If you love cycling, chances are you want to share that love with your family. Just because your can’t keep up, doesn’t mean you have to leave them behind. Here we give you ways to bring your kids along for the ride and ideas for fun rides your whole family can take.
Bring Your Kids Along
Tandem bikes
Tandem cycling is a great way to cycle with your kids. If they are young or inexperienced, this is the bike for them. While you control the speed and direction of the bike, the kids still get to pedal along with you and start to get the feel of a real bike.
You can either buy a tandem bike or a trail-a-bike (or something similar) to attach a seat onto your own bike. A trail-a-bike allows for greater flexibility since you’ll just need to buy an attachment for the bike you already own, not a whole new bike.
Encourage your children to help you pedal. Chances are, they’ll be happy to contribute.
Seats
Seats are ideal for very small children or children that are not yet comfortable riding a bike. Seats can either be attached to the front or back of your bike. You can also interact more easily with your child when they are closer to you on a seat.
Trailers
Trailers can be hitched to the back of your bike and can carry more than one child. Trailers can also come in handy in inclement weather when your child needs to be safe and dry. The downside to trailers is that you won’t be able to interact as easily with your child. They also aren’t as easily maneuverable.
Rides for the Whole Family
Jordan River Trail
The Jordan River Trail is perfect for the whole family. It’s a 7.5-mile paved trail in southern Salt Lake Valley. Riding along the river is peaceful and refreshing, and there are many parks to stop and let kids play at. Go the whole length or stop anytime you want to enjoy a picnic along the way. It can also connect to the Provo River trail for even more enjoyment
Hobble Creek Canyon
This paved ride starts in Springville. The path goes up Hobble Creek Canyon and is 4.5 miles up and back. For a longer ride you can bike the whole canyon. For a shorter, mostly downhill ride, start at the Hobble Creek Golf Course and bike down the canyon into Springville.
Logan River Trail
If you’re looking to give your kids a little taste of mountain biking, the Logan River Trail is the perfect option. This easy trail is just 3.6 miles long, with a small elevation gain of 300 feet. It follows the Logan River up the canyon, with the first two miles on a wide, paved trail.
Bike Around Your Neighborhood
You don’t need to find a trail to enjoy biking with your kids. If you don’t have time to find a trail, or if your kids are inexperienced bikers, stay close to home. Bike around your neighborhood with them to get them comfortable with their bikes, or bike with them to nearby locations, such as an ice cream shop. As they get more comfortable and develop a love of cycling, you can begin to try out more challenging trails.
Happy cycling!
Images courtesy of Steve Jurvetson, Cliff Johnson, and jencu via Flickr