Summer Holiday Bike Rides the Kids Will Actually Enjoy

When the summer holidays arrive, a lot of parents have the same idea. The bikes come out of the garage, tyres are pumped up and there are plans for family bike rides, picnics and afternoons outdoors.

Sometimes it works exactly as planned. Other times, everyone is ready to turn around after twenty minutes.

Over the years we've spoken to hundreds of parents buying bikes for their children, and one thing we've noticed is that children often view cycling very differently to adults. Parents tend to think about distance, fitness or getting out of the house. Children are usually far more interested in whether they're going somewhere interesting or whether they'll have fun when they get there.

That's why some family bike rides become a regular summer activity while others happen once and never get repeated.

One mistake many adults make is assuming a longer ride automatically means a better day out. In reality, some of the most successful family rides are surprisingly short. A couple of miles to a local park, an ice cream shop or somewhere with a playground will often create far more excitement than a lengthy countryside route that feels like hard work.

Children also tend to ride differently from adults. They stop more often, get distracted more easily and want to investigate things along the way. What can sometimes feel like constant interruptions to a parent is actually part of what makes the ride enjoyable for them. Looking at ducks on a canal, stopping to throw stones into a stream or racing siblings between lamp posts often becomes the part they remember afterwards.

Traffic-free routes can make a huge difference as well. Parents are generally more relaxed when they aren't constantly watching for cars, and children quickly become more confident when they're able to focus on riding rather than worrying about traffic around them. Former railway lines, canal towpaths and dedicated cycle paths tend to be ideal because they allow everyone to ride at their own pace without feeling pressured.

The bike itself can also have a bigger impact than many people realise. A child riding a bike that's too large or unnecessarily heavy is going to tire much more quickly than one riding something that fits properly. We've lost count of the number of times a child has suddenly started enjoying cycling after moving onto a lighter bike that was actually the right size for them.

Ultimately, most parents aren't trying to create the next professional cyclist. They simply want their children spending less time indoors and more time outside enjoying themselves. The good news is that this doesn't require ambitious distances or challenging routes. More often than not, the rides children enjoy most are the ones that feel like an adventure rather than a cycling challenge.

If you haven't got your bike ready for the summer then check out our range of premium bikes.