This page is no longer linked from the main website but is still indexed by search engines so can be found by others. It was written while we were still a high school only team and when I was attempting to get parents to self-organize rides together, I’m keeping this page stealthily available as the text below is still valid.

My experience with small kids started when my two boys were in grades 7 & 6. My older one was good at recruiting friends, and we’d get 6-8 people (kids & parents) biking there from San Carlos. The roads were quiet in the Sunday mornings so it was also good opportunity to teach them skills for riding on the road. We’d ride up the Lake Trail to the lake and then they’d get off and run around, just being kids. After a bit we’d get them to ride around the lake, usually going both ways. Initially, many couldn’t navigate the sharp right turn down to the bridge in the clockwise direction, walking their bikes instead. But eventually they did and the smiles when they did were priceless.

We’d ride up the Berry trail to Chapperal and then lower Rambler, with an exit from Waterdog to the hills behind Carlmont High School. Carlmont has some big features (jumps) be we didn’t do those. It also has a few short steep section with safe run outs which we used to build up confidence. Again, there would be many times a kid would ride up and then stop. But they eventually overcame their fear and the rule was they had to do it 3 more times to really get over it. The skill improvements were phenomenal.

After riding down the Carlmont hills we’d stop off at the Baskin and Robbins at The Carlmont Village Shopping Center for an ice cream. The kids laughed and told stories about their adventures and the parents had their conversations. We’d then ride home in time for lunch.

I sometimes see a kid and parent riding at Waterdog. While this can work, kids have more fun together and are more likely to want to come out again and again if there’s a group. And for the parents? I found the same applies, you get to have adult conversations, ride a bike and have fun with your kids.

The key is, make it fun, encourage them, don’t make it a chore. If they are still keen when they get to high school then you can think about training. Till then, let them play!

Coach Alistair.