Little Shredders Pt. 3 – Hitting the Bike Park with your Kids!

A bikepark trail looks totally different to an experienced adult than it does to a child. To experience this, just lower yourself to their height and look at the size of those braking bumps! The bike and protective gear help kids get down the trails safely, but there are other variables to consider on the mountain. Now It’s time to get that bike dirty … let’s go hit the bikepark!

The Right Frame of Mind

After introducing your kids to the basics and sorting out their protective gear, it’s time to move into actual park riding! Whether young or old, attitude is generally one of the most important factors in the success of new riders. It they want to be at the mountain and are mentally prepared for what they will find, then the shock of seeing huge features and endless rock gardens will be diminished. Most resorts frown on people walking the trails, but that doesn’t mean you can’t walk them when the park is closed. A novice rider will usually stick to one or two trails on the mountain anyway, so take some time and walk around. The goal is to familiarize the rider to the elements so that there will be less surprises on the trail. You want them to be thinking about riding their bike, not getting distracted by all of the surprising and intimidating things around them.

Are You the Best Coach?

Can you navigate the trail while being incredibly distracted? Are you able to articulate the bike skills you’ve mastered? Can you handle watching you kid crash and be objective about their health? Many bikeparks now have outstanding learn-to-ride programs. These coaches know the trails and they know how to explain the techniques that beginners need to learn. It is rewarding and fun to be on the mountain with your kid, but it is also absolutely terrifying. I followed behind one of the coaches at Bikepark Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis while he took a few runs with my kid and I was very pleased with his attentiveness and knowledge. I would not hesitate to book a private lesson with one of these professionals.

A Full Day?

A half day ticket may be a good option because an entire day on the mountain will almost certainly be too much. In fact, at some resorts you can purchase a single run pass. Two runs down the mountain might not seem like much of a day, but if each run takes you an hour then it works out well. Take the afternoon to go for a hike or a swim somewhere and be ready to attack the mountain again the following day when you can continue to build on muscle memory.

Weather

Just because you have all the gear and are at a mountain does not mean that you should ride. Wet trails will dramatically change the performance of a bike and therefore the success of a novice. It is often better to wait till the trails are in decent shape before introducing a child to them because once they fear a particular section, that fear can stay with them for a while.

Trail Congestion

Is there a “best” time of day to ride with your kid? YES!! It is better to ride the trails when they are not busy. That sometimes means first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds. Busy trails are very stressful and also quite dangerous for kids. Bikers ride as fast as they can everywhere no matter if it is a beginner trail or an advanced trail. If they can not avoid an impact you will have a huge problem. A collision is the worst case scenario but also pressure alone will lead to stress. When people are intimidated or thinking about the rider coming up behind them, they are not thinking about riding their bike and the distraction leads to crashes. Do what you can to ride only at times that are not busy until your little one can ride at speeds where they will not become vulnerable on the trail.

To Lead or Follow?

The congestion on trails leads to one of the biggest dilemmas … do you lead or do you follow? We recommend following for safety because you can block other bikers from colliding with your kid. When you hear that biker closing in, you can get big and wide and take up as much trail as possible to discourage a pass in an unsafe part of the trail. Your job is to keep everyone safe, so feel free to slow people down and then get to the side of the trail the first chance you have to let other riders pass. If you lead, you can demonstrate line choices and set the pace of the ride. Ideally the child will ride between two experienced riders, but that is not always an option.

Chairlift or Gondola?

How do you plan to transport your little shredder up the hill? If it is a chairlift, can you manage two bikes AND your kid? Once on the chairlift, will they sit still and be calm or will they freak out? Gondolas are almost always less stressful for the adult and the child, but a chairlift can be fine as well. You just want to be prepared for what you are getting yourself into. It might be a good idea to take a round trip up and down the mountain without bikes just to see how things work and to get a little practice getting on and off the lift.

Braking Bumps

Braking bumps will be totally different for a small person and there are some tricks to manage their impact. Remember that the braking bumps will not only bounce them around, but also lessen the efficacy of the brakes. Try to teach little ones to stay out of the middle of the trail when the bumps get too big. By staying to the side of the trail they will find it easier to not get bucked around so much. It is counterintuitive, so expect to repeat yourself often.

Berms

Holy crap, berms can be intimidating. A large bowled out turn will encourage novices to try to take an inside line which is the exact opposite of what they should do. Just remember that the berms can be incredibly scary so be prepared to stop and take a look at the big turns before you just go straight into them. Let them watch you ride it a few times to learn the right line.

Steeps

Like berms, steep sections are intimidating and require practice. Allow the kid to walk their bike down the section a few times. You will be surprised how quickly the will go from walking a section to riding it if they aren’t pressured.

Fatigue

Mental fatigue can be almost as detrimental as physical fatigue when doing something new like park riding. The learning curve for a new rider is quite steep and they will improve with each run they take. Try to remember what it was like when you were new to the sport – it was exhausting! An adult might understand how to keep their bodies fit for the entire day, but kids usually don’t know when they are dehydrated and adrenaline can mask muscle fatigue.

Riding bikes is so much fun and riding bikes with your kids is awesome! Even if you are just riding around your neighborhood or locals trails, it is a great way to spend time with your family. Bike rides will be totally different when are shredding around with the little ones, so your expectations should be different. Leave the heart rate monitor at home and don’t bother to turn on Strava … just go play! If you and the kids have the skills and motivation, then head to the mountains and see if bikeparks are for you. If you keep some of these suggestions in mind then you can increase the fun and decrease the fear. Nothing beats the look on a kid’s face when they clear a new section or hit a new jump for the first time. And wait till you see the look of pure stoke on all the faces of the other riders – everyone shares the joy of mini rippers on the mountain.

Special thanks to Bikepark Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis for the additional insights and providing a great place to put our theories to the test.

The riders:

Alex is 8 years old and riding a Commencal Supreme 24”
Drew is 6 years old and riding a Propain Frechdax 20”

Did you miss the first two episodes of the series? No problem, you can read them here:
Little Shredders Pt.1 – The Perfect Kids Bike for the Bike Parks
Little Shredders Pt. 2 – Proper Safety Gear for the Bike Park

Still looking for the perfect kids bike? Don’t miss our Buyer’s Guide for Kids Mountain Bikes.