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Dirt Rag Articles
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A love of riding bikes can be seen as a childlike quality in adults, something that allows us to play and have fun. What happens when actual children enter the picture, and the adults have to grow up? Here are four examples of lifetime cyclists who, rather than abandoning their playful pursuit, are bringing their kids along for the ride.
Scott Spitz
Scott Spitz is the man behind the biking 'zine Leapfrog. We gave Leapfrog a page in the Dirt Rag #126 feature "Cut & Paste," and a passage from that was one of the inspirations for this article:
There is a child on the way. Just when I could no longer imagine another way and another meaning for this bike beneath me, this child will change everything. This bike now has the potential to acquire a whole new set of meanings. It will mean whatever may come of the lessons it affords my child, from their sense of accomplishment of balance, to the joys of independence and exploration, to the sorrows of leaving it all behind for the sake of maturity, to the hope that they may one day return to attach their own new meanings to its place in their life.
Scott's son, August, is now 8 months old. Scott is eager to share bicycling with him, but doesn't want to push him into it. "I consider it important that my child develop a love for physical activity; whether that is cycling, running, sports, interacting with nature, etc., is no matter to me. I'd love my child to go on rides and runs with me, but however they choose to be active and lively will be just fine with me. If he doesn't take to my physical activities, well, maybe I'll take to his! If I've learned anything growing up, it's that interests and accomplishments are so much more personal and rewarding when developed by the individual and not forced by someone else. Children instinctively look to adults for guidance, even if it's not explicit, so just being on a bike will introduce a child to riding, and that's the most effective way you can get a kid to ride. I'd say the more important part is also showing them that you don't have to quit riding to start driving."
Having a son has definitely changed Scott's own relationship to cycling. "The dreaded phrase often repeated to new parents is, 'You won't have any more time for yourself. Everything is going to change.' I'm not such a doomsayer, but I've learned there is certainly a truth to this, told through my cycling digression ever since I learned a child was on the way.
"When I first found out August was coming, changes had to be made, mostly in the realm of finances. I was working at a bike shop when I found out my partner was pregnant, and it goes without saying that bike shops aren't necessarily Fortune 500 award winners, so if I was going to help pay for hospital costs, insurance, education, etc. the first thing I was going to need to do was get a new job. This meant a number of things, such as removing myself from a direct connection to bike culture through the shop, but more despairingly, less time on the bike. I started construction work through the union and fortunately scored a job very close to my house, which allowed me to keep riding my bike to work. Unfortunately, with a 5:30 a.m. wake-up time, a huge bag of tools to put on my back, and sub-zero temperatures, I couldn't keep that effort up 100%. Then I got transferred to another job site a 45-minute drive away. There went my daily commute. I ended up quitting the union soon after and got a job with Child Protective Services, which gave me the opportunity to commute to work again, but then the temperatures shot up into the 90's and staying presentable at the job became more and more difficult. Then came the final blow, when we moved into my parents' unoccupied condo 40 minutes away, effectively killing my commute into work and around town for my usual errands. My daily cycling routine was over. So here I sit, too often literally, every move I make to provide for my partner and child has effectively put me further and further away from my bike. All hope is not lost though. In just a few months, after the winter, I'll be able to strap a cute little helmet on the little guy, put him in the trailer and hit the road again. Until then, I can't deny that echoing phrase in my head, 'Everything is going to change.' It's so true."
Sharon Leavitt
Sharon is one of the more badass chicks in the local riding posse: with a straightforward, no-nonsense attitude, she attacks climbs like they've offended her, and rides back down as if crashing were impossible. She was even a pro downhiller back in the day. I hadn't seen her in quite a while, then one day in the local park I spotted someone hauling ass up the main artery with a child seat on the back of the bike; after a good bit of effort, I caught the motorin' mama and was not surprised it was Sharon. She and husband Chuck have three children, ages 6, 4 and 1.
Once the kids came along, Sharon was determined to keep on pedaling. "Biking with a 2 1/2-year-old in a bike seat while 8 months pregnant in Frick Park is a really good workout (reducing labor time to 2.35 hours.)" She came to a women's ride last summer only a few weeks after giving birth to her third child—via C-section.
Sharon started biking with all three kids early, before they were a month old. "I found the itty bitty ones can go in a trailer in their car seat," she says. Once they were more grown, she found that towing the kids on mild singletrack was not out of the question: "Children are not afraid of singletrack until they learn to walk and have experience with falling." She takes the kids along on a quarter of her rides now. With a trail-a-bike off the adult bike and a trailer attached to that, all the kids can come along, and the towing parent can get some serious resistance training.
Jeff Jones
Some kids are just lucky. Marley and Korbin Jones have Jeff Jones for a dad, a framebuilder famous for gorgeous swooping titanium creations that are as functional as they are beautiful. The Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles website says that the years-long waiting list was recently closed; but in the Jones family, "whoever's pedaling and balancing gets a bike," one with proper function and fit taken meticulously into account.
Jeff is another parent who has turned the lack of time to ride alone into a good training opportunity. Both kids came along on bike trips in a trailer as soon as they could sit up. Now that they are old enough to "pedal and participate," Jeff welded a bottom bracket onto the rear seat tube of a tandem to create a kid-size stoker position for Korbin (age 2), and Marley (age 6) pedals atop a trail-a-bike attachment. In this configuration Jeff takes his children on fairly long trips and rides them to school 3 to 4 days a week, an 11-mile trip each way. "People think kids can't do things, but really, they don't know what they can't do. They only get tired when they're bored." To avoid that boredom he sets goals along the way of their excursions, telling them they're going to ride to an interesting place, such as a park or a creek, to play for a while—"Break up a 15-mile ride into 5-mile segments." Jeff admits that the kids have said that traveling by car is easier, but they also realize that cars are "stinkier." They also know now that going uphill is hard, but brings the reward of going back down.
On bikes, education happens without much effort. Out in the open the kids can see and experience much more than when trapped in a car, and they appreciate it. "Marley sees horses in a field, starts talking to them, and they turn their heads." It's a gentle way to learn about life and death; Marley takes note of roadkill and its decomposition, and loves to rescue animals trying to cross the road.
Marley started riding on her own near the age of three, and Korbin a little earlier at about 1 1/2. Jeff recommends taking the pedals off a child's first two-wheeler; this allows them to learn to balance first, by scooting along and lifting their feet for short distances, then pedals can be put back on later. For Korbin he bought a simple, lightweight wooden kids' bike that came without pedals (see sidebar). He took them both to a grassy area at first so they could have soft landings while getting the hang of the balance trick. Jeff advises sticking to singlespeeds and coaster brakes until about the age of ten, since "a kid will be a better rider if they learn on that first, then get into the tech stuff much later," and since kids tend to be hard on their equipment. From his bike shop days Jeff found that parents tend to buy bikes too big; they need at least an inch of standover clearance to be comfortable. In his view the geometry of kids' bikes is often wrong, being the same as an adult bike with much larger wheels—fortunately he can avoid that for his own children.
Of course someone whose livelihood comes from bikes would consider it important that his children be introduced to cycling. Jeff says, "Bikes are the ultimate thing! It's something you can do from the time you're two years old until you die. I had customers at the bike shop [where he used to work] that could barely walk, but they could ride. It's competition, transportation, and more." Yet Jeff doesn't want to force things so that bikes become a negative, nor let his business take away from time spent with his kids. He says, "Keep it fun and simple, let it become whatever they want it to be." He does have to be careful that the kids don't try to emulate him too early; Jeff once found Korbin walking up the stairs with his bike with the intention of riding down, and when dissuaded, he said, "But you do it!"
Joe Cirilano
The Cirilano family was another inspiration for this article. I've known Joe and his wife Jeanne for close to a decade, becoming friends with them while they were customers of the bike shop I used to work for. Once they had kids, they didn't abandon their biking lifestyle, but worked to incorporate their children into it. They ride together as a family two or three times a week, and I often see them in our neighborhood all on bikes. Joseph Jr. is 5 1/2, and Mia is 3 1/2.
Joe uses bike riding as an enticement and as transportation. "Getting kids to do stuff they don't like works better when you involve bikes (riding to church, etc.)." Like the Joneses, they also intertwine other activities with bike riding to keep it interesting, such as riding downtown to a fountain at an urban park where the kids can splash around, or taking a picnic lunch to a nice spot. Going places by bike, the kids learn their way around much faster than by car; Joe says they often point out my house, saying "That's where Ron and Ivan live." They can also be recruited to help with maintenance. "You can sucker the young'uns into helping you clean your rig. They love it and they're good at scrubbing tires. You just have to be careful with the chemicals."
As far as equipment, Joe prefers the type of child seat mounted on a rear rack: "Not only don't you get the 'parachute' effect with the seat (so it's easier for the 'rents) but the kids can see more, and I think they find it more exhilarating to have the wind in their faces—who doesn't?" Then once they are older he also uses a trail-a-bike attachment, since "it's so much easier to have a stoker."
Joe admits that he doesn't get his mountain biking fix with the kids. "I get up at the crack of dawn for that these days. No two ways about it, kids cramp the kind of riding you and I (and most Dirt Rag readers) like to do. The days of 4-hour rides or traveling an hour or so to ride are out for now." But he says, "My trying to get them to be riders is all leading up to something—and hopefully that is a desire to ride the trails when they are 'old enough,' whenever that is."
Clarity
by George Marshall
Perhaps it is my age, or perhaps my place in life's journey...but it seems that as of late I have had epiphanies with increasing frequency. Yes, I know.... epiphanies are, by definition, rare. But the story I am about to tell seemed like one. Maybe it was simply a moment of clarity—when everything came into focus. This moment occurred recently when I was lamenting the end of another riding season, not having arrived at the place where I hoped to be at season's end. Going about the business of grown-up-hood, selling a house, buying another and preparing for the marriage to my forever-mate, my riding became less of a priority. This and balancing the schedules of five (yes, five) young lives left me wanting for more as fall approached. Laura and I, having recently celebrated our one-month anniversary, both came to our "new lives" with little ones in tow. My two sons, aged 12 and 13, and her three, aged 11, 13 and 16, have all but insured many days of balancing schedules, moods, attitudes and yes, sometimes baggage.
So it was on this near-autumn day, while on a ride in Thatcher Park, that this moment of clarity struck. A rare day, with no ballgames, parties, or events to attend allowed me to get on the bike for what was to be one of the last rides of the year. As seems to be the case recently, I had three young apprentices in tow. I know what you're thinking: riding with the kids is like so totally middle-aged. I might as well break out the orange flag on a pole and bike trailer, right? But these guys are different. Logan, my youngest son, is all-go, no-stop. In anticipation of the required mile run for gym class he insisted I get him up at 5:00 am so I could run with him before work. You see the top three per grade get in the yearbook...last year he was fourth. For this, (I am not a get up at o-dark thirty type of guy) I was running a hill by our house before the sun was up. He loves triathlons, 5Ks, and mountain biking...but his sport of choice is beating on his older brother(s).
Max (Laura's middle) is new to mountain biking. In fact, he is new to anything aerobic. Aside from Rec. Soccer (one practice and one game per week) Max was pretty much content just hanging out thinking up new experiments and inventions. That changed one morning this past spring when, out of nowhere, he asked if he could join Laura, Ruth (his younger sister) and I on a charity 5K trail run. Max turned a corner that day...with what was undoubtedly the longest 3 miles of his life. Since then, he's done a triathlon camp (followed by an actual triathlon), a local 5K, and has been the biggest haunter to ride every day.
Ruth E., the baby and only girl of the new family, is the female version of Logan. Although she has recently discovered her girliness, she is as athletic as any of her four brothers. Likewise doing tri camp, a couple of triathlons and 5Ks, she is a total hammer, with strength and endurance beyond her years. The sound of her willing herself up a hill, "C'mon, keep running...you can do it," under her breath is incredibly reassuring to her stepdad who never anticipated raising a daughter. She will go far in life.
So it was on this September day that I lubed and loaded the bikes, helmets and Camelbaks, and headed up the hill to Thatcher with my three charges. At the trailhead we stretched, spun a little bit and did some bunny-hops just to shake everything loose before the ride. Singletrack followed by muddy meadows, a creek bed, a fire road and back to singletrack was the route I chose. The payoff is this short, steep, piney climb to an opening, which overlooks the whole valley. The City of Albany is visible 15 miles to the east, and beyond, the Adirondack and Berkshire Mountains. Before that however, a couple of stops to make sure everyone was good. During a stop, Ruth E. says: "Mr. George," (a name reminiscent of when her mother and I first started dating,) "you have to get me Times," (pedals) "these Shimanos keep getting clogged up." Max concurs; his are clogged up too. Logan says, "Yeah, I know...I love these things," (referring to his Times). Some more small talk and we continue toward the overlook. I break out of the woods first—simply because I was in front, then make a sweeping circle so that I am parallel to the cliff and can also see them pop out. It couldn't have been more than 10 or 15 seconds, but in the time it took them to break out of the woods it all came to me, this moment of clarity I refer to. Here were three young lives, living and loving mountain biking, clipping-in and riding trails that I only began riding several years ago...and doing it all because of me. They pop out, do the same sweeping circle, drop their bikes, walk to the cliff and have a seat. We soak in the view and munch on Pringles, or crackers, or breakfast bars—whatever we brought that day...and talk mountain biking. Clarity...total clarity.
New Life as a Mountain Biking Dad
by Greg Nass
So, what's it like to be a 36-year-old married mountain biker guy with twin daughters, you ask? Challenging, yet rewarding! Gone for now are the days of riding three to five times a week and the post-ride parties that last until morning. Gone for now are the weekend riding trips with your wife and friends to camp in the woods while seeking singletrack day and night. Gone for now is the endless amount of change to spend on bike stuff and bikes. Gone for now are the friends you rode with who are still out riding while you are hanging with the little ones. Gone for now are the endless hours of saddle time I once took for granted.
Challenging for now are all the times your friends are out on rides and you are not. Challenging for now is seeing a killer climb when you're out-and-about and knowing that you won't have any time in the near future to go home, get your bike, and ride it. Challenging for now are all the times that you spend thinking about riding. Challenging for now are the times you miss your old way of life. Challenging for now is looking at your bikes hanging in the garage as they seem to speak passionate words to you and ask to be ridden hard like they like it!
Rewarding are the hills you climb with the kid carrier on the back and the kids stuffed in it. Rewarding are the smiles on their faces as they look up at you while you're out on the trails. Rewarding are the family trips to rails-to-trails to pedal a couple of miles before the kids decide they would rather be jumping and running. Rewarding is hoping and knowing that your kids will love bikes and the outdoors as much as you do. Rewarding is looking forward to the day you can teach them to climb a log pile or ride a wheelie. Rewarding is knowing that one day you will get to share all of your cycling knowledge with your kids, knowing that they, too, will one day share it with theirs. Rewarding is all the family time spent on bicycles with the people that mean the most to you in this world.
Yep, my biking life has changed after having kids and it continually changes, just as a trail changes year after year. Sometimes the trail gets bigger and wider from being ridden more, sometimes the trail will spur around a tree that has fallen, or maybe the trail will get smaller and overgrown from lack of use, but that trail, just like life, can be cleaned and ridden again someday. For now, I know that I wouldn't trade my overgrown trail for anything else in the world.
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Wooden Bike
My daughter is learning to ride on a wooden bike with no pedals, a sit-down scooter of sorts. She is just about big enough to be comfortable on it, and I'm hoping it will make the transition to pedals easier, and will allow us to skip the training wheels completely. I've never seen one for sale in a bike shop, and the one I purchased came from Target, although there are none listed on their website as of late August. A quick internet search for "kids' wooden bikes" brings up a few websites selling them, although many are not in the US. The Rivendell Reader had an article on them a few months back which is where I heard about them first. –Eric McKeegan
Equipment for the Little Ones
Child seat – A plastic seat with safety harness that attaches to a rear rack above the back wheel on an adult bike. Often includes a cushion, safety bar, and foot rests. Can be easily removed from rack when not in use. Bell and Topeak are two examples.
Trailer – A two-wheeled, fully enclosed, low-slung cab for one or two children towed behind an adult bike. Usually has mesh screen with rain cover, soft seat with safety harness, passive suspension. Attachment to rear triangle allows independent movement, and will allow trailer to remain upright if bicycle falls over. Often foldable. Burley, Chariot and Trek are three common brands.
Trailer cycle (a.k.a. trail-a-bike, third wheel attachment) – Like the back half of a kids' bike, attached to the seat tube or rear triangle of an adult bike. Allows the child to pedal or coast at their own speed. Attachment hitch has a joint allowing the trailer to move independently. The Adams Trail-A-Bike and Burley Piccolo (being reintroduced this month) are two popular models.
Child stoker kit (or kidback attachment) – A kit consisting of a bottom bracket with cranks and timing chain, clamped to the rear seat tube of an adult tandem. Allows a child stoker to reach the pedals.
Safety for Tagging Along
– First of all, check with your doctor to determine if your child is physically developed enough to come along on a ride.
– Also check the laws in your location. In some states and municipalities children must be at least a year old before they can be carried by bike.
– Make sure you are capable of maintaining control while pulling the extra weight.
– Fit your child with an approved helmet. A good bike shop is the best resource for buying and learning how to adjust a kids' helmet.
Online Resources
www.sheldonbrown.com – Sheldon Brown is a legendary guru on all things bike. His encyclopedia of a website has a "Family Cycling" section with advice on bikes and accessories, how to teach kids to ride, and even an account of a family tour by tandem through the French countryside.
www.ibike.org – The International Bicycle Fund is a nonprofit promoting bicycle transportation, and their website has a wealth of information in its Education section on how to safely bring little ones when traveling by bike.
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| Exclusive Dirt Rag Web-Only Extras For Riding With Kids | After writing the short sidebar about the no-pedals running bikes I went to Interbike and found some more info about them. Kool-Stop imports the wooden Like-A-Bike from Germany, Specialized has a boys and girls aluminum version in their 2008 catalog, and Strider is importing a low cost version with an optional foot brake. –Eric McKeegan
There are a number of organizations helping to introduce children to the sport of mountain biking. Here are a few notable ones:
- IMBA: The ubiquitous champions of mountain biking promote Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day, which occurs the first Saturday in October (the 6th this year), with prizes for groups registering kids' rides.
- Trips for Kids: Coming up on its 20th anniversary, this non-profit organization takes kids on mountain bike outings who may never otherwise have the chance to go, teaching environmental awareness and social skills along the way. Marilyn Price started it in Marin County in 1988 and now there are over fifty chapters across North America.
- Safe Routes to School National Partnership: A network of groups promoting the Safe Routes to School movement, which aims to help kids be more active by making it "safe, convenient and fun" to bike or walk to school.
- Your Local Mountain Bike Club: For example, the New England Mountain Bike Association puts on a series of mountain bike rides especially for kids. You may have read an account of one of these rides, as recounted by a guide, The Old Coot, in issue #131.
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| Comment from Deb Luciano on 2007-11-28 |
| I was very glad to see this article. I would like to add a few observations about cycling courtesy and safety that I have learned through experiences with my own children (1) Let the riders behind know when you are going to stop abruptly (2) DON'T STOP ABRUPTLY (3)Alert pedestrians, verbally or with a bell, when you are approaching them from the rear. It's amazing the number of people who don't hear you coming. Tell them what on which side you are passing them. Many kids are shy about shouting out to strangers, so I always equip them with bike bells, and expect them to use it. (4) Teach children hand signals for turning and stopping and (5)(This on earned us a trip to the ER...) Don't even THINK about carrying toys, bags,kittens,Light Sabers,extra large l towels or ANYTHING in your hands while riding a bike - espcially when you have snuck away without a helmet. |
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| Comment from david on 2007-11-17 |
| I started using a tag-a-long attachment with my 4-5 yr old son. I think it helped him to ride his own bike and develop a feel for balance. It took him less than a minute to learn to ride a two wheeler. It was almost automatic. The problem with the tag-a-long was my son would very skillfully fall asleep while we were riding. People would be shouting and pointing at my son and I was thinking yes he is so cute but actualy he had fallen asleep with his hands draped over the handlebars so he didn fall off. As soon as I would realize it I would stop and he would sleep on the nearest bench. [we rode in central park in new york] I feel we were lucky that he didn get hurt but I think people should be warned. |
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| Comment from Rene on 2007-11-15 |
| I was happy to see this article. Too many people think after they have kids riding stops. Too many avid cyclists don get there kids on bikes.
Mine ride to and from school, and have been riding single track since they were 3.Granted they are only 5,6, and 8 now.
The best part is going on vacation a trying to make the person in the bike shop understand that we want to be directed to single track not the bike path. The last trip we did a 7 mile jeep road,mostly flat and non technical- they were bored - I felt bad. But hey at least they can say they rode there. They have ridden in every place I have. Its pretty cool. Spread the Passion!! |
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