Are you a passionate mountain biker and want to take your kids on a longer tour?
In this article, we take a look at what you need to bear in mind and how to keep your little ones happy even on longer climbs.

How do I approach tour planning?

It’s best to have a plan that allows for spontaneity. Because if one thing is clear, it’s that things always go differently than originally planned, especially when it comes to children. Choosing a kids tour requires careful planning. Don’t set targets that are too high, and take the time to plan in stops, diversions and breaks. During the ride, there is so much to discover in nature. Kids often want to stop to explore things more closely. This time should be planned, but clearly, you should also focus on arriving at the destination at some point, and not lose sight of the project as a whole. The destination may be a nice picnic area with a fire pit or a hut with sweet pancakes, but the prospect of an exciting descent is also a great motivator. Small challenges can also be built in, which can also improve a child’s mood. From experience we know that the trick of taking a friend on tour works really well. Children spur each other on and can even surprise themselves. Children love variety. It might not be a bike tour that triggers their enthusiasm, but a trip to the bike park with lifts or an afternoon on the pump track. Even if it isn’t necessarily dad’s favourite thing to do. But he can learn something there too!

What do I believe my children are capable of?

Maybe it’s too soon for the Alpine crossing. First of all, gain experience with joint bike tours. And then the first longer tour can certainly be planned, perhaps even with an exciting overnight stay in a cabin. Increase the scope slowly. Every child is different, sweeping statements cannot be made here. Less is more. A totally exhausted child will roll their eyes at the prospect of another bike tour. A multi-day tour with children requires experience above all. Both the children and the parents need to be in good condition. The parents will certainly have to push or pull their kids at times. A shared bike adventure, no matter how short or long, if properly planned, is always a great family experience. It can also strengthen relationships between parents and children. In our opinion, for a multi-day alpine crossing, the children should already be around 12 years old.

How do I keep the kids happy during the tour?

Children love to play. When you combine biking, playing and discovering, the kids will have fun. Relaxed parents will invest in snacks or plan barbecues. The best tours will go past a playground, a stream or a river. Often, parents also discover that it can be nice to take a more relaxed bike tour. Parents should be ready to empathise, so signs of an impending tantrum in the event of over-exertion can be recognised in time. It's about finding the right words and actions. Children have no sense of altitude or kilometres. This is not very motivating as an answer to the question of how far it is though. An understandable, child-friendly description is required here. Something like “I bet you don’t know how many trees are along the path, count the trees until we get there,” or “when the fairy tale forest lights up and we can see the gingerbread house we’ll be there.” Stories are very suitable up to the age of 10, after that you will need to come up with sportier challenges. Pressure creates counter-pressure. You won’t get far like that. Sport is just like school in this respect. The kids do exactly the opposite of what mum or dad want to do. Real time pressure is that much worse. So sometimes it’s not a bad idea to choose a shorter tour and to allow a sufficient time cushion. Tantrums, bikes thrown in the corner, that is all part of it, especially if something doesn’t work out. Mum offering clever tips from behind will only make things worse. Kids want to feel their way, try things out, and they will let you know when they need help with the tricky trail passage.

Do you have any tips for when they run out of steam?

If they really have nothing more to give, pushing and towing is the only option. This assumes that mum or dad have well-trained legs, so electric mountain bikes are becoming more and more popular on family tours. Not necessarily for the children, but for the parents. If mum or dad’s bike is electric-powered, he or she has reserves to support their child. Towing a bike is like towing a car. It’s not always easy to get used to the driving behaviour of the one doing the towing. Sudden braking can lead to rear-ending and forceful start-ups; especially with an electric mountain bike, this can lead to jerky launches of the rescue vehicle. The rope needs to be kept tense. Elastic towing aids such as the Towwhee work very well here. The good old bicycle inner tube (29-inch inner tube) mounted centrally on the child’s handlebar and then tied to the hip-belt of the backpack can also be used, if needed. Communication is really the key. The front rider and child need to talk to each other, because the only way to get home without having an accident is by using the right commands.

Riding technique challenges: what do I have to look out for so as not to overburden the kids?

An MTB skills course for children is certainly a good investment. Here you can save yourself some nerves and benefit from the children’s learning later. The foundation stone for a harmonious day of biking is laid with the choice of terrain. If it is the first trip into the area, you it’s a good idea to practice on a pump track. Here everyone gets the right feeling in terms of balance and position on the bike. On the trail afterwards, flow trails and simple forest and meadow paths offer themselves up; the sense of achievement is greatest here. When it gets more technical, help is needed.

What do parents need to have in their backpack?

• One or two inner tubes that can be used for towing, if needed (29-inch inner tube), or a Towwhee.
• First aid kit with emergency drops, arnica globules, larger plasters
• Gummy bears for emergencies and motivation, sufficient cereal bars, apples or even salami (children can eat a LOT when they are out and about)
• Drink – preferably water, so that abrasions can be cleaned, if needed
• Tissues – children always need to do their business at the most unfavourable times
• Body protection for the trail descent that can be stored properly and easily in the backpack
• Windproofed jackets and buff
• MTB goggles for the downhill ride (kids tend to take their hands off the handlebar if something comes close to their eyes)
• Bike gloves

What you should not do

• Choose boring, never-ending gravel climbs
• Ride slippery root trails in the pouring rain
• Avoid nearby bike parks on popular summer weekends
• No pressure and no rushing – this only generates counter-pressure
• Poor or too heavy material – if you want to take a good-humoured child on tour, do not scrimp on material, especially on the children's bike; a heavy bike is no fun uphill, not for us and much less for the child.

What we recommend

• Make a tour exciting: children love fun forest and root trails, as well as intricate uphill sections
• Children need a lot to eat; but they are not very good at estimating their consumption. There is usually only full throttle and empty. So, pack your rucksack full of fruit, salami and maybe some sweets. But not only sweet treats, we all know what too much sugar means on tour
• If the battery is really empty, a Coke or other fizzy drink will help get you home
• Our own demands need to be scaled back for now. If you can’t do that, it's better to admit it to yourself and send the child along with someone else or sign up for a Kids Camp.
• Let the youngster lead the way; so that they learn to estimate their own speed and choose the line.

• Riders: Holger Meyer, Karen Eller, Leni Eller, Luis Eller
• Text by: Holger Meyer
  
  
• Photography : Andreas Vigl

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