The Davis Enterprise: Mar. 15, 2009

Davis Bicycles! column #12

Title: Biking with your kids is tons of fun
Author: Natalya Eagan-Rosenberg

photo caption:
Raychel Kubby Adler pedals in North Davis with her 2-year-old daughter Ruby in the front seat; Arianna Eagan Rosenberg, 5, on the instant tandem; and Marley Adler, 6, in the trailer. Amarlyn Ewey, 6, rides alongside.

I’ve always wondered why biking with babies isn’t promoted more — the fresh air and exercise are the perfect antidote to postpartum blues and, ahem, one or two extra baby pounds. The first Internet site I found, the Bike Helmet Safety Institute, provided some clues: The jiggling of the bike may cause brain damage, the heavy helmet can strain a baby’s neck and back muscles, the road kicks up dust, mud and twigs that can fly right in your baby’s face. ... It’s a good thing I didn’t find this site eight years ago when I started biking with my son.

I still believe some creative preparation can make toddler cycling fun and safe. Since helmets are not recommended for kids under 1, you probably won’t find one to fit your infant. My huge 9-month-old son did fit a helmet, but since he was our first-born, we prudently decided to skip the helmet and buckle him into his fivepoint baby car seat harness. We then belted the car seat right into our shiny new Burley bike trailer.

An article on the BHSI site suggests deflating the trailer tires a little to cushion the ride. You can also purchase a bike trailer that has been safety tested to resist tipping over, among other things. My husband tipped our trailer over (oh, the horror!) at Covell and J, taking a fast, sharp turn and catching the wheel on the crossing island.

Now that I know about the bike trailer standard, maybe I can sue someone and forgive him. Of course he’s apt to point out that the baby was fine.

Once your child is helmetsafe, the options are frontmounted seat, back-mounted seat or bike trailer. Some say front seats are easier to balance than rear seats. My friend who loves hers adds, “I love that my arms are almost wrapped around her while we bike though town. I love that I can feel her soft hair blowing into my face as we go.” Poetry in motion.

But before you make any nonrefundable purchases, make sure your bike frame allows you to pedal without your knees knocking the seat in front.

One Davis bike shop owner thinks a rear seat offers more protection, while the trailer is the safest choice. If you go for the trailer, put a firm pillow behind your child so her helmet doesn’t force her chin down to her chest. Pillows on either side can help her stay propped up as well.

Special snacks that are reserved for bike rides may help resistant attitudes. I like dried papaya because it doesn’t immediately fall everywhere like a bag of cereal, snack mix, pop rocks ... you get the idea. On hot days, I encourage kids to wet their hair with a spray bottle before donning their helmets. And it seems riding in a bike trailer on a summer day is more fun with a spritz bottle in hand.

In the winter, I find lots of blankets and gloves work better. Remember, you are warm because you are exercising, but they are just relaxing. The flap on the bike trailer-fastening keeps off rain, wind and whatever airborne debris can be generated by our lovely Davis bike paths.

When my toddlers weren’t snacking or spritzing in the bike trailer, they were usually sleeping (no, they never fought). The beauty of a trailer nap is avoiding the dreaded transfer. Simply unhitch your trailer and wheel that sleeping angel right into the warm/cool house. If the child needs continuous motion to sleep, well, at least you can get your workout in as you bike around Davis aimlessly (and gently, of course) for miles and miles enjoying our Central Valley jewel.

By now you have realized biking with kids is awesome and one day soon you’ll need a trail-a-bike or tag-along, officially known as an instant tandem. Balancing a kid on a wheel behind you can be intimidating, but no fear! Lower your seat and attach your old bike trailer behind your child’s instant tandem while you get the hang of it. The three-part train makes your ride feel incredibly stable. Also the trailer is a great back-up if your zealous 4-year-old loses his zest for pedaling mid-trip.

Last tip: The distance between the seat in the lowest position and the pedals can vary quite a bit with instant tandems. So check that your child can reach the pedals and shop around. Otherwise you might find your spouse handily screwing your toddler’s building blocks onto her pedals.

Epilogue: My kindergartner, third-grader and I ride our own bikes just over 2 miles to school when it is not rainy, not too windy, over 40F, under 90F and not a car-pool day. That’s success by anyone’s standard!

— Natalya and her husband Matthew moved to Davis in 2001. Matthew bike commutes to Winters two days a week. They love biking around town with kids Tazio and Arianna, and they all always wear their helmets.