Posted by: velocipedestrian
The Tough Kids piece got me in the feels. I think your 1:1 ratio is perfect for the learning offspring (at least, it's my excuse for not pushing the off-road riding as much), but I plan to get some bigger dirt days into my pair of hooligans this summer.
Our long school holiday starts in a few weeks, and at this point they're both excited about riding in the bush. All I have to do is pack all the snacks, and not fuck it up.
I get asked all the time about riding with kids and I'll I can say that's universally applicable is to remember it's for them not for you. With that mindset, it's unnecessary to say things like "be patient" and "limit how much constructive feedback you provide" because it's about them. You'll probably end up riding the same trails until you start noticing that a particular pebble moved recently but as long as they're loving it and improving who cares?
"All I have to do is pack all the snacks, and not fuck it up."
And make sure the bikes are solid. I know multiple dads who've had to put their family mountain bike dreams on hold for dumb stuff like (actually) leaking hydraulic brakes, drivetrains that won't stay in gear, bald tires that couldn't find traction on flat pavement, and even a case of a pedal body falling off.
If the shit's not tight enough for you, it's not tight enough for them. This ABSOLUTELY isn't me saying that your kid can't be on a twenty-year-old drivetrain, or hydraulic brakes so old all the paint has peeled, or cheap BMX flat pedals - bikes are f*cking expensive - but make sure whatever you're running is tight.
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Which, for any non-parents out there who have friends with kids is a great merge point to remind you to give the gift of Guides - or whatever other good stuff you have kicking around you won't use. Claire's bars, brakes, shifter, derailleur, cassette, rotors (160mm), and helmet all came from friends (and here 2012 26" F32 Fox fork was her mom's old one) and that made a huge difference in terms of the budget to build up her San Quentin 24".