Toddler riding Shotgun with Dad - John Deer

'I know the limits of my bike and the terrain'. I wonder how many people have thought that before crashing on a trail they have ridden dozens of times.....

You justify riding like this with your child by making it sound like there is no (as in zero) chance of you crashing. Im not sure if this is stupidity or arrogance. If (when) you crash, your child gets ejected from his seat. He doesn't have the grip strength or coordination to hang on or protect himself in a fall. Hopefully his poorly fitting helmet will offer him some protection. Like you said, your kids, your rules, but don't expect people not to call you out with what they might think are questionable parenting decisions.

Have had two kids on MacRides. Have shuttled and biked a bunch with them.

When biking together I choose pretty easy, like green trails - or very light blue. I have noticed our weight balance and limited ability to shift and control a bike on rough or steep terrain makes this a necessity. I’ve also noticed how a 2 or 3 year old might not have the shoulder or neck strength to resist a sudden or heavy compression on the bars. Beyond which, I set my suspension for a single rider and adding another ~45 lbs kind of throws that off. 

As a result in 7 years of MacRiding we haven’t had an incident. 

Trying to use “I” statements to describe what stuck out in that video to me, therapy tells me it’s important to frame things from my perspective.

Rode with both my kids in a seat just like that. Years of daily fun for us. It was what we transitioned to after they got too big for their morning walk in a sling.

Didn't ride anything that could be called a trail, just mostly pavement. Reason being that rolling off curbs was a bit of an ordeal for them- rolloff at a snail pace, tell them get ready, and watch their tiny necks and outsized toddler heads and helmets wobble around like a bobble head.

Both my kids are absolute nutbars and had stitches a bunch of times pushing themselves in their own activities, but I never considered exposing them to potential spinal cord injuries or CTE doing one of my my activities. In fact, to this day anything dangerous they do, the camera stays put away. It's not about that.

John Deer (and it's optional features) is my favorite trail on Seymour, and hopefully when my kids are both in their teens or thereabouts they will show enthusiasm to try it and I can share that trail with them.

Everything in due time, and giving your kids room to discover their own path and supporting their individual choices is how you end up with resilient confident kids, not by pushing them into an adult realm of fear and danger.

The look of terror in the kid's face and the emphatic "NO" when asked if he wanted to do it again should be a sign that he was clearly not into it. I too took my son around on a Macride, primarily through the neighbourhood to show him the joy of exploring on a bike, then through Pacific Spirit, then once down Bobsled when he was at least 4. I asked him how he liked it, he told me it was scary, we did not do it again. I would love for him to be a child prodigy like Jackson Goldstone but I am sure AF not going to force him into something he is not comfortable doing.

Posted by: Zowsch

The look of terror in the kid's face and the emphatic "NO" when asked if he wanted to do it again should be a sign that he was clearly not into it.

Yes this was what I saw too. Did not look like a kid having a good time. 

So, if the OP really thinks kids are made of rubber and this is fine, please find a paediatrician or orthopaedic surgeon, show them this video, and get their blessing.

Posted by: thebikingbuddha

Finally, MY KIDS MY RULES. I thank all of you for your parenting advice and criticisms.

that’s the exact same thing people who hit their kids say too. and why i‘m against allowing people to breed before proofing that they are responsible