Cycling With Your Children
Cycling should be a family sport, however it can be challenging to head out on the bike with your children
. Remember, you will be traveling away from your home and sometimes be in a dangerous environment when you are out on the road. However, with a little knowledge and preparation your whole family can enjoy the many attributes of cycling. Always remember that as always safety is the first priority when it comes to your children so they must ALWAYS wear a helmet!Whether you're using a childseat, a trailercycle or a trailer to take your kids along, you'll probably want to do so on a bicycle equipped with flat handlebars. These are higher and wider than dropped bars and provide more control against the destabilizing forces of the additional weight you're carrying. You feel this the most with a trailercycle. If Junior squirms around a lot, it can be quite difficult to steer a straight course. If you're having trouble controlling the bike because of a rambunctious child in the seat behind you, consider setting some rules. Usually, if you tell him that he can't ride unless he rides safely, he'll get the point quickly and behave. Or try bribery: Promise a treat at ride's end if all safety rules are obeyed. Trailers are much more forgiving in such situations. Kids can even play a favorite card game or amuse themselves with other safe-to-travel-with playthings inside the confines of a bike trailer.
One common mistake when using childseats is relying on a kickstand to support the bicycle and your child. While this might occasionally work, it's a dangerous habit because the kickstand is designed only to support the bike's weight. Add the heft of the childseat and passenger and the machine is more likely to fall over than to stand up, which can result in serious injury. Remove your child from the seat at stops unless you're holding the bicycle upright. Keep in mind that the weight limit for childseats is approximately 40 pounds. When children get this big, it's time to remove the childseat and consider a trailer or trailercycle.
Another great way to enable your child to ride with you is in a trailer (especially younger children). However, pulling a bicycle trailer requires practice and planning. Keep the additional width of the trailer in mind as you plan routes to avoid roads and paths that may be too narrow. And, unless you're a strong cyclist, consider what hills and headwinds you might encounter because these are a much bigger challenge when you're toting papoose and caboose. One of the great things about bicycle trailers is excellent resale value. When your young 'uns are too big to ride in the trailer, run a classified ad in the local newspaper and you'll sell it quickly for a good price.
A lot of parents wonder if training wheels are a good way for kids to learn to ride their first two-wheeler. We've had excellent luck with them. Proper installation (we're experts) and sturdy training wheels (ours are super-tough) ensure easy handling, optimum safety, and a positive learning experience.
When buying a bike for your child, don't make the mistake of purchasing one that's sized too large. That's a common tendency because it's natural to want the machine to last as long as possible for your growing youngster. The problem is, if the bike's too big, it's going to be scary and dangerous to ride, which could turn your kid off to biking altogether.
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