Road Biking with Little Kids

A few years ago we bought ourselves road bikes. It happened after meeting my sister's boyfriend (now fiance). This man is an avid bike rider and we were amazed by his enthusiasm for biking. Not long after they started dating my sister bought a road bike and started biking from her house to the university on a daily basis. Seeing all these enthusiastic bikers inspired my Husband and it wasn't long before we had road bikes of our own.

My Husband started biking to work and back on a semi-regular basis. We soon discovered that having road bikes without any way to transport the little ones was a damper to our "let's go biking together" plans. So we invested in a Cheetah Chariot to bring the little ones with us.

At first Sweetpea was too small to wear a helmet so we weren't sure about biking with her in the Chariot. The makers if the Chariot "strongly recommend waiting until your child is a minimum of 1 year old and able to sit up on their own without support before cycling with them".  We were too impatient to wait that long, so we opted bike slowly, avoid busy streets and go around potholes. She was fine and we all enjoyed our bike rides together. Now we have three little ones and Monkey is still too little to bike along with us. We're considering getting another Chariot to accommodate our growing family but for now we're borrowing another bike trailer.

We aren't moving in this picture, Sweetpea is just trying out a new "look".

The Chariot is a wonderful carrier. We use it behind our bikes in the summer and on the cross-country ski trails in the winter. The only problem that I have with the Chariot that it's a lot of weight to pull if you aren't very strong and going long distances or up hills. In the past, my Husband has pulled the Chariot but now I have to pull a child too. Time to get fit!

Today we went biking with my sister and her fiance. We took the little ones on a 30km bike ride. I was reminded how much I enjoy biking with our little ones. Yes, it's hard work but it's good exercise and the kids enjoy it.

My sister.

Over the last few years we've learned a few things about road biking with little kids. We always try to break up the trip with at least one interesting stop. This time we stopped at a park, Wilkins Park. It's a nice little spot with picnic tables, outhouses and a beautiful view of the river. A great spot for a snack. Other times we stop at a playground or a store. Having a fun stop makes our little ones look forward to the bike ride because it's an adventure for them. We also pack plenty of snacks, water, clean diapers, and a cell phone. It's important to be prepared.

Do you road bike with little kids? Any tips you'd like to share?