2017 - Page 4 of 4 - Mountain Biking With Kids

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

Hartland Road, Mount Work – Victoria, BC

Mountain Biking Hartland Road: This area was a stop during our 2013 trip to Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. At the time, we had no idea that Comox and Cumberland were highly regarded as mountain biking destinations as well. Hartland Road was plenty of fun with a 6 year old and a 9 year old. The area is nicknamed the “The Dump” because of its immediate proximity to the local landfill. You can smell the the landfill in all its glory at certain areas of the riding zone. Hence, “Pooh Corner”.

This area is located around 20 minutes, 10 miles from downtown Victoria. You literally park just outside of the Hartland Landfill at the end of Hartland Road. One of our favorite features of the area, like the rest of BC, was the abundance of wild blackberries growing all over the place. If you can, plan your visit in late July or early August to take advantage of this.

The riding is a great mix of cross-country and downhill trails. A decent all-mountain bike or a full-suspension XC rig would be great for your adventures in the area. You can link up trails and really get around as the trails are in close proximity to one another and intersect frequently. The landscape isn’t as stunning as other riding venues on the island. However, we really liked these trails because they were so close to Victoria.

To check out where we’re riding now, follow MTBwithKids on Instagram or Facebook

Written by Cecilia SHARE TWEET

How To Ride Better: Choose The Right Mountain Bike

Choose the Right Mountain Bike – A mountain bike ride used to be your favorite way to relax after an exhausting work week. A ribbon of Saturday single track erased the week’s face palm moments. On the weekend, you were the trail boss, and cleaned rock gardens and bunny hopped anything in your path.

Then the magic fell out.

Now, meeting friends at the trailhead to go mountain biking is more frustrating than fun. Everyone around you is getting faster and advancing their skills (and posting their epic GoPro proof to YouTube). Meanwhile, you’re off the pace pushing your bike up climbs…what gives?

The answer can be found in what you’re riding and where you’re riding it.

No problem, here. Cecilia Potts rides the North Creek flow trail at Alafia River State Park, Florida. Photo credit: Mike Lawrence

Let me explain because recently I was the one pushing my bike through sections I should have cleaned. As a retired professional rider with a 25-year love affair with this sport, I had to figure out how to put the magic back. In order to choose the best mountain bike, you’ll want to look at a few items.

Step 1: Evaluate your current bike

First, look at what you’re riding. Massive improvements have been made in bicycle suspension and frame geometry in the past 20 years. The red Pro-Flex we all coveted in 1990s now rides like a $150-bike from a big-box store. If you’re a female rider, all the big brands—Specialized, Liv (a Giant spinoff), Trek, Jamis, Cannondale—and some of the niche brands—Juliana, Yeti, Scott, and Kona—offer women’s specific geometry. Riding a bike with angles considerate of female physiology (i.e., narrower shoulders) makes a big difference on the trail.

Step 2: What kind of Trails do you Ride Most?

The next step is considering where you ride most. Bicycle industry marketing gurus want us to see images of riders leaned into perfectly banked corners and pieces of dirt flying from tire-tread patterns tailored for specific conditions. They hook us with the Zen moment we wish for on every ride. It urges us to rush out and buy that bike… never mind it might not be the best choice for our local trails.

Cecilia Potts rips a downhill in Trabuco Canyon, Orange County, California. Photo credit: Darin “Crash” Maxwell

Is there a mismatch?

I adored the two Santa Cruz Blur LTs I’ve owned, then I moved to Florida. The Blur LT was designed for going up climbs and bombing rough descents. There’s a lot of flowing, tight single track in Florida, not so many climbs and downhills. For a while the Blur LT worked, but my riding skills weren’t progressing. I had the wrong tool for the job.

It may be time to upgrade

It’s hard to admit your bike has lost its luster, but finding the right mountain bike isn’t difficult. Many bicycle companies partner with the retailers to host demo ride events at local trails. I found three demo events at trails I regularly rode. For the bike models I wanted to try that weren’t scheduled for a demo, a local shop was able to rent the bike for an extended test ride.

Within weeks I was used to the swept back angles of my new Santa Cruz 5010c, and was adding whips when launching over drops and lips I previously would ride with caution. I didn’t realize how much my old bike was holding me back.

To choose the right mountain bike, match the bike to the conditions you regularly ride. Doing that brought the fun back. Now I just need a GoPro to post my improved skills and new tricks to YouTube like everyone else.

About the author: Cecilia ‘Ceal’ Potts was the 1997 Junior Women’s Cross Country Mountain Bike World Champion, and raced professionally in 1998-99. She now enjoys trails without a bib number, and lives and works in Florida. Follow her on Twitter at @cealpotts and on Facebook at cecilia.potts.

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

These Bikes Don’t Get Put Out To Pasture – They Just Get New Wranglers

Bike of the week - circle photo

Show Us Your Kid’s Bike!Do you have a kid’s bike you’d like featured as Bike Of The Week? Go to this page and upload your candidate. Tell us if you’ve done any modifications or upgrades that make it unique!

If I had a dollar for every older mountain biker who said “I started out on one of those!” I’ll bet I’d be able to get a pretty schmancy shrimp dinner somewhere.

This is a 2006 Kona Stinky 2-4. It’s called a “2-4” because it features 24-inch wheels. Back in the day, I think this was the only ride in town [from a high-end manufacturer] for kids who liked to get gnarly. The bike’s suspension package is composed of a 100mm travel Marzocchi fork and 4-inch travel Fox Vanilla rear shock. Its 13-inch frame is still the perfect size for groms who are moving up in size and skills.

The brakes on the Kona Stinky 2-4 have been upgraded to Shimano Deore calipers and levers from the original stock Hayes Sole package. Beefy 2.1-inch wide Kenda tires and a SRAM x7 rear derailleur are the only other parts that differ from the original build.

It’s not a trail or XC bike. This is a tank intended for lift-served riding and/or shuttling. Using the tried-and-true internationally accredited bathroom scale weighing technology and protocol, this beast weighed in at just over 36 lbs.

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

Survey – How Does Your Family Roll?

We will do other surveys and polls as the site grows. By letting us know your interests, you will help determine the content and direction of the site.

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

Crankworx Rotorua 2017 – Keeping Up With The Griffins

Crankworx Rotorua 2017 and mountain biking with kids

Crankworx Rotorua with Kids – Crankworx is mountain biking’s version of the Olympics, Superbowl, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest… the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the FIFA and/or Quidditch World Cup. The best thing is that it now happens four-times-a-year from locations around the world. Have you thought about how cool it would be to visit Crankworx Rotorua with kids?

We’re fortunate enough to have a family share their first-hand story from Rotorua, New Zealand – the first stop on the 2017 Crankworx World Tour. Events just a stone’s throw away from the Shire took place from March 24th through April 2nd.

When we reached out to Kidsworx Rotorua to see if there was a family willing to share their story with us, Marcello Ojerio, Kidsworx Activities Manager, replied almost immediately. “I’ve found a family who will help you out… they are all mad keen [mountain] bikers and really embody the Crankworx spirit!”

Meet the Griffins

The Griffin family and furry friend at the Dodzy Skills Park in Rotorua, New Zealand.

The Griffin family with furry friend pose for a photo at the always active Dodzy Skills Park in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Claire and James Griffin are the proud parents of 3 young groms ranging in age from 5-8. They made the 4 hour drive from their home south of Rotorua the day before the event started. I was quick to ask Claire how they keep their 3 kids in check during road trips. She said, “We usually drive in the evening and pack an easy dinner like bacon and egg slices as there are no good places with healthy food options between Palmerston North and Rotorua. We leave at about 5pm and eat around 6. Then, the kids usually fall asleep by 7.” When asked if they have movies in the car for this kids, she replied, “Sometimes we get out talking Roald Dahl stories from library… oh and we don’t have devices or a TV for that fact.”

Can you see how this family rolls? Mountain biking together, eating healthy during road trips, books on tape. Many of us are striving to keep up with the Griffins in more ways than one.

Claire told us the main reasons why they come to Crankworx Rotorua with kids. “Our family goes every year because of the [mountain bike] riding with friends we make and reconnect with… racing… and being spectators at the center of mountain biking’s big show.”

The Dodzy Skills Park

At the southwest end of Long Mile road on the edge of the Whakarewarewa Forest – you’ll find the Dodzy Skills Park. This area was built in memory of James “Dodzy” Dodds, a mountain bike enthusiast who was a trail builder and pillar of the Rotorua outdoors community.

The park features intermediate and advanced jump lines, a see-saw, and other features. The Griffins spent a good deal of time here during the week as it’s a wonderful venue for riders of all abilities to build their skills. The skills park also hosts the widely enjoyed but greatly under-publicized 16″ Dual Slalom World Championships. This event is where professionals and amateurs alike test their talents at the park’s DS track on kid bikes with 16-inch wheels.

The Week’s Photos from Crankworx Rotorua with Kids…

On the first Saturday of the festival, the Griffins hiked up a trail to watch the Toa Enduro race.

Claire attended a wheelie workshop for women led by the prior day’s EWS winner Cecile Ravanel. Cecile won the race in very wet and muddy conditions by over three minutes. And, Claire proudly admitted she rode a wheelie for three revolutions. Year after year, everyone wins at Crankworx.

The Griffin boys and Cedric Gracia at Crankworx Rotorua

The Rotorua Mountain Bike Club hosted a “low key” Super D race one evening. Over a 100 riders turned up and they had a Santa Cruz 5010 frame to give away. The Santa Cruz Team showed up for the race and Cedric warmed towards the boys.

Watching the RockShox Pump Track Challenge

The Griffin family was rooting for local rider Keegan Wright to do well at the RockShox Pump Track Challenge. They got what they wanted as Keegen beat perennial favorite, Adrien Loron.

Race day! Crankworx Rotorua with kids is amazing.

If New Zealand is a bit too far fo you to travel – maybe you’d be up for visiting the Whistler stop of the Crankworx World Tour. Check out Eight Reasons to Visit Whistler During Crankworx.

To see more mountain biking families like this and share your family’s adventures on two wheels, follow MTBwithKids on Instagram or Facebook

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

About Mountain Biking With Kids

Starting The Next Family Adventure

If you have taught young kids to ride bikes with you, I believe that you’ve helped build a foundation of fun, health and citizenship which will last a lifetime. Growing older sucks, but mountain biking with my kids makes it a lot more tolerable. I can recall several rides with my family where I’m simply reveling in the moment as we flat-out romp through the woods. Even though I’m the adult – I have the exact same feelings of hard work and exhilaration my kids do when we’re on the bikes together.

The more I have thought about the site, the more excited I get. Not only does it allow my family to document our experiences doing something we love – it’s also going to be available to people like you, from around the world, so you can share your stories and spread the word about mountain biking, trail building and maintenance, land stewardship, trail etiquette, and why our passion for this wonderful activity matters.

About Our Mountain Biking Family

My Name is Brett and I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I’m married to a wonderful woman named Traci and we have two sons, ages 13 and 10. We are not professional mountain bikers but we have been able get around on the bikes quite a bit over the last 9 years or so.

In the dead of winter last year, we were going through all the images from our family adventures. Traci said “You’d better build us a website”. Well, my wife isn’t just the good looking one, she’s also the smart one. I’m a freelance graphic designer who works with a couple of really good developers, so I figured – what the heck, let’s do it. After hundreds of hours of work and a pretty big chunk of change, we’re almost done with step one.

Written by Kimberly SHARE TWEET

This NICA League Is The Product Of A Family Riding Bikes

Racers getting staged for the 2016 Wisconsin State Championship at Iola Winter Park.

Creation of a NICA League – Kathy Mock and her husband Aaron had always been biking enthusiasts. When their young son first took to the trails as a toddler, they started to view the sport differently. Mountain biking became an integral component of not only their family life but also a social outlet. In today’s fast-paced world of electronic games, cell phones, and competition sports, just being able to bike with friends often seems to be a thing of the past. However, Kathy recognized the importance of such outings and was inspired to create a biking club for children who maybe didn’t fit into classic sports. Above all, mountain Biking seemed to be attractive to kids who sought companionship and who also enjoyed the great outdoors.

Creation of Wisconsin Interscholastic Cycling Association

Fueled by the inspiration of her son’s love for biking and the widespread affinity for the sport that was being widely exhibited by his peers, Kathy set out to form a mountain bike club that catered to the local youth. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Cycling Association (WIN) was founded in 2013.

“The club just grew like crazy,” Kathy said. The small informal group quickly burgeoned to 85 students and the interest in the sport only continued to escalate. Parent involvement also flourished.

Getting Involved in NICA

Within a couple of years, the bike club joined the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). Kathy and Don Edberg are Wisconsin’s NICA Founding Chairs. NICA fosters biking programs in schools across the nation. Currently, 12 states feature the program in their schools and over 4,500 students compete. The season kicks off every July and runs through October.

Training and Racing

Biking practice consists of meeting two or three times per week for training rides that vary in distance. The league typically has four to five NICA sanctioned races per year. Kathy has noticed that kids who participate in the school activity also usually meet even more often than required to enjoy the sport with their friends. It is not uncommon for a group of youth to head out in the afternoon or weekends to pedal the Elroy-Sparta Trail just for the sheer joy of the ride.

Youth Involvement in Mountain Biking Continues to Increase

Kathy remains deeply moved by the interest her small biking club spurred in children and how it has grown. Local state youth participation in the biking program increased by a dramatic 40 percent in 2016. The sport is forecast to continue to grow substantially in 2017.

In Wisconsin, the sport remains a low-pressure activity that anyone of any skill level can participate in, just as Kathy first envisioned when she created her small biking club. Firstly, a student doesn’t have to be a star athlete to join. The focus remains geared towards social enrichment, fun, and the great outdoors. Secondly, kids who often didn’t feel comfortable participating in or even trying out for conventional school sports found a niche with mountain biking. Thirdly, if a child doesn’t feel like pushing himself to the limits but still wants to join in the fun then he is more than welcome to pedal at his own pace without any pressure to win, unlike other school sports. Finally, everyone’s a winner in the sport of mountain biking because it’s ultimately boils down to the rider and his bike.

Mountain Biking is for Everyone!

Specifically, one of the biggest things that Kathy loves about mountain biking is that it remains genderless. Girls compete alongside boys and excel just like their male counterparts. Biking isn’t about physical size or prowess. The playing field is leveled when it comes to mountain biking and girls are just as skilled at the sport as the boys. This helps fuel a lifetime of female confidence in young girls that is rarely achieved with other school sports.

Importantly, the races are about more than just completing the day’s trail ride. They are about friends and family. Families often camp for the weekend at the race locations. There is always an abundance of food and fun for everyone involved. Unlike other school sports that rely on a school funding and a professional coach, what makes mountain biking programs triumphal is the participants and their families. The program’s success cannot happen without volunteers who love the sport and are willing to be active members.

From a small group of enthusiastic kids who loved to hit the trails on their bikes to a flourishing middle and high school sport with thousands of participants, Kathy’s dreams continue to be fulfilled. All she has to do is look at the smiling faces of the kids as they ride to continue to feel inspired.

Want to learn more about NICA? Read Why I Joined a NICA Team

Visit the website for the Wisconsin High School Cycling League. Photographs for this article were used with permission from Kathy Mock. The photographer is Dave Reich. You can see more of Dave’s photos here.

Written by Brett SHARE TWEET

Mistakes Were Made – Volume 01

Mistakes were made when mountain biking with kids

A lot of this site is set up for helping other families get started mountain biking by identifying the good things – “What To do”. In this article, I’m switching gears and sharing a few of the things that are downright embarrassing. If you’ve made similar mountain bike mistakes or want to point out more of what not to do, please comment below.

Checked Out. Clipped In.

When my first son was the right size to fit into one of those child seats that goes on the back of a bike over the rear tire, we had an incident. We finished our ride though the neighborhood streets and arrived back at the house.

I needed to stop on the sidewalk in order to get the bike into the house. Why? Our house is small. We don’t have a garage. Our driveway is narrow when there’s a car parked in it because on one side of the driveway there’s landscaping and on the other side of the driveway, there’s a retaining wall. In order to get the bike into the basement entrance when there’s a car parked in the driveway, I have to: stop on the sidewalk, get off the bike, get my kid out of the seat, roll the bike up on its back wheel in order to push it past it though the gap between the parked car on my right side and the retaining wall on my left side.

The aforementioned “incident” took place when I stopped on the sidewalk in order get off the bike. I forgot I was clipped in. In my haste to get out on a cruise trough the neighborhood with my boy, I did not switch from SPDs to flats as I had done several times in the past. Everything was in slow motion. I thought about what a terrible dad I was on the way down; if my wife would press charges against me, if my son would still love me, and so on.

The fall wasn’t that bad. The design of the child seat protected my son quite well. He came out of it without a scratch. And of course he was wearing a helmet. It surprised him more than it hurt him, but not as much as it hurt me. I felt awful. He yelled “Geez, dad!” when we were lying on the ground. That was rough.

New Pedals! And Soon… A New Crankset!

I was very excited to upgrade my pedals and install them myself for the first time. Did you know…

You can easily change pedals on your bike by yourself with a pedal wrench or a hex key
The metal used in a crankset is generally made of aluminum and pedal spindles are steel
The left pedal for a bike is reverse threaded in order to prevent movement called precession
You can still get a right pedal in the left side of a crank set or vice-versa if you force it in there hard enough
You will strip out your crank by forcing a pedal into the wrong side of the crankset

Avoiding Flats

If you’re still using tubes in your family’s bike tires, here are a couple of tips to help avoid flats.

Do Your Best To Avoid Pinch Flats

A pinch flat can happen when a tire and tube gets pinched between the rim and the riding surface with so much force that the tube fails and 2 small rips are created in the tube along the point of impact. Most pinch flats occur when there’s not enough air in your tires. Pinch flats are also called a called snake bite flats because the puncture marks resemble holes that would be left by the fangs of a snake. Sometimes pinch flats are just unavoidable. When riding though rocky terrain at certain speeds your tire can quickly smash against the side of a rock. You’ll hear a loud SNAP!, then the sudden hissing of your tire losing air.

Don’t Get The Same Flat Twice

I’m sure this simple common sense for most of you, but I discovered this one on my own. When you get a flat due to thorns or some other material which has pierced your tube, be sure to check the tire for the offending shrapnel. It could still be lodged in the tire, patiently waiting to cause another flat in your new tube. If you can’t see the what caused the flat in the tire, gently run your fingers along the inside of the tire to seed if you can feel for what caused the puncture. You can also guess the general location where the thorn could be. Identify where the flat is in the tube in proximity to the valve in the tube. Then, look at the valve hole in the rim and you can have a good chance of finding where the flat happened in the tire.

Close The Valves On Your Hydration Packs When Transporting Them

When we load up the car to go on a trip, we’re usually in a hurry to get on the road and beat traffic. All the gear gets unceremoniously chucked in the back of the van and off we go. Similar to your favorite cereal, contents of our van may settle during shipment. One time this resulted in a hydration bag shifting and getting squished under another gear bag or suitcase. 50 ounces of water looks like 5 gallons when it’s evenly distributed on the floor of your car.

An Anecdote Of Acclimation

In October of 2014 our family was invited to a wedding in Telluride, Colorado. The happy couple and their families rented a beautiful home in the woods a few miles outside of town and it was big enough for the entire wedding party to stay in. The town has its own gondolas which are free to the public and operate daily. In summer months and early fall, the town trades out the ski racks for bike hooks so you catch a ride from the town base and take advantage of the Mountain Village bike park.

Our kids were 11 and 7 at the time and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get in a ride at this unique location. We arrived at the top of the mountain ready to get going on what was sure to be a great time. And, instead of just doing a bike park lap, we chose a route that kind of went around the bike park as a long traverse for a few miles, then we’d wind out way back down to the valley and be home before dark. I think the entire route was around 12 miles.

As we started to traverse across the mountain, there were several steep climbs that took quite a bit of effort. Our 11 year old was having a tough time after about 45 minutes and was walking his bike up the hills he’d normally pedal. He’s a pretty energetic kid and we thought that he was just recovering from a late night due to the wedding festivities.

After 15 more minutes and a couple more steep hills, our kid bonked. He just lay on the ground and said he wanted to go to sleep. It finally dawned on my wife that we were doing some vigorous exercise close to 11,000 feet and our oldest kid just couldn’t take it any more. His younger brother was fine, though. This is one of those times when we were really glad we packed a lot more than we needed for the outing. Water and snack breaks were mandatory every 15 minutes or so throughout the rest of the ride in order to keep everyone safe.

To see some adventures from fellow MTB families and share your own, follow MTBwithKids on Instagram or Facebook

Hartland Road, Mount Work – Victoria, BC