Young children and Mountain Bikes
Advocates of mountain biking have likely only been in the scene of mountain bikes during their adult lives. However, there is no reason why we shouldn’t look to change the future by introducing mountain bikes to our children at an early age. Many would argue that because of the dangers involved, the sport of mountain biking should be saved for a much later introduction when the child is older. Others disagree.
Mountain biking is a dangerous sport when people make it dangerous but when responsible parents introduce mountain biking to their young children, they find they are amazed at what these kids can do with these bikes and they also find that often, children are less likely to act irresponsibly on the bikes when they are older because they grow up respecting the sport of mountain biking.
Young children and mountain bikes are a good mix when families are ready to introduce the bike. However, it is wise to keep the trails simple for the child and save biking the extreme trails at a later time when the biking adventure is only savored by the adults. Shop at a local mountain bike retailer when buying equipment for a child because you will likely want them to have a perfect fit for all of their equipment and their bike. Talk to other parents who have children in the sport and find out where they take their children for trails. Also, check for groups within your area which may make the sport a group adventure for the families in the community who enjoy mountain biking.
Mountain bike magazines and videos are also a good idea to introduce to your child so they can information as they need it on their new found hobby. Of course, if your child is in the third grade or lower, then those mountain bike videos are more of an option than the magazines.
Make sure your child understands all about safety measures to take when riding a mountain bike. Then, when you are ready, take your child out for their first mountain bike excursion and don’t forget the camera!
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