Families on Bikes

by Kathleen Wilker

November 29, 2010

Anna Sierra, Jasper and Kathleen Wilker

Derek Heffernan

So it looks likes there’s a lot of us out there, biking with kids. Thanks for all the visits and all the likes and all the shares. There’s a wealth of information and experience amongst us about riding as a family. Let’s keep this space rolling so we can continue to encourage and inspire each other!

I’ve had a few questions that I’d love to answer and would welcome your answers to as well. Feel free to jump in at any time with advice or questions.

How do you ride with kids in the winter?

It depends on the day. My kids have helmets that expand to make room for hats and balaclavas underneath for chilly weather. We all wear mittens and scarves and will ride in the cold. I do make sure we’re warmly dressed though because I want happy kids on bikes. And with the shorter days, I make sure our front and back lights are bright so we won’t be surprised by the dark that can arrive as early as 4:30 p.m. these days.

But I won’t ride if the conditions are icy. It’s just not worth the risk. I used to winter commute all season before I had kids. With studded tires, a beater bike and all the time in the world to take it slow, I had a great season of winter biking when I was pregnant with Anna Sierra. There was a lot of sun, lots of cold and not a lot of snow that year. So the roads were usually clear. When the weather is hovering around freezing, snow on the sides of the roads can melt and refreeze, creating icy conditions. I avoid riding in weather like that with kids.

My kids had a dentist appointment today and I was planning to bike them there on our Kona Ute. It’s a long tail with big panniers for groceries and room on the wooden back rack for two bums. Derek installed handlebars on the seat post for the kids to hold on to after we bought it. And I insisted on zip tying plastic foot protectors to the frame so there’d be no chance of little feet getting caught in spokes. Even the most trustworthy kids can be fidgety monkeys at times, so I like to play it safe.

Jasper hops on the bike and holds the handlebars. Anna Sierra gives Jasper a big hug around the waist. And away we go.

But this morning freezing rain and slush had us taking the bus. I’m sure we’ll be out cycling again soon, when the roads are clear.

Do you ride in the winter? How do you keep your kids warm? What’s your favorite winter ride?

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by Kathleen Wilker

November 29, 2010

Latest Comments

  • In the Prairie Climate

    Great topic. So interesting what others do, because there aren't products out there designed for this, not for the last few decades anyway. I take our little guy in a double Chariot with two evazotes and a fleece blanket under him. On top I put two more fleece blankets doubled over a few times, and a full adult sleeping bag. That buggy is stuffed except one breathing space. I punched holes in the evazotes for the seatbelts. We haven't hit an afternoon temperature fierce enough to get through all that and his winter wardrobe. Coldest afternoons were around -25c this year. (He usually goes by bus on winter mornings for logistical reasons.) His fingers and toes are toasty after our 1/2 hour or so on the trail. He spends just about the whole commute fast asleep - a good sign. When it's especially cool we have a quick footrace before hitting the trail. Getting around is so much easier when they are old enough to say "yes I'm warm. yes I'm happy. let me sleep."

    Posted by Robert Judge February 22, 2011 07:54:24

  • We like warm helmets

    The best winter biking with kids purchase? Gloves, yeah, but the kids think it's the snowboard helmets. Warm, and if you are careful, some are CPSC certified as bike helmets. I agree with the Kamiks (sorel no longer made in Canada) and hooray for snow pants. By the way, to keep Kamik boots warm all day, wear a vapor barrier over your sock, like a bread bag (or VBL sock from a camping store) and the insulation stays dry and warm. We ride with kids in the sloppy freeze/refreeze weather only with studded winter tires, but they stay snug in layers and they hate it when we take the car anywhere.

    Posted by doug February 09, 2011 21:05:03

  • Winter Wind

    We ride in our cargo bike through the winter here in CHicago too. We second Liz on the long johns and mask though we use insulated helmets and goggles as well to keep the wind out of little faces. We tend to layer up from wool long johns, a heavy fleece or thick wool layer, snow suit or jacket and snow pants and then face mask and said goggles. We usually pack extra layers in our pannier to switch around.
    Our kids do ride their own bikes in winter as well for shorter trips. They wear pretty much the same combo if they are riding with a varied middle weight layer between the long johns and snowsuits. We find that they need to layer their long johns layers over their school clothes sometimes as their classrooms can get very hot and they need to take those layers off sometimes. A great place to practice winter handling with kids is an empty park or university campus green space. We have used there places to practice stops and starts n snow and wipe outs. They ride the sidewalks always when they take their own bikes in winter!

    Posted by Jennifer February 09, 2011 14:39:43

  • winter riding w/ kids

    We love our Yuba Mundo, but for the more foul conditions we now have a wonderful new Christiania bike (sold in the US now through Boxcycles). It's nice having them in front and protected.

    After riding it for a month, I have come to the realization that while it isn't as fast as the longtail, it offers the neat feature of super easy transitioning between pedaling it and just walking it, since it has the step through frame and is a nice and stable trike.

    For anyone planning on using studded tires, make sure to check and see if they have a "wear-in" period. I bought some Schwalbe's last year that stated they need to be ridden for 25 miles on dry roads to condition the studs properly. Just something to keep in mind.

    Stay warm and keep riding,

    Max

    Posted by Max December 15, 2010 00:02:39

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