CycleWest Ireland specialise in family biking vacations in Ireland.

TIPS FOR FUN-FILLED FAMILY CYCLING TRIPS

CYCLING WITH CHILDREN: General Tips

1.  Sing when you ride! It not only keeps the kids entertained but it adds to your VO training!
2.  We keep your child's rides short with intermittent, fun filled stops
3.  We always have a destination in mind and tell your kids about it: child friendly castles, beaches,
     museums, fairy forts and wishing wells.
4.  Try an easy ride out and back – about 16 miles don’t forget the treat or playground
5.  Stash a waterbottle so they can reach it.
6. We provide helmets for the whole family!

TIPS FOR TRAILERING

Some people may be concerned that the trailer / trailercycle is difficult for other road users to see, or that the trailer may be too wide. Neither of these is a problem. Good trailers are made in bright colors, with a flag as standard equipment. People will notice you! And at less than a yard wide you’ll find that road sharing normally isn’t a problem. If motorists give you funny looks, it will be because they’re curious, and perhaps envious of the fun you’re having!

It is a good idea to practice with your child before coming on a vacation using the following tips:

Placing children in the trailer: With young children on the first few outings get fully prepared
before you put your child in the trailer.

1.  Connect the trailer to your bike
2.  Stow toys, snacks or supplies (diaper bag, food...)
3.  Add child
4.  Connect harness system
5.  Attach helmet and
6.  Take off right away.

A Note About Helmets: Some children might not like the helme, so secure the helmet on them and then quickly take off riding. The motion of the trailer most likely will distract them. Later they will associate using the helmet with fun. Never catch your child’s little cheek in the helmet buckle!

Choose from Three Temperature Settings--- When it's hot, roll up both front and rear vinyl windows. When it's cold, close them and when it's in between, only the front or rear to keep too much air from passing all of the way through.

General Tips:
Young babies less than 18 months may not be ready for trailer riding because they may not have the strength to hold their heads up for the duration of the ride. (And the helmet, which you wouldn’t leave home without, does add a little weight to the child’s head.) Do check carefully before taking a youngster on a bike ride, and ask the child’s doctor if you have any doubt.

The trailer is the safest way to bring kids along by bicycle. The alternative, a bike-mounted child seat, has three drawbacks: One, it places the child’s weight high, and behind the rear axle. This hurts the handling and stability of the bike, particularly on a single bike. Two, if you have a mishap and the bike falls over, the child seat falls from a height of about three feet. And three, there’s very little rollover protection for the child inside.

A good trailer neatly solves these problems. The rear axle mount affects the handling of your bike very little, so that you’ll find yourself looking behind to make sure the trailer is still attached! Also, the trailer is low, with the child less than a foot above the ground, and its low center of gravity usually keeps it upright even if the bicycle manages to fall over. If the bicycle does pull the trailer over, the child doesn’t fall from any distance - rather, the worst that can happen is that the trailer turns over sideways, usually in slow motion. And the trailer has a good roll cage.

The Tandem Scoop, An Insider’s Guide to Tandem Cycling, Second Edition by John Schubert

POINTERS FOR PARENTS WITH TRAILER CYCLES

Transitioning to a trailercycle---From ages 4 through 6 children can ride a trailercycle or in the trailer.

1. Allow extra time so your child can hop-off to check out the surroundings
2. Let them push the button at stop lights
3.  Ask your child to select the route when you have options
4.  Select proper clothing to suit the outing and weather conditions - warm clothes when it's cold,
raingear when it's wet and sunscreen in the summer
5.  Add clip-on fenders to the Piccolo to help keep water away

When will the child be too old for the trailer? Around age five or so, a child is typically ready for a trailercycle or tagalong or a childback conversion on a tandem - and this can be a spectacular treat for the child. Now the child isn’t just being brought along- he / she is participating! The kids will love it.

Be careful not to push your child’s endurance. Young children in particular can lose interest and might even nod off on too long a ride.

Enjoy your child’s spontaneity! Don’t think that you have to ride to X because that’s what you set out to do. Feel free to stop and climb a tree, catch frogs, or sit around a picnic table. That’s how you get your children to enjoy cycling.

It’s best if the ride has a purpose for the children. It can be as simple as visiting a friend across town, or buying a few groceries. You can go see the new ponies at the local farm, go to the fair, or bring that picnic along.

Start out with short rides of just a few miles, to get yourself and your children accustomed to the new traveling arrangements. You’ll soon find yourself wanting to go on longer and longer outings. Just remember not to schedule rides so long they exhaust your children’s patience.

One of the benefits of riding with your children is that you’ll be teaching them good technique and safe riding habits. Most parents never ride with their children. By providing a role model, you’ll help them learn to ride safely later on when you’re not there.

Tandem Rallies are Family Friendly
Read more about tandem biking with CycleWest Ireland in this Travelogue.

The best way to see the fun and excitement of family cycling is to attend one of the many regional weekend tandem rallies held each summer in the U.S. Tandem rallies attract all kind of riders: older couples, strapping young athletes, and families with kids. Lots of kids! You’ll see trailers, childback conversions, children on single bikes, and even triples. And you’ll see many great examples of families enjoying the time they spend cycling together. Tandem rallies are noncompetitive events, with different ride distances available for everyone from the very strongest to the most deskbound riders. And the Eastern Tandem Rally has a tradition of gourmet food. To learn about tandem rallies and other events, join the Tandem Club of America (TCA) and read their publications. TCA publishes a list of tandem rallies sponsored by a number of tandem clubs and organizations around the country. (Go to www.tandemclub.org)