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As parents, many of us remember the wind in our faces and the thrills of riding bikes around our neighborhoods and local parks as children. These happy memories are something we want our own children to experience for themselves. Plus, riding bikes is great exercise and gets us and our kids outside, so what is there not to love?
Hike it Baby is excited to share a three-part blog series all about biking with your children. Yup, you read that right, with your children. But, never fear! Whether you’re still considering biking as a family activity or just starting out, you bike recreationally already, or you want to take your family biking to the next level, we’ve got you covered!
The first post is all about beginning your family biking journey. The second is for those who bike recreationally or want to begin doing so. And the third is for those who bike regularly or want to do more biking as a family.
Beginning Your Family Biking Journey
For many of us, riding bikes was something we did as kids and not something we necessarily continued into adulthood. This doesn’t mean you cannot become a biking family. We all start somewhere, right? All you need to do to begin biking as a family is make the decision to do it. It really is that simple.
And while it is very simple to make a choice, there are obviously some upfront costs associated with biking, especially if you do not already own bikes. Buying second-hand is an amazing way to get quality bikes without breaking the bank, especially when you are just starting out. This is true for adult bikes, as well as kid peddle bikes, balance bikes, bike seats, and bike trailers.
Once you have the bikes (and helmets) all you do is find a bike-friendly place to ride around together. Here are some easy places that most urban areas have:
- Your neighborhood
- Greenways or bike paths
- Local parks
Biking with babies
There are so many wonderful ways to bike together as a family. If you have a baby or young child, there are bike seats and bike trailers that help your little humans enjoy biking with you and get used to biking in general. Both seats and trailers can hold children up to about 40 lbs, depending on the brand, so they can be used for a long time.
If you go with a bike seat for babies, they are right on the bike with you, so it is easy to chat and share all the things you see with each other. The Burley Dash Seat is a super safe option for babies and young children.
If you are looking for a more versatile set of wheels, the bike trailer may be a good option for you. Many bike trailers, like the Burley Honey Bee can be used as a stroller and bike trailer. This option allows you to take your children on both walking and biking adventures!
There are age restrictions on bike seats and trailers, so make sure to triple check your baby can ride safely.
Biking with young children
Once your children are old enough for their own set of wheels, there are a couple of options to get them started. Balance bikes are great for toddlers and really young children to gain confidence in themselves and learn how to balance and handle steering a bike without worrying about peddling.
In fact, after learning about the benefits of balance bikes from a Hike it Baby sponsor, one HiB family started their children’s biking journey early:
“My oldest had his first balance bike at 18 months. By the time he was 4, he was riding his bike with pedals. We started my youngest the same way, and he is also on a pedal bike as a 4 year old.” – Keira Wickliffe Berger
If you begin with this, keep in mind most children will not be able to keep up with an adult bike, and so in many cases balance bike outings (especially when just starting out) will mean the parents are walking while the little one rides. Also, keep in mind you can let your children enjoy biking on their own and still strap them into a seat or trailer to take them on longer rides. You can do both, and your children will love it all!
If you have older kids who are ready to peddle, you can go on longer adventures together, but this will be the topic of the next biking blog, found here.
No matter how you begin your biking journey, the important thing with starting out is to take short trips and adjust to fit how long your young children enjoy the activity.
Photos by Jessica Human and Laura Castro.
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