No Pedals, No Problem
5 Tips to Get Your Balance Biker out Mountain Biking
I love riding mountain bike trails with my two toddlers, and we couldn’t do it without the balance bike. These bikes allow us to spend countless hours together at the pump track, bike park, and local trails. You may be surprised, because many people we run into are, by how many trails they can ride and just how capable these little bikes and young riders are. If you have a balance biker in your life (or will soon), I highly recommend that you read Natalie Martins’ article on the initial stages of riding a balance bike. My goal is to dive deeper into preparing your little one(s) for more advanced balance bike terrain.
So your rider has mastered their balance bike and are confidently gliding along on flat ground.
Here are my top 5 recommendations for getting your balance bike rider on to more advanced and variable terrain.
Invest in great shoes! As speed increases and the trail gets steeper in both the uphill and downhill direction, durable shoes with excellent grip are a must. Your rider’s shoes are their brakes and their hiking traction. Yes, you can get hand brakes on balance bikes and at some point, the use of hand brakes is important, but their shoes are their first point of stability, traction, and braking. I highly recommend the Keen Toddlers’ Speed Hound Shoe or Little Kids’ Speed Hound Shoe depending on age/size. Any shoe with a grippy sole and full rubber toecap should hold up well to all the abuse. I understand that kids quickly grow out of shoes and that kids’ shoes are crazy expensive but like a helmet, capable footwear is a matter of safety particularly if kids will be riding “real” singletrack mountain bike trails.
Lower their seat (and maybe raise their handlebars). I agree with Natalie Martins when she says, “a correctly fitted balance bike allows the seat height to be set 1″ to 1.5″ less than a child’s inseam (measured crotch to floor without shoes on) to allow an ‘athletic stance’ with a slight knee bend.” The most common mistake I see parents make with their child’s balance bike is the seat is too high. As downhill terrain steepens consider erring to the lowest (if not slightly lower) seat height of the range listed above and possibly raise the handle bars a bit. This will keep the rider’s center of mass lower thus improving stability and increasing confidence going down steeper trails. It will also give them more range of motion in their legs to increase breaking force as speeds increase. If the handlebars are too high steering will become unstable, so watch out for the wandering and wobbling wheel.
Find a pump track; sometimes referred to as a BMX track. A pump track is the perfect place for balance bikers to experience changes in trail grade(angle) without the risk of significant speed, as well as navigating bermed corners. If you aren’t lucky enough to have one nearby, building a small one in the backyard is not unreasonable. Many parks departments might actually be willing to add one. This video from Joy of Bike does a great job of explaining how to advocate for one with your parks department. Another good alternative can be a local skate park, just make sure bikes are allowed and that the terrain is not too advanced.
Bring a backpack. As distance from the house or car increase so too should provisions. Make sure that it fits well enough to not impede riding and that the weight doesn’t negatively affect balance. Teaching kids to carry their own stuff will pay dividends in all future outings. Pack snacks, water, and if needed diapers and wipes. Leave room in the pack to shed clothing layers and/or pack warm or rainproof outerwear. You should also bring a riding pack with the usual mountain biking gear as well as extra snacks, water, and first aid kit. When needed/possible let them take a backpack break either while snacking or while riding in a small area.
Select the right trails. Start things off short and sweet. If it’s not fun, they won’t want to do it again. Just because it’s your favorite singletrack trail doesn’t mean it will be theirs. Out and back trails are typically safe from a distance standpoint because you can turn around whenever it feels right, but they can be a bit boring due to covering the same ground. Small (less than a mile) loops are best to start. You can always do it again if they want to. Be cautious of one-way trails that commit you to longer mileage. If you are lucky enough to have a bike park within driving distance, they are a great next step after the pump track or skatepark.
I hope that these tips help you get out on singletrack trails with your balance biker, because bikes make kids of us all, and sharing in child-like play is an amazing way to connect with your little one(s).
About the Author:
Matt is a certified Professional Mountain Bike Instructor (PMBIA) with a Masters degree in Experiential Education and has taught movement and adventure sports to youth and adults for almost two decades. He is also the proud father of two boys Eli and Charlie. The pandemic and resulting stay-at-home dad status gave him ample and cherished time to ride bikes with his children almost daily and helped refine his understanding of how the youngest riders can tackle the world of single track biking.
