Recreational & Family - Biking with little ones

I've read lots of training tips on here and appreciate all of the good information. This seems like a friendly little corner of cyber-space, so I've come out of lurk-mode to ask a few questions. Please, no laughing from the crowds!!

First off, I ride a mountain bike. From my mountain bike I pull a trailer with two children. They are with me on 99.9% of all biking I will do, now and in the forseeable future. If I had to guess on weight, I'd say I pull about 70 pounds total (trailer, kids, and assorted water/blanket/etc). I live in an area that is all hills. Even the flat sections have a slight incline, and there are some wicked beastie hills all around. I'm also in converted-farmland suburbia, which means I either ride within the neighborhoods, or on the two-lane no shoulder roads (speed limits from 35-50) connecting the neighborhoods.

I ride mainly for fitness, and also run three times a week (2-3 miles). Generally I try to take the kiddos some place fun so that they get something out of the ride too. We have a few parks and some shopping nearby, but other than that it's just roads or neighborhoods.

I am NOT interested in getting a new bike or riding without kids, so please don't suggest those options. Maybe a new bike next year... for now this is what I'm dealing with. I do have a bike computer that measures time, distance and average speed.

Ok, with that background, here come the questions:

1. Everything I read about gears and cadence doesn't assume the huge load that I'm pulling. Seriously, if I wanted to keep spinning at 90 and even was in the gear with the least resistance, I would not move as I tried to climb the hills around here. I would appreciate some guidance about exertion (how should my body feel), cadence on hills with a load, and using gears appropriately. I feel like I do fine on the slight rolling hills but the bigger ones have me standing to climb and really working. Then at the top I need some recovery time. I'm looking for tips to make it more smooth.

2. I'd like some advice on warming up before really getting going. So far I haven't found a good way to warm up because as soon as I'm out the door it's either climbing hills (generally the direction I go) or some fast downhills where I cannot go too fast because of the busy intersections at the bottom. So I need a warmup that takes into account that I can go about three blocks before getting on the hills. I'm tired of slogging through the first mile...

3. I'm averaging 10-11 miles per hour right now, and I go about 5 miles at a time. I'd like to build up those numbers - any ideas on attainable goals and how to reach them?

4. I'd appreciate some safety tips for being on the two-lane roads. They FREAK ME OUT!! But if I don't ride on them at least a little bit, I can't go more than a mile from my house.

5. How do I keep the kids warm once it gets chilly out? Their cart has a plastic shield on the front (but about an arms' length is open in the back). I want them to be toasty when we go out, and am not sure about the best options for them. I will obviously not ride when there is any chance of ice or snow...

Thanks in advance for your comments.

I've read lots of training tips on here and appreciate all of the good information. This seems like a friendly little corner of cyber-space, so I've come out of lurk-mode to ask a few questions. Please, no laughing from the crowds!!

[QUOTE=WebMommy] 1. Everything I read about gears and cadence doesn't assume the huge load that I'm pulling. Seriously, if I wanted to keep spinning at 90 and even was in the gear with the least resistance, I would not move as I tried to climb the hills around here. I would appreciate some guidance about exertion (how should my body feel), cadence on hills with a load, and using gears appropriately. I feel like I do fine on the slight rolling hills but the bigger ones have me standing to climb and really working. Then at the top I need some recovery time. I'm looking for tips to make it more smooth.

A load will slow you down. That's a fact of life. Having pulled trailers and carried touring loads, I'd say don't get too hung up on cadence. You may want to look at your gearing first you may be able to get lower ones.

To learn more about shifting and when to shift you can go here (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gearing/index.html) for a number of good articles on gears and gearing. Basically pedal in the easiest gear you need.

Recovery on the top of a hill is where many people go wrong. They get to the top of a hard hill and then think they can just coast down the other side. Don't do that! As you go over the top of the hill and down the other side, start to gear up. Pedal lightly but now is the time to increase your cadence. As you gain speed shift to higher gears but always keep the pedalling light. When you reach a speed that you wish to be traveling at, go ahead and coast. This will gain you momentum for the next hill.


2. I'd like some advice on warming up before really getting going. So far I haven't found a good way to warm up because as soon as I'm out the door it's either climbing hills (generally the direction I go) or some fast downhills where I cannot go too fast because of the busy intersections at the bottom. So I need a warmup that takes into account that I can go about three blocks before getting on the hills. I'm tired of slogging through the first mile...

I can't help you with warm up. I never warm up. Even if I go ride at 20F, I just get on and ride, usually as hard as I can go from the start. I've been doing that for over 20 years and I don't have any problems. But everyone is different.


3. I'm averaging 10-11 miles per hour right now, and I go about 5 miles at a time. I'd like to build up those numbers - any ideas on attainable goals and how to reach them?

Try for 10 miles. It's only on an hour. Or try for something that is 10 miles away (a park or play ground). That makes for a 20 mile/2hr trip.


4. I'd appreciate some safety tips for being on the two-lane roads. They FREAK ME OUT!! But if I don't ride on them at least a little bit, I can't go more than a mile from my house.

I don't know what kind of traffic you have in your area or the road condition but think of this, thousands of trips are made by bicycle per day and thousands of people arrive home safe and sound every night. Bicycling really is a very safe activity. The fact that you are pulling a trailer helps a lot. People notice them and realize what's inside so they generally give you a wide berth. Don't ride in the gutter. This only encourages people to try and pass you when it isn't safe which puts you and your children at greater risk.



5. How do I keep the kids warm once it gets chilly out? Their cart has a plastic shield on the front (but about an arms' length is open in the back). I want them to be toasty when we go out, and am not sure about the best options for them. I will obviously not ride when there is any chance of ice or snow...

Dress them warmly. Kids are a lot more hardy than you think. We put a 1 month old in a trailer in March here in Colorado (back when March was still cold) and she turned out alright. She's just a little touched in the head but then so's her old man ;)

...First off, I ride a mountain bike. From my mountain bike I pull a trailer with two children. They are with me on 99.9% of all biking I will do, now and in the forseeable future. If I had to guess on weight, I'd say I pull about 70 pounds total (trailer, kids, and assorted water/blanket/etc). I live in an area that is all hills. Even the flat sections have a slight incline, and there are some wicked beastie hills all around. I'm also in converted-farmland suburbia, which means I either ride within the neighborhoods, or on the two-lane no shoulder roads (speed limits from 35-50) connecting the neighborhoods.....

Ok, with that background, here come the questions:

1. Everything I read about gears and cadence doesn't assume the huge load that I'm pulling. Seriously, if I wanted to keep spinning at 90 and even was in the gear with the least resistance, I would not move as I tried to climb the hills around here. ... I'm looking for tips to make it more smooth.

3. I'm averaging 10-11 miles per hour right now, and I go about 5 miles at a time. I'd like to build up those numbers - any ideas on attainable goals and how to reach them?

4. I'd appreciate some safety tips for being on the two-lane roads. They FREAK ME OUT!! But if I don't ride on them at least a little bit, I can't go more than a mile from my house.

5. How do I keep the kids warm once it gets chilly out? Their cart has a plastic shield on the front...

Welcome to the club!
My children are 3.75 years apart, and I have ridden for a few years with a bicycle pulling a trailercycle pulling a child trailer. I had only one child in the trailer, except when it was under -15 C; then I had both of then in the trailer. Here is my experience.

1. I generally ride at 80-85 rpm. But even though I have a touring bike, it has really low gears. My chainrings are 44-34-22 (standard rings on the LX or XT crankset, as far as I know) and I have a 12-34 cassette in the back. The key is to make sure you have low low gears, and if you don't have such, you might look into it.

As you think of buying a new bike, count the number of teeth of your chainrings and cogs, and use Sheldon Brown's gear calculator (http://sheldonbrown.com/gears) if necessary. Make sure the new bike you get has low enough gears for your taste. Bike shops may give you lower gears for free or for a nominal sum if you ask for them before purchase.

Except in Winter or if you ride in mud, narrow slick tires are much better than wide knobbies. So if you plan to keep your MTB, upgrade the tires and you will gain 1-3 km/h.

At all times, low gears help you get an even ride. If you don't pedal smoothly, the trailer will swing back and forth, whereas if you use lower gears and pedal evenly, the ride will be better.

3. Don't worry. If you truly ride at 11.5 mph, then it's either because you are a fast rider or because you never have stop signs.

4. Get a rearview mirror and watch traffic behind you. I find the rearview mirror great to avoid nervousness as you are always aware of what happens behind you. And if there is a bad driver, you'll see him/her and will be able to take evasive actions.
I find two-lane roads without a curb great, because in an emergency, it's very easy to use the shoulder for a few seconds. On roads with a curb, evasive actions are harder to plan. Generally speaking, though, I find people move further away from me when I tow the trailer than when I don't.
Since I use my trailer in daytime or nighttime, I have installed a whole series of automotive reflectors, as well as a post for a few taillights. You may see a picture here (http://www.mgagnon.net/velo/images/Trek520-Pic-rem-ar2-large.jpg). The post at the top has room for 3 or 4 Vistalite Super Nebula or Eclipse taillights. IOW, if they don't see me, they won't see a bus either.
I know my kid liked the flag, but I generally didn't use it except on hilly terrain, because it interfered with my rearview mirror.

5. About warmth, don't worry. As long as the kids are dry and the trailer is reasonably dry, they will be OK. I remember riding to church or the store (7-10 km one way) with the kids at -20 C. When I opened the door, temperature was around +5 to +10 C in the trailer. They never used a blanket or anything like that (the youngest was between 2 and 4 when in the trailer).
The only problem was if I stopped at a playground and they played in the rain or snow. They would then bring their wet clothes and wet boots inside the trailer, as well as a load of snow which cooled the trailer quite effectively. So if you stop at stores, make sure you shake them well before placing them in the trailer, and if you do long rides in cold weather, make sure the playground stop is near the end of your ride.

If your trailer seems "too open", you may cut the draughts with a home made curtain. Just make sure the trailer isn't too tight as there will be condensation inside.

P.S. One problem I had with the trailer: the plastic shield of the door becomes brittle below -10 or -15 C.

Thanks for the input. I'm seriously considering a new set of (road) tires. I'll probably hold off on the gears until I can afford a whole new bike. I appreciate the replies and especially the comments that make me feel better about taking my kids on larger roads or in cooler weather.

Bottom line - I want to be safe, have fun, and make sure my kids view cycling (or running, or whatever sport) as a positive thing.