How To Take Young Children On A Bicycle Tour

Children as young as year or so can enjoy bicycle touring - not in the same way as parents, but they'll have a blast out seeing the country and traveling with Mom and Dad. Of course, young children can't ride their own bikes, but there are number of options to consider:

Trailers: Trailers are a great way to carry small children. Up to about age 3, this is your only option but older than that it might still be a good option, depending on your child. Pay attention to the needs of your child - some will be comfortable in the trailer, while other want to help out with the pedaling.

Trailers are wonderful in many ways. Kids can sleep easily while the parents pedal. When they wake up, they can either enjoy the surrounding countryside or play with toys stashed in the trailer with them. In addition, you may be able to store additional gear in the trailer with your child.

Trailer bikes: When your child about 3 or 4, you can consider transitioning him to a trailer bike - a one wheeled contraption that hooks on to the back of your bike. The advantage of a trailer bike is that your child can help pedal and feels more a part of the team.

The downside to a trailer bike is the lost efficiency - the connection system simply isn't as rigid as a tandem so you will be wasting a fair amount of energy hauling the trailer bike. Also, if you get a cheaper, one-gear trailer bike, your child will not be able to help pedal up hills.

Tandem: A tandem is the vehicle of choice for kids that are big enough to stay seated and pedal. They are much more rigid and efficient that trailer bikes, but are also much more expensive. On a tandem, you are teaching your child proper cadence for pedaling and road safety techniques.

You can buy a tandem that is quite large for your child and put a "kiddie crank" (child stoker kit) on it to raise the pedals up. That way, as he grows you'll simply lower the pedals until you can remove the kiddie crank altogether. In this way, you can get many years of service from your tandem.

Coupler with child's bike: Another option that is fairly new is to actually hook your child's bike on to the back of yours with either a Trail Gator or Follow Me coupler. This is a fantastic option in that your child can ride his own bike when conditions are safe, but can be securely attached to you while in traffic.

Bicycle touring with children is a great experience for all involved! Get out there and build some memories now!

About the Author:
Looking for tips and advice on bicycling with children, then visit www.familyonbikes.org to find the best advice on riding bikes with children.

Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Tags: bicycling

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, cycling

, family

, children

, sports

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, travel

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