I rode 16 miles at 8.4 mph and boy am I proud

[ChrisK]

You Cat 1 guys might not be impressed, but yesterday I rode 16 miles at 8.4 mph and didn't even take a turn pulling. I rode that distance with my 6-year old son Alec. We go for a ride most days, but after watching the TdF yesterday Alec just didn't want to stop. Boy, am I proud.

Alec rides a Gitane mini road bike with drop bars and a 3-speed freewheel. If any one here has kids, I highly recommend looking for one of these.

Does anyone else take daily rides with their kids?

Chris

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7618/732/320/100_0344_2.jpg

[catulle]

Beautiful. Congratulations. A beacon of a better destiny, atmo.

[Lifelover]

I ride with my boys a fair amount but it always increases during the tour. We did a family ride yesterday that included the wife on her geared beach cruiser.

Did about 10 miles. Her and the 9 y/o were a little tired but overall they did ok. My 13 y/o will ride a 20 mile group ride with me tonight and tomorrow night.

I'm hoping by the end of fall he will be dropping me!

[Geoff]

Fantastic!

I ride to get coffe with my 5 yr old on Saturday mornings to give the wife a break. Its about 4.5 each way. He loves it.

What are others experiences with introducing kids to riding on the side of the road?

Geoff

[rhmiller]

I like to ride with my kids. We ride to their Kindergarten every day (it's only a few blocks away). My 5 year old has a children's bike, which is certainly a lot heavier and less racy that your son's and my three year old has a "Laufrad", which you can think of as a scooter with a seat or a bike without pedals. The laufrad is a good balance trainer for later.

Where did you find that cool bike for him? The ones I see in shops are painted to impress a child, but aren't that impressive at all. I'd like to steer the kids towards better bikes.

16 miles is very impressive and the speed is nothing to laugh at. Good job to your son and tell him to keep it up!

[Ray]

What are others experiences with introducing kids to riding on the side of the road?
I'm about to send my oldest off to college and the youngest follows next year, so we've been there. My youngest never took to riding but my oldest did. We started off on bike trails and doing easy mountain bike trails until they developed some skills and some caution and sense of self-preservation. My youngest never got to the point of riding in traffic. My older daughter started riding the road with me when she was maybe 10 or 11 - don't recall exactly. The way I always rode with her (and still do, but rarely anymore) is to stay behind her and ride slightly farther out into traffic. I ride with a mirror and I can always let her know when a car is coming and by staying outboard of her, the cars swing wide enough to clear me which gives her an extra margin of safety. When we're on REALLY quiet roads (which there are quite a lot of around here), I'll sometimes come to the front and let her draft off of me but I stay behind when there's any traffic at all.

We never did a huge amount of riding together, but we did lots of 20-30 mile rides and we did a couple of 3-4 day tours together when she was 14-15. Once she got her liscense, riding took a severe back seat. But her bike is the only vehicle she's taking to college and she's a good enough rider that I know she'll use it.

-Ray

[znfdl]

Chris:

Great job and your son looks really happy in the picture. My youngest son wants me to put slicks on his mountain bike so we can ride together. Tires come in Wednesday and will be on his bike shortly thereafter. Now if I can only get his older brother away from his SP and computer.

[lemondsteel]

I started riding with my son when he was 10 years old. He is now 21 and is the proverbial greek god in build and attitude. Few things in life are as good as the day he cleans your clock on your best day. I almost cried it felt so good to be hammered by my son. Which by the way he couldn't do it until he was 20. He now averages 20+ mile per hour on long rides and I hope he hasn't been waiting at the car too long for his "old man" when the ride is over.
Geeezz......... he's good. Thanks David for all the good rides in the past and in the future!

[SponsorsWanted]

And to think, my dad hates the fact that I drop him with ease....

[Lincoln]

My dad was visiting from back east this weekend. I helped get him riding a dozen years ago, he mostly just rides on the road now. Anyway, I took him out for a 1 1/2 hr mtn bike ride yesterday and he did great despite the fact that it was his first mtn bike ride of the year and we're about 7000' higher than he is used to. Highlight of the weekend for me. I hope I'm ripping it like that with my daughter when I'm 65. :beer:

[hypnos]

I've tried multiple times to get any my three daughters into riding, but no takers. Even rented a tandum to give that a try. No interest.

Big sigh!

[Kevin]

Congratulations on having your best day on the bike.

Kevin

[Kevan]

to my stable just so it looks more impressive.

Tucker's (15) Quintana Roo, given to me by a work colleague, is an impressive machine, lighter than my Calfee. He enjoys it, rides regularly to school, but is less inclined to join me for neighborhood romps. No pressure... the time will come.

Brennan (19), my college daughter, loves the old Olmo and with Mikemet's help is currently being upgraded to 8 speed Chorus with integrated shifters. The build is currently underway and needs to be completed well before school's start. Bren loves the bike and may turnout to be the true cyclist of the two of them.

Both kids are impressed with what a nice bike adds to the sport. I'm going to be mighty ticked if they start outgunning me with high-zoot steeds.

[ox_rider]

My five year old likes to grind out the hills (Ok, it's Illinois, but still) and wants to keep going past the 10 mile mark. Hard to say no when the little guy is out front pulling. Hard to get a full breath of air when you are smiling so wide. :)

[Frog Hair]

Kids on bikes rules. My 8 year old loves to ride and has developed his own personal taste for cyclocross. When he is out in the neighborhood riding by himself, I'll see him doing little dismounts to jump over curbs and things. We ride together a lot and it is the best riding I'll ever get to do. Too bad quality kids bikes are so hard to find...or rather, at a reasonable price. Kids do grow, and as much of a cycling geek as I am, my pockets are not lined well enough to spend the kind of money I see for many good kids bikes that they will outgrow so soon.
Cycling for kids is not about the bike, but the experience. But I'd like to improve my sons experience with some better equipment that will help him get farther down the road.

How about some Dad's posting some pics of what your kids are riding?

[Avispa]

....I rode that distance with my 6-year old son Alec...

Hey Chris,

I don't have kids, but I am more proud of you than I am of any of Lance's TDF wins!!!! You and your child will never forget those moments!

Cheers!