Tips for Family Biking with your Toddler | Toddler Times

Family biking is gaining popularity around the country, and these days it?s not unusual to see entire families taking to the road together. It?s a great activity for people of all ages- especially kids.

Bicycling is beneficial to the body and mind as a form of exercise and stress relief. It?s also great for the environment- leaving virtually no carbon footprint whatsoever. Have you considered, though, that it?s a wonderful way to strengthen your family and enjoy spending time together?

When it comes to family biking there are so many great resources available, from community events like?Kidical Mass to?safety tips.?And lest you think bicycling is only for the training-wheeled set and above, there?s no reason that toddlers can?t join in the fun as well.

My 3 and 4 year olds each have their own bikes but for family rides my husband pulls them in the bike trailer. This typically works well for us, but I?ll admit that they occasionally complain that it?s difficult to see from their perch in the back. I?ve been considering some other options for family riding.

In celebration of National Bike Month I asked some of my favorite family bike bloggers what they?d recommend to a newbie like me. (And a big thank you to Stacy Bisker of A Simple Six for her help!)

Here?s what they had to say.

It Started in Copenhagen...

My husband Matt and I started commuting by bike after a trip to Copenhagen last summer. We went there for my work but rented bikes while we were visiting and our kids fell in love with riding. We came home and decided to buy bikes instead of the second car we'd been saving for. I usually ride a Breezer Uptown 8, which is a normal commuter bike, but we got a Bobike Junior seat for it, which holds kids aged 5-10 years. When I take our son to school, it's usually on the Breezer. I can also switch out the Bobike Junior for a Bobike Maxi, a seat that holds kids 3-5 years, for rides with our daughter.
Dorie Apollonio, Hum of the City

Thanks to all of our contributors, and happy bike month!

Top Photo Credit: Megan Gray Photography

Mary Lauren Weimer is a social worker turned mother turned writer. Her blog,?My 3 Little Birds, encourages moms to put down the baby books for a moment and tell their own stories. Connect with her on?Facebook and?Twitter.

More Posts by Mary Lauren:

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