Encouraging Your Kids

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May 23, 2012, 05:29:22 PM

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[Electrogiirl]

I've taken my 16 year old to a couple of events recently and he has now declared downhilling as a "cool sport".
   
He came out to Mabie with me last night - good on him because it was peeing down as well!

He was struggling an awful lot on the smallest of hills though.  I think the bike is partly to blame - it's my old heavy Apollo and the gearing seems to be a bit all over the place.

Despite these setbacks, he wants to come out with me again, which is great.

I've told him to take the bike into Griersons and get it serviced for next time.

I used to ride that bike up Mabie when I first started.  He's bigger and stronger than me so he should manage it really.

I've told him he needs to get a job, then he can get himself a decent bike.  I can't afford to buy him one!

Any tips and hints as to how I can keep him motivated and get him fit?

[OldFisher]

The fact that he wants to means your halfway there or more!

My kids are much younger. My son loves hacking around and since my dad bought him a HT rather than his bmx he has taken to the sport. He is inclinded to crash a bit but then that is usually due to his 'try anything' attitude. (he is 10)

My daughter is less daring and rides (as does the Mrs) a ladies frame 'ATB' with 18 gears, a very basic sus fork, etc. But for her it is about nature, wildlife, etc. Stopping to see woodpeckers in the woods and the like but she enjoys it. (she is

You need to find what they enjoy when it comes to riding and then highlight it. (IMHO at least)

[bong69uk]

Maybe try taking him to more DH events and the more he see's how COOL a sport it is then the more he will want to get in to it,thus getting fit. You WILL NEED to get some of his mates into it also if he is to stick at it,its all too common at his age to give in to the lure of what all his pals are doing instead of something as ace as dhing. So if his pals are doing it then its all gravy from there on in! 

[Electrogiirl]

Well I've got his bike in for a service just now.  When it comes back I'm going to put my old tyres from my Commie on it.  And the Bel Aire saddle too.  We're going to take off all the unnecessary clutter.  He's peeling off the Apollo decals!  LOL I'll get some nice ones off eBay for it.

As for pals, well  his best friend might be persuaded to come one night ... I've got a tiny car - so I'll have to use my bike rack which is a bit of a fouter.

I'm pursuing the marshall volunteering angle so hopefully I'll get some responses from that. 

[domino0]

This is all good. I got into it when me and a mate got a bike the same week. My dad haad also been biking. that is when we started going, then my mate gave up and it wasnt until the summer of tht year i found tht i knew about 15 other bikers in my school. I still ride with my dad almost every week, he is real old skool ripper, 50 something, we were both not tht great but we can keep up wit heach other at spooky  wood now, although ive oved more to DH too, which he cant keep up at, keeps faliig at shoutinng swear words, but not as much now  i go riding about 1 to 2 times a month with mates!

[edog42]

My 10 year old is starting to really get into it and I found that a trip computer was a great motivator to add a bit of challenge for him. I'm going to try and take him to Donnington to see some cool stuff, but otherwise I'm a bit out of my league. Returning to biking after 18 years I don't remember anything other than cyclocross in those days, certainly not the level of down hill, jumps and trials around now. Youtube and the likes of Danny Macaskill have been must see stuff.

As for motivating a 16 year old. I may be totally out of touch with the cycling world, but I am a psychologist and sixth form teacher so coming at it from another angle I'd ask how do you motivate a 16 year old to think ANYTHING is cool. My experience over may years of cynical manipulation of the minds of bone idle lads is the the answer is girls. If he can twig that there are girl bikers out there and that they think boys that ride are cool (bad,sick,rad or whatever else the word is this week), then you simply wont ever have a problem.

[domino0]

Hey im 15 and i think MTB is "cool" 

[chrissturch]

My 4 year old daughter has watched the last two DH races on Freecaster with me, I'm starting her really young.  She wants to come biking with me already, although she has pointed out that she wont be able to ride as fast as them down the hill, because she has stabilisers on her bike. 

[edog42]

But she'll probably dab less in the turns

[Electrogiirl]

hehehe!

I told Dan about you Dom and he is intrigued to find out what people are saying on this thread!

We were out again last night.  He's not keen on the hills just now, but enjoyed the downhilly runs.  So, as you say, it's all good.

He's even come back with his first injury from getting in a fight with his chainring! 

[themossman]

I've got a couple of guys from work to come out with me recently....and they are a couple of big kids, does that count?

My son also had a fight with his chainring and now has a scar in the perfect shape of three chainring teeth on his leg!!

[domino0]

Ahh nice one ElectroGirl, injuries, my worst being two broken finger at FtBill last year. Still rode without them fully healed, but i cant ride just now  had to get a new BB, then t find it doesnt fit my cranks because they are hollowteh 2 look-a-likes, so new cranks are ariving end of the week. Race Face Atlas FR in Blue!  Keep it up

[borderboy]

I have got 3 boys, 7 10 13 we started riding about two years ago. At first it was hell they did not want to go cross country riding at all but we stuck to it. We then bought the eldest a dh bike and took them to fort bill for the world cup round. It was great and we havn't looked back, my eldest is now racing dh my middle son loves dh and has now got a supreme mini dh 24 and my smallest goes down the black runs on a 20" wheels with the rest of us he is something else!!!!
The secret is go often and racing does help them meet other like minded kids.   

[Electrogiirl]

Yeah well he's been out on his bike all week, on the roads mostly,  to get fit he says.  And he's going to come out again with me next week. 

So it IS all good so far!  Hope he keeps it up. 

[domino0]

Nice one, i dont bother with road cycling YET, maybe once i start racing and am nearing junior category and want to win the world champs i might