Bike riding preparation
Center Parcs June blogger challenge is all about a family bike ride. I’m a Center Parcs Family Blogger and will be visiting Longleat village with my family. If you want to enter to win a place as a wildcard winner just go to the challenge page to find out how.
Center Parcs spokesperson, Sam Dowsing, has shared his tips on how you can make the most of your family bike ride. We were inspired by his tip “If your little ones are new to cycling, confidence and practice is key. I’ve found that concentrating on gliding, rather than peddling, helps children to balance in the early stages. Taking them to a park is a great, safe place to get them started on two wheels.” This is how we got on with the challenge…..
Riding bikes is one of those essential skills I would like my children to learn. However, with multiple small children I find it very difficult to get out with them on bikes for road safety reasons, you usually need one to one. Now my children are getting older, it is starting to get easier and in preparation for our holiday to Center Parcs, where will all be going on a bike ride together as a family, I thought I should take my two 4 yr olds out on their bikes so they have a chance to get used to them. This is how they got on.
When I suggested to Pinky and Boo on the way home from school, they could go for a ride on their bikes to the park, they were so excited! As soon as we got home, they were asking for their helmets. I quickly got their bikes out and off we went.
I had a quick talk to them first, telling them they had to go slowly and stay with me whilst we are near the roads, then when we get to the park, they can go off as fast as they liked. Pinky and Boo were happy with this and I am very pleased to say, they stuck to it. They rode slowly down the road, quite cautiously, then remembered to use their breaks to stop at the end. So far so good.
The only problem we did encounter, was crossing the road. I told them they had to walk the bikes across the road, but they found this very difficult, the stabilizers kept catching on their legs. But we finally made it across the two roads and they were off. 
We got to the park and they raced each other up and down the path, all very safely. It was wonderful to watch them gradually build their confidence on the bikes and get faster. 
Boo kept winning their races, as Pinky was more cautious. However, they both enjoyed it, laughing and giggling together.
After a while, they wanted to have a quick play in the playground of course. They had a go on the swings and for the first time I didn’t have to push them as they finally appear to have mastered the swings by themselves! The slide was a bit hot, so they opted not to do that. They played on their train and balancing logs. 
When it was time to go, they leapt straight on their bikes and raced each other to the end of the park. I must admit the walk home was a lot quicker than going!
It was lovely to see Pinky and Boo gain lots of confidence on their bikes in preparation for Center Parcs and in the future taking off the stabilizers at some point.
A lovely post and about one of my favourite outdoor activities, biking. Children can learn so much from biking, like how to cross roads safely and is a great confidence booster.
Good luck with your future biking adventures!
Thanks, biking is such a great activity and important for kids i believe
We miss biking! Summer is here in Dubai and it’s so hot to spend time outside, so were stuck to biking indoors.
Oh no, biking indoors is not the same, hope it cools down soon for you to get outside
Dubai weather cools down start of September. Good thing we are headed to the home country for annual vacation and do some outdoor activities.
looks like they had great fun, my son LOVES his bike. i’d definitely say practice is key to cracking bike riding, lots and lots of practice. #LetKidsBeKids
Yes, we really must do lots more practice
Looks like a great ride out.
We’re balance biking here – he’s an absolute star on that, but I can’t wait for N to get some confidence to move to pedals. We’ve got a couple of pedal bikes ready for him, but he still tries to balance bike on them which doesn’t work with pedals in the way. We’ve got gravel everywhere too at home, so need a bit of a grassy slope to start him off on really.
Balance bikes are great, my son used a balance bike first, but my girls never got on with it and being twins, I never had the time to put into helping them as much, so we ended up going with the pedal bikes and stabilisers for them.
My son loves riding his bike too and that’s fantastic preparation for centre parcs! have a lovely time all xx
Just got back from Center Parcs, we have an absolutely wonderful time
I’d love for my little guy to learn biking too, once he gets a little older! Looks like they had a great time, and I hope you get time to practice daily for the challenge.
Bike riding is great fun for kids
I’m definitely looking forward to when Arthur’s old enough for bike rides! I suspect we might take the bikes up to Dartmoor or somewhere else off road though – a couple of years of cycling in London has made me paranoid… x
I can understand being paranoid on bikes in London, I wouldn’t ride in London. Dartmoor would be great though
Awww the thing that I will never ever do again. I did bike before but when I tried doing it again I lost it =P
So now I drool over kids who are 3 years old cuz they can bike and i cant =P #LetKidsBeKids
Aw, my hubby has just tried riding again after about 25 yrs, he was a bit nervous, but was ok and enjoyed it in the end x
Good luck and trust me that moment is great when you take off their stabilisers. Glad they enjoyed the bikes and park x
Thanks, hopefully it won’t be long before we take off the stabilisers
The girls look adorable. The stabilizers will be off in no time I bet!
Thank you, I think they are getting the bug for riding bikes
Oh you’re going to have such fun when you get to Center Parcs- mine cycled everywhere and loved it!
x x
Thank you x
It is lovely to see your girls riding confidently on their bikes, we need to work with my daughter to build her confidence on hers but she is doing well, I am planning to get a balance bike for my youngest so she can learn to balance and gain confidence before getting a bigger bike. #letkidsbekids
I think it is all about spending time on the bikes to gain confidence. My son had a balance bike and loved it