How far can my child go on a bike?

I'm Drew, father of 3 kids, and bike mad. With the help of the Forest Row PTA, I'm organising The Frow Ride. I've watched all my kids learn to ride and progress on their bikes.

You might be wondering: How far can my child go on a bike? You know your own child best! But here I'll offer some rough guidelines.

For a child aged 1 to 3 years old, I recommend having them ride 'shotgun' on a childseat, fixed to an adult bike. Aim to turn homewards after 30 minutes, for a total of one hour's ride. If they're really young, keep it shorter than that. There's a lot of stimulation when riding a bike.

For children aged 2 to 4 years old, I recommend using a balance bike. An adult can accompany them on foot. Aim to turn homewards at 1km, 1.5km, or 2km marker. No further! Remember that your toddler doesn't know how to pace themselves. They might say they want to keep going all the way to Hartfield, but it's too far! You'll be the one that has to carry them home, and their bike too.

From age 4 to 9 years old a child can ride a pedal bike, accompanied by an adult on a bike. Aim to turn homewards at 3km, 5km, or 7km marker, depending on your child's ability. I don't recommend running alongside your child. A kid on a bike goes faster than most grown-ups can run!

Children aged 10 and up may be ready to ride without a grown-up. If you're happy to let your child do that, this is a great opportunity for them to ride with support from the community. Aim to turn homewards at 5km, 6km or 7km marker.

Riding The Frow Ride with two or more kids

What if you've got two or more kids of different ages? Riding in groups of mixed ability can be frustrating. If you have friends with children of similar ages, why not try a child-swap for the ride? One parent can ride with a pair of younger kids, and the other parent can ride with a pair of older kids.