5 Tips for Riding Bikes with Your Kids This Winter

We all know how tough it is to motivate ourselves to go out in the winter, it’s wet, cold and the extra washing that comes with it, really doesn’t entice even the most avid rider. Adding kids into the mix hardly has us running to our bikes with enthusiasm!  But we all know how beneficial riding can be for kids, it improves coordination, is great for their mental health, keeps them fit, the skills they learn are invaluable in adult life, and if they’re anything like mine, getting them outside just makes them happy and slightly less feral for a few hours.  So if you can get past the extra washing, here are our tips on getting out for an enjoyable ride with the kids together this winter.

Layers

You know the saying, ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!’  This is extra true when you are planning a cold, wet and muddy ride.  When I take my boys out for a ride in the winter, we always wear lots of layers that can be added or reduced as the ride goes on.

Base layers

MTB or sports jersey

MTB trousers or warm joggers

Fleece2 pairs of socks

double buffs in case their ears get cold

water proof trousers or dungarees (nothing fancy, just ones used for forest school that are simply a barrier from the wet)

water proof jacket

thick gloves.

Snacks

My boys are definitely driven by snacks and what type or length of ride, dictates what we take with us.  We usually make sure we have something for if they are actually hungry, so a banana, sandwich or sausage roll come in handy. And on longer rides, we take a full packed lunch with us and stop when they’re hungry or need a pedalling break.  One thing we always take is sweets!  Most parents will know how many sweets kids get at parties or from grandparents, we tend to stash ours for riding.  They come in handy when the kids need a little energy boost, or a bit of incentive to get up the next hill… they don’t tend to need them going down the fun sections funnily enough!

Keep it fun

Riding is meant to be fun, we all took up this sport because we love the feeling riding a bike gives us.  But there’s nothing like a moaning child (especially when it’s your own!) to take all the fun out of it!  I always try to keep positive, it doesn’t always work, so when the moaning gets too much, we mix it up a bit.  We go off trail and let them session a short steep bit, or ride through puddles!  A firm favourite for my competitive kids, is to race each other on the fire roads to the next fun section.

Keep it short

Break it up a bit, if you’re riding some trail centres, or off-piste areas, there are likely to be hills involved.  Some kids love the type 2 fun of riding up steep tricky hills, but sometimes they just don’t want to.  We have a tow for helping with that, they get to rest a little while you get to keep moving to the next fun section.  When they just need a break from pedalling, we will stop and have a snack, or build dens or look for birds or bugs.  Sometimes you have to slow down and accept riding with them is a different type of fun.

End with cake

This is the best tip I can give – ALWAYS FINISH WITH CAKE!  Afterall, you deserve it! And if it gets the kids to the café quicker, we can’t complain!  After a wet, muddy and cold ride, you will be in need of some sugar and a hot drink.

Bonus tip, bring friends along for the ride

I’m not entirely sure why we aren’t enough encouragement for our kids, but when we bring friends along, they are completely different riders.  Less moaning, faster riders, they try new sections they wouldn’t if it was just us trying to encourage them.  Peer pressure does wonders.  So if you have like minded riding pals, with like minded riding kids, bring them along.  And if nothing else, you will be able to drown out the kids moaning of being tired or cold or their brother looking at them, with interesting chat with your bike riding pals.

Now, I realise that the above makes it sound like my boys don’t actually like riding their bikes as much as we do.  The truth is, they love it.  But they are only human and are kids at the end of the day.  And we all have bad days on and off the bike.  Hopefully the tips above help make more good riding days with your kids in the winter than bad.  I’d love to read what you do to help have a good ride with your kids in the winter, comment in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading!

Emily, Trail Bloom Founder