Dream Fulfilled - Riding with Kid

BigLights

Simple pleasures, I know, but yesterday was the first time I went for a 'proper' ride with the wee one (she's 3 next month) on her teeny bike. She pedalled round the park like a trooper for more than an hour, nonstop, together, and it was a glorious feeling. I love seeing little ones on bikes.

veronese68

Excellent, that made me smile.

meanredspider

I know that feeling too. Was out with my son Charlie on Saturday. Did 10 miles with him then parted ways to do another 40. Had expected him to head home but instead he did another 10 up Mt Eagle and back (so he's gone from sea level to 750ft). He's not 3 but 16 but he has had bone cancer in his pelvis and walks with a stick. Not so much fulfilling a dream but waking from a nightmare.

bigmat

Was that a proper bike without stabilisers etc? Took my little fella to the park yesterday and was pleased to see he's almost got the hang of his balance bike - he's 4 and a half! I think I need to spend a bit more time on it...

gbsahne001

Couldn't persuade the family (wife and 9 yo) to get on the bikes yesterday but instead we went on a 5 mile hike, which was still fun, after which I ditched them at home and went out for 25 miles on the MTB.

corriebee1

BigLights wrote:

Simple pleasures, I know, but yesterday was the first time I went for a 'proper' ride with the wee one (she's 3 next month) on her teeny bike. She pedalled round the park like a trooper for more than an hour, nonstop, together, and it was a glorious feeling. I love seeing little ones on bikes.

Presumably you made her take a turn on the front?! Just wait til she's old enough to act as your domestique!

mtb-idle

a fantastic feeling.

I've always encouraged both of my boys to ride and bought them decent bikes to help them enjoy it. Culminated in 2007 when my eldest (then 16) joined me in Les Arcs for a week's lift assisted riding. ~Really proud but also terrifying to see him launching himself off the side of a mountain.

continued in 2011 & 2012 (and trip booked for this year) when I took him and his younger brother (they were then aged 18 & 20) to the alps with our skinny tyres to follow Le Tour for 3 days.

davmaggs

Is it me or any small children's bikes made of the heaviest pig iron?

They seem to weigh an amount that is out of proportion to their size (the bike, not the child).

UndercoverElephant

davmaggs wrote:

Is it me or any small children's bikes made of the heaviest pig iron?

They seem to weigh an amount that is out of proportion to their size (the bike, not the child).

Before I saw the light, number one son's bike ( 14" wheels, full-sus, disk brakes ) somehow weighed more than my large-sized Aldi-special mountain bike, and that weighed 18.5 Kg!

mattsaw

Awesome

Did you get much of a draft off of her?

mpatts

davmaggs wrote:

Is it me or any small children's bikes made of the heaviest pig iron?

They seem to weigh an amount that is out of proportion to their size (the bike, not the child).

Not if you shop at Islabikes (it's Amy's 3rd now....)



There is something spectacular about riding with your kids.

Cleat Eastwood

In a week of unbridled partisan hostilities that is great to hear.

I bet they did the kid thing and instead of looking where they were going they looked over at you for support.

Wrath Rob

mpatts wrote:

davmaggs wrote:

Is it me or any small children's bikes made of the heaviest pig iron?

They seem to weigh an amount that is out of proportion to their size (the bike, not the child).

Not if you shop at Islabikes (it's Amy's 3rd now....)

There is something spectacular about riding with your kids.

+1 for the Islabike. They're specifically designed for kids, not just scaled down, last for ages, and retain a lot of their value when you come to sell them. All in all a great purchase, even if slightly daunting when you look at how much the initial investment is.

I took my daughter to KJCC at the weekend. She spent 30 mins on the way there whinging about going to ride on the grass. After a little bribery/coercion, she rode on the grass for an hour and spent the 30 mins on the way home telling me how much she loved it. Kids eh?

theslowone

I have to agree riding with the kids is really a great feeling. +1 for Islabikes although my 5 year old has said that the best thing about an Islabike is that it has a loud bell!
Does anyone else also feel the fear when the little ones insist on skimming lamposts (mine still ride on the pavement).

EKE_38BPM

I see so many kids bike which weigh a ton. Pig iron frames, waaaay too many gears, full suspension etc. I've never worked on an Islabike, but when I have kids they'll probably get an old Raleigh (so much lighter and, excluding the brakes which can be upgraded, better quality than modern equivalents) or a decent BMX.

The worst offender I've worked with was a Dunlop double bouncer disc braked 24" MTB.
It bounced wildly as the kid pedalled.
The brakes squealled constantly despite me, my colleague and (according to the kid's Dad) their LBS trying to adjust them.
The brakes rubbed badly enough that you could feel them dragging.
The thing weighed more than my colleague's hard tail MTB which has hydraulic disc brakes, pannier rack, knobblies, water bottle and is nick-named "The Tank".

Whoever designed that Dunlop bike hates kids and cyclists. Here is a brilliant review of it.

rubertoe

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I see so many kids bike which weigh a ton. Pig iron frames, waaaay too many gears, full suspension etc. I've never worked on an Islabike, but when I have kids they'll probably get an old Raleigh (so much lighter and, excluding the brakes which can be upgraded, better quality than modern equivalents) or a decent BMX.

The worst offender I've worked with was a Dunlop double bouncer disc braked 24" MTB.
It bounced wildly as the kid pedalled.
The brakes squealled constantly despite me, my colleague and (according to the kid's Dad) their LBS trying to adjust them.
The brakes rubbed badly enough that you could feel them dragging.
The thing weighed more than my colleague's hard tail MTB which has hydraulic disc brakes, pannier rack, knobblies, water bottle and is nick-named "The Tank".

Whoever designed that Dunlop bike hates kids and cyclists. Here is a brilliant review of it.

But it is £90! that is quite expensive in some peoples eyes

EKE_38BPM

mpatts wrote:

davmaggs wrote:

Is it me or any small children's bikes made of the heaviest pig iron?

They seem to weigh an amount that is out of proportion to their size (the bike, not the child).

Not if you shop at Islabikes (it's Amy's 3rd now....)



There is something spectacular about riding with your kids.

In the interest of instilling good habits, may I suggest that you get your nipper to ride with her fingers covering her brakes and her shoelaces tucked in.
I spend so much time telling kids to cover their brakes but after about four days, and usually stacking into the back of the bike in front a couple of times, they get it and I don't have to say it anymore. I've also seen a couple of kids hit the deck because their shoelace has wrapped itself around the pedal axle to the point where the bike can't be pedalled.

Riding with kids is great and must feel even better when it is your own offspring. Even pedestrians and other road users smile when they see me and a colleague riding on the road with a line of eight kids between us.

Have I mentioned that I love my job?

EKE_38BPM

rubertoe wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I see so many kids bike which weigh a ton. Pig iron frames, waaaay too many gears, full suspension etc. I've never worked on an Islabike, but when I have kids they'll probably get an old Raleigh (so much lighter and, excluding the brakes which can be upgraded, better quality than modern equivalents) or a decent BMX.

The worst offender I've worked with was a Dunlop double bouncer disc braked 24" MTB.
It bounced wildly as the kid pedalled.
The brakes squealled constantly despite me, my colleague and (according to the kid's Dad) their LBS trying to adjust them.
The brakes rubbed badly enough that you could feel them dragging.
The thing weighed more than my colleague's hard tail MTB which has hydraulic disc brakes, pannier rack, knobblies, water bottle and is nick-named "The Tank".

Whoever designed that Dunlop bike hates kids and cyclists. Here is a brilliant review of it.

But it is £90! that is quite expensive in some peoples eyes

Its even more of a bargain when you think of it as costing £22.50/kg.

rubertoe

EKE_38BPM wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I see so many kids bike which weigh a ton. Pig iron frames, waaaay too many gears, full suspension etc. I've never worked on an Islabike, but when I have kids they'll probably get an old Raleigh (so much lighter and, excluding the brakes which can be upgraded, better quality than modern equivalents) or a decent BMX.

The worst offender I've worked with was a Dunlop double bouncer disc braked 24" MTB.
It bounced wildly as the kid pedalled.
The brakes squealled constantly despite me, my colleague and (according to the kid's Dad) their LBS trying to adjust them.
The brakes rubbed badly enough that you could feel them dragging.
The thing weighed more than my colleague's hard tail MTB which has hydraulic disc brakes, pannier rack, knobblies, water bottle and is nick-named "The Tank".

Whoever designed that Dunlop bike hates kids and cyclists. Here is a brilliant review of it.

But it is £90! that is quite expensive in some peoples eyes

Its even more of a bargain when you think of it as costing £6/kg.

FTFY

EKE_38BPM

Quite right. Epic maths fail on my part.

rubertoe

Either way, its cheaper than a good steak.

mpatts

EKE_38BPM wrote:

mpatts wrote:

davmaggs wrote:

Is it me or any small children's bikes made of the heaviest pig iron?

They seem to weigh an amount that is out of proportion to their size (the bike, not the child).

Not if you shop at Islabikes (it's Amy's 3rd now....)



There is something spectacular about riding with your kids.

In the interest of instilling good habits, may I suggest that you get your nipper to ride with her fingers covering her brakes and her shoelaces tucked in.
I spend so much time telling kids to cover their brakes but after about four days, and usually stacking into the back of the bike in front a couple of times, they get it and I don't have to say it anymore. I've also seen a couple of kids hit the deck because their shoelace has wrapped itself around the pedal axle to the point where the bike can't be pedalled.

Riding with kids is great and must feel even better when it is your own offspring. Even pedestrians and other road users smile when they see me and a colleague riding on the road with a line of eight kids between us.

Have I mentioned that I love my job?

Thanks for the advice - covering the brakes is something that I bang on about, and to be honest it has taken a couple of offs to really show her why!

Anonymous

Hahaaha the shoelaces round the pedals. God that takes me back!

t4tomo

BigLights wrote:

Simple pleasures, I know, but yesterday was the first time I went for a 'proper' ride with the wee one (she's 3 next month) on her teeny bike. She pedalled round the park like a trooper for more than an hour, nonstop, together, and it was a glorious feeling. I love seeing little ones on bikes.

Just you wait - a couple of weeks ago I took my oldest two on MTB ride through the woods and then onto the pub for lunch!

SteppenHerring

t4tomo wrote:

BigLights wrote:

Simple pleasures, I know, but yesterday was the first time I went for a 'proper' ride with the wee one (she's 3 next month) on her teeny bike. She pedalled round the park like a trooper for more than an hour, nonstop, together, and it was a glorious feeling. I love seeing little ones on bikes.

Just you wait - a couple of weeks ago I took my oldest two on MTB ride through the woods and then onto the pub for lunch!

Last year, took my (then) 12 year old for his first ride down to the coast and back (101 miles). That was cool.

I've seen more parents out with kids on road bikes recently. When I first started taking my son out on the roads, the looks you'd get.

walkingbootweather

Reached a milestone this morning - NOT riding with kids. Let me explain.

Got up and ready as usual this morning. Got bikes our of the garage. But for the first time I allowed my youngest, who has just turned 8 to ride to school independently. I have followed him in the past and he seems to have developed decent road sense, so today we got on our bikes and rode off in different directions. I just about managed to resist the urge to turn around and trace his route 'just in case'.

What's the next milestone do you think?

Topaxci

So looking forwards to all this.
My little boy is 2 and half and hasn't quite got the hang of his balance bike yet.

I so want him to ride and to love it.
Just need to check myself so he doesn't feel forced to keep trying and end up hating it.
I can be patient, I know he'll get there.

lockstock666

My son is really struggling with riding, (he is 4) he doesn't seem to have quite mastered the art of pedalling. He has been this way since his first teeny bike, trike and his latest bike, which to be fair to him is a relatively heavy 16" one as he is a very tall 4 year old.

Put him on the slightest decent and he will roll down it but he doesn't seem to understand that pushing one leg at a time and pushing harder will make him go faster. He just grinds to a slow halt on the flat. I cant even think about taking stabilisers off as if he can't pedal he hasn't got much chance. I wondered if the gearing was too high but its a single speed kids bike, how high can it be? I know its not the 'best' he could have as its quite heavy but I bought him this particular one because its branded with something he loves.

He can be very stubborn at times so I try to let him do things in his own time or it scares him off and that the last thing I want when it comes to cycling.

Any ideas on how to get him going? What did you guys do to get your nippers on bikes so young? (sorry for the thread hijack)

I think my 8 wk old daughter will get a balance bike as soon as she can walk!

Nik Cube

Riding with your kids is one of the best until they leave you for dust ! Luckily I have a nasty edge and my eldest dares not over take me as I carry a full sized pump

rjsterry

LockStock666 wrote:

My son is really struggling with riding, (he is 4) he doesn't seem to have quite mastered the art of pedalling. He has been this way since his first teeny bike, trike and his latest bike, which to be fair to him is a relatively heavy 16" one as he is a very tall 4 year old.

Put him on the slightest decent and he will roll down it but he doesn't seem to understand that pushing one leg at a time and pushing harder will make him go faster. He just grinds to a slow halt on the flat. I cant even think about taking stabilisers off as if he can't pedal he hasn't got much chance. I wondered if the gearing was too high but its a single speed kids bike, how high can it be? I know its not the 'best' he could have as its quite heavy but I bought him this particular one because its branded with something he loves.

He can be very stubborn at times so I try to let him do things in his own time or it scares him off and that the last thing I want when it comes to cycling.

Any ideas on how to get him going? What did you guys do to get your nippers on bikes so young? (sorry for the thread hijack)

I think my 8 wk old daughter will get a balance bike as soon as she can walk!

Do you know anyone else who you think could teach him? I remember that it was fairly traumatic learning to ride with my dad - lots of shouting and crying - all fine now obviously, but maybe not the best. A neighbour with children the same age, taught my stubborn youngest brother. He was best friends with her boy and they got the hang of it in an afternoon. I think my dad was a bit miffed that he hadn't been there, but happy to avoid the shouting and crying.

theslowone

Re problems understanding how to pedal.
My lad (now 5) had the same issue. I found the main problem to be that he had become so quick on his balance bike that he was not intersted in his Isla bike, at first because it just was'nt as fast and therefore less fun. In the end quite by chance we went on holiday with another family who have a slightly older boy. Once their lad had burnt off my lad a few times it seemed to click that pedals could be faster. also it is what the big boys do and most kids like to be like those they idolise. (adults too for that matter )