Bicycling For Kids

 Created 4/19/2021

Everyone who ever wanted to ride a bicycle probably saw their sister, brother, relative, or friend riding one, and from that moment on they decided they wanted to try it, because it looked so fun!  Indeed, bicycling is indeed a lot of fun, it truly can be a very invigorating experience, also it's healthy for you too, and everyone really gets a thrill out of riding, even if it's just for a short trip to a friends house or the store to pick up some snacks.

However, bicycling really isn't for everyone, little kids around ages 3-6 can start learning how to ride with training wheels or use a balance bike, but they aren't ready for a real bike until around 7-9 years old, of course with enough experience riding they'll be able to fly up and down sidewalks with ease, but of course the streets aren't for beginners, neither the off road trails, nor mountain biking.  Parents naturally should refrain from allowing their kids to go riding alone, because cars are more likely to see a bunch of kids riding rather than one, and friends can warn the other kids who are oblivious to the oncoming traffic of the danger they are in, but once a child reaches the ages of 10-12 years old, then they'll probably want to explore more alone.  (Just make sure they aren't ever alone!)

I would refrain from allowing my children to go bicycling alone until the ages of 16+, only because the streets are dangerous, and it's easy to get robbed, even and especially on off-road trails because often homeless and drug addicts may hang out in the woods.  Teaching your children to be safe while riding is a must, don't just expect them to follow the rules, make sure they really know their stuff and listen to you before you allow them to go riding off with their friends, and safety isn't just important, it's saves lives too.

Before you choose to go bicycling of course your first obligation of course is to pick out a bike, if it's a kid, then any basic BMX (Bicycle Motocross) Bike will do, no sense in spending a lot of money there, and if you are smart, you'll buy a used one, as there are tons of used kids bikes found online or at garage sales.  I would highly recommend buying used bikes to learn with, because respect for bicycling must be earned, and kids tend to tear up bikes FAST, so do your self a favor and save your wallet the trouble!

Many kids decide rather quickly that bicycling is just far too much "Work" and put the bike down never to pick it back up, while others decide to make it a means to get around, and others might get serious about it and focus on racing or mountain biking, either way you'll figure out pretty quickly if your kid is really into bicycling in their first few months of cycling.  There are retail stores you can buy basic safety equipment for your kids, like helmets, elbow/knee pads, etc., and of course every parent should at the very least learn to fix flat tires, otherwise the bicycles will become useless once the kid has skidded their brakes enough to rub their tires bald (Which leads to flat tires & often too).

Choosing a the right bike depends on the age of the kid and their interest, if they just want to ride around the neighborhood, then any basic BMX bike will do, but if they want to go off-road & off the pavement sidewalks to travel on the off beaten paths, like gravel roads or light trails, then they are going to need a bicycle with some tires that can handle the off-road situation, and that means either changing their BMX Tires to Off-Road or investing in a kid's mountain bike, which is more expensive than a BMX bike (Unless they have an expensive BMX Bike that is.).

Obviously children won't be riding road bikes / fitness bikes until they are into their later teens (Like 14+), I personally would avoid fixed gear bikes, other than BMX / freestyle bikes, but that's because I love using gears, and any BMX with only 3 gears is far better than a single gear BMX, and when talking about MTBs (Mountain Bikes) they will obviously come with gears naturally.  Freestyle are trick bikes, some kids like to do tricks on bikes, but those kids are generally over the age of 10, and some like to race bikes (Usually it's a competition thing between boys), while others just like rolling around with the neighborhood kids.

What your kid chooses for a bicycle tells you a lot about them, their intentions with bicycling, and if they will likely become serious or not is something you will learn as they grow in age, just make sure they don't hang out too much with their friends!  I say this because often when kids hang out too much they start to get into trouble or worse, trouble finds them, and I'm not saying put a limit on your kid's friends, I'm saying just make sure you take notice of how much they hang out.

Of course all children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by someone over the age of 12-16 depending upon your state, so make sure that you don't let a bunch of senseless kids go riding around alone, and I say this because then you've crossed into the legal neglect of children category of the law.  Once your kid has chosen their bicycle (Please let them pick it out, it's a personal thing really!), make sure you spend the time to teach them what they can and cannot do on bicycles, teach them that jump curbs leads to bent rims (As in hitting the curb with your back tire), and teach them that instead of just dropping the bike down on the ground, that they should learn to treat their bicycles with a bit more respect (Especially if they don't want to see it get stolen, so make sure they put them away!).

Not every kids will enjoy bicycling, those who really want to get into mountain biking, will need to be accompanied by an adult until they learn all of the dangers of what they are doing, and just because a friend is doing it is NOT a good enough reason to just hand your kid a mountain bike and say have at it!  That is unless you want to see your kid come home with broken bones, a serious rash all over their body (Wiping out on a bunch of pants can get REAL NASTY), or worse, but I'm not going to get into that, and you know what I mean by worse, because it happens.  (Here are some interesting stories!)

If your kid is under 8, then they need to stay on the sidewalk at all times, and those over 8 need to at least demonstrate a strong awareness of cars, traffic, and the dangers of riding around in the streets, before they are permitted to go riding off with their friends.  Of course taking your kids to a park with a bicycle path is a fabulous way to spend a day in the park, just make sure you can see them at all times, and if they want to ride around in the big parking lot, that's fine, but make sure they are full aware of cars before they can go flying around alone.

Helping your children adjust to the bicycling environment is critical, it's not just about the bike, it's about learning how to ride, grow in awareness, and understanding bicycles, because there is a lot to learn for both the parents and the kids!  I've seen older men who have been bicycling for quite some time take their kids out riding for the first time, you could see the misery and horror in the kids faces as it was raining on them when they were coming home, and indeed I suspect one of them slipped and fell while riding (The rain is dangerous on slick tires).

Because the best way to learn bicycles is through experience, you can't just read a book and learn how to ride, the kids have to have a bicycle to learn with, for little kids they have what is known as balance bikes, that have no pedals at all, and these teaches them how to ride some safely, but it's definitely not like the real thing until they get going down hill. (With no brakes, lol!)  I probably shouldn't laugh, because some of them do have brakes, thankfully, and yes your kids are going to wipe out, so you should have some boo boo first aid not far from your front door.

Teaching your children how to ride is a great bonding experience, they enter in a respect for their parent's knowledge, and it helps them adjust to being parented with direct support from their parent.  Unlike schools, where the parents are absent, and bicycles are something that still yet today many adults and older kids are still riding every day, weather permitting.

I brought up the weather for a reason, you obviously shouldn't let your kids go riding in the rain, especially not during a thunderstorm, or when there is a lot of wind either, it's simply too dangerous, and too risky for them, because cars don't brake well in the rain & it's very muddy & slippery too!  There is so much to cover for kids, I mean you want to make sure they are protected well, they get on a comfortable bike that fits, obviously little kids don't belong on big bikes, and not every type of bike is right for a kid, obviously children don't need a dual suspension mountain bike until they are at least 14+ & only if they are seriously into mountain biking & off road hill jumping (A hardtail is sufficient for most MTB excursions for kids).

Road bikes and fitness bikes are really built for commuting and racing on the road, they don't make for good all around bikes for kids, but a gravel bike on the other hand is good for more than just basic commuting and racing, though most kids don't need this style of bike, and it's still a great choice for older kids (Over 13).

Be sure to leave a comment if you feel like I've left off anything important:

Links to other pages on the web about bicycling for Kids:

How to teach your kid how to ride a bicycle

How to choose Kids' Bikes (Sizing Is Important!)

Starting & Stopping (Beginner's Guile by Sheldon Brown)

Bicycle Safety For Kids (A Must Read)

10 Best Kids Bikes (Our Favorites)

21 Best Kid's Bikes 2021 (Keep in mind this is marketing!)

Why Bicycling For Kids is VERY IMPORTANT TODAY!

10 Tips for Kids Learning To Ride Bicycles

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