Tales from today's family bike ride…

[James Ots]

We went for our second family bike ride today. The first was in the summer when we hired a tag along bike in the New Forest. Now we have our own 'Trail Buddy' bike, so we went for a ride around Draycote Reservoir. I attached the Trail Buddy mount to my old mountain bike — I didn't feel like messing up my nice new Tricross — and off we went. My wife has a child seat on the back of her bike for the one-year-old, and a crossbar seat in front for the nearly-three-year-old. I had the four-and-a-half-year-old on the Trail Buddy. She wasn't too happy about going on it, and there was plenty of crying and moaning. It was really difficult riding in a straight line with her on the Trail Buddy, but after a few minutes she calmed down and started to balance properly, which made it much easier for me, and then she started enjoying it a little, and by the time we'd done a complete circuit she was really enjoying it. But rain was on its way, so we packed up at that point, and a good thing too, given the thunder and hail storm which arrived a little later.

 

[marknotgeorge]

Let's make this a thing.

As Mother Nature is at last smiling upon the land, yesterday I took the Mad Scientist and the Drama Queen along the Mickleover to Egginton Greenway. Now normally, the Drama Queen, being 12, zips off ahead while the 9-year-old Mad Scientist faffs about and winds me up, stopping every 50 metres or so. But I think she's cracked it! She pedalled fairly slowly but steadily practically all the way to Etwall (we stopped and turned back at the 'You will hear traffic...' point in the link. I think he would have gone further if we hadn't caught up with the Drama Queen. The way back was a little slower. She'd left her water bottle in the car, and I'd let her put mine in her basket. I fear it was too much of a temptation...

 

[macbikes]

Great (and honest!) tales from family bike rides. Today we have only ridden to school (me, 7 year old and 3 year old) and back (just me and 3 year old!). Soon we will do the pick up, on bikes of course

 

[EthelF]

My son (4) and I went for our first bike ride together yesterday, a just over 4km round trip across the park and to the shops, and I am pleased to say he rode all the way (except where we dismounted to cross roads, and where I pushed him up the short hill from the shops) and absolutely loved it!

He's been using a balance bike for a couple of years, including his current bike without pedals since October, recently we tried it with pedals but he just couldn't get going, he was fine as long as I set him off. So on Saturday I took him to the park to practise, telling him to scoot to the park and we'd have a go at pedaling once there. The next thing I know he's pedaling off down the pavement without a care in the world! No need for Daddy to show him how to set off, it seems! So, as he had the confidence I figured yesterday we might as well cycle to the shops and he did brilliantly.

Super-proud Dad

 

[KneesUp]

We went for our first family ride on Saturday. My daughter loves the bikes at school, and is very keen to ride hers, so we went to the local country park, paid £3.50 to park - and she would only ride about 50 foot at a time before stopping. Her own bike is an Argos one we got because we had vouchers, but it's really heavy - it has aluminium adult bike sized tubes, but I think it's steel - hence her 16" wheel bike weighs about the same as our adult-sized MTBs (which are also steel). I guess if I had to ride a bike that was a third of my bodyweight I'd stop a lot too. I sort of knew the bike would be rubbish, but you know, we had vouchers, and you think it can't be *that* heavy. It is. (and to be fair to Argos it does say

• Weight when fully assembled 11.5kg.

in the listing. I just don't remember reading that bit)

Looking at better 16" bikes on eBay ...