6 minute read
SPIN CITY
SPIN
CITY ROB KEMP looks at the benefits of starting life on two wheels from a young age in the capital
For many parents the rst experiences of cycling with their children comes when they x a child seat to their own bike and take to the local roads,” says Andy Cremin, project manager of cycling charity Sustrans.org. Of the estimated 610,000 daily cycle journeys made in London, a rising number of them include babies and toddlers being ferried along in child seats, trailers or on purpose-built ‘family’ bikes. One such parent is John Amir, 50, from Herne Hill. “I rst took our eldest boy Eddy on the bike seat when he was eight months old. I take his little brother, Kit, who’s 19 months now, in the same seat.” Since becoming a father, John has also opened his own bike shop, BonVelo (bonvelo.co.uk). “My partner Karina and I are both keen cyclists, so it came naturally to take the boys with us on the bikes as soon as we could. We use a rear- t seat – it’s the most comfortable and will take a child up to 22kg, so around ve years old if you need to.”
While it’s possible to use both front and rear seats on the same bike, it can make things very cumbersome. A more popular solution for carrying two or more children is a trailer or specially-designed cargo bike.
“I use a four-seater cargo bike,” explains Maria Ona, a childminder from Isleworth. “I take children aged 10 months to four years – including my own – and have used it since doing a trial run on Wandsworth Common. I chose this model because not only does it cater for four kids, there’s room for bags, too. “I’ve always enjoyed keeping t but being a mum to three children and working up to 60 hours each week as a childminder, it’s hard to nd time to exercise,” adds Maria. “I can “
end up cycling 25 miles in a day, so this way I benet tness wise, plus I reckon I save more than £1,000 in petrol annually.”
TEACHING KIDS TO RIDE Some parents look to familiarise their toddlers with cycling and using pedals with ride-on toys or push-along tricycles. “But from around the age of three it’s good to try your child out on a balance bike,” says Andy. ese simple bikes have no pedals or chain. “Take your child to the park with a balance bike – they’re great for mastering control and learning to ride properly.” Once they’ve got the hang of that, they can progress to a pedal bike fairly easily. “We’ve seen a move towards these bikes and away from stabilisers as kids can rely on them too much,” adds Andy. Sustrans helps run BikeIt Plus cycle sessions at schools across London. “Once your child is at school they can have BikeIt Plus sessions, funded by TFL. For older children, schools can also get free Bikeability courses that teach them to ride safely on the roads – these are also run during school holiday.
“We see the parents as the gatekeepers to children cycling condently,” says Andy. “If you take your children to cycle locally or at any of the great places to ride around London, such as Victoria Park, Hyde Park, Richmond Park, along the canal network or the Olympic Velo Park with its mountain bike, BMX and road circuits, you can give them a great grounding in cycling with condence.” L Rob Kemp writes for Cycling Plus magazine. He’s also the author of The Expectant Dad’s Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know (£12.99, Vermilion)
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: KNOG STROBE LIGHT £11 FROGBIKES.CO.UK; HARMONY 20 BIKE £279.99 RIDGEBACK.CO.UK; FROG 48 BIKE £280 FROGBIKES. CO.UK; MINI HELMET £29.99 THEHORNIT.COM; RALEIGH BALANCE BIKE £120 EVANSCYCLES.COM
BUYING A BIKE The Frog Bikes team shares some top purchasing tips
Should we buy a balance bike? Ideally most kids will start on a balance bike, so they master balance before worrying about how to pedal or change gears. Some may not show an interest at a younger age, but there are still options for older or taller children, as pedals can be removed on a first pedal bike. Frog Bikes also do a larger bike (Frog 52S) without gears, for kids who aren’t ready for gears but have an average inside leg measurement of 52cm; around five or six years old. It’s also important that a child learns to brake from an early age. This is why Frog Bikes even have a brake on their tiniest 10” balance bike – the Tadpole Mini!
Why is the weight of a kids’ bike so important? Some kids’ bikes weigh as much as the child, so they’re at an immediate disadvantage when starting with a heavy bike. If the bike’s lightweight and has child-friendly parts like easy-toreach brake levers and gear shifters for little hands, they’ll experience success much faster.
What about stabilisers? Stabilisers tend to offer a false sense of security. They end up leaning to one side rather than learning the skill of balancing. We generally encourage our customers to avoid them.
Any other pitfalls to be aware of? It’s really important that the bike is fully assembled, fitted to the child and has had a full check by a qualified mechanic. Buying a bike online normally means it’ll arrive unbuilt, which can be daunting for a parent. Frog Bikes only sell through independent bike stores, so they can be correctly fitted to the child and fully assembled and assessed by a qualified mechanic.
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NEWS
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