Family Bike Rides: How To Keep Everybody Safe

There are all kinds of reasons to embark on a bike ride with your family. It’s fun, for one thing, as there is nothing better than being out and about exploring new and interesting places. There are health benefits too, not least because everybody will be getting a healthy dose of fresh air after being cooped up inside. And family bike rides are a good way to remedy the problem of too much screen time, which is an issue many parents have with their children today. Mums and dads can get fit too!

This is a collaborative post.

Why you should consider this today

If you’re planning on a few family bike rides as the weather warms up, you’re sure to experience these and other benefits. 

However, safety does need to be a priority. You need to keep your children safe and you need to think of your own safety too, as road statistics make for frightening reading. Cyclists have always been more vulnerable on the roads than car drivers, but the situation got worse during the lockdown. Fatalities on the road doubled and as a parent, this has to be something you keep in mind. 

Family bike rides are fun, and nobody should be discouraged from taking them, but every precaution needs to be taken. Here then are the steps you need to take to keep everybody safe.

#1: Make sure everybody’s bike is well-maintained

The safer your families bikes are the better as there will be less risk of a mishap when out and about on your journeys. From making sure tyres are fully pumped up to oiling up the chain, there is a lot to think about before you even leave the house. This bike maintenance guide will tell you all you need to know. 

#2: Make sure everybody has a bike helmet

This should be common sense but how many people have you seen on the roads without a bike helmet? It’s often the case that parents make their kids wear a helmet, but they don’t wear one themselves, perhaps because they are afraid to look silly! It’s better to look silly than suffer a head injury, of course, so be a good role model and wear a helmet yourself, and make sure everybody else has one. 

#3: Avoid roads where you can

If you can load your bikes onto the car, you could drive to somewhere scenic where other road users won’t be a problem. Alternatively, plan a route from your home that minimises time on the road, perhaps by limiting your journey to cycle paths. 

#4: Teach your children to obey traffic rules

If you do need to take your family onto the roads, use this as an opportunity to teach them a few traffic rules. The biggest rule when on a bike is to use hand signals when making turns to let car drivers know the direction being taken.  But there are other traffic rules to follow too, so talk to your children about these before going out, and reaffirm them when on the road together. 

#5: Make sure your children ride upfront

You shouldn’t let your children ride behind you for obvious reasons, so make sure they are always in front so you can always keep an eye on them. This will give you the opportunity to make sure your children are riding appropriately, and you will be able to shout instructions to them if you sense any danger. Make sure you all ride closely together too, as it would be unsafe for your children to hurtle off into the distance away from you. 

Keep all of these things in mind when you’re planning your next family bike ride. The safer you all are, the more enjoyable your trip together will be, and you will have more peace of mind when you’re trying to manage everybody.

Take care and thanks for reading!