10 Family Biking Trip Tips for a Fun Family Bonding Experience

10 Family Biking Trip Tips to prepare you for a fun family bonding experience.

Are you looking for ways to get active this summer? Biking is a fun way we discovered to not only be active but connect as a family.

By no means do I consider myself a hardcore rider, but the lovely thing about biking is that there are levels for every type of rider, from the Sunday ride cyclist to the adventurous spirit cyclist. We have always pretty much stuck to running or bike trails when riding with the kids. If you’re not ready to invest in a bike, find a place to rent some in your community to give you an opportunity to have the experience before purchasing some of your own.

If you’re not ready to invest in a bike, find a place to rent some in your community to give you an opportunity to have the experience before purchasing some of your own. Also, make sure to check out the trail before riding with your little ones. At the end of this article, I share all of my tips for family-friendly biking adventures.

We made the mistake of riding down, or should I say riding up and down, the Chaquiñan trail with our children without checking it out first. It’s a really long and peaceful ride in the valley of Tumbaco, but it’s hilly and a bit challenging for my little ones. I was proud of my boys for riding for an hour on a hilly trail.

Biking a Family Bonding Experience

We started biking as a family when I had a 3-year-old and a baby. It was a wonderful way to bond as a family. We are working towards a goal together and encouraging each other in the journey.

Sometimes we talk as we ride but most of the time we are just enjoying our surroundings. Other times we have played a game of “I Spy”.

It’s also a great way to get out of the house and enjoy nature. We started off with small biking trails near our neighborhood parks and slowly have moved to more strenuous trails. Now we are biking longer on hilly and rocky surfaces. I don’t enjoy mountain biking so we really haven’t explored that type of biking with our kids.

When the kids are little more patience is required of you as a parent. I don’t have much of that but we persevered and now we thoroughly enjoy riding as a Sunday afternoon activity. So go into it knowing that it will take some time before you find your groove. Take your time and let your kids lead you so you’re going at their pace.

I don’t enjoy mountain biking so we really haven’t explored that type of biking with our kids.

This past Mother’s day I requested to go on a leisurely biking and picnic trip (image above) with our family. It was an absolutely lovely time and we ended our trip with ice cream–can’t beat that.

If you’re not ready to invest in bikes then find your local bike shop that rents out bikes and accessories. If you like it enough then price your bikes. Note you don’t need expensive mountain bikes if you’re just going to be riding on trails.

10 Family Biking Trip Tips for a Fun Family Bonding Experience

These are a few tips we’ve picked up along the way that will help you have a fun bonding biking exerience.

1. Make sure it’s not the first time your kids are riding their bikes before going on a biking trail. They need to have some control of their bikes before you start biking on trails with a goal in mind.

2. Wear safety equipment: helmets, knee and elbow pads.

3. Learn some of the rules of trail biking. This is huge and I constantly have to remind my boys of these rules. Don’t stop in the middle of the trail, stay on the right side of the path, don’t ever go onto the path without looking both ways for other bikers or pedestrians…

4. I highly recommend staying on smooth trails if it’s your first biking trip.

5. Bring water, snacks, wipes, first aid kit, sunscreen…

6. If you have a child in a bike trailer bring books or a toy to keep them entertained if needed.

7. Check your bikes before leaving: air in tires, brakes working… Take tools, patches whatever you need to fix a flat tire.

8. Mentally prepare yourself that this is a leisurely ride and you will be going slow because of the little ones.

9. Set some rules for the kids who can cycle faster than the younger ones. Our rule is if you can’t see us or if you’re crossing a car path you have to stop and wait for us.

10. I highly recommend you know your path before setting out. Keep in mind if you’re coasting downhill you will have to go back up the hill if the path doesn’t circle around back to your car.

Oh, don’t forget your patience and praise!