Teaching Kids to Ride a Bike

I am by no means an expert on the subject of teaching kids to ride a bike but I can offer what I have learned from experience! I do however believe that British cycling should do more to promote the benefits of balance bikes rather than what we conventionally have which is a bike with stabilisers! Stabilisers teach dependency in my opinion and hinders the learning of the fundamental skill needed to ride a bike- Balance! However the benefits of stabilisers are that they can be a safe learning aid and also lessens the need for parents to invest time and effort when kids are learning to ride. You can also cover more distance with pedals, you could argue! However having seen the Wee Man progress from the age of 2 to the age of 3 in his riding I would advocate a balance bike every time.

The Wee Man was 2 years old when he received his balance bike.

The first thing we instilled was that a helmet was to be worn every time he used the bike and this has made wearing a helmet a normal thing not a big thing! We also always lead by example!

The first thing we worked on was getting him to sit on the seat as it was more natural to straddle and not sit. By increasing the seat height slightly this helped! 

The biggest lesson we took from reading other peoples advice was small and often. If they want to walk, push or do something else then let them as we all know toddlers can't be rushed! We took his bike everywhere with us and for this reason it is worth investing in a light one! Although they cost a bit they retain their second hand value.

Riding with others and on different terrain helps keep them interested and challenges them to transfer their riding skills in different situations. 

The wee man entered the mini mountain mayhem event and he was surrounded by balance bikes and wee people!

It soon becomes evident when they are ready to move to a bigger bike! Fortunately for us it coincided with Christmas! We looked at all the options and decided to go for an Isla Bike. The smallest apart from their balance bike range was the Cnoc 14. 

There was never any talk of stabilisers! Why…..well the fundamental skill needed to ride a bike is balance and he had already mastered this! The second skill he needed was to learn to pedal this really is the easy bit! On Christmas day he got straight on his new bike and rode it! By Boxing day he was racing us along! Stabilisers breed dependency and do not teach the skill needed to actually ride a bike! As for safety use a balance bike or take the pedals off and lower the seat until balance and confidence has been developed! 

The current skill we are working on is how to feather the brakes! The wee man loves to go a bit faster than we would like but we are getting there! Since Christmas there has been no stopping him and he continues to love the adventures he is having on his new set of wheels! 

A Memorable Day on Blencathra at the Age of 3

The wee man is starting to get a real passion for the outdoors even at the grand old age of 3! Being surrounded by pictures of mountains, sunsets and the odd bit of action this should be no surprise to us! With a little break in the dull weather it was the ideal time to climb Blencathra and show the wee man that when you put your mind to something anything is possible!

The chosen route was Mousethwaite comb, Scales Tarn, for a picnic and then head for the summit. Sharp Edge would be a challenge for another day! The wee man impressed us walking almost to the top of Mousethwaite Comb needing little encouragement other than his walking pole!

After a little drink and rest at the top of the comb we headed for Scales Tarn. As with all toddlers that age splashing in puddles is a great thing to do but on a mountain not the best ! With lots of water running down the path we had to do some distraction tactics all the way across! There were lots of Fireman Sam rescues to attend! 

Approaching the beck leading to Scales Tarn it was evident that the nights rain was going to make it an interesting crossing ! The outdoors teaches kids so much self discipline which becomes more evident when you need them to respond to instructions when things get a bit exciting!!

Having safely crossed the beck it was evident that the wee man was ready for his picnic! This route was proving to be great for a toddler as there were lots of places to aim for, keeping them interested and motivated !! 

The picnic was a success and watching the gusts across Scales Tarn provided some entertainment although that was not needed with the view that was in front of us. Educating the wee man about Sharp Edge was important and he was keen to cross it the next time we were on the mountain! Leaving Scales Tarn we decided to dress him up as it was getting quite windy. Having his rucksack with a rein on it was very assuring although not to be relied upon, on the steep paths.

Although the path climbs steeply to the summit ridge it is over quickly with a view to keep your mind off the hard work. We made topping out dramatic for the wee man getting him to climb over the rocky outcrops! He was feeling very proud of his mountaineering exploits! 

The excitement for the summit was building and in the end we could not stop the wee man from running to the summit! Although his legs were tired he just kept going! Once on top he had a well earned drink, applause from fellow walkers and time to admire the view! 

A very excitable and tired wee man was standing on the summit of Blencathra feeling very proud of himself and we too shared this feeling! 

It was soon time to head down and home! The zig zags really helped keep him entertained pretending we were Tom Thomas from Fireman Sam flying his helicopter. We also stood to watch the scramblers on Sharp Edge.

With only a small amount of carrying on the shoulders we were soon back at the car giving each other high fives for what had been a memorable day on the hill!

The wee man was certainly a tired little boy but the smile on his face at the end was one of relief and pride! We are sure that it will not be long before he is once again stood admiring the view over the lakes from one of the many amazing summits!

Mountain Biking with A Toddler

It was always very important to us to keep the wheels moving when kids became part of life's equation! We did alot of research as to what we could do to keep mountain biking and experiencing the thrill of off road on two wheels!

Whinlatter Blue Route

The first priority was to ensure the wee man had a balance bike so he could experience his own thrill on two wheels! As soon as he got his bike he became hooked! He soon mastered the balance but the issue for us he increased in speed dramatically and became more and more daring !

Keswick Railway Line

We researched different ways to mountain bike with a toddler but information is thin on the ground even on the world wide web!! We eventually came to the conclusion that we wanted to carry him on the front and also have an alternative for road and trail. This led us to two options. 

Four cross track Mabie Forest

The first was the I Bert Safe T Seat which was a forward facing seat and seemed very easy to fit. We ordered it right away and within days it came and did exactly what it said on the tin! I fitted it to my Scott Scale. I have changed the handlebars on this bike which helped and hindered the fit. The wide bars have really helped with the stability and handling but the flatness of them made getting the wee man in and out a bit of a squeeze! We just had to take his shoes on and off when he gets in and out! 

Whinlatter South Red

The seat has a great harness and is padded making it a comfortable ride. In the colder months we cut legs out of an old sleeping bag with ties to cover him to keep him warm! This seemed to work and allowed us to keep riding in the cold! 

Whinlatter South Red

The bike responds well with the seat on and even when it gets a bit rough the ride is not too uncomfortable on the front due to the forks taking most of the impact! Obviously you adapt your riding to take into consideration you have a wee man on the front but being able to interact while enjoying the trails together is awesome! We have ridden mainly trail centres blue with the odd bit of red but it really is down to what you are comfortable riding.

The wee man is now 3 and is on the verge of out growing the seat. There is a weight limit of 38lbs and fits age 1-4. We would fully recommend this and is worth the £80 price tag!

 AE Forest Blue Route

The second option we went for was the Weehoo ! Although a bit pricy at £285 it has been worth every penny! It is different to other tag alongs and trailers as it gives the wee man the option of pedalling! Everything is adjustable and it fits to the bike very easily! 

We have ridden with this on quite narrow singletrack and road. It handles extremely well and is also very good training! You do need to remind yourself that you have it on the back and a wide berth is needed around obstacles but it does improve your line choice in general! Again we adapt our riding to take into consideration the Wee man behind!

Cartmel Fell 

Whinlatter Blue

Newcastleton Red Route

Ae Forest Blue

Hartside Pass

Hartside Sing Song keeping the Coast to Coasters Entertained!

Cartmel Fell

Riding up Hartside pass is always a good session and the wee man loves coming down! It is great when you have to sing the Oki Coki when gasping for breath up hill but all good fun!

It is important to protect their eyes when sat behind the bike and we have found that sunglasses are fine but swimming goggles are better!

Sunglasses and buff on Hartside Pass

Goggles and buff at a mucky Glentress

The panniers on each side and the big net pocket on the seat is great for carrying all you need to with a toddler in tow! There is even two net pockets either side of the seat for waterbottles and snacks! 

Ae Forest Blue

The harness system is bombproof and there has been no complaints about being uncomfortable! The wheels are 20" so you will need seperate tubes. We had two punctures in the first few rides and it is important to note that you need to take a spanner to get the wheel off. The chain is not the easiest to deal with when changing a tyre but we found putting the wheel in at an angle helps! 

Eating buttons whilst giving instructions!

The weehoo can be used with kids up to 9 yrs old. We found this to be an awesome addition to our bike collection! We are planning a cycle tour in the summer and have every faith that the Weehoo will continue to be great! Our advice at the start is to do short rides and build up! It is always good to build in little breaks to give them a run around or even take their bikes then when tired they can jump in the weehoo and you can strap the bike on !

Giving a helping hand!

We would really recommend the Weehoo for trails and road! We have managed to keep riding in some shape or form and instead of our big mountain bike adventures we now have mini adventures which are just as much fun and at times challenging!