How to Outfit A Child For A Trail Ride
If you have been a mountain bike trail rider for a long time, then you will find How to outfit a Child for a Trail Ride a little easier. There are some basics, but some of the biggest issues is helping your child be mentally and physically prepared.
How to Outfit a Child for a Trail ride when it comes to equipment is fairly straight forward. You just have to think like outfitting an adult, except smaller.
There are two options. If your child is old enough to pilot and ride their own Mountain Bike, then it can be pretty easy to approach. The other option is is you have a very young child, and will be transporting them.
If your child is very young, there are a number of different trailers that are made for Mountain Bike Trail Riding. While this might seem silly, it is all about keeping your Child Safe. And these trailer type gear arrangements are surprisingly successful. There is also the option of having a back pack or tummy pack type of carrier.
If your child is very small, toddler or infant sized, then these approaches can be surprisingly successful. If your child is older and able to pilot their own Mountain Bike, then outfitting them can work much like outfitting an adult, just on a smaller scale.
Make sure that your child can participate in the process. You want them to be comfortable with the Mountain Bike that you find and select for them. Sizing the frame so they can stand flat footed over the frame with feet flat on the ground is very important.
Obtaining a helmet for your child is imperative, and making sure that their bike, equipment and accessories is of the highest quality is also important. If you can afford it, go top of the line. Children often do not have the same strength and agility that adults do, so its important to have the best quality equipment available for your child.
Children enjoy participating, so allow your child to be involved in all of the different aspects of outfitting them for Mountain Bike Trail riding. Give them a choice in selecting of equipment and accessories whenever possible, and help them to learn the different requirements of Mountain biking.
Finally, how to outfit a child for a trail ride has a lot to do with the physical and mental preparation. If your child is not in good physical shape, you should plan trail rides that are gentle and not intensely physically taxing. It might be a good idea to start your child on a program of gentle physical conditioning also to prepare them for longer and more intense trail rides.
Lastly try to make the experience fun. Children do not take well to forced “death march” type of experiences, so know that breaking your child into Mountain Biking slowly would be an excellent idea. No matter which approach you take in how to outfit a child for a trail ride, you will be successful if you find a way to make it fun and enjoyable for your child.