Last Updated on 8 August 2024 by Colette
I remember as a kid regularly nagging my parents for us to be able to go on a family bike ride. I don’t know why especially, perhaps it was just because it meant we’d be able to go a bit further than up and down the road outside our house or maybe because I just fancied a family trip out. Either way it wasn’t something we did very often, in fact I could probably count on one hand how much family cycling we did!
Now, as a parent myself, I have a husband who is a keen cyclist, a teenage son who is following in his footsteps (or should that be tyre tracks?) and two daughters who enjoy riding their bikes but aren’t about to take up long distance cycling any time soon.
A couple of years ago, when lockdowns meant our options for days out and entertainment were quite limited, we got quite into cycling as a family. It was a fantastic way to get out into the fresh air and of course the mental health benefits at a time when we couldn’t do much else, were huge. At the time Amy had only just learned to ride her own bike and so wasn’t ready for cycling any sort of distance or indeed on the road so we used a tag along attached to her Dad’s bike. (This is great for cycling with kids who are too big for a bike seat and want to feel that they’re actually riding a bike too. Do bear in mind that it will add quite a bit of extra weight to your bike though!)
As a family, we have a mixture of bikes – Dave and Ben both have road bikes whereas the girls and I have hybrids (Amy and Chloe have both tried road bikes but don’t like the riding position). This does mean that we’re looking for smoother tarmac surfaces rather than gravel trails or muddy tracks more suited to mountain bikes – and in my experience these can be harder to come by if you’re trying to avoid cycling on the busy roads but don’t want to spend the morning doing laps of the local park.
Five top tips for family biking!
1. Make sure everyone’s bike fits
It’s super tempting to buy a bike just that bit big so they can grow into it and you can get your money’s worth – what you actually end up doing is buying a bike they can’t ride safely and knocking their confidence
We invested in a gorgeous new (to us) road bike for Amy the summer she learned to ride her bike – it was a bit big and that combined withe different riding position meant she lost all confidence and I would say it has taken two years, and a new bike, to get her going again!
2. Check your bikes are roadworthy
Not wishing to sound like my Grandad, but check your bikes are roadworthy before you go out. Check the tyres are pumped, that there’s no punctures (carry spare tubes if you’re going further than you’d like to walk home again and consider packing a small first aid kit too!) and make sure everyone’s bike fits them properly and doesn’t need adjusting. The first time we went on a family cycle ride, Dave had omitted to check my tyres and was most amused when we got home and realised I had been slogging away on near flat tyres for the last ten miles – no wonder it was such hard work!
3. Wear the right gear
I’m not saying go all out in Lycra but wearing jeans is not the one. Very quickly after getting into cycling, Dave was wearing padded shorts or cycling tights and Ben has always done the same (which handily means the girls have an array of cycling gear to grow into). If you’re going any sort of distance then padded shorts, gloves with a little padding and lightweight tops can all really help – neon colours and reflective details are all good safety features to look out for as well. And it should go without saying, but a well fitting helmet is really important – especially if you’re planning on riding your bikes in traffic.
4. Plan your route
Dave and I have a bit of an ongoing joke the he always accidentally takes me out much further than he means to – and yes, he’s done the same with the kids too when a planned 10 mile ride has ended up being more like 18! We generally like to do a circular route when we’re cycling with kids, planning in a stop for snacks (a cheeky ice cream or even lunch can be a good idea but don’t stop for too long as you might not want to get back on!)
We try to plan cycle routes that include cycle paths, or sections through parks and away from roads as much as possible – we did one family bike ride down a canal tow path and whilst this was great for avoiding road traffic, there were plenty of pedestrians to avoid, the gravel path was much slower than a nice smooth tarmac and I was always a bit nervous someone would wobble off into the canal – we didn’t do that route again!
To help avoid traffic, Google Maps has a handy feature that lets you see cycle paths when you are planning a route. It even differentiates between separated cycle lanes (with a barrier between you and road itself) and the more common cycle lanes that are just a painted line between you and traffic. We are lucky in Manchester that there are plenty of cycle lanes for us to choose from and it is possible – if you drive to a start point – to cycle completely on dedicated cycle lanes over a decent distance which is great for when you are with kids.
5. Don’t push too hard!
I think it’s really important when you are bike riding with the whole family, to make sure that it’s really enjoyable. If you go too hard or too fast, nobody will have a nice time and you’ll not want to do it again! Getting the first ride right is really important – once you’ve built up everyone’s confidence, you can start to think about longer distances. This is a tricky balance for our family as we have Ben and Dave who are strong, experienced cyclists and find pottering along at a pace the girls and I need to go quite tricky – it’s also hard for me to feel like I’m working my backside off when they just seem to be coasting along next to me! We managed to put Chloe off family bike rides for quite a while by cycling far too far and on roads that were much busier than we had intended!
It’s ages since we’ve all been out on our bikes together – in fact it’s a shamefully long time since my bike has been out of the garage at all. I would say this is in part due to Amy struggling with her road bike and part just not making the time. Hopefully these tips for cycling as a family have inspired you to get on your bikes and out on the road together!
Have a look at this post of recommended parks in Manchester for bike rides next!
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