Mountain biking can be a family activity. You can contact national, state and county parks to find trails and programs that will appeal to the entire family. Some parks offer introductory mountain bike rides for families and some have scheduled interpretive bike rides with a ranger, who talks about the local history, geological points of interests and indigenous wildlife. As your kids mature and their biking skills grow, you can graduate to more challenging mountain biking. However, before you head out on a family mountain bike excursion, train your child on basic mountain bike skills in the neighborhood or local parks. Keep initial rides short and avoid steep inclines.
Mounting and Dismounting
If your child's bike has toe clips or a cleat mechanism, you should practice mounting and dismounting on level ground before graduating to inclines. Make sure the gear is neither too high nor too low. The child should hold the handlebars with both hands. She should lift her leg over the back of the seat and place her right foot in the right pedal, flicking the pedal to secure her foot into the clip or cleat mechanism. Then she should bring the right pedal up to the 2 o'clock position and push down on the right foot while pushing off with the left. As the bike moves forward, she can slide her backside on the saddle and place her left foot on the left pedal when the pedal hits the top dead center of the rotation. For dismounts, use both brakes evenly until the bike has slowed to a near stop. During a descent, primarily use the back brake and minimize pressure on the front brake to avoid flipping the bike over. Once at a standstill, lean the bike slightly to the left and place the left foot on the ground. Bring the right leg over the back of the seat.
Braking
The brakes should be squeezed with two fingers, allowing the remaining fingers to grip the handlebar and maintain control of the bike. Stopping should be done by pressing both the front and rear brakes simultaneously. Generally, greater pressure should be applied to the front brakes, which provide more stopping power, but rear brakes must be applied as well to avoid flipping the bike over. Locking the brakes should be avoided as skidding causes wear on the tires and damages trails. Avoid using the front brakes on short descents, loose terrain and when cornering at high speed. On long descents, brakes should be applied and released in a pumping fashion rather than steadily pressed to avoid overheating. Don't brake when going over obstacles. If you don't have disc brakes and cross through a creek or get the wheel wet while riding, test the brakes and dry them off.
Grip
The handlebars should be gripped with both hands at all times. The thumbs should always be under the handlebar to maintain control in case of a bump.
Vigilance
Train your child in basic vigilance. Look ahead and set a line or track to follow to avoid obstacles. Scan the road ahead, looking for obstacles, but maintain awareness of other riders. Don't lock sights on the riders ahead and don't focus on your own front wheel. Look 3 to 6 feet ahead. Shift to a lower gear when approaching sand, mud or loose dirt.
Tips
Kids who are age 7 or older can ride their own bikes. Find destinations the kids will enjoy. Overlooks, waterfalls and lakes make good destinations, as do caves, interesting rock formations and places that have interesting wildlife. Take snacks and plenty of water for hydration. Don't forget sunscreen, and stop often for breaks.
Member Comments