We have started getting out and about on family bike rides. It has been a great way to cover more distance than we ever would walking. We are fortunate that we live in a beautiful place with plenty of cycle paths on our doorstep. But I have realized to get the most out of family bike rides it pays to be organised! Don’t dive into the process without preparation.

Hungry Children

Make sure you pack plenty of snacks to keep children stocked up! Ours seem to be constantly hungry when they are on their bikes. Sometimes it seems the only way we can coax them to continue is to dangle something tasty in front of them! That does appear to keep motivation high! Try and have a good mix and include plenty of healthy things too, yoghurts, fruit, hard boiled eggs and carrot sticks and hummus. Don’t just tip out the contents of the chocolate cupboard into your rucksack!

Add a Treat Stop

Also, if possible, try and plan a route that has something exciting that way! We stopped for ice creams and that gave my boys such a boost they felt ready to conquer our return journey.

Cater For Younger Children

If you have much younger children and you do not feel like they could handle a bike ride of any real length, then investing in the Jorvik Electric Child Carrier Tricycle might be a worthwhile idea. Then you don’t have to worry about tired little legs getting in the way of family adventures.

Start Slowly

My husband and myself have not ridden for years. However for our first bike ride as a family we decided to go all out and covered 22 miles! I would now say ease yourself in slowly so you can build your stamina. I was broken the next day! It is best to build yourself up gradually so your body can cope.

Lockdown

Before you head out on your bikes do make sure your children understand social distancing so they can keep themselves and others safe. Mine were quite skilled at swapping sides and leaving a big gap from anyone they encountered on our family bike ride.

Get Kitted Up

What I soon learnt from a longer bike ride is that you will enjoy them so much more if you are properly kitted out! Having covered a fair distance on our bikes I realized that a decent seat could make all the difference to comfort! My husband has a gel seat which is much bigger than my own and more supportive. So my next investment will be in a proper saddle for my bike. It only cost £89 so I guess that might explain why my seat is nowhere near as fancy as my husbands. Although I still stand by it being a great bike for the price. But a seat swap for 22 miles kind of bike rides is a MUST!

Relieve The Ache

A tip from seasoned cyclists is to stand regularly to take off some of the pressure! I did start doing this out of sheer desperation! My seat really was the worse of all of our bikes.

I need to save up and get bigger bikes for my boys. They seem to have had a growth spurt! So my seat might have to wait awhile yet.

Do you have any tips I could add? My friend is worried I am going to get obsessed with cycling but once you start it does open up your world!