Few grandparents are prepared to tackle the Canadian Rockies on a bicycle with their grandchildren riding alongside — although Vivien Lougheed, writer of "Cycling in the Snow," did just that. However, in these days of high gas prices, dusting off that bike in the back of the garage to go cycling with the grandchildren holds a lot of appeal.
Larry Rubinstein, formerly of New York City, says his grandson Noah was 2 years old when they started going out together along Manhattan's West Side. Towing Noah in a trailer behind his bike, "We took the Westway bike path from Riverside Park all the way down to the Staten Island Ferry along the shore of the Hudson," he says, "We'd go by the Intrepid aircraft carrier with planes on it, a heliport, and a school for trapeze artists. [We'd] stop and watch things going on. It was a whole big deal for him."
Rubinstein says that Noah outgrew the trailer at age 5. "It was tough for him to stay with me on his own bike, so I got a tagalong tandem (trailer bike) that you hook on the back of the bike." Now living in Scarborough, Me., Rubinstein says, "We ride for a couple of hours, with plenty of stops for pizza, snacks, talking to the horses at a farm, watching the boats come into the harbor."
With the birth of his third grandchild, Rubinstein says, "I'm trying to figure out how I can hook the trailer to the tagalong tandem and take all of them out."
Rubinstein's grandson, the now 8-year-old Noah Tanzman of Waltham, Mass., says his best time cycling with Poppa was watching a sea plane land and take off on a lake. That, and when "the horses made a really stinky poop and pee."
Get started
Trudy E. Bell, author of Bicycling With Children (Mountaineers Press, 1999), ticks off many reasons to cycle with your grandchildren: It’s good exercise. It saves on gas when you do your errands together on bikes. But most important, "There is no greater intimacy or way to share time with your grandchildren," she says. "The child has your undivided attention. All you do is talk to one another, undistracted by anything else."
Peter Dean, president of Upside Over, a shop for outdoor gear for kids in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., suggests, "Always have a goal in mind and [let] the kids know what it is." For Bell, the essence of cycling isn’t the destination, but the stops along the way. She says, "You can stop at a moment’s notice; see the blackberries growing; hear the frogs." Cycling grandma Janie Arndt of Fort Collins, Colo., says, "We rarely pass up a playground." She advises limiting time in a trailer for antsy preschoolers, and bribes her youngest grandson with jelly beans.
Ages 5 to 8 are perfect for trailer bikes, which attach to the seat of an adult bike. Children can pedal or not, as they wish. From 9 to 12, grandchildren can take the back seat of a regular tandem, or pedal independently on their own bikes.
Helmets first
Before you put children on a bike, put them in a helmet. An infant or toddler must have the neck strength to control the weight of a helmet during abrupt starts and stops. The American Acedemy of Pediatrics recommends about a year old, although some children may be able to support a helmet sooner. Ask a pediatrician if the child is ready for a helmet.
Dean suggests getting a helmet with an adjustable halo that fits around the crown of the head. He recommends Bell and Giro brands. With less pricey helmets you fine-tune the fit with padding.
And don't forget to always wear your own helmet.
Seats Versus Trailers
Fewer folks are putting children in seats mounted behind them on their bicycles. Active kids can throw off your balance, and they’ve got a long way to fall if you go down.
Dean advises using a bike trailer for infants and toddlers. Attached to the back of a bike, a trailer stays upright even if you take a tumble. They can seat two children, and they protect them from sun, wind, and weather.
"They’re taking shocks back there," says Dean. "It's bumpy, so they’re going to have to be able to hold themselves upright, hold up their head, and not be fatigued." Yes, they have to wear their helmets in the trailer.
Look for substantial construction, a sturdy seat, and a good system for securing the children in place, says Dean, who named Chariot and Burley as two possible choices. He also likes the Baby Jogger Switchback, which can convert from a stroller to a bike trailer.
Trailers usually have weight limitations, so you’ll know when your grandchildren get too old for them.
Trailer bikes, tandems and independent bicycles
Generally, Bell and Dean both caution that in the biking world, heavier is not better. Lighter-weight equipment from professional bicycle shops tends to be more expensive, but stronger and easier to ride.
Dean says a trailer bike or regular tandem "gives grandparents a little more freedom to go a little farther and not worry about a child running out of gas and having to bring them back home."
Cycling extras
Dean likes the quick-drying bike jerseys and padded shorts which now come in children’s sizes. He says, "Kids feel connected" if they’re wearing the same nifty outfits as grandma and grandpa.
Bell says padded shorts and comfortable underwear are a must for grandparents with sensitive skin which may be more susceptible to saddle sores.
Long pants may catch on the chain ring in front. Use a rubber band or hair scrunchie around your pants legs to avoid a spill.
Colorado cyclist Arndt says her grandkids "definitely like their own water bottle, just like ours, and lots of snacks."
Finally, when you’re out cycling with your grandchildren, safety comes first. Bell advises grandparents and grandchildren to "ride with the flow of traffic. Think of yourself as a bike driver; obey all traffic laws." Grandchildren on their own bikes should ride ahead of you. And don’t ride with ears plugged by headphones.
Other cool things to teach your grandkids:
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