Cycling has always been a big part of my life. I want my daughter to enjoy riding the same way that I have. While we also try to get out as a family, riding gives us a chance to get out together for some father daughter time too.
At 9 she's still pretty cautious on the trail, but is getting better every time out. I really want to encourage her to ride more and to continue to try more challenging things on the trail, but don't want to push so hard that it turns off to riding. I've seen her go from being terrified of singletrack because it was just too tight, to slowly being able to negotiate a range of trail conditions.
It's a really tough balancing act. I want to encourage her but let her go at her own pace. Kids are funny - if you push too hard to get them to try something, then they can be turned off to it. I've decided to just offer her chances to ride the trails with me and she can decide if she wants to go or not. Hopefully she'll choose to ride more times than not.
When I'm out riding the trails I always look to see if there is a route on a given trail that she would be able to negotiate. Looking for lines that aren't too hilly or too technical for her - trying to piece together a route that would make for a kid friendly loop. I figure she'll want to come back out if she's riding a trail that's fun for her while still being challenged to get better.
Tags: Cycling Mountain Biking Bike Children Kids
