Cycling for Kids – Keep it FUN

By Dave LaPorte, director Great River Energy Bike Festival and Nature Valley Grand Prix


If you’re reading this blog, cycling is probably part of your life. And if you’ve got kids, you want your kids to share in the fun. It’s good for them (haven’t we all read about skyrocketing obesity rates?), it’s a lifetime activity and it’s something that you can do together.

All of this is true but, in our zeal to share our sport with our kids, it’s easy to go too far. Remember, IT’S ABOUT THE KID. It’s not about you. You can’t make a child enjoy cycling, but you can sure make them hate it. If you push them to ride to far or too fast or too often, you can drain all the fun out of it.

Easy advice, but not so easy in real life. Sometimes a child needs encouragement, particularly when they’re feeling unsure of themselves or when they’re resisting trying something new that they might actually enjoy. But there’s a fine line between encouragement and pressure. Listen to your kids and, if you meet too much resistance, back off. There are plenty of issues in life where you have to be firm with your kids. Riding their bikes isn’t one of them.

But, if riding is fun, they’ll do it. Riding along with mom or dad can be a blast, particularly for younger kids (before you become an embarrassment to them). Or bring a friend along. Or have a fun destination. Just be careful on the distances so that it doesn’t turn into a death march. And don’t let them go too fast too early, because they’re likely to regret it at the end (and so are you).

Rewards can also add to the fun. Maybe a healthy treat at the end of the ride like granola bars (guess my favorite brand) or juice can be good choices.

You should also check out the Hoigaard’s Tour de Kids at the Great River Energy Bicycle Festival. There’s nothing like a cheering crowd, a real bike race medal and autographs from pro racers to help your kids see cycling as cool.