Taking the kids on trail rides

[budget biker]

have bought my son his first big boys toy,crf150
hes got the basics but not a lot of experience, much like his old man
any preferences out there for where to ride on trail rides
at the front to set a safe pace, or
at the back to let him set his own pace

for front
,i can control the pace and hopefully pick a good line , or find a bad line and show him a better way
can warn him of dangerous areas.eg alot of the rides in the naki have drops you dont want to fall off
against front
icant actually see how hes going and i havent mastered the art of riding forward while looking backwards
may hold back his ability

for at the rear
he can set his own pace , he usually rides a pretty good line, though probably a little fast for his current ability
i can be there to pick him up a lot quicker
i can judge when hes getting tired , or out of his league, by the amount of offs,

against rear
him riding above his ability and hurting himself majorly

ideally would ride with others parent/ kid combo so we can share the fun, and it would solve the dilemma

ride hard and ride often(i wish)

[barty5]

Id proberly stay behind then youll know wwhen he is in trouble your going to get a swore neck other wise. Let set his own pace you can allways pull up along side and get him to slow down if need be. Got face it he's going to fall at some point if its cause he's going to quick leason lernt he'll slow up. wont be long and you'll be askin him to slow down so yah can kep up.lol

[Taz]

Probably wont be too long before you have no choice but to follow him and try to keep up. I would follow on trail rides, if he stops for some reason and you're in front you'd not be able to ride back along the trail safely with 300 bikes coming the other way.

[budget biker]

true, was taking my nephew 2 yrs ago on rides and pickin him up.now he picks me up . after lapping me lol

[L Rider]

As others have said follow him. But give him space. As a learner myself i find that when someone is behind me i use to panic & it would cause all kinds of problems. Although that might not bother your son.
When hubby rides with me now he follows but he holds back, lets me go then he catches up & holds back again. Now & then he rides in front but its always a worry if i come off he won't know.

[FROSTY]

I'd probably suggest avoiding the whole issue. Find a small (1km ish) loop that challenges him a bit and get him to practice. Then follow him see how he's doing. Stop him --explain the stuff he needs to work on-then lead him for a bit.
Get the competence level up a bit

[SpikedPunch]

Following works best I think. Somewhere like those waitemata family rides would be perfect for that (on the shorter loops) cause the 'dangers' are marked out with arrows.

[buffstar]

In our family we have found the best idea as previously mentioned is to get your kiddo on the kids track first. Once that is sussed the method we ended up using was 'sandwhiching' (thats a really hard word to spell) thereby one in front picking the line and setting the pace and one bringing up the rear to pick up the peices (if required)
For our kidletts if there was no option of sandwhiching (sandwidging?) I would always take up the rear, and had no issues with major obstacles - unless you count said kid hitting the brakes with no freakn warning when they came to something that made the baulk.........
Best of luck to ya both

[oldskool]

I have no choice in the matter, both my kids prefer to be in front and my daughter in particular insists. On the big trail rides I offer them protection by riding behind them from the impatient idiots who invariably are there who would quite carelessly roll over them to stay ahead of a mate they'd be racing. Funnily in my experience you can almost always pick the bike these trail nazi's ride.

[Reckless]

What frosty said but to be honest you can't control anything. If you ride up front you'll pretty much just be looking over your shoulder and adjusting to his pace anyway. If your slowing him down he'll simply get bored with you. So I'd say at the rear as well. At least then you can cover him from following riders.

I've seen it in my two sons and my daughter. Now it was her that went so bloody fast I knew she was way way over riding. Scared the shit outa me every-time. Nothing I said or warnings I gave would slow her down! "its fun" she said. Then she crashed! Nothing broken, coupla bruises for a day or so and the sensibility is back in her riding. Luckily it was at the learners paddock at Thunder park.

I say the above because the only thing that slows them down is a crash or a fall, hopefully without pain. But its the pain that's the real teacher. No matter how much you tell them they won't listen when they get to that overconfident stage! Just try and control the circumstances, guide, teach, warn as much as possible and be there to pick up the pieces and fix the bike.

Some fathers push them, some cotton wool them. I'm afraid to say when they get those bars and that throttle in their hands "they" make the decisions.
Unfortunatly in our sport falling off is learning. Just make it FUN!!!
Good on ya for doin it! Welcome to KB!

[B0000M]

I have no choice in the matter, both my kids prefer to be in front and my daughter in particular insists. On the big trail rides I offer them protection by riding behind them from the impatient idiots who invariably are there who would quite carelessly roll over them to stay ahead of a mate they'd be racing. Funnily in my experience you can almost always pick the bike these trail nazi's ride.

can i take a guess?

is it big bore ktms? eg 450 +

[oldskool]

can i take a guess?

is it big bore ktms? eg 450 +

lol, I won't mention any names but I like red white and blue but not very partial to orange!

Damn good guess!!! I only just recently had a run in with one a couple of weeks ago at the sandpit

[B0000M]

when riding with my wife at epic events, every time she got taken out by someone or almost taken out by someone it would be a big bore ktm, i dont know what it is, but riders of those commonly stand out to me as the arseholes of the trail.

my view of passing slow riders is you ease past when there is room, and dont feed it to it again until they're out of roost's way - especially the case with novice looking riders and kids. but meh, back to the topic.

i too am a fan of the send them out on the smaller loops and let them learn then offer pointers

[SpikedPunch]

when riding with my wife at epic events, every time she got taken out by someone or almost taken out by someone it would be a big bore ktm, i dont know what it is, but riders of those commonly stand out to me as the arseholes of the trail.

my view of passing slow riders is you ease past when there is room, and dont feed it to it again until they're out of roost's way - especially the case with novice looking riders and kids. but meh, back to the topic.

i too am a fan of the send them out on the smaller loops and let them learn then offer pointers

Yeah surprise surprise the one time I've been run over by a stranger it was one of these guys at desert storm. Never ridden in mud and was obviously struggling so the guy decides it's a great time to get right up my arse - in a woodhill-esque forest where you could easily go around. Gah. I dawdle around kids until it's safe to pass, don't want to freak them out and make them fall off, even if most of them at better riders than me.

[L Rider]

Yeah surprise surprise the one time I've been run over by a stranger it was one of these guys at desert storm. Never ridden in mud and was obviously struggling so the guy decides it's a great time to get right up my arse - in a woodhill-esque forest where you could easily go around. Gah. I dawdle around kids until it's safe to pass, don't want to freak them out and make them fall off, even if most of them at better riders than me.

We take Brooky down to the old carpark at woodhill on his wee quad - couple of places there that i worry about some one coming flying up there & over the top of him. He thinks he's bullet proof though. We've also finally got him to hold his line so that he doesn't move into their way - another scary thing kids & learners can do.

[mfordy]

I found the Honda kids camps were great for getting the boys started - no trail Nazi's :laugh:
First time out, I would blast around the beginners loop deciding if they would cope then if all OK, I would lead them around once and then follow for a couple of loops. Repeat the process for progressively harder loops. They soon decide which loop they can cope with and go hard until they run out of fuel/energy - whatever comes first!...

[L Rider]

I found the Honda kids camps were great for getting the boys started - no trail Nazi's :laugh:
First time out, I would blast around the beginners loop deciding if they would cope then if all OK, I would lead them around once and then follow for a couple of loops. Repeat the process for progressively harder loops. They soon decide which loop they can cope with and go hard until they run out of fuel/energy - whatever comes first!...

Do they ever run outta energy???
I must say though after a days riding its not long before our 2 fall asleep in the car.

[mfordy]

Do they ever run outta energy???
I must say though after a days riding its not long before our 2 fall asleep in the car.
I know my youngest boy has run out of energy when he starts falling off - time to put the bike away to howls of protest "I'm not tired!..:weep:"

[scott411]

it would depend on where you are, if you are on a kids club ride with a small loop then i would prob lead the first loop them let him go,

on a bigger loop say at one of out Mr Motorcycle rides i would ride behind him, it is good if you can team up with someone else and have one lead a group, then one follow,

[oldskool]

I remember Tawny's first major trail ride. Mangatangi. Before this she had only had a couple of goes at Sandpit on her dungy old DS80 and had just moved to a reliable XR100. The ladies at the sign in tent said yeah she'd handle the main loop alright, so up we went. At the top of the first big hill it looked like we were on the top of the world and as she looked down the steep decline she burst into tears and said I can't do it Dad. Thus began a long 2 hours of trudging back up and down hills nursing her 100 down the hills and walking back up to get my bike just to repeat it over and over again. I was buggered by the end of it. Them Mangatangi hills are mean, top that off with 700 riders flying by one after the other unrelentlessly all afternoon.
6 months on (and a better bike to ride, but that's another story) and finally she has overcome the fear she developed going down steep hills because of that one bad experience.
Take what you want out of this but it ended up all good. She's as keen as ever to ride and can look back at the episode with an embarrassed smile.

[Reckless]

Same for us old fellas too!


run out of energy when he starts falling off :"

[Taz]

funnily in my experience you can almost always pick the bike these trail nazi's ride.

Damn I have a big bore KTM. Haven't run over any kids for a while though.

[noobi]

lol, I won't mention any names but I like red white and blue but not very partial to orange!

Damn good guess!!! I only just recently had a run in with one a couple of weeks ago at the sandpit

it wasn't dad was it???
there was a guy on a 300 ktm that was having a go at me that weekend too...

i learnt by going first and dad following, so i could work everything out for myself, so dad would know if i fell off or got in trouble, and he could protect me from lunatics. now he goes first cuz i ride too fast apparently, this was 2 years ago.

[clmintie]

The first couple of rides for my girls was on a mates flat paddock to get the used to stopping quickly... We then went to a Waitamata family ride at Muriwai and soon after another Muriwai, but this time a Power ride... Both these organisers have sussed what a "family" ride should be.. The kids /learners tracks are always excellent for the task and I didn't ride at all, just observed them on the short loops ready to help and offer encouragement...

Their first full length trail rides were at Mr Motorcycles and I would follow...

Lately, instead of me following them, they now lead me, a significant change in emphasis......... :laugh:

And I believe the correct spelling is "sandwitch" :chase::devil2:

[oldskool]

it wasn't dad was it???
there was a guy on a 300 ktm that was having a go at me that weekend too...

i learnt by going first and dad following, so i could work everything out for myself, so dad would know if i fell off or got in trouble, and he could protect me from lunatics. now he goes first cuz i ride too fast apparently, this was 2 years ago.

:laugh: nah it wasn't your dad, the dude in question was racing against a mate and thought because of that he had right of way around me on a single track. He thought if he revved his engine enough and shouted at me to get off the (#$@#$) track I would comply. Meanwhile I had been in my own zone taking my time keeping my feet on the pegs going in tune to the ruts and roots in my own space when he rudely interrupts me. So I get rarked, kick off like a jack rabbit which seemed to piss him off even more, me on my little 125. I stop at the next intersection and when he catches up he stops and has a go at me, and then shoots off, so I follow him back to his base and give it back to him which he doesn't like because it's in front of his lady friend who he's trying to impress. What didn't impress me was the way he went about it, I ride my dirt bike in the weekend to be away from tossers like him driving cars on the road.

But back on topic...Yes after my daughter got run over by a KTM I make sure I screen her as much as I can when I hear loud bikes coming up fast behind us.

[jt119]

its really cool coming across you and ya kids and has me cracking up when you stop for a chat to see thay havnt and you got to get moving or be left behind hope i ant ever been a prick going passed

[xen]

its really cool coming across you and ya kids and has me cracking up when you stop for a chat to see thay havnt and you got to get moving or be left behind hope i ant ever been a prick going passed

Yea you're always a prick going past

[KTMDad]

I always follow my son (8) if he picks a bad line it was his call, he's learning fast. As for the speed, he started over riding and had a spill on a MX track -1 broken wrist - 3 Mths on, Hes a better rider not as fast on the first lap of a trail and gets his own pace up as the day progresses. Not super fast out of the box -
Another thing I have started doing is hitting my horn when i want to tell him something, ATM I'm on him to stand more, So when he sit's, I hit the horn and up he gets. I used to sound it when we had riders come up on us to let him know to hold his line and let them pass.
Works well, I just let him know before each ride what the horn will mean.
Hope it helps..

[oldskool]

its really cool coming across you and ya kids and has me cracking up when you stop for a chat to see thay havnt and you got to get moving or be left behind hope i ant ever been a prick going passed
Nah mate, you're one of the good guys!! :niceone::first:
...and you ride a Honda :Punk:

[jt119]

Yea you're always a prick going past

in the hole time ive been riding id never been run over till i followed you lol that port ride i follow my boys around that way i can tell them to stand up or change up or down a gear ther both pretty new to bikes

[random rider]

:laugh:Eventhough I cannot be classed as a kid as a new rider it is nice to have someone following. Means that when I do something stupid they don't have to walk back to find out why I'm eating dirt/sand

You have to learn for yourself what speed to go and crashing is a good and quick way to figuring out when to slow down. My brother follows me and keeps distance so I don't feel hounded by him but know he is there - he will also tell me when I have chosen bad lines or sitting too much etc when we get back in.

And I agree - be nice to kids/newbie riders - I get freaked by the riders that think it is ok to cut me off and roost me just because I am holding them up for 20 metres!:2guns:

[barty5]

Have to say it can be furstratin when you do come up behind some who is learnin going slow if your movin aat a good pace, But then you have to or at least should be thinking what if this was my kid how would i respond to the cock that races up and dang near or dose force them of the track. So you have to take it as it comes and as booom said wait and pass when you can safely hell everyone is out for the fun of it.

Never seams to sink in to some dont know how many times ive heard Scott and other at the start of a ride explain it not a RACE funny how its them guy that end up in the ambo.

[L Rider]

Have to say it can be furstratin when you do come up behind some who is learnin going slow if your movin aat a good pace, But then you have to or at least should be thinking what if this was my kid how would i respond to the cock that races up and dang near or dose force them of the track. So you have to take it as it comes and as booom said wait and pass when you can safely hell everyone is out for the fun of it.

Never seams to sink in to some dont know how many times ive heard Scott and other at the start of a ride explain it not a RACE funny how its them guy that end up in the ambo.

I'm sure many pple get frustrated being "held" up but like you've said you've just gotta stop & think - everyone started somewhere & were all learners once.
When i'm holding someone up i try to get in a decent postion so they can safely pass - sometimes i'm not in that much control so it makes things a bit harder:laugh: or if i can i'll stop & let them pass. But pple impatiently riding right up my butt won't make me move it just irritates the shit outta me.

Few weeks ago at the sandpit there was a line of quads then a sweeper on a 2 wheeler riding together. I had jst gone a few meters into a track & i was holding them up so thawt i'd do decent thing, pull off & let them pass. Couple passed then one stopped & waved me on. It took a bit for me to get bike started & pulled back onto the track then nxt thing this tosser pulls up besides me & asks if he can pass (the 1 who waved me on). No worries that now he couldn't fit past so i can to pull my bike outta the way again:2guns:

[Crisis management]

I've got to say that passing little kids is the worst experience in my book, firstly they are completely unaware that you are there or want to get past and secondly they can be travelling really slowly and wobbling all over the place.
To safely pass them you have to creep up beside them so they realise you are there, then carry on creeping past so as to not roost or scare them...it's bloody difficult in soft terrain as you end up wobbling around yourself and making the whole situation worse.

Obviously there is no real solution and both learners and experienced riders have to try and see the others position and be tolerant...good luck!

[vr4king]

I've got to say that passing little kids is the worst experience in my book, firstly they are completely unaware that you are there or want to get past and secondly they can be travelling really slowly and wobbling all over the place.
To safely pass them you have to creep up beside them so they realise you are there, then carry on creeping past so as to not roost or scare them...it's bloody difficult in soft terrain as you end up wobbling around yourself and making the whole situation worse.

Obviously there is no real solution and both learners and experienced riders have to try and see the others position and be tolerant...good luck!

Agreed i was at a mates track and there were a few kids there and i was coming up to decent table top and leaving the top at same time as one of these little-ins and my back wheel just nicked his helmet nothing major but enough to scare the hell outta him and he fell of........Man did i feel like mud but he did sorta cover the whole face on a big diagonal luckly hes a little hard ass and got up and thought it was the coolest thing ever

[aids]

hey there dude b4 we moved down to the wsetcoast i and a mate took our kids up to waunga road and it was better for the kid's behind so they could see where to go as you never know whats around the nxt corner

[Ktmboy]

hey there dude b4 we moved down to the wsetcoast i and a mate took our kids up to waunga road and it was better for the kid's behind so they could see where to go as you never know whats around the nxt corner

Hi aids, welcome to KB. I've been avoiding you for 30 odd years but you've finally caught up with me:(. Thats a cool name but rather gay:doctor:

[green machine]

I've got to say that passing little kids is the worst experience in my book, firstly they are completely unaware that you are there or want to get past and secondly they can be travelling really slowly and wobbling all over the place.
To safely pass them you have to creep up beside them so they realise you are there, then carry on creeping past so as to not roost or scare them...it's bloody difficult in soft terrain as you end up wobbling around yourself and making the whole situation worse.

Obviously there is no real solution and both learners and experienced riders have to try and see the others position and be tolerant...good luck!
I hear ya....i had a nice trip over the bars on a downhill section at the Glenn Murray ride when a little fella took a hard right towards the gate....unfortunatley it was right in front of me,then the 2 guys behind me came off too,all landing in a heap together haha.....little fella tootled off oblivious to the carnage he had just caused...but hey,they are just kids out having fun and we all survived albeit a bit winded

[browny]

On the in front or behind discussion id say behind,theyll work out there own pace.ther might be a bit of bark off the elbows but theyll be abetter rider for it ...but ive seen a few ding ups ,caused by nippers wobbling round a track theyre not ready for .kids loops are for kids/learners and they should stay ther till theyre ready to graduate.the learners will be safer for it and the main loopers will be happier too.Theres no need to roost anyone esp. kids, those guys need a slapping but its all about riding to your own ability and because that guy flew past you flicking up a few pebbles[a fact of physics] doesnt mean hes an arse it might just mean you dont have the ability to keep up with him/her [most likely him tho. haha sorry girls]

[laserracer]

son and his boss recently went on a trail ride and ventured onto the novice track, and were very surprized :eek5:at just how many little kids they had to rescue who had been abandoned by there parents, most of these kids cant even start or pick up there own bikes... so really its probably best if you have them in front of you then you can keep an eye on them, especially on organised trail rides where you can only go one way

[L Rider]

son and his boss recently went on a trail ride and ventured onto the novice track, and were very surprized :eek5:at just how many little kids they had to rescue who had been abandoned by there parents, most of these kids cant even start or pick up there own bikes... so really its probably best if you have them in front of you then you can keep an eye on them, especially on organised trail rides where you can only go one way

You get alot of parents who won't ride with their kids at all - basically kids are put on a track & left to it while the parents go have their own fun. Ends up being parents like us who stay & watch our kids (4 & 5yrs) who end up helping other kids on the 'kids' tracks or on the bigger tracks random pple as they approach an abandoned kid stuck.
good on your son & his boss helping out the kids:woohoo:

[clmintie]

On the main loops of organised rides, following is best. It's a pretty big responsibility you have to keep them as safe as possible. It got difficult towards the end of last summer for me to keep both my kids in sight, one being more a aggressive rider than the other, but a simple rule of 'who ever gets to the next intersection first is the winner, but must wait for the others to arrive before continuing' seems to work well, especially if dad has fallen off at the back (or stopped to help a rider in need.. :msn-wink: )

I took my kids to their first couple of organised rides and didn't ride myself, just spent the whole of each day watching and teaching on the kids track. Apart from anything else, they enjoyed it all being about them.....

[oldskool]

It's cool watching my kids steadily progress from the first days of learning balance and changing gears, to steadily developing into competent riders, and to watch them increase their confidence level as they tackle and overcome new challenges everytime we go out. :scooter:

The most rewarding part for me is having both a son and daughter as best riding buddies for the while, before they outgrow me.

[camchain]

We have a new MNZ chief. Was on TV (Prime sport?) coupla weeks ago talking about his concern about number of injuries happening on trail rides. He stressed the intention was not to make 'rules' just look at ways to make trail riding safer.

Seems to me SOME learner riders/parents could do with a bit more of a heads up to move out of the way a little more and let faster riders through. Parent riding behind in protection mode definitely the best place if their youngster is a beginner as they can keep a close eye and be a good buffer for them. The slower the rider in front is, the more care I take to pass slowly & with enough room so's not to freak them out, but some parents riding behind sometimes seem to almost obstruct you by weaving or riding smack in the middle of track. I can totally understand it but this probably causes more frustration and fast passes in dodgy spots (I don't doubt they've seen some rude buggers almost mow their kid down and roost them going past).

Sadly, a few parents appear to be really letting their kids down and need a tune up. Recent ride we took a youngster under our wing, she was wandering around like a lost soul in the carpark while Dad was out riding. Bike was brand new and this was her first ride. Patetonga ride had no kids loop. Was very tricky, wet clay based pine forest, absolutely no way a beginner had a chance of getting around it. This was obvious as trail entrance was slippery climb that competent riders were getting stuck on. Hopefully the wife withdrew privileges & gave him a clip round the ear when he got home!

[Reckless]

I think the prime rule we lived by in Karting would apply to MX as well.
The onus was always on the passer to pass safely!
BUT the slower person had to hold their line and not wander all over the place.
Probably a little harder to do on a trail but if the parents taught their kids to try not to wander all over the place and make erratic changes in direction there would at least be some predictability for the passing rider to SLOW down and then pass safely.
In saying the above I have noticed that the very unregulated atmosphere of the Enduro and MX world (as you can't have a flag marshall with a blue passing flag in the middle of a forest can you!) is made really really good by the helpful interaction between most riders. Riders helping strangers and kids they don't know whenever there is a problem! If it wasn't for this good general attitude between most riders there would be significantly more accidents and injuries.
So I think we just need to have a bit of patience in most situations (after all we where all there in the beginning weren't We!) especially when there's no finish line or chequered flag at the end of the ride!!!

[oldskool]

It's all a learning curve for everyone and a big give and take by all.
Someone said 'tolerance' is the key earlier.
What I find rewarding is the big thumbs up you get from passers as you pull over to let them by and that makes them a little bit more careful as they negotiate to pass my young 'uns.

[camchain]

I reckon you summed it up nicely there Reckless. Hit lots of nails on heads.

Good for us to be able to chuck a few thoughts around on here, but problem is I sincerely doubt there are (m)any 'problem parents' here on KB. Some Dads out in the dirt just don't seem that interested in guiding & looking after their kids well.

[laserracer]

We watched at the entrance to the novice track and in goes a family with the smallest rider at the rear ..was maybe in 2 meters at best he fell off couldnt lift his bike so we go over and restart his bike and sit him on i look up and low and behold theres mum parked next to a tree just watching , well he got another meter canned off again we waited but NO she didnt move so we again helped the little guy and off he went.. 20 minutes later the guys came across the poor wee guy crying beside his bike no parent to be seen they rode with him out.... some bloody parents need a good kick up the arse

[clmintie]

Hey guys, you're making a lot of sense, I had to go and look on the cover to make sure this really is an internet forum :gob:

[laserracer]

Hey guys, you're making a lot of sense, I had to go and look on the cover to make sure this really is an internet forum :gob:

LOL nice one