Tandems & kids

[AllezGirl]

My 8 year old is starting to show quite an interest in doing some longer event rides with me. He's to big for a "tag-a-long" type trailer, but too young to road ride on a solo bike (his abilities are fine, it's the cars I don't trust). I see quite a few parent/child combinations on tandems and think it would be a great way balance spending time with him and still getting in the miles.

So, I'm starting to look into it, but I have NO experence at all to go on. Any tips or pointers you have are greatly appreciated!

[Bikingmomof3]

I have no idea. I can have my husband ask his colleague at work. He is a very serious biker and just bought a tandem to take his little girl riding. I will see what he has to say.

[mimitabby]

I have participated in 3 tandem rallies now, and in each there were several families with kids on tandems in many combinations.

The kids look happy and the parents look happy. It seems like a great way to go. I've seen kids as small as 5 years old out there pedalling for all they are worth up hills. I think it's a great way to go and regret not having these options when my own kids were small.

go for it!

[maillotpois]

I have a lot to say on this subject, but am away from a real computer today and a lengthy response on a treo isn't feasible. start w/ sheldon brown's website.

we have don 50 - 60 milers w/our daughter on a tandem, starting when she was about 7. (see my avatar picture....)

I will give more suggestions later, but start w/sheldon brown - he has a whole section on cycling w/kids on tandems.

[AllezGirl]

Can't wait to hear from you, malliotpois! I have to admit, I think seeing your avitar is what started the idea rolling around in my head a while back. I did read the Sheldon Brown article which just reinforced the idea! There is a bike shop in Philly that specializes in tandems and comes highly recommended, so I think well be making a pilgrimage down there this weekend.

[maillotpois]

I'd posted a lot of my suggestions here:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...hlight=kidback

Bacisally, it is great to ride a tandem with your kid, but it has to be FUN. It becomes not about the riding, but about the whole experience. You have to have a destination, like an ice cream store. The rides will be shorter. And slower.

I like the tandem because of the control thing: I know my kid may not always hold a line and be safe in traffic - so if we are on the tandem, I control that and I feel safer.

The trail a bike became VERY unstable and difficult to turn and maneuver after Em got bigger. The tandem is not too much different than a "real" bike - though it is a bit more difficult.

Check out Sheldon's site and my post and if you have specific questions, put them up. Good luck! Have fun!!

[AllezGirl]

Thank you! You're tips are great. If all goes well, his first event will be the Pumpkin Patch Pedal. He overheard me talking to a friend about it and really wants to do it. It's a nice easy ride and the rest stop volunteers are in costume and serve pumpkin pie.

The shop that we are visiting this weekend is a Burley dealer. They also have one to rent. I talked to them on the phone yesterday and they were very helpful, so Saturday we're going in to meet with the owner.

And so the process begins!

[midgetcycler]

My youngest daughter is 7 right now and I have been wanting to get a trail-a-bike for her so I can ride with both daughters (the other is almost 14, so she will have her own bike!). How old was Em when you felt that the trail-a-bike got too unstable?

I basically would want to do a family ride once a week or so and then possibly an organized charity ride a few times a year.

I'm afraid to get her her own road bike at this point because I just don't think she could hang with the big dogs. One hour of riding and she would be done. If I attached her to my bike, then as long as I know I'm going to be doing most of the work, we could go a lot longer.

I'm just really not interested in a tandem bike. I don't have anything against them, just not that interested at this point (unless it were a tandem for my husband and I!).

[Rakekay]

My eight-year-old daughter still can't ride a bike without training wheels (and isn't all the comfortable riding her bike WITH training wheels -- too nervous about falling, I think).

I wonder if I rented a tandem and took her out on that a few times it would help her learn to get over some fears. And I wonder if it would help her at all with the skills needed to ride on her own without training wheels.

Or is riding a tandem such a totally different experience from riding solo that it wouldn't help her learn to ride at all?

Any thoughts?

[maillotpois]

How old was Em when you felt that the trail-a-bike got too unstable?

I basically would want to do a family ride once a week or so and then possibly an organized charity ride a few times a year.

It's more about size and weight than age in terms of the trail a bike stability. Em is tall and big. I used the trail a bike til probably 2nd grade with her and then it was just too tippy and tough to maneuver.

I suggest seeing if you can borrow one for a ride to see if it works for your daughter.

And doing an organized ride is a great motivator - all those other folks out there.

I'm afraid to get her her own road bike at this point because I just don't think she could hang with the big dogs. One hour of riding and she would be done. If I attached her to my bike, then as long as I know I'm going to be doing most of the work, we could go a lot longer.

Yeah, they don't actually work much when they're attached - unless you really get on their case. And I can totally tell when Em is actually contributing. Sometimes I make her pedal and then I soft pedal and she can propel us pretty well.

I'm just really not interested in a tandem bike. I don't have anything against them, just not that interested at this point (unless it were a tandem for my husband and I!).

Funny, I won't ride the tandem with my husband!

[maillotpois]

My eight-year-old daughter still can't ride a bike without training wheels (and isn't all the comfortable riding her bike WITH training wheels -- too nervous about falling, I think).

I wonder if I rented a tandem and took her out on that a few times it would help her learn to get over some fears. And I wonder if it would help her at all with the skills needed to ride on her own without training wheels.

Or is riding a tandem such a totally different experience from riding solo that it wouldn't help her learn to ride at all?

Any thoughts?

I don't know that a tandem or trail a bike would help her learn to ride without training wheels. The way we finally got Em on 2 wheels (after years of trail a bike) was using a bike that was WAY too small for her (basically like a clown bike) so she could put her feet down and get a feel for balancing. She got it in one night at her aunt's house (aunt's idea and bike).

The tandem will help her get an idea of what you should be doing when you ride in the road - riding on the side, taking the road when necessary, paying attention for cars. She will be the one to call "car back" when we're on the bike. It might also help her get over fears of riding, in general - the speed, balancing, etc.


But for getting her out of training wheels I can't recommend a "too small" bike enough. Borrow one from smaller friends or something.

[Rakekay]

But for getting her out of training wheels I can't recommend a "too small" bike enough. Borrow one from smaller friends or something.

Well, at this point her bike pretty much IS too small for her. So maybe I just need to get her out again. Thanks for the advice.

[maillotpois]

Well, at this point her bike pretty much IS too small for her. So maybe I just need to get her out again. Thanks for the advice.

Well, but it has to be so small it's silly. So she can put her feet flat footed on the ground. Maybe even take the pedals off and have her scoot along using her feet.