“WITH KIDS, DISTANCE IS OFTEN LESS OF A FACTOR THAN TIME IN THE SADDLE. ON DAYS WHEN THERE’S HEAT, RAIN, STEEP HILLS OR BUGS, ASSUME THAT PART OF YOUR CHILDREN’S STAMINA WILL BE SPENT ON COPING WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT.”
pump up for trails
Kids deal with frustration and fatigue differently depending on their endurance, ability and temperament. Figure out how fast, how far and how long your kids are ready to bike by tak- ing interesting rides close to home. A few of these will help you plan realistic weekend adventures. With kids, distance is often less of a factor than time in the saddle. On days when there’s heat, rain, steep hills or bugs, assume that part of your chil- dren’s stamina will be spent on coping with their environment.
It’s up to parents to keep an arsenal of distractions, diversions and motivation in their pack pocket to dole out and keep spir- its high. Try sing-a-longs, games, snacks or exciting destina- tions along the way—anything to avoid hearing, “How much further?”
Every child is different of course, but experienced kids around the age of six are usually able to last about 45 min- utes on their own, over gentle terrain. Double that if they’re riding behind you on a trail-a-bike. For many experienced 10-year-olds, an hour and a half on their own bike is no prob- lem. Almost everyone prefers a loop to the repetitiveness of an out-and-back route.
“Most adults want to set goals, in terms of distance, time or ef- fort and that’s not going to work with kids,” says Lee McCor- mack of Boulder, Colorado, author of Teaching Mountain Bike Skills. “The terrain shouldn’t be threatening at all,” he advises for newbie kids. “We want to imprint positive experiences, so keep it very mellow.” He adds that completely flat trails aren’t ideal because kids love to coast down hills, instead, opt for moderate grade, simple open track, with some rocks to make things interesting.
McCormack is a father of twin three-year-old girls. He got his kids started on Strider bikes when they were just 18 months old. “They just chewed on them at first, but when they were two, they wanted to ride them.” McCormack advocates pump tracks—mini, circular, off-road routes that take riders over bumps and through tight corners and can even fit inside a backyard. “Parents don’t want to give up riding but can’t take their kids on a three-hour, cross country, Type A mission,” says McCormack. “Pump tracks are the answer. They’re a great place to hang out and there’s a huge benefit in terms of athleti- cism and fitness.”
Pump tracks are like a low-key BMX track from the ‘80s and they’re springing up in municipal parks everywhere. There’s probably one near you. Before hitting the trails, laps at a pump track can help your kids learn to corner on berms and pedal hard up steep rollers. No one gets left behind at the pump track and kids can stop for a snack or play whenever they want.
52 SPRING 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84