Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Kids on Wheels - 10 Tips to Make Bike Riding FUN - AND a Great Giveaway!!

 Last week I started a Kids on Wheels Series with the first story - How to Create your own Junior Biker Gang.  This was the follow-up piece to my popular story on our recently formed Bow Valley Biker GangToday I expand on the topic of group bike rides to offer other fun suggestions for making bike riding fun.  You can get out with friends all you want but some kids will still be less than motivated.  Try some of the tips below though and I guarantee most kids will quickly warm up to the idea of riding.  I mean, who doesn't like to have wheels under them so that they can go faster and further?

And please make sure you read all the way to the bottom for a sweet giveaway from our friends at Specialized Bicycle Components.  

Bike Riding is FUN



Kids on Wheels - 10 Tips to Make Bike Riding FUN

 
One - Puddle Fest!
Find some big bad puddles to ride through and organize a puddle fest biking event with friends

Spring Puddle Fest

Two -  Choose a fun destination
Biking is the same as hiking.  Kids need a destination and a purpose.  Riding for the sake of riding may work for some kids but for others, riding to a playground, a duck pond, a big bridge, or even ice-cream shop just might be the incentive they need. 

 
Playground!


Three -  Go off trail!  
Do some exploring and try out some natural trails for a bit of variety.  Maybe your child just doesn't like pavement.  As a plus, it doesn't hurt as much if they fall.

Junior Mountain Biking

Four -  Have fun with hills
Find a gentle grass hill and let your child have fun practicing his or her gliding down it.  Grab the video camera and play the movie when you get home.  Kids love watching themselves in action!

Riding Hills = Fun

Five - Have fun with natural obstacles
Set up a natural obstacle course using trees,  hills, narrow twisty paths or piles of dirt to add some challenge.

Natural Slalom Course

Great trail with tons of natural bridges and twisty paths
  
Six - Games, games, and more games
Try setting up some races, a game of Follow the Leader, or friendly bike competition.

Bike Tag

Follow the Leader

Seven - Add Play and Nature to the bike ride

Stop to play in the mud, collect sticks, throw rocks in a river, play in a forest - just get off the bikes and let the kids have some time for free play.

Time to Play!

 Eight - Bring Friends
As I always say, bringing a friend is like giving your child a superman cape.  Try it.  It works magic.

Friends for the trail
 
Nine - Make it a family ride
Maybe your child needs to see Mom and Dad on a  bike too.  I bought my first adult bike last spring so that I could be a motivation to my son.  

Dad riding with his 2 year old

Ten -  Know when to stop!  
Bring a Chariot for younger kids when they tire out or even use it to carry their bikes when going up steep hills.  Know when it's time to turn around, and don't push it.  Power marathon bike rides usually end poorly when children get too tired to keep going.

Do I know how to pick a bike trail or what?!
How many Strider bikes can your Chariot carry?
   

The Giveaway

I'm excited to announce that Specialized Bicycle Components  has offered to give away a kids helmet to one of my readers.  The helmet is a Specialized Small Fry and the winner will have a choice on sizing (child or toddler) and color/print, subject to availability.


The winner will be randomly selected by Specialized Bicycle Components among those who comment on this post

I have  been drawn to the company of Specialized  Bicycle Components because like myself, they are passionate about getting kids on bikes and want to be a positive role model in this field.   



"We believe that the bicycle is the best way to provide any child, anywhere, with freedom, independence, health and joy. Together with our partners and riders we’re helping to build a world in which every child has use of a bicycle, skills to operate it confidently, and places to ride it safely."



For information about the Specialized First Gear program and to read about how Specialized is at work in the community please follow the link to visit their website. 

To enter the contest and win a Small Fry helmet for your child please visit the Specialized Bicycle Components website and leave a comment below with the helmet that you would choose.  Anonymous entries will not be counted and I will require an email address with each entry.  If you are not comfortable posting your email address, please email me at koob.tanya@gmail.com - Let me know that you have entered the Specialized contest and that you give me permission to pass your email address on to Specialized Bicycle Components for the drawing of names.  

If you are unable to leave a comment below because you don't have an account to log in with, please email me your comment and I will consider that as an entry.

Contest closes on Tuesday, May 28th at 11pm, mountain standard time.  I will be sending off all names to Specialized on the Wednesday morning.  

The Contest is now CLOSED.  Thank you for entering and a winner will be contacted soon.

To continue this series, please follow this link to 

An Introduction to Bike Hiking
Disclaimer:  I was not compensated by Specialized Bicycle Components for this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions were my own for this story.   



39 comments:

  1. I'd get the toddler pink butterfly one for my little girl.

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  2. small fry child with pink flowers for my growing girl!

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  3. Kianah says she wants a pink butterfly one. Child size. You have my email. Thanks Tanya! Fun!

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  4. Great post, Tanya! I love how creative you guys get in the wilderness. :) And those helmets are super-cute! I think my G-monster would like the Bigfoot one!

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  5. Riley would LOVE the green frogs helmet. Her baby one is getting too small :( shelleycyre@gmail.com

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  6. Caribbean Blue :) ekmccullough at yahoo dot ca

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  7. Cute helmets! I'd pick the white dirt biker if chosen for my little guy.

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    Replies
    1. Can I get you to email me your name and email address please for the contest. Specialized will be collecting the names and addresses. They will do the draw for me and contact the winner. Thanks.
      koob.tanya@gmail.com

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    2. Sorry Tanya. Kim McDonald kwas0025@gmail.com

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  8. Love these helmets! My daughter likes the yellow hearts/stars in child size and my son likes the white dirt bike helmut in toddler size. I emailed you my email address. Thanks, Tanya!

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  9. Hi Tanya,
    What is the make of your boys balance bike? My little girl will be 2 in August and we are desporate to get her a balance bike. My husband is very into his mountian biking and would like to get her an Islabike, but they are so expensive!!! Does anyone else have any recomendations. We live in the UK but I'd love to hear what you guys are riding over there.
    LOVE your blog, so inspriing thank you xxx

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    1. My son's balance bike is a Strider. The advantage of a Strider is that they are very light weight and even children as young as 18 months can ride them because the seat can go very low to the ground. Great for young riders.

      Did you want to enter the contest for the Bike helmet? There is no restriction for country.

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    2. Am I too late?! We love the Purple fruit.
      Thank you so much for the advice on the bike. I'll let you know what happens and fingers crossed will get a little biking group going this side of the pond :-)

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    3. Not too late. :)
      I just need your email address.

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  10. Those look great! I'd choose the small fry blue planes one. mamarobinj@shaw.ca

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  11. Really adorable helmets. I think my son would look great in the Green Frogs version. audry.patrick @ gmail.com

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  12. I would get the White Moto, but it was hard to know if toddler would be too small...
    mrslesliebrooks(at)gmail(dot)com

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  13. Sarah would love the pink butterfly one.

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  14. giulliaana arevaloMay 21, 2013 at 8:43 PM

    Luciana will love the blue kittens one.. giullianaa@gmail.com

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  15. Penny Ramirez-SerranoMay 21, 2013 at 9:10 PM

    The pink butterfly one would be great for our girl on the way...
    Our family is now turning into a super biking family, since our son is so into biking,
    so I'm sure she will need a great bike helmet also.
    Thanks Tanya! You have my email address

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  16. We've been having so much fun biking with you guys! Stella picked the butterfly helmet (child size please). Feel free to pass my email address on to Specialized. Thanks for organizing this cool contest!

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  17. Love the BowValley Biker Gang! So cute. You can never have enough helmets - especially with visiting kids.

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    1. Thanks Jody. If you want to enter the contest, I'll just need your email address,and fav. helmet. You can email me. My contact info is above with the contest rules. Thanks.

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  18. Yellow Swirls for us. You've got my email. Thanks for all you do with the Outdoor Playgroup.

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  19. Hi, this is Thorin's mom, Alison. Monkey pirate one for sure! There are so many items in the graphics that my toddler son knows words and actions to...it would be fun to have him recognize them and make monkey and boat sounds, etc. Tanya, thanks for finding this sponsor and hosting the contest. Feel free to pass along my email address to them. malison at shaw.ca

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  20. These look great! If only I had known about this company when I was looking for a helmet for my daughter. For my son I would love to win the 2013 White Moto in toddler size. Thanks for organizing and we'll keep our fingers crossed x x x x x x

    msvindt@shaw.ca

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  21. Great post!
    Dylan would love to have the "white moto" one. You have my email address, feel free to pass it to them.
    Thanks in advance!!!

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  22. Would love the green frogs! Another great blog post!! Coleen cssaumur@hotmail.com

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  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  24. My four year old would love the Carribean Blue helmet! Can't go wrong with a treasure chest!

    strawberrywine23@hotmail.com

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  25. My daughter has a pink strider. Love it! Would love to win a strider that's more boyish for my son now. Fingers crossed! trankie829 at gmail dot com

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    1. Alison are you entering to win the helmet too or just the Strider? I saw your comment for the Strider already. Didn't see any comment about which helmet you'd pick. Thanks.

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  26. I would choose the Green Frogs helmet. So cute! maggiestilson at yahoo dot ca

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  27. My son would have loved the Carribean Blue, but it's only in toddler size, So the next best choice is the Blue Planes in the Child size.
    jeannehowland at gmail dot com

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  28. Specialized told me to enter this contest on Pinterest... I hope I win! :) My Lola would look so fab in the Big Foot helmet.

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    1. I just need your email address Rachael to pass on to Specialized for the draw.
      You can reply here or email me at koob.tanya (at) gmail (dot) come

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  29. They all look adorable together, love the pictures :)


    www.vindiebaby.com
    Vintage Inspired Girls

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  30. i have read your post. Thank you so much for sharing your story and tips .
    They can be helpful to those who are looking for good bike deals.

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