I have a sweet new 9-yr old...I say new cause she is new to me, I am marrying her dad. Her mom died of cancer a few years ago. She has ridden the Livestrong challenge two years in a row (10 miles). She has an itty bitty road bike. She likes to ride with us, her dad rides on a race team and I am a pretty aggressive rider. We take turns riding with her, the other will ride ahead, sprint a bit, stretch our legs, then circle back. I spend more time riding with her than he does (nature of the beast)...I make myself take a hill in my hardest gear and keep pace with her (going so slowly is hard!).
If we need to get a longer ride in, we are able to leave her for an hour or so...then we pick her up and spin another 10 with her.