I find cycling with kids is a unique challenge when you live in mountainous Evergreen. We live on a hilltop – three quarters of a mile up several switchbacks from the Bear Creek Canyon Road, above Kittredge. One kid is too scared of speed to ride down our twisting, narrow neighborhood road; the other is too lazy to go back up. Plus, their bikes don’t have enough gears to handle the elevation change! So what to do?
Back in New York, where it was flat, we had to navigate street lights, but at least there were sidewalks, and a golf course road with a few speed bumps but very little traffic.
There is a bike trail in Evergreen along the Evergreen Parkway, which is great if you live along that stretch – but it is very hilly, and may be too challenging for some kids, at least until they get into shape.
So we have to think creatively – and that usually means planning our rides, and driving to them. Here are a few ideas to keep the kids interested in cycling despite the obstacles:
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- Safety first. Use common sense.
- Make sure the kids are snugly helmeted, their bike tires pumped full of air, and that they have a cold bottle of water and a snack.
- Teach them the rules of the road – keep to the right, but not so far that you fall into the dirt along the side. A bike IS considered a vehicle and has the legal right to use some pavement space, and cars are obligated to give them three feet of space when they pass.
- Signal when you turn.
- Always look for wars before getting onto a road to ride.
- Comfort next.
- Make sure they are dressed appropriately for the weather.
- Let them set the pace and the distance.
- Don’t push them too hard.
- Entertainment next. A destination with a reward at the halfway point is a great idea. Perhaps ice cream, frozen yogurt, some time at the lake.
- Package the ride as time with mom or dad instead of – God forbid – exercise.
- Make it easy. Don’t take your kid up to a mountain top the first time out, or they will put the bike in the garage and leave it there. Find a place to ride that will be fun but not too grueling, and gradually work your way up to more challenging terrain. Some ideas:
- Upper Bear Creek. Start at the Evergreen Lake House and ride out Upper Bear Creek as far as you like, then turn back. (Ride single file, with your children in front of you, so cars go around you and you can make sure you travel at their pace.) It’s a gradual uphill, and coming back, it’s a gradual downhill. If you don’t like traffic, this may not be the ride for you. I used to ride in New York City, so for me, Upper Bear Creek traffic is negligible.
- Bear Creek Lake Park. I suggest you park for free at the dirt lot across from the Conoco Station at Morrison Road and 270. Walk your bikes across Morrison Road to connect to the bike trail to Bear Creek Lake Park. (If you go right at the trail, you can ride into downtown Morrison. Stay on the trail and follow traffic rules – they ticket riders there.) Bear Creek Lake Park has roads and bike trails throughout, some flatter and some hillier, as well as a couple of lakes which could be destinations if you pack a swimsuit, towel, food and a few bucks into a backpack.
- The I-470 Bike Trail. Head north from the parking at the Morrison Conoco and you will quickly connect with this bike trail which is uphill all the way to Golden.
- Elk Meadow and Lair o’ the Bear have gentle mountain bike trails. The ones off to the left at Alderfer/3 Sisters are more hilly but easily manageable.
- There’s a whole network of flat paved trails in the Denver Metro area. One that I especially like is the Platte River Trail. You can park at the Nature Center at Ken Caryl and Santa Fe in Littleton, then ride this trail for miles north into Denver or south toward Chatfield Reservoir.
- Chatfield and Cherry Creek Reservoirs also have miles of trails and roads that area ideal for cycling with kids – and lakes to swim in (or rent boats) for the reward at the end!
- Highway 74 from Kittredge into Evergreen is a nice little ride – again, you have to bear with the traffic – and the Café at the Place provides yummy froyo at the turnaround. If you’re coming from Evergreen, try From the Vine for a mid-ride break.
- If you’re a camper, take your bikes along – most public campgrounds have paved roads on gentle terrain that kids love to ride around on. We have enjoyed riding at Turquoise Lake (near Leadville), Estes Park, Redstone (which has a 1 ¼ mile paved road into an adorable town with – you guessed it – ice cream), Woodland Park and many others.
Got any other ideas of places to ride with kids? Please share them!
