Article written by Ride Captain Bruno Ferreira:
Mountain Biking is fun and if your kids are showing signs of wanting to get off-road, you can support them by joining them on our Saturday Doclings rides. Above all, there’s the most important rule – always make sure that your kid wears a helmet with a fastened strap.With appropriate supervision and gentle encouragement, your little mountain biker will no longer be a “burden” that keeps you from enjoying your own ride…He’ll be your biking buddy.
Ride a right sized bike
Kids learn to ride with greater ease, have more control of the bike and have a lot more fun if they have a bike that fits their size.
Choosing the right kids’ mountain bike will ensure that their learning experience is enjoyable and they have the opportunity to really take their riding skills to the next level. Let the child be a part of the decision process. They’re more likely to enjoy the bike if they helped to pick it out. But that means you need to do a little prep work, so the little one is ready to recognize that a good bike is more than a bright-colored paint job.
Don’t push too hard
You need to spend some time getting them ready. For a not-so-tough kid that means general physical conditioning first. Make it fun. Kids hate the “death-march” type of getting-in-shape activities that we go for. So, we need to adapt our minds to suit the kiddies needs. having more fun. And fun is really the most important thing for kids to experience on bikes. Fun is what makes them want to ride again. And again…
Get relaxed
Get your kid comfortable with the “attack position”; the stand with their pedals leveled, elbows bent and weight centered over the bike. This should be their default position on the bike, when riding anything more technical. They need to remain fluid and relaxed; no death-grip on the bars! This go-to position allows the bike to move around underneath them – without fighting the bike – and leaves them poised to tackle the terrain ahead. With this all becomes more fun.
Find new friends
Join some other like-minded young mountain bikers. It’s always bigger joy to share experiences together.
Go off-road
When you start riding off-road pick easy trails at first. Let your new biker learn at his/hers own pace. Often, it’s best to let the child lead out, especially on the uphill part of the ride. When it looks like they’re tired, take a break. Never belittle his abilities, and never push him to take dangerous slopes. Let him find his own solutions, and make it clear you don’t mind if he/she gets off and walks the rough or steep sections. In fact, maybe you should get off and walk with him. After all, we ‘re there for them.
Getting Stronger
These are my own rules to keep our kids keen and happy, but like I say, every child is different. We all know when our kids are having fun and if they’re happy, I’m happy. Their advancement through riding in the form of skill, technique, fitness and strength is unbelievable and a pleasure to be a part of. They go from struggling up the shortest climbs to powering up the hills putting some adults to shame (mental high five for the Doclings).
So, if you have any kids, give it a go, get them out, because I have to admit it is the most fantastic feeling in the world. I’m so proud as I watch our little Doclings progress and enjoy the rides, partly down to my encouragement, occasional on-trail tuition and also down to there love of cycling. It has given me a new lease of life in the MTB world and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our little fellas on two wheels.
After the ride
After any kiddies’ ride, we all meet at Penbritte for a well-deserved breakfast and to give the kids the opportunity to play with other kids.
Remember kids need constant motivation and a lot of patience.
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