Cycling with kids

Cycling lets you cover a much greater distance with kids. On top of that, you get through the less interesting stretches faster. Walking along a road is no fun, but in some places it is the only way to reach the interesting spots.

I was surprised how quickly kids learn to ride a bike. Nowadays, when most kids ride a balance bike, training wheels are not needed. They already have their balance from the balance bike. So in the beginning I ran alongside and held on when necessary, but otherwise we managed without training wheels. Of course you need to keep an eye on them, especially when it comes to the rules of the road, and teach them to brake.

It is worth not skimping on a lightweight bike. There are several brands on the market that specialise in this, such as Woom, Easy Rider and the like. Kids find a light bike much easier to handle.

First bikes obviously have no gears, so you need to pick flat routes. Cycle paths along rivers are ideal.

When you want to go on a longer trip, you have to tow the kids. There are tow bars, but in the end we went for a more sophisticated option in the form of the Follow-me.

Installation takes a bit longer, but attaching and detaching the child’s bike is then a matter of moments. Once detached, the hitch can be folded up.

The child’s bike is attached very firmly and safely, the child rides behind you and you just need to check now and then that they are actually pedalling too 😅.

The child has to get used to the fact that when being towed, they are not in control of the ride. On one of our very first trips we were riding down from Čerchov, our daughter was scared even though we were going slower than we had on the flat, and she shouted at us that she was never going on holiday with us again. My brakes were nearly smoking.

At outkid you can buy or rent a Follow me. They occasionally turn up second-hand as well.

Tip for dads: rent mum an e-bike 😉.

Would you be interested in cycling routes? Write to me via the contact form. If at least three people are interested, I will add some. We usually ride around 30 km with the kids. I have not posted them here so far because I figured cycling trips are more about what the parents can manage than the kids.