If you are a parent that loves cycling with a passion, you’re inevitable going to want to share that with your children. Getting them to love bikes at a young age can be fairly simple. Luckily, there seems to exist a sort of natural attraction between kids and bikes. They are drawn to each other like moths to a flame. Simply getting them the right gear and teaching them can be enough to get them to fall in love. We’ll first talk about how to teach kids cycling very young. Yet even though almost every kid loves bikes at one age or another, a fairly small percentage of children grow into cycling adults. We’ll then talk about some small steps you can take to cross that bridge into adulthood.
Teaching Kids Young
Bike Seat
Usually it is a good idea to wait until your child is at least a year old before putting them in a bike seat. They need to be able to sit upright and fully support their own head. It is also important to remember a child’s helmet, because if you fall your child falls too. Wearing a helmet will also help instill safety in them at a young age, before peer pressure starts to make it “not cool.”
Image courtesy of MIKI Yoshihito
Bike Trailer
This is usually the most popular form of taking kids on bike rides. Trailers are usually suitable for kids under six. Trailers are very stable and steer fairly easily. Kids absolutely love getting to see the sights while you still get your cycling in. It is important to remember that your kids are very low to the ground and could be less visible to cars and other vehicles.
image courtesy of littentegnefisk
Trailer Bike
Trailer bikes are basically extensions of your own bike that let your kids pedal and feel like they are really biking. They still rely on you for power, balance, and steering, so it is still important to get them a helmet and to be careful. Some kids get nervous about getting on a bike for themselves, and this can be great to help ease them into it. You can also bike much farther then your child is able.
Image courtesy of sludgegulper
These are some ways to get your kid into cycling very early on. The next logical step is some training wheels and a child’s bike. So once you have them riding, how do you keep them at it?
Help the passion grow
Support, don’t smother
Once you exposed them at an early age, nothing will drive them from it faster than forcing it on them. Many a child learns to have some resentment for the piano because they were forced to take lessons and practice. Let your child enjoy it at his own pace, or you could cause damage that could take years to correct. There are more subtle ways to approach it that you will find much more effective.
Lead by example
Your children should see you and/or your spouse enjoying cycling: vacations with great trails, weekend rides to see the sights, or just cruising around the neighborhood. They’ll want to participate with you and join in on the action.
Let them learn
Children plus bicycles will eventually lead to a couple accidents. Try not to overreact to a couple stitches or even a broken bone. Kids bang themselves up, and if you make a big deal about it, your child may be nervous to get back on the bike. Encourage her to get back on the two wheeled horse whenever she is ready.
If you truly have passion for bikes, odds are your children will want to follow in your tire tracks. Hopefully these tips make it easier to help them along. For a free book all about bike laws in Utah, please call us at 1-800-LAW-BOOK for a copy.