Kids on bikes Pt.1 – Fun!
Riding a bicycle evokes something quite youthful in people. In some primal way, it reconnects us with being young and knowing little of the world’s cares. This is the lifelong legacy of riding a bicycle as a child.
So these past few weeks, with Australian school children on holidays, it’s delightful to see so many little people pedalling around the bike paths. Some riding with their parents, others riding with grandparents. Some riding their bikes to holiday programs at the local community drop-in house, some carrying fishing rods across their handlebars to fish in the creek, some with skateboards on their way to the skate bowl and others improvising their own bike and skate ramp combo. Lots of kids on bikes and lots of fun being made!
But bikes, kids and fun isn’t reserved just for when it’s holiday time. When we swapped seasons for April and visited Oslo, Norway, we enjoyed a Sunday bicycle ride with our friends and their two children aged ten and eight. To my amazement and admiration, our young pedalling friends showed great endurance and resilience in riding throughout the day. By the end of our circuit, their little wheels had ridden 28 kilometres! We peppered it with plenty of stops for photos, chats and treats to make the journey fun. Finding Maridalen with its beautiful lake and forests was a new adventure for all of us. So together we pedalled and explored and discovered, and made picnics and memories that will live long with us.
For one of my grandnieces having fun on a bike is an every-weekend adventure. She rides with her Grandma each weekend to a cafe for breakfast or coffee. Her Mum runs, her Grandma pedals and she sits perched in a bike seat attached to the back of Grandma’s bike. Snug, safe and loving her weekend bicycle ride… at one and a half years old!
Little bike big bike at Kirra Beach
Family bike ride with Fluffy the dog running along too. Photo: TL Coker.
Style rider with cool coordinates – purple bike, purple shoes, purple helmet. (Photo: TL Coker)
Safely in the basket, Rose rides too, complete with helmet! (Photo: TL Coker)
Pedalling out of Oslo to find Maridalen.
Pedalling towards an adventure. We rode 28 kilometres that day!
Finding Maridalen with its beautiful lake Maridalsvannet.
Riding the forest trails around the lake at Maridalen.
Snug, safe and enjoying her weekend bicycle ride… at one and a half 🙂
And finally, I want to share with you a video from the JJJJ family who love surfing, live on Australia’s Sunshine Coast and make a natural zinc for surfers called SurfMud. Their whole family surfs…
So, with surfing over for the day, brother and sister teamed up. If you want to see what kids can do with a bicycle and a skateboard… click on the link below, then click the photo to watch the 15 second video… Kids on bikes have great F U N 🙂A video posted by Jase – Jel – Jarv – Jess (@thejjjjfamily) on Jul 7, 2015 at 9:16pm PDT
a bike for all seasons 
Loved the pics of Norway the mini helmet on Rose and the story of youngsters on the move on 2 wheels. Thanks Gail 🙂
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Thanks Belinda. It’s so great to see kids having fun with their bikes.
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I still remember my grandfather holding my seat running next to me to help me lose the training wheels. I was 6, pretty good for an urban child.
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Ah, those training wheels. 🙂 That’s a beautiful memory to have of your grandfather. I saw a little girl riding on the bike path today with training wheels and her Mum running beside her just like that. It was lovely to see!
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Gail
Thanks for the story which reminded me of when we were children – learning to ride a bike was a big thing, and then getting a bike for your birthday was like a graduation ceremony and present all in one. Wonderful memories of childhood!
Jen
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Jen, they’re wonderful memories.
Like you, I remember it was definitely a big thing getting my first bike and learning to ride. It coincided with starting school too. So it was quite a time of ‘growing up’… 🙂
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Great blog, Gail, as always. Lots of happy memories (including scars) of riding my Malvern Star when I was a child/teenager. Gave me so much independence.
Loved the video, by the way:)
Also I remember my children’s tears and frustration when teaching them to ride.
My daughter (26) has just bought herself a bicycle after selling her motor bike. YAY!!!
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Thanks Gina!
Of course, the gravel rash… how could I forget that! 🙂
That’s great news about your daughter getting a bicycle… your lessons in how to ride obviously left her some good memories 🙂
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Hi Gail, I think the little kids in their bike pods behind their pedalling parents are getting a pretty good deal – they can eat their snacks whilst sitting in comfort out of the wind and rain.
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They sure do Margaret 🙂 It’s a lovely way for them to travel. My grandniece really loves her weekend excursions in her bike seat 🙂
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Gail, Your post evoked some lovely childhood memories of the hours spent cruising around the meighborhood on our bikes. Thank you, Clare
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Thanks Clare 🙂 Memories of riding a bike as a child are often fond ones. I’m always happy to see children pedalling their bikes because, in most cases, I know they’re making good memories. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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