swag idea. Buy a nice bicycle as a grand prize at your next tradeshow and give patch kits as an incentive to enter your drawing - it's a great way to generate excitement AND leads!

   Next up, I just love this DETACHABLE LED BICYCLE FLASHLIGHT because it's so useful. Clipped to a bike handlebar as shown, it's a powerful and bright headlight for safe riding at night. Release the clip & it can be used just like a regular flashlight. Great for road riders or mountain bikers, this is an excellent promotional swag idea in the $5.00 price range. We recently did an order of these Bike Lights for a local utility company & they really look sharp with a custom logo (printed on the clip). With a super-low minimum order of 25 lights, this is a swag idea that can fit any budget!

Another staple swag item for bicyclists is BLINKING BIKE REFLECTORS, which save lives by  making bikes more visible in low-light conditions. Promotional safety reflectors come in many shapes and sizes, but I particularly like this Custom Tail Clip Light. It has 5 bright LEDs with over 100 hours of battery life and has both blinking & steady light modes. It comes with a clip assembly for mounting on a bike and has a nice large imprint area for your custom logo. Priced at less than $6.00 with a low minimum order of 50 lights, this is a versatile, safety-related swag idea that can be used by non-cyclists too!

Last but not least, check out this CUSTOM MINI BIKE PUMP that mounts to nearly any bike frame. Although it's custom-logo printed, this is a premium-quality alloy bike tire pump that any cyclist will appreciate. Lightweight and powerful, a frame-mounted hand pump like this is a must for long distance bike rides.

Priced closer to $20, this is the spendiest bike swag item I'm featuring. I could see these Custom Tire Pumps used as a gift-with-purchase for bike shops or as an employee incentive for corporate fitness programs. They'd also be a great way to promote a bicycle repair shop or other bike-related business. Comes with frame mount as shown.

Swag Connection also has lots of other bike-related swag ideas. If you type the word "Bike" into the search field on http://www.swagconnection.com/. you'll find over 200 bike-related swag ideas!

We can also hook you up with custom, full-color bicycle jerseys if you have a team or club to outfit.

Just contact me (Diane) with any questions or to discuss your bike swag needs. My direct email is: diane@swagconnection.com and my toll-free number is 866-247-4320 (M-F, 9-5 Pacific Time).

Thanks for reading & keep coming back for more swag ideas!

PS: Follow me on twitter for exclusive, budget-stretching "Tweet Deals": http://www.twitter.com/swagconnection

Here's a cool, brand-new swag idea just in time for your Spring marketing:

Clear, Clever Folding Flower Vases with Custom Branding:

Swag Connection Item PRM-PL-4101

There's nothing like fresh flowers to brighten up someone's day, which is why I love this new Folding Vase. Introduced to the promotional industry early in 2010, this product won top place in two categories at this year's ASI Orlando Tradeshow - "Best Bang for Your Buck" and "Most Likely to Build A Buzz".

These clever little bud vases are made of soft, flexible PVC plastic. They fold flat for easy storage and form a vase when filled with water. They stand about 10-1/2" tall with a 5" bottom diameter when filled, and come with your choice of Black, Blue, Green, Red or yellow trim.

These folding vases are an ideal swag idea for:
Nursing or Retirement Homes
Florists & Nurseries
Real Estate  or Insurance Agents
Hospitals & Clinics
Cruise Lines
Restaurants
Hotels, Spas & Resorts
Special Event Table Decoration

These would also be a fun swag idea for tradeshows- set up a few of these folding vases on the table at your booth, then add water & flowers to demonstrate how they work. They'll add a festive springtime look to your display and make your booth seem more inviting to attendees.

These Flexi-Vases come packaged in a self-mailer envelope and would also be a great swag idea for direct mail campaigns. Priced at under $2/ea with a minimum order of 200 pieces, this is a unique and memorable way to promote your brand in a classy way.

INTERESTED IN FOLDING FLOWER VASES WITH YOUR CUSTOM LOGO?

This is just one of the thousands of swag ideas you'll find at Swag Connection.
Click here to view this item in more detail on our website or request a quote.

Feel free to email me (sales@swagconnection.com) or give me a call toll-free (866-247-4320) if you have questions or would like to talk about ordering this item with your custom logo. I love to hear from my blog readers!

Thanks for reading - and if you know other people who are always looking for interesting swag ideas for their marketing, please tell them about my blog.

Diane Nudelman