During my first summer after university, I lived in the city and biked to my job. It was a 20-minute bike ride or a 20-minute bus ride, and the bike ride was definitely much nicer. Lately, I’ve been biking with my daughters more often. Gone are the days when I simply jumped on my bike and set off down the road. Getting ready to ride with children can take more time and patience, but it’s definitely worth it. Here are my tips for biking with children under 5.
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Three Ideas for Biking with Children under 5
Bike Trailer
Just before my second daughter was born, my aunt bought us a bike trailer. She knew my love of biking and did all the research into the trailer, then passed what she’d learned onto me. The bike trailer folded down into a somewhat small size (though it was still impossible to get into our Jeep TJ and barely fit into our Dodge Durango).
We had the double trailer, which my two girls could ride in together. They were skinny girls and found the trailer a bit squishy by the time they were 5 and 3. They were used to riding in it together, though, so with a few snacks or toys to keep them busy, they were usually happy. My neighbour tried borrowing it and found her kids wouldn’t sit together, so habit did help.
The bike trailer was super easy to attach to the bike. My aunt got me two hitches, which are attached to the parents’ bike, so we could hitch the trailer to either their dad’s bike or mine, depending on who was going out for a ride. That also allowed us take turns pulling the children while out for a family ride, because the trailer plus two girls weighs about 100 pounds right now.
There are a lot of accessories available for bike trailers. We had an infant sling, which was recommended for babies ages 6 months and older. We also had a jogging stroller wheel for it. When we weren’t not using it as a bike trailer, we could convert it to a double stroller. I liked the big basket behind the trailer for stashing those extra things you need to take along—jackets, snacks, diapers, etc.
Baby Bike Seat
Lots of people who are moving out around here leave stuff behind that they don’t want to take with them or to a thrift store. We’ve scored some pretty great gear, including a kids’ bike seat. I gave it a quick wash and installed it on the back of my bike. Now in the evening, I often go out for a ride with one of the girls behind me.
One night, I took Lily in the seat behind me and Sunshine rode her own bike. The bike seat gives a better view for the child, but offers less support than the trailer.
If you have one child over 1, the bike seat is easier than the trailer as it’s less weight and smaller. However, it does affect the balance of the bike. I’ve put my 3-year-old in the bike seat, but probably wouldn’t put a 4-year-old up there. Follow the recommendations of your bike seat for the age and weight of the child who rides in it.
Trail-a-Bike
Last summer, I saw a kids’ bike hitched behind the parent’s bike. I spent quite a bit of time researching this online before finding a trail-a-bike for sale secondhand. When Sunshine was five, loved it. She got to ride behind Mommy or Daddy on a big bike. She could go a bit faster than her own bike, but she didn’t have to worry about balancing or stopping.
I think that helped her learn to ride her own bike. The trail-a-bike is lighter and narrower than the trailer, so it’s a bit easier to ride with it than with a bike trailer. Older kids will also appreciate the better views and the feeling of independence on the trail-a-bike. At age three, Lily wasn’t quite tall enough to reach the pedals on the trail-a-bike, even at the seat’s lowest point.
Unfortunately, the trail-a-bike and baby bike seat both attach to the bike in similar places, so they can’t be used together.
Cargo Bike
Just before my fifth baby was born, I got a cargo bike for myself. Over the next five years, I put a lot of miles on that bike, as I could pile two or three kids onto the back and then set out for the library, park, or pool. Cargo bikes are coming more common and popular, not just for carrying kids but also for carrying dogs, gear, and other things.
I found my cargo bike easier to use than the bike trailer, as the children were sitting right behind me rather than farther back in the trailer. It does require a good sense of balance, especially when you have two (or three!) kids on the back. When my youngest was a baby, I attached an infant bike seat to the back of the cargo bike so he could ride in it, until he was old enough to sit and straddle the bike by himself.
The biggest detractor of the cargo bike was that it was so long and wide I couldn’t get it onto a vehicle, so I was limited to riding with it from home. If you’re in an area where there’s lots of places to cycle, it’s a great way to get around with kids.
Other Options for Outdoor Fun
If your kids prefer driving around the garden on their own, exploring options like electric ride on cars can be another fantastic way to build their confidence and outdoor play skills. Kids will have fun while also learning to steer their vehicles and figure out spatial awareness (just how much space on the trail does this car take up?).
Safety First: Bike Helmets
Of course, all children riding bikes should have proper helmets. Even infants riding in a bike trailer should be wearing helmets. Kids might not like this, but make it a simple rule. No helmet, no bike. As you keep doing it, they will get used to it. You may have to shop around to find small helmets for the younger kids. These days, you can find some pretty cool helmets that help make it more fun to wear a helmet.
Biking with Babies
The biggest problem with all of this bike gear is that none of it is suitable for young babies. The Chariot is the best method for riding with infants, but is recommended only for infants over 1 year. I have used it, when riding slowly on trails behind my older girls, with a baby who was 8 months old (sitting up and crawling already).
Where to Ride
When biking with children either on the bike behind me or in a bike trailer, I like to stick to dedicated bike lanes or trails. Too many drivers don’t pay enough attention to cyclists, much less cyclists with small children, to venture onto the roads. More and more cities are making cycling easier and more convenient, so there are now more safe options for riding with small children.
In the lower mainland, I recommend heading towards the dike trails in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. There are also dikes to ride in Richmond and Abbotsford and other trails throughout the Tri-Cities. Your local bike shop may have maps of easy rides and trails in your area.
Do you go biking with children under 5? What tips would you share?
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