How to prepare for a mountain bike ride with kids

... And have fun ... 😁

Because the rate is there! Mountain biking yes, mountain biking with kids too, but this is a potential torture path that promises to be, no?

Let's get back to the cliché. Children who complain like Natalie's Bronze skiing " It's too hard! The ground is too soft! “ One of the parents who gets angry: ” But I told you it's too long! Obviously you always want to do more! “.

And add to this the surprise of the guest: a flat tire, a derailed chain, a loose brake, or a dropper post that decides to rebel. Choice.

Conversely, we have Danny McAskill who found his own mountain bike ride with his little niece. Not sure if your youngest child has the same smile as cute Daisy at the end of the second flip.

But we all agree that the truth is much better... You see more and more families traveling together and everyone looks happy, healthy, far from hysterical. And you've never heard common arguments and squeals in the middle of the forest before.

So we're off in search of real-world, proven advice on how to organize your first mountain bike ride with your kids, and we want to start over!

Organizing a mountain bike ride with kids: basic tips

At what age can I take my child with me to ride a mountain bike?

Sorry, but that depends on the circumstances.

Every child has a different learning pace and we all know that cycling requires a lot of skills, before which we are not all equal 😩: a sense of balance, coordination, reflexes, anticipation, dynamism, will, autonomy, a sense of fulfillment, etc.

Children are very comfortable to ride a bike from an early age and can follow you on a mountain bike ride from 5 years old. Others will take a little longer.

Pay attention to his reactions, his questions, the pleasure he gets from this new hobby that he is learning. In short: be cool 🧘. There is nothing to be achieved, nothing to be achieved.

Some will tell you that the more often your child sees you mountain biking, the sooner he will start. Here we are on the counter psychology. The truth is more subtle. The members of the UtagawaVTT community have never succeeded, to their horror, in passing on their passion to their children. For others, it happened very quickly!

Which route to take for a mountain bike ride with children?

You have two options.

If you want to thrill your MTB kid, don't skimp on duration and height 🧗‍♀️ or the technical descent of death that kills. There is nothing better than to hate a newbie on the first exit!

If you're not that sadistic we recommend that you start by thinking about duration. First, from 30 to 45 minutes and at the apartment, to see how everything goes, how your baby reacts, then gradually increase the duration, maintaining the same technical difficulty: crossing the steps, that's for later.

The secret here is to make sure your child only needs to focus on their practice and not on the difficulties in this area. Keep in mind that at 5-6 years old, your child does not have the same waiting skills as an adult.

You can set yourself a goal to walk from 6 to 10 km with a slight difference in altitude. If all goes well and everyone asks for more, you can extend the next walks.

To keep your child entertained and entertained, it will be important to adjust the pace and stay together as much as possible. Think back to your first ATV rides with people who are more used to riding than you. It is still a shame to see that we are behind everyone and that the group must be waiting for us! So, imagine on the scale of a child, where all emotions are multiplied tenfold ...

How to instill a taste for mountain biking in your child?

Link it to route selection to interest him and show him that this activity is not for adults, that he will have to go through an endless family meal, where he will be the only offspring.

Where would he like to go? What would he like to see on the track?

This will also allow Give him directions along the wayso he knows where he is. An old house with all the animals, a pond with water lilies, a large pile of firewood, a field with horses, a knight's castle, etc.

You can also choose your own place to taste it 🥨. Because yes, this will probably be the best time to release!

Another possibility: combine mountain biking and geocaching to add adventure and treasure hunting.

Or make him ring the bell every time he sees something in particular (butterfly, bird, etc.)

The younger your child, the more he loves to write stories, the more fruitful his imagination is. Use this to give him a taste for mountain biking!

But it is also an opportunity to teach your child to feel more and more comfortable on the bike by giving him advice (how to ride a bump, a hole, a branch, avoid an obstacle, a downhill position, etc.), or by imagining games:

• slalom game;
• release one hand from the steering wheel, alternately left and right hand - the same for the pedals;
• ball game - roll with the ball in your hand and throw it at the indicated place.

Then the game can be a problem : The winner is the one who rode the farthest without pedaling or putting his foot on the ground, etc.

On the other hand, if you have the same tact as Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator in terms of pedagogy and patience, stick to something simple! Don't forget it you are here to please yourself too!

Very practical and innovative accessories

For those who wish to share their passion for mountain biking with their child from an early age, there is always the opportunity to take a mini-athlete on their bike. In addition to the towable trailer and the seat that attaches to the rear of the bike, which are little or not suitable for mountain biking, there are systems from 1 to 5 years old that mount on the front of the frame.

Advantages ?

Above all, these systems are compatible with semi-rigid mountain bikes and even full suspension, which is ideal for practice off the beaten track and allows little fingers to discover nature. Then, if your child is in the front, it provides a better weight distribution that stays in the center of the bike, so it is easier for adults to handle. Finally, the ride is more fun for your child, who sees the road and things around him, rather than looking over your back. Besides, it is easier to communicate with him, it is a real moment of exchange and learning. The child actively participates in the walk, discovers the sensations of piloting, braking, changing direction ...

What do these systems look like?

For the little ones

It is a seat with safety belts that provide support for a child who may fall asleep during the trip. There is comfort, but the object takes up the space between your arms and legs and will quickly become confined as your baby grows up.

For children 2 to 5 years old, this is a system consisting of just a saddle and toe clips, no retaining strap. Therefore, it must be used with tonic children who are able to sit and hold the wheel on their own.

Some brands, like Kids Ride Shotgun, also offer a small handlebar that attaches to your hanger. This allows your passenger to have a suitable accessory that they can hold on to with their small hands and prevent them from playing with the seat lever, brakes, or gear lever!

What about the old ones?

After 5 years (or 22 kg), such a system is no longer suitable, the child becomes too heavy, too tall and, above all, he begins to control his bike well.

Then you can opt for an ATV traction strap 🚜 that allows you to tow your little one when the slope gets too steep or gets too tired. Thus, we can be more relaxed about large family walks.

Some systems remain attached to the seatpost of the head bike, others are provided as an elastic strap with the advantage of absorbing shock when starting or stopping an adult.

Kids Ride Shotgun offers a traction bike strap that fits into a small waist bag when not in use. This makes it possible to tow up to 225 kgso it can be easily stolen by older children! No more discrepancies between muscle bikes and electric bikes, or between seasoned athletes and beginners!

Trax offers the Trax MTB, a nylon traction cable reel that attaches to the seat post using Rilsan clamps.

In any case, regardless of your child's age, remember that he will exert less effort than you, so do not forget to cover him well if the weather is capricious so as not to carry the little Ice Cube with you!

Product
	Trax traction system ➕: 1️⃣ Remains installed and therefore can be used quickly, 2️⃣ Retractable to save space when not in use, 3️⃣ Very lightweight system. ➖: 1️⃣ Inelastic, causing jerking when starting off or on rough terrain, 2️⃣ Fits on the seatpost tube, therefore not compatible if the tube is in the down position or with telescopic supports, 3️⃣ Requires rislan fasteners, so you will have to cut them to change the bike system, 4️⃣ Can only tow up to 90 kg / risk of breakage.	View price
Shotgun strap ➕: 1️⃣ Can tow up to 225 kg and therefore can be used by adults. 2️⃣ Can be sold with a small fanny pack with a nice design that will appeal to children and in which to store the strap, 3️⃣ Elasticity for comfort when starting off and on rough terrain. ➖: 1️⃣ No winding, 2️⃣ Must be carried when not in use.	View price

We would like to thank Natalie Cuccarolo, Jean-Louis Varlet, Nicolas Croiset, Mary Ferrari Spadgirls, Marie-Rose Gel, Gabi Ledrich for their sharing of experiences and their valuable advice!

Credits 📸: Agence Kross, Sylvain Aymoz, Méribel Tourisme, Kids Ride Shotgun