BORN TO BE
YOUR GUIDE TO THE ULTIMATE FAMILY BIKING WEEKEND BY KATHLEEN WILKER
WILD
Whether mountain biking is your middle name or something you’ve discovered in middle-age, trail riding is a fun-for-the-whole-family activity that puts a spin on weekend camping. From behind the bars, kids will find navigating trails a new adventure. This go- to guide will help you choose the bikes, trails and gear to suit even the littlest rippers.
bike fit: think light
Kids learn more quickly and enjoy riding more when they’re on well-designed, well-built bikes. Most major bike manufacturers, such as Specialized, Trek, Rocky Mountain and Norco, now offer decent kids’ bikes in 16-inch, 20-inch and 24-inch wheel sizes. Designers take height, weight, pro- portions and strength of kids into consideration. Being able to apply the brakes and shift the gears with smaller hands is key to enjoying the experience and being able to trail ride as a family.
“When you’re choosing bikes for kids, weight is the biggest factor,” suggests Duncan Beard, bike guru and bike racer from Fresh Air Experience bike shop. Lighter bikes are simply easier to pedal and allow kids more control, which is especially important if you’re heading over the hills and far away.
As a guideline, Beard recommends bikes weigh no more than a third of a child’s weight. “If your kid is less than 100 pounds, their bike shouldn’t weigh more than 30 pounds.” He encourages parents to forgo shocks for kids under 10 years old to save weight.
This, however, is easier said than done, found Canoeroots publisher Scott MacGregor. “The best kids bikes we could find weighed more than our adult-sized bikes. It hardly seems fair.” Frame size isn’t as much of a factor as the rest of the bike’s components. “There is a big differ- ence between department store bikes and good quality, $500 kids’ mountain bikes,” says Mac- Gregor, “but it’s still a far cry from what’s standard on a $1,500 adult mountain bike.” If you’re really serious about setting up your kids with lighter weight bikes, MacGregor suggests looking at racing BMX models or starting with an aluminum-framed mountain bike and making a hobby out of upgrading parts.
It seems like a no-brainer, but Beard also advocates for selecting a bike that fits. “If you get a bike that you hope they’ll grow into, it will be hard for them to ride it and enjoy it now,” he says.
Well-made bikes are worth the initial investment. They come with components that operate more smoothly and require less maintenance than anything from Walmart—think more riding and less tinkering with shifters and brakes. A good new bike will last to be handed down through siblings or can be sold or traded when the time comes to upsize.
www.canoerootsmag.com 51
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