[Closed] Best ride ever! (Child seat content)

Like it. Love taking my boy out on the back of the bike, they definitely are some of the best rides. No ride recommendations unfortunately, stuck down south.

*likes*

Great isn't it?

It's brilliant.

When ever I would speed up he'd just giggle away and smack me to go faster (well, I took it as an encouragement to go faster).

Brilliant! Before you know it, he will be along side you on his own bike.

My eldest is 5 now, and has been on a pedal bike for a year or so. On Friday I rode with him to school, a really proud and touching moment watching him ride in front / beside me. You've got that to come!

It's great isn't it 🙂

Only tip I have is to keep it relatively smooth - being right over the rear axle with no option to stand, they feel every small bump.

Kryton, that sounds brilliant.

Spent an hour or so with my boy (almost 2 now) up at a local park with his balance bike over the weekend. They have a little mini pump track there. Had to help keep him upright but he loved it and had a massive grin on his face 🙂

Only tip I have is to keep it relatively smooth - being right over the rear axle with no option to stand, they feel every small bump.

I'm tempted to get a wee ride for more off roady stuff. Would think it may be a bit less bone shaking than being out back. Any experiences?

Funny you should say that mrblobby. I started kryton jnr on a balance bike around the local park which also has a mini skate park - he rides his pedal bike over all the ramps etc now. Also our park has a railway along one side so there are some man made "hills" (about 15ft high) which were of course originally designed to block the rail noise from the park. Over the years little paths have developed as dog walkers walk up, along the top and down. Anyway, after some encouragement jnr and I now spin around the park (me on a hack SS), up the hills, along and down the slopes - his first mtb/dh experience - he's even standing now.

Like most you'll probably find the transition between balance bike and pedals takes about 10 mins.

It's even better when they are in front, on a wee-ride seat and can see where they are going a lot better, get much more interaction

My son just falls asleep! One ride he was tapping me on the back. Looked round then realised it was his skid-lid bouncing off and he was zonked out! The only niggle is I have to ride my wife's bike with the seat on which is a hardrock with pink pedals and mudguards.

Anyway, after some encouragement jnr and I now spin around the park (me on a hack SS), up the hills, along and down the slopes - his first mtb/dh experience - he's even standing now.

Thats sounds great fun 🙂

Blobby jr only really done a couple of hours on the balance bike so far so still needs a lot of help staying upright. He's a whizz on his scooter though so hopefully the balance thing will carry over.

Congrats - I still love taking youngster out on the bike seat, he loved his ride to the childminder in the sun this morning!

My equivalent from yesterday - first time on it outside, he's not quite big enough but loves it already!
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/theflatboy/13057966235/ ]Proud Dad moment - first bike goes down a storm![/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/theflatboy/ ]theflatboy[/url], on Flickr

Happy days. And still in the garage. The flying banana is the best bike ever. Fact!

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TiRed, today you win the internet.

An awesome contraption!

Trans Pennine Trail, Penistone to Dunford Bridge or just to Thurlstone and then up over the hill with the windmills to Ingbirchworth and the Fountain Inn. I remember doing this with young daughter on the back, when she woke up (that rhythmic bump on your back or the sideways loll) she drank all her water then drank all mine. Good job the Fountain wasn't far away.

Isn't it amazing 🙂

We got a WeeRide 6 months ago and our boy (2 on Thursday), often goes and gets "Patrick's hat, daddy's hat" and stands next to the bike saying "bike, yep, bike... bike yep, yep bike...yes pleeeeese, yep, bike, thank yoooooooo, bike yep" etc, until we're off around the village.

Serious question, I see you love to give your kids bikes and they seem to love them.
What if they say one day when they're 5 "daddy, I don't like going on my bike with you" would you stop? Or would you keep buying the next Isla bike up and ignore your child's request so you can keep your hobby while you have no babysitter?

iolo, good question and one that is occasionally in my thoughts. He will of course be free to choose his own hobbies. I would never force him to do anything but I would be gutted!

It's not going to happen anyway, I'm the third or fourth generation of cycling enthusiasts down my dad's side so it's inevitable... 🙂

Iolo, I'd like to think I'd be ok with that. Kids fall in and out of hobbies and interests all the time so probably best to back off and keep options open for them. May be worth working out what it is he doesn't like about it though, maybe he likes the riding but not some other aspect of it?

iolo

I don't really like to talk about it but I got our boy a Haro balance bike a couple of months ago and he doesn't like it at all. He's almost two so plenty of time yet, but I'm worried he'll never like it. Wifey was away over the week and I ended up putting chocolate buttons on the bars, feeding him every time he went near it!

I have such wonderful memories of cycling with my Dad. One that just made me smile was a night ride with 2 friends, their Dad's and me with mine. All with terrible mid-90's lights, rigid bikes, narrow bars etc. It ended with us three lads having a don't-tell-your-Mum half pint aged about 14. An awesome night and one I'd love to repeat a generation down the line.

Serious question, I see you love to give your kids bikes and they seem to love them.
What if they say one day when they're 5 "daddy, I don't like going on my bike with you" would you stop? Or would you keep buying the next Isla bike up and ignore your child's request so you can keep your hobby while you have no babysitter?

I wonder the same re riding (and football, rugby, drawing/colouring and generally anything else I've been into over the years).

Chimp is 3 yrs old and has been riding his HotWalk for over a year (parks, farmland, woods, BMX/skate parks etc) and he loves it. He also digs coming out in his Croozer (trailer).

If he chooses to stop one day then so be it. Either way, I'd like him to have a real zest for sport and outdoor life. Similar to flatboy, I can trace my cycling routes back to WW1 so I'm hoping it's in the genes!

iolo, would be only one option;

sandwicheater - Spen/Calder Valley Greenway are ok (which you probably know) for a pootle with the child seat, as is the canal from Brighouse to Hebden Bridge. Further afield, Roundhay Park has some nice family friendly routes and if you don't mind a bit of a drive then Clumber Park has some good family riding too. You could ride out to Saltaire on the canal from Leeds.

Iolo, it never happened. The Flying Banana is transport, fun, fitness training. Happy Sunday evenings out for a 20 mile loop. They are both riding red routes at Afan now, and I'm racing Teen1's road bike. Enjoy the riding. It doesn't last long!

I remember seeing this lycra clad race snake parent outside the old Coed y Brenin Cafe screaming at his boy (maybe 6) saying "I BOUGHT YOU THIS F@@@@@ING BIKE, NOW F@@@@@ING RIDE IT!!!!!!!!!". The poor lad was bawling his eyes out. That's why I ask.

That is shocking, the poor boy.

Reminds me of this...

I'm only a new dad but I'd struggle not to have words with the chap (and then promptly have my face punched no doubt).

I took my boys over to Swinley on Sunday. The eldest sulked because the blue was shut so we had to ride around boring fire roads.

The youngest got to ride the green on his balance bike.

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He absolutely loved it, and went crazy angry when we had to leave.

iolo - Member
I remember seeing this lycra clad race snake parent outside the old Coed y Brenin Cafe screaming at his boy (maybe 6) saying "I BOUGHT YOU THIS F@@@@@ING BIKE, NOW F@@@@@ING RIDE IT!!!!!!!!!". The poor lad was bawling his eyes out. That's why I ask.

Not long ago I was stood on the start line of a balance bike race with Jnr. Dad next to me was cossetting his kid, and saying "Don't look at them. You are better than them. Focus on the track, don't look back. Look forward. You are the winner".

wtf, he's 3 and a half ffs...

I'm sure there is a pushy dad behind many kids who can't stand competitive sports.

All future Vicky Pendletons, no doubt!

Not read her book but I was under the impression that she did it mostly to try and get her dad's attention and please him. Think he was too involved in his own racing and bitter about her success, blaming having kids and being tied down for it, rather than being a pushy parent.

sandwicheater and others - can I ask what age you started your kids in weerides and child seats? My boy is 10 months and I'm not sure if that's too young to get started. Also would appreciate recommendations for who does the best helmets for under 1 yr olds.

Was soon after his first birthday for ours. I'd probably have taken him out earlier but mrs blobby wouldn't let me. Got an abus helmet here. Didn't really research it but it's got crocodiles on it so it must be good!

In typical 'over enthusiastic cyclist dad' style I got Hatter Jnr his runner bike long before his legs were long enough.

Just this weekend however he finally got on it and could touch the ground, now he can't get enough! Just had a text from the wife saying that he was on it for an hour this morning whilst I was at work.

*proud*

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I know you can't choose what your kids get into but it's looking good so far.

First bike seat excursions were around 10 months for my nipper as well. Helmet from On One for a tenner, the only one we could find that was small enough for his head. And yes, he has had a balance bike since well before that pic above and he can't even really use it yet... 😆

Edit - hatter, is that a Righty fork?!

Yup 😀

timmys, I was chomping at the bit from about 10 months but my [s]cautious[/s] wife insisted we leave it until he was one.

To be fair, he's a solid unit so he would have been fine from 10 months.

We got a Giro Me2 helmet as it had planes on(£15 at CRC) as he's got a small bonce and all the rest were too big.

Those key development stages in full 😉

Started in a seat tube mounted bike seat at about six months.

(EDIT: Actually I started with a Baby Bjorn on the front and rode to nursery at three months)

Kiddyback tandem at 3.5 yrs/six months with crank shorteners, extra small saddle, adjustable bars and Rhode Gear Limo (no seatpost, see)
London to Oxford at 6 yrs on tandem.
Burley Piccolo plus Kiddyback Triplet at 7/4 yrs (Now THAT was hard work!)
Separate bike for longer road rides with tandem at same age.
KMX recumbent at 7 yrs
Variety of MTB and Road bikes that ever expands.

Kids get bored easily - always have a good reason to ride. At first it was out to see the cows in the farm once Teen1 woke up (Usually at about 5 am). Trips to ice cream, journeys to nursery/shops. For them cycling is often a means to something else.

Oh, and kids need one CHOCOLATE BOURBON every three miles. It's the rules! These are my top tip and give a nice taste without the mess. I used to keep them in a saddlepack for the stoker (who also had the bike computer, bell, horn and all signalling duties)

TiRed, don't you mean dad's need a choc Bourbon and the kids can have one while your at it.

Here's chimp getting in on the pre-Olympic vibe atop Boxhill

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On his HotWalk last summer (coming up for 3 yrs)

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Psyching himself up for a sick drop (which BTW I didn't let him do even though he wanted to)

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spacemonkey - I believe you about not letting him do it, but it doesn't look like there's any other way up there without you lifting him up!