In the 1890s bicycle sales focused heavily on adults - until the collapse of the bicycle market around 1897-98. After that apparently interest in sales to children (or anyone!) for Christmas grew, demonstrated in the Washington DC newspaper ad below from 1903.
![1904 Christmans Bike Ad](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7366/11151735355_1eaa7e0c09.jpg)
From The Washington times., December 13, 1903
The ad copy isn't particularly good - "any boy would be hilariously happy if Santa Claus brought him a new bicycle for Christmas" - perhaps the phrase "hilariously happy" made more sense 110 years ago. It's also unclear why the effectively exclude girls - presumably there were girls bikes for sale.
![1922 Christmas Bike Ad (Detail)](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5539/11151735215_0c8f0b4de9.jpg)
The herald. (New Orleans, LA), December 14, 1922
Above is part of an ad from a newspaper in New Orleans in 1922 - more what one would expect. Of course today it would be rare when a parent would think that a bicycle as present would "fulfill the biggest wish" of the child receiving it.
![1922 Christmas Bike Ad](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/11151761316_ccec17c94c.jpg)
The full ad - most of the toys are more oriented toward physical activity than those of today
![Ksenia learns to ride a bike](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3184/3101900589_2fb2938b0b.jpg)
My daughter, some years ago, and her Christmas present bike
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