Riding with your kids. How do you do it?

[MikeT]

How do you guys do it? I took my two boys riding at some power lines last week and it was really tough. My little guy on the XR50 was pretty much set because of the auto transmission but if he fell, picking the bike up was something I would usually have to help him with. My oldest (8yrs) on the KX60 was much more difficult. He had problems putting the bike into neutral to get it started, also simply stalling it was tough. If he fell we had picking the bike up, getting it in neutral and kicking it. Sometimes it took what seemed to be 10 minutes for that whole process.

My basic day of riding turned into simply going back and forth between the two to make sure no one got stuck. I am planning on taking them to a kids track in South Carolina where I think they will be better but I can't leave them and go do laps on the big track. I just don't think that is smart.

Is that the way it goes with you guys when you bring your kids? Is it basically a teaching day and you have to ride some other time???

 

[kawikiller]

It will probably be like that until their skill level improves and you wouldnt have to worry about them as much I guess. I have the same problem when I go with my girlfriend. Rather than take off and shred it up im putting around with her, bike stalling, starting the bike, etc etc

 

[BadgerMan]

Is it basically a teaching day and you have to ride some other time???

Yes, but it is time well spent. Hopefully you will end up instilling a life long passion for the sport as a result of your time investment. You really need to be patient as putting too much pressure on them can ruin their desire to ride.

If you need to ride on your terms and at your speed, pick another day for that ride or team up with another family and share supervision duties.

I spent several years carrying a PW50 and an XR70 up hills and maneuvering them around sand washes. And yes, there was some crying and some heated exchanges. However, patience prevailed and the result is that my teenage son and daughter ride full size bikes now and are at home on any trail and at any speed. I have two life long riding partners who love the sport as much as anyone.

 

[KX250Dad]

BadgerMan... didn't mean to somewhat emmulate your post following was an "in progress thing"

My compliments sir, and I'm sure these two appreciate the cool dad they have!!! Unfortunately... there's no substitute to the learning curves (skill and mental). At best you have and acre or two behind the barn where they can ride, ride, ride and you watch, pick up, start, watch, pick up, start... then do the power line thing. In so far as you... get use to the fact your a teacher/dad not a rider... now is the most important time in learning for the young buc's, they just need to know your there and by being there you keep control. Most young beginners learn quickly so you'll get your riding time soon enough, downside is they'll be ripping around in what will feel like no time and you become the lapper dumby with an X on your back. All kidding aside, keep'em slow big thing would be to much effort picking up and starting or a major dump and some kid's will simply give up.

Once they can ride without falling or panic then the track (MX) thing works pretty good. Two neat things happen, most tracks are somewhat walkable and for safety sake will only put the small guys for laps... the youngest will feel comfortable with his peers and you can locate yourself on the track to help him (them) out as required, the KX60 fellow will experience the same, and you will actually get trak time on that YZ... another non-riding dad will gladly keep an eye on the young ones.

Do it right and they'll turn into your best buddies until they turn 18 and don't need you to sign the waiver (just teasing, even now my son let's me tag along).
ps. ever find yourself tooling thru Louisville come on bye, got a track and some pasture that will fit your as well as their tastes.

 

[XRpredator]

. . . there was some crying and some heated exchanges.

Oh man, I hear that. And when I say heated, we're talkin' full blown NUCLEAR. I can stand to be tough on the boy when he has his foibles, because I know he'll eventually nut up and go and end up having fun.

My daughter, however, can make me melt with a look. I just can't push her. :bang:

give it time, Mike. After one ride where he broke his arm, and another where we had to ride back down the greasy trails (or I had to ride down, then walk back up, then ride the other bike down) during a monsoon, he's a much better rider for it.

 

[BadgerMan]

My daughter, however, can make me melt with a look. I just can't push her. :bang:

:nod:

Yeah, my daughter dumped the XR70 once several miles into a particularly sandy and dry trail. She decided to have a sit down strike right there on the spot……….she wasn’t going any further and she wasn’t riding back to the truck! My wife stayed there with her while my son and I tried to GPS the truck back to the spot and pick her and the bike up.

Now, years later, we have a lot of laughs about those trips. Those memories are priceless!

 

[MikeT]

I guess I will just leave my bike behind for the next ride and just concentrate on teaching them. I do like to teach but we all like to ride.

Before we go though I think I will work on the 8yr old taking the bike from 2nd gear into neutral and restarting it. Also his body position is very bad just because he doesn't know any better. I can work on all that right in the driveway the weekend before we go so there isn't the added pressure of, "come on get it right so we can go". I think that might be some time well spent.

 

[Patman]

Been there Mike. Pretty soon I'll be the one holding him up but for now we have a good time when we can find the time in our schedules to go. He still remembers the PW50 days and crashing thru the fence, the over the bars face plant in to the mud at DirtWeek and lots of other mishaps and good times. We have the advantage of living in a rural area so he can easily go ride anytime he wants which may prove to be my down fall. :laugh:

Heck the time between the KTM50 up thru the CR85R was the exact reason I built my (K)XR284. It is an easy bike to ride slow yet still plenty fun when I am out with the big boys. I've been kicking around the idea of something different for myself now that he's going to move to a full size 125 class bike, partly because I don't want to get owned by my kid just yet LOL!

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

You are just not going to go on a serious ride with a XR50 tagging along!

I am not sure what riding areas are like where you live. Here in California large groups of us will go out and camp in the desert. We will "circle the wagons" around the camp center and leave one large opening off in the downwind direction. A tiny track gets set up, perhaps a couple hundred yards long. The kids can go round and round on that while the adults sit around the fire or do whatever.

If you have a group you can leave the kids back at camp and go for a ride with your buddy. We are talking an hour or less here, not all day! Do your tough ride, get your rush, come back to camp and play with your kids.

Encourage your kids, don't push them. Let them enjoy riding in terrain that they can handle. If they are enjoying it they will push themselves, and you may find that by the time they are 10 years old and have moved up to an 80 they are good enough to give you a run for your money! Don't take them on the really hard stuff, though. Their mother will kill you bring them back all hurt.

Think groups. Your kids would rather ride with other kids, you would rather ride with other adults.

Rod

 

[kmccune]

Wow that brings back memories, more of when Amy first started then the kid though :whoa: It get better but at first you just have to focus on helping them as much as need to make it enjoyable for them. You may not be having the ride of your life, but it will get better as they progress. Heck, they tell me that someday my kids may be faster then me....NOT :laugh: Keep up the cool parenting and they will grow up good :cool:

 

[knowiam]

Eh, Mike! I'm walking the same path as you now... a 10 yr. old and another little one "chompin' at the bit" to get his own "vroom vroom"...lol :cool:

Our rides are getting much better as I am sure your rides will too. [I'm exceedingly pleased to have a kickstand on my bike]

My father [aka my hero] told me that patience is learned response rather than a trait one is born with.... I think he was right...but some rides my patience has been in shorter supply than others-know what I mean? :bang:

Enjoy this time! I am certain that no father has said to himself with his last breath.."I wish I had not spent so much time with my kids."

P.S. You made my day with this post -lmao- It is good to hear from others--- Sit down strike-that's funny!

Ken

 

[FruDaddy]

I think you just picked the wrong place to ride. And you won't be able to ride out of 2nd with the 50 following you. Try to find some old fire roads, or give an MX track a shot. The advantage of the MX track, is that you can ride as hard as you want, and never be too far away when the kids need you. You can also pull over and just enjoy watching them (something I often find myself doing). My boy is more experienced than your kids (he's more experienced on dirt than I am) and when we go to the track, I sometimes just take off and ride, all the while keeping an eye on him. Sometimes I just settle in behind him and follow him around the track for a few laps. Maybe I'll pass him and clear a jump in front of him that he can't do yet, in hopes that he will try it too (he seldom does). And, as I said, I often just pull off the track somewhere, shut my bike off, and watch him ride. Don't worry, they will get it, it just takes time. That 60 is going to be the hard one, keep the oil changed, it seems to make finding neutral a little easier.

 

[snb73]

Find a field for them to develop their basic skills first. Look for clubs in your area to join. You should be able to find a few tracks nearby. Most tracks have pee-wee or beginer tracks.

Good luck, Steve.

 

[GETMETOCA]

Try to get another adult and keep the kids between you. I rode with 4 of Bundy's kids/nephew/neice with his wife sweeping and we had it dialed in pretty good up at Kennedy Meadows. We had a great time. And yes, there were the restarts and the rocky trouble areas, but between the two of us we kept 'em goin.

 

[oldguy]

And yes, there was some crying and some heated exchanges. .

Yep been there and once my son got me calmed down explained to me what I did wrong and wiped the tears from my face we had fun :)

Unfortunately from the beginning my son far outpaced me and was a way better rider then I ever could be. I still look back with a special smile to the days when we did get to spend time together on the track and still remember the day at DW02 when I thought I was really hitting a certain jump when a 4 stroke sailed over my head. As I looked up I saw my son (14 at the time ) looking down at me :nod:

Is there any way you can take one at a time- special day with dad-? The year or 2 until they are comfortable and self sufficent are just a small price to pay for the future years of enjoyment you will all share together :cool: