Cycling

(See General Advice page for general first aid, gear buying, etc advice that apply to all activities - this should be reserved for items specifically related to cycling)

Bike Commuting

In a perfect world for most outdoor families our kids walk or bike (or ski) to school each day. We don’t want to strap them into cars for the short journey to school, or we want to bike commute ourselves. This is great when the weather is perfect and the sun is out, but then there’s the rest of the year. And many of us are part of a two working parent family, so the kids are in after-school programs or all-day daycare/preschool and have to be picked up when it's dark out.

​What are the best ways to get the kids to school and home as safely as possible, while minimizing whining?

Make it a habit

• If they know it will happen (almost) every day, and you won’t change your mind, there will be less whining.

Make it fun

• Put fun lights on their bikes.
• Make sure they have warm clothes
• Make sure they have rain pants/jacket if it’s raining
• Put a bell on their handlebars
• Put toys in the trailer

Keep them visible

• Reflective vest
• Reflective backpack
• Front/back lights - make sure they’re charged up,
• Spoke lights
• Light up your trailer
  • Build your own with LED strip lights or try a battery powered Christmas net lights
• If it's better for your route, have them bike on the sidewalk instead of the road
  • But read your local ordinance to determine the legal age ranges - for example in some places kids under 13 are allowed to but not adults

Set up an organization system for the gear

• Getting to school:
  • Have the parent bring any critical items with them so that they don’t get left behind in classrooms (Helmets, warm layers they don't need for playing, reflective vest)
• Coming home:
  • Create a routine for charging the lights to make sure the batteries don't run out
  • Set up a storage system for the gear at home so everything is easy to get to
  • Get kids in the routine of putting everything away as soon as they come home

Here are some tips on gear to use

Clothing

• Warm layers:
  • Helmet liner or balaclava
  • Snowpants to pull on over school pants
• Hands:
  • Full-finger bike glove or ski liner glove
  • Ski mitten (if very cold and if the kid can operate the brakes safely)
• Wet weather gear:
  • Rainpants to pull on over school clothes
  • Rain jacket
  • Rainboots

Bikes

• For babies/toddlers - bike trailer or WeeHoo
• For bigger kids - WeeHoo or tagalong (our favorite is the Burley Piccolo for its stability)
• Leave the trailer or tagalong at school if the parents split drop-off/pick-ups, as long as you have access to them from the after school program
• Cargo bike if both parents can share it or if only one person is doing both pick-up/drop-off (they're expensive and pretty specialized, so not often worth buying two of them)

Gear hauling

• Trailers are great for carrying gear and keeping them dry (button down the rain cover for the kid of course)
• Waterproof panniers on the adult’s bike to carry backpacks
  • This is important when the backpacks don't fit under reflective vests (or if the backpacks aren't reflective) and also to keep them dry in the rain

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Bike Touring

Bike touring can be a really fun way to explore new places with kids, including small kids. The biggest concern of many families is to find a place with bike paths or roads that are safe enough to take kids on for longer distances, and many families want a place where they can go camping as well.

There are a lot more great bike tour routes in Europe than in the US, but there are starting to be more and more in the US. Check out our list of bike tours for kids and update it if you find some that are missing.

​Here are some tips on how to go bike camping with kids:

First, figure out how you will transport the kids

• For small kids or babies, trailers work well
  • Burley trailers are the most common, but there are other manufacturers
  • As a bonus, trailers also can fit a bunch of gear in them
• For bigger kids, use a tagalong
  • Burley tagalongs are one of the most stable ones
  • Consider putting a gear rack on the tagalong - you can put bulky lightweight items there like mattresses
  • Many families like the Weehoo, which also fits smaller kids than the regular tagalongs and also has gear storage

• If the kid is too big for the tagalong, here are some options:
  • Have them ride their own bike, and plan the terrain so they can handle it
  • Look for a kid-adult tandem bike
  • Get a tandem bike and add a "kiddy crank" to it so the kid can reach the back pedals

Next, figure out where to go

tour-routes

• Somewhere with safe biking paths - so not lots of fast cars around with no shoulder on the road
• Somewhere with flexible camping or hostel/hotel options in case you don’t make it all the way somewhere
• Go somewhere with good activities along the way
  • Look for places with water play, playgrounds, good rest stops
• Consider the biking strength of the kids and adults with the gear and look for something within your capabilities for distance and hilliness
• Check out our list of bike tours for kids

Finally, figure out gear:

• For camping and especially longer trips, lightweight is key since you’re bringing the kids (tent, sleeping bag, mattress, water purifier)
• Lighting if you will be going after dark
• Clothing
  • For kids biking, consider kids bike shorts like these
  • You can also get kids jerseys, but any quick-dry shirt you have for sports or hiking works well
  • Quick-dry clothes are handy so you can do fast laundry at the campsite
• Make sure you have the right sort of tires for your bike (smooth or knobby)

Extra considerations for trips far from home

• Look at gear rental costs vs shipping or checking bags on the plane
• Bring key items with you (helmets, bike shoes/gloves, repair kit)
• Plan how you will do laundry
  • This packable laundry soap and this scrubbing bag are handy for doing the laundry when there isn't an easy washing machine to use

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Other useful online content

Topic	Link
Biking in the winter	Cycle Sprog
Towing and tandem bike options	Family Adventure Project
Bike commuting with kids	Rascal Rides