Mountain biking can be a great way for families to get outside, spend time together, and participate in a shared passion. Take the time to set up a few things in advance, find an appropriate location, and make every family outing one that will build on a lifetime of fun bike memories! Below, please find 6 tips that span mindset, attitude, and location planning to specific suggestions on bikes and gear. Generally speaking, I am referring to kids between the ages of 2-12, although, you may find these tips are more universal and span the ages of 2-82!

#1) Fun First

Instill a lifelong love of bikes in your kids by prioritizing fun! The trend in youth sports in America is to push kids into more and more competitive environments where fun often takes a back seat to winning. One of the great things about riding bikes when you’re young is there is no winning and losing. There’s only fun and not fun. A few tips to keep things on the fun side:
**a) Check your ego at the door.** Don’t get wrapped up in how quickly your kid progresses, how many laps they can do, or if they are catching air when they’re 4. The more you appear to be having fun, the more fun your kid(s) will have!
**b) Set your expectations:** You are NOT going to get a workout in, although you may end up pretty sweaty from chasing your kid around on a scoot bike! The family bike outing is NOT about *you*. Maybe you can practice your wheelies or trackstands, but the focus should be on your little ones. Don’t be upset if your kid is going slower than you want or if they want to ride the same ¼ mile loop 18 times.
**c) Be Positive and Specific:** Provide direct and specific praise opposed to general applause. For example, point out specifically what your kids are doing well. The more specific you can make your praise the better. For example, “I love how you are standing up as you ride on the pump track.” Or, “You did such a good job using both brakes to stop without skidding!” The specific praise is important so your kid knows what skills they are doing well. In contrast, if you simply repeat “good job” over and over, kids don’t know what to do more of.

d) Reward effort over results. For example, if your kido successfully rides a skinny, respond with “I love how you attempted that skinny! That was brave!” If your kid attempts a skinny and falls off you could respond with “I’m impressed you attempted that skinny! That was brave!”

e) Encourage, don’t push: Use language that empowers and encourages rather than creates pressure. For example, I often provide kids with an option such as, “Do you want to ride this feature? You have the skills!” vs creating a pressured situation such as, “You are totally good enough to ride that skinny.” Or, (insert other kids name) did it, and you’re way better than them.”

#2) Flat, Downhill, or Pump Tracks are a Goldmine.

Going back to point #1, this is about FUN! Your kid does not want to pedal uphill for more than 8.23 seconds. Take the time to find a location that is either flat, or has fun terrain features like a pump track or a skills park. If you can organize a safe shuttle, do it! The more you can get your kid stoked on riding now, the more they will want to ride later. Selecting a proper location goes a long way (see suggestions at the bottom).

As your kid gets older and stronger, gently ease into climbing. Start with small, manageable sections of uphill terrain and break it up with snacks, sips of water, and micro goals. For example, let’s try to make it to (insert physical land mart) without stopping. I break longer climbs up into smaller chunks and encourage kids to only think about one section at a time. The TowWhee is great option to provide an uphill assist to ease your little ripper into bigger and longer hills!

A slow MTB race in Post Canyon, Hood River is a great way for kids to practice their balance skills!

#3) Know Where to Spend and Where to Save

A little bit of quality gear can go a long way. Your kid does not need to have the latest and greatest bike or the fanciest goggles, but please get them a helmet that fits their head, gloves that fit their hands, and knee pads that stay up and are comfortable. Assume your kid is going to fall off their bike. If there is a layer of protection between their skin and the ground, you’ll have many more giggles than tears! A few specifics on gear:

Spend: full face over half shell helmet. A full face helmet will go a long way to protect that all important brain and face! Kids are notorious for pushing their half shells too far back on their forehead, forgetting to buckle the straps, or simply wearing the helmet all loosey goosey. It's difficult to wear a full face helmet improperly, and even if the straps are unbuckled it’s going to offer far more protection than a properly secured half shell.

Save: Hardtail over full suspension. Most kids don’t weigh enough to reap the benefits of a full suspension bike. Hardtails are significantly cheaper, easier to find, and perfect for riding terrain such as rollers or pumptracks!

Spend: Quality tires over stock tires or even a lighter or “better” frame. Quality rubber goes a long way towards an improved ride performance. Get the widest tires that will fit on your kids bike.

Save: Apparel (jerseys, shorts, and socks) Kids do not need MTB specific shorts, jerseys or socks. Sure, they can be an added bonus, but soccer shorts and the T-shirt they tie dyed at their friends birthday party last summer is perfectly fine!

Spend: Knee Pads. Many kids don’t wear knee pads either because they aren’t comfortable, or they’re more like shin guards than knee guards! Knee pads can be hard to find for kids so I highly recommend you go into your local shop and try them on! If you’re in Hood River, check out Mt. View Cycles.

#4) The perfect bike myth

Finding the perfect bike is the least of your concerns when prepping to get your little one rolling around on two wheels. Quality kid bikes that don’t break the bank have always been difficult to find. With the recent bike boom due to COVID-19, any decent bike, let alone a kid bike, has become a unicorn. Here’s a list of items to prioritize when searching for a bike for your little one:

Size matters! Your kid needs to be able to stand over the bike comfortably. Especially when starting out. If kids' feet don’t touch the ground while sitting on the saddle it’s pretty scary for them. As they grow and become more comfortable it becomes appropriate to size up, but when first starting out, air on the side of too small over too big. As skills progress and growth spirts are inevitable, flip this around to get a bike that’s slightly too big and let your kid grow into it.

Components that count: Look for disc brakes over v-brakes and trigger shifters over gripshift. The higher quality disc brakes make stopping not only easier, but kids can operate the lever with one finger which allows their remaining digits to hold onto the bars. V-brakes often force kids to grip the levers with all four fingers leaving very little control over the bars. Trigger shifters are also significantly easier for small hands to operate over grip shifters. If you can find a bike with a 1X drivetrain, that’s an added bonus as well due to it’s simplicity when it comes to shifting.

Remove the kickstand or any other rattly bits. Kickstands add clunky weight and create one more sharp metal piece that could potentially poke or scrape your kido in the event of a crash. In the same vein, if you are not planning on your kid riding on the road, go ahead and remove any reflectors that could rattle loose or act as one more potential hazard in case of the inevitable fall.

#5) Snacks (and water)

If you’re reading this you probably have your snack game dialed. But I can’t over emphasize the importance of snacks for happy kids! It’s important to remember your kid will be expending lot of energy pedaling or cruising around and you will want to be prepared to re-fuel in order to stick with priority #1: Fun! Snacks such as gummy bears or goldfish are perfect and offer good sources of carbohydrates to keep energy levels high!

Hydration is also really important. It’s actually more important than the snacks, but maybe less fun. Kids are really good at forgetting to drink water (perhaps you know some adults in a similar boat) and kids need to drink more water, relative to their body size than adults to prevent dehydration. Remind your kids to drink water and model good hydration habits by drinking water yourself! You could probably use it :) For longer outings or rides, carry an extra bottle for your little ones! I frequently have kids finish all their water if we’re out for 2-3 hours.

#6) Send your kid to Camp!

Just the way your significant other responds better to instruction from their friends than from you, your kids often learn best from a coach rather than you (the parents). Mountain biking as a family should be about fun, creating lasting memories, and spending quality time together. Don’t let the stress of teaching your kido proper braking technique or bike body separation ruin your family outing. If you’re in the Hood River, OR or Portland area, check out the Brave Endeavors MTB Kid offerings!

In summary, let your kid explore and have fun on terrain suitable to their skill level. Check your own ego at the door before you head out and remember this is not about you! Allow your kid to learn by exploration. Sometimes this means crashing but that’s OK because you’ve found the right gear! Provide a variety of snacks and water and make sure the bike is set up properly. Follow this short list and your are sure to have a good time and instill a lifelong love of bikes!

MTB Kid Programs

3 Great Locations for Kids Mountain Biking in the Pacific Northwest:

Family Man, Post Canyon, OR
Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park, Issaquah, WA
Eagle Bike Park, Eagle, ID.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy 3 Tips for Successful Racing with Kids. Let me know if you found this blog post helpful, or if you have other areas you love riding with kids!

-Bekah Rottenberg