The best time to get kids cycling is almost as soon as they can walk. Making cycling their default transport choice is good for lots of reasons, says Poppy Brett, director of Bristol charity Life Cycle UK.
"Firstly, it's important to establish good habits when children are young because it's much harder later in life to get into the habit of exercise.
"If you can get kids enjoying it and making it part of their daily routine then you're putting them in good stead for later life.
"From a practical point of view, if you're used to walking with your children, then getting them onto two wheels will mean you can all get around much faster than you're used to.
"It's also about teaching children skills for independence," says Poppy,
"Driving everywhere stifles children's development. Research shows that many children as old as nine or ten don't have the skills to make an independent journey because they've never done it."
So start 'em young. Begin with a balance bike and the transition to pedals will be all the easier. Head to a local park, then, as they build confidence, explore the growing mileage of Bristol's traffic-free paths like the Festival Way, the Bristol-Bath Railway Path and the Frome Valley Greenway – details of these and more can be found at www.sustrans.org.uk.
Choosing a child's bike is similar to buying an adult one. The most important thing is to get the right size.
A classic mistake is to buy a bike that's too big for your child, thinking "they'll grow into it soon enough". It's much better to get it bang-on and keep replacing bikes as they're outgrown than to stretch your child onto the biggest bike they can ride; look after the bikes so you can sell the outgrown ones on. Sticking your child on a bike they can't control because their toes don't touch the ground is a good way of putting them off cycling for ever. before they've even started.
Children grow at different rates and have varying levels of skill and confidence, so there are no hard and fast rules about which bike will be right for your child. Try a few out before you decide. My son started on a balance bike at two and progressed to a proper pedal bike at three. He's now five, and a lightweight, seven-speed bike means he can tackle rides of 20 miles or more (provided there's plenty of flapjack).
The weight of the bike is also an important consideration. It'll make a much bigger difference to the rideability of your child's bike than your own, because children are smaller, lighter and weaker. "Our general advice would be to buy the lightest bike that you can afford," says Poppy. "If you're going to be cycling regularly with your child then it's worth spending a bit more money." and buying a lighter bike."
Generally with bikes you get what you pay for, and in addition to lighter frames, the more expensive bikes usually offer better components, child-specific geometry and design features like shorter cranks and brake levers designed for little hands.
Islabikes are generally agreed to be the best on the market, though they're not cheap: a seven-speed, 20" wheel Beinn20 (7.84kg, suitable for five to seven-year-olds, ish) is a penny under £300. But look after it and you'll be able to sell it on for £200+ once it's outgrown, which takes the sting out of the initial outlay.
There are several well-regarded mid-range bikes available, including the Specialized Hotrock (from around £130) and the Ridgeback MX range (from around £120). British firm Frog also produces thoughtfully made kids' bikes (£120 for a balance bike, £185+ for one with pedals, £245+ for gears). If a bike comes with stabilisers, remove them – they preclude the natural development of balance necessary to cycle independently.
To help provide affordable, roadworthy bikes to Bristol's children, Life Cycle UK runs regular Bike Swap events. Each event usually offers around 20 or 30 kids' bikes which have been donated by the public and then made mechanically sound, ready for swapping or sale.
The next bike swap is part of a Family Cycling Day at Windmill Hill City Farm on September 28.
"There are various options," says Poppy. "Bring your old, outgrown bike along and we'll do our best to swap it for a larger one. If you just want to donate it to Life Cycle to be refurbished and passed on to a child who needs it then we'd be delighted with that too. If you don't have a bike to bring along, you can come and buy one instead – all the kids' bikes are £10. You don't have to have a bike to swap, although it's great if you do, because we need a supply of bikes to refurbish for the next bike swap!"
In addition to the swapping, Life Cycle UK is laying on a Dr Bike surgery at the event, so if your child's bike is a bit under the weather you can come and get it tended to by an expert. There's other fun too, including a Bike Rodeo, which is "basically lots of fun and games on bikes – cones and chalk courses, slow races, riding in ever-decreasing circles – it's all light-hearted stuff but it really helps kids develop balance and bike control," says Poppy.
"We'll also have try-outs of tagalongs and kids' bike seats, so if there are parents of young children who are thinking of cycling with their kids but are unsure of what kit will work best for them, they can come along and try them out. We'll also loan them out for a month or so you can really get an idea of what's right for you."
The Family Cycling event is part of Windmill Hill City Farm's Love Life day, so there will also be food and drink, workshops and live music.
Once your kids have started out on two wheels, they can progress to official Bikeability cycle training (which Life Cycle UK also provides) and gradually build up their road knowledge and skills in traffic.
"We can train parents too," says Poppy. "If they're nervous of cycling with their children, we can provide training in simple skills like road position and communicating successfully with children that make the whole thing safer and more enjoyable – because it really should be enjoyable. Cycling is a really fun activity; most children love it. What's better than a happy child?"
Life Cycle UK's family cycling event at Windmill Hill City Farm, Bristol, on Saturday, September 28, noon-4pm. The final bike swap of the year will be held in St Peter's Square on Sunday, October 20. Donate your unwanted bikes by dropping them off at the Create Centre, Smeaton Road, Hotwells, during office hours, or by taking them to the rid store building, at Bristol Prison in Horfield, on Tuesdays. For details, see www.lifecycleuk.org.uk.
