Hi All,
I have three kids (9,7,5). they are all riding without stabilisers but the 5 year old is a bit short on stamina, (he’s got 110% commitment mind)! They all like to ride together but the 9 year old quickly gets bored of being limited by his youngest sibling. Mainly we ride to and around the local parks together at the moment. I’d like to take them further afield but wondered how others keep it interesting for the older kid without destroying the experience for the younger? Should I look at some sort of tow bar to hook youngest up to when he gets tired? Go to somewhere like Swinley, not go to far from the centre but set them little challenges? I’m taking 9 year old to Swinley on Monday on his own, so he can try some more adventurous riding, (just the green and bits of blue) – hopefully this will keep him a bit happier for now! Bright ideas for keeping it interesting when we are all together gratefully received!

Tow line (not bat) set ups work ok. Pump tracks and skills parks are good too so everyone can do their own thing at their own pace whilst still being in the same area. Also ride with other families so you can herd more effectively, someone with the faster ones to keep them in check and others with those that need a bit more supervision.

Go to a place where the 9 year old can ride sections, then ride them again while waiting for 5 year old.
Use ‘skills’ park area for them to play on.
Take some pals – then there are a couple of 5 year olds and a gaggle of 9 year olds etc
Take them separately.

Thanks for the replies – separately is difficult (for complicated reasons) but yes, I try and do that where I can. However, looks like roping some other families in is the way forward – strangely although we have lots of friends with kids, a disturbing number of them don’t have bikes – but I’ll focus on the enlightened few that do! 5 year old is a bit short for his age – I’m encouraging him to grow so he can move up to 20″ wheels which will also help!

Well I took 9 year old to Swinley as planned. He was quite apprehensive about it – riding for years but nothing man made. We rode the green a few times to get him used to the what to expect. He was fine with that – less blasé than I expected. He then asked to a do a bit of the blue – we started at ‘1’ and finished at the finish. I had to talk him through the first swoopy descent before he would try it – but after that he took them all in his stride. Similarly he had to walk up a couple of little nadgery bits – but was pleased to cycle past an adult on one uphill section. He was buzzing at the end of it and we went round a few sections again until the car parking ran out. Oddly he still thinks the green is worse than the blue! Oh and he likes ‘Stickler’- which is definitely odd behaviour. Kids!

Times change I know, so this isn’t going to be a “back in my day” post. Well not much 😉. At 9 I wouldn’t dream of riding with my father, it was on my own or with friends of a similar age. As you obviously like riding together as a family which is cool and I doubt you’ll just kick him out of the house to do his own thing. But is there somewhere you can let him of the leash for a bit so he can ride at his own pace for a while. I get bored riding with others if there to slow, it must be maddening for a youngster full of pent up energy.

Hi, yes I get the sentiment – I think by 9 I was at least out with my older sister, terrorising the streets on our crappy bikes. We live in quite an urban area here though and there’s nowhere really he can go on his own, (I’m amazed how few of his friends can even ride bikes too). I can take them to quite a big park that they can do laps of on their own – totally flat but he can race about, try and do bunny hops etc. There’s light at the end of the tunnel though – watching him yesterday it won’t be long before he can ride at least bits of the blue on his own – it’s just the getting lost that’s a bit of an issue at Swinley – but a few more laps with me and he’d be ok.