[jaybinder]

Here is a little story I'm sure any of you parents out there can relate to. My son is 8 and has been riding since age 4. We ride on the LG creek trail alot and around the neighborhood. So yesterday He and I decided it time to hit the trails. We went to Fremont Older and it was great! We climbed from the Prospect lot to the water tower then went down the seven springs trail. We were already late for dinner and started to head for the car.
Anyone who has ridden at Fremont Older knows the two sharp turns in the trail leading to the lot. Well my Boy made the first left turn fine. I stopped to watch him make the second turn, a sharp right. Right at the apex of the turn he got nervous and slamed on the brakes. He fell into the ditch and landed on the rocks about 4' down. He was scared and I was terrified! I jumped down and looked him over. He wasn't bleeding or crying so I supported his neck and lifted him back on to the trail. After a couple of minutes of checking him over we both realized he was okay. We got up and walked the rest of the way to the car.
The whole experience made me think He would stop ridding all together. This morning he asked if we can go back when he feels ready. I said of course we could. What I didn't tell him was I'll need a little time too.

 

[cohenfive]

man i sure can relate to that....i've been riding more and more with my son (full chabot loop last sunday, china camp, briones, redwood, etc) and he hasn't had the big crash yet but he's going to. how he handles it will be key. i'm glad to hear your little one wants to 'get back' on the trail that did him in...but you just don't know.

 

[jaybinder]

I'm not going to push it. When he is ready I'm sure He'll let me know.

 

[sungchang]

Glad to hear that he's ok. More importantly, that he isn't deterred due to it.

 

[Connundrum1]

good to hear he's ok. Also, your an awesome dad for taking him on trails, if i had been introduced to biking earlier i woulda been soo much better by now. early exposure is awesome.

 

[waterfinger]

get back on the bike!

Very cool that he wants to ride again. I can't wait until my boy is old enough to join me- it will be a few years though- he just had his first crash this weekend too- he's 9 months old, learned to crawl on Saturday, and Monday morning crawled off the end of the bed when Mom wasn't looking and landed on his head. OUCH.

 

[DonutKing]

I stopped to watch him make the second turn, a sharp right. Right at the apex of the turn he got nervous and slamed on the brakes. He fell into the ditch and landed on the rocks about 4' down.

Jaybinder - Here's some free advice (I hope you get your money's worth). I'm not a pro by any stretch of the imagination, but I tend favor technical trails and ride them repeatedly. Once I've ridden a trail more than a few times, I can anticipate the obstacles that trip up most first-timers. I usually just have them stick close enough to my tail and "watch my line".

With your son, it may be much easier for him to learn to bike handling by following close behind you. When you brake for sharp turns, he will learn to brake for sharp turns. When you accellerate over obstacles, he will learn to accellerate over obstacles. Just be sure to go at a pace he can follow. And occasionally watch your tail to make sure you didn't leave him behind when you hopped that last stump.

 

[cohenfive]

Jaybinder - Here's some free advice (I hope you get your money's worth). I'm not a pro by any stretch of the imagination, but I tend favor technical trails and ride them repeatedly. Once I've ridden a trail more than a few times, I can anticipate the obstacles that trip up most first-timers. I usually just have them stick close enough to my tail and "watch my line".

With your son, it may be much easier for him to learn to bike handling by following close behind you. When you brake for sharp turns, he will learn to brake for sharp turns. When you accellerate over obstacles, he will learn to accellerate over obstacles. Just be sure to go at a pace he can follow. And occasionally watch your tail to make sure you didn't leave him behind when you hopped that last stump.

that's pretty good advice. this is what i did for the first couple of years but now my son is confident enough that he likes to lead quite often--usually on easier trails but not always. he's not a maniac, just likes leading his dad around. i wouldn't let him do this on trails where i was uncertain what he'd come across.

 

[Pete]

My son is 8 and has been riding since age 4.

Here's another solution:

Start them crashing at a younger age so that by age 8 they have aton of crashes behind them.

http://www.mtbvideos.net/video/norcalxtreme.mpg (copy and paste into the address bar of a browser)

 

[jaybinder]

I learned alot on our ride and so did my boy. His first "bad" fall realy wasn't. It scared him pretty good but he didn't get hurt. Just like all of lifes leasons, we tend to remember the hard leaned ones more than the easy ones. I cant wait to get out with him again.

 

[biggz]

http://www.mtbvideos.net/video/norcalxtreme.mpg (copy and paste into the address bar of a browser)

Kick ass.. considering most of those rocks were about 1/3 the size of their tires I'm surprised they didn't have more issues than they did. Maybe some knee/shins for the son would be wise.. your daughter cranks the pedals too.

 

[Dan'ger]

Here's another solution:

Start them crashing at a younger age so that by age 8 they have aton of crashes behind them.

http://www.mtbvideos.net/video/norcalxtreme.mpg (copy and paste into the address bar of a browser)

That's a great vid, Pete. I remember when my kids were that small and I got them riding bikes. The used to crash into each other more than terrain issues. Now they're teenagers and I have to let them ride my bikes when they come to visit. My daughter cleaned the grunt climb up briones crest to the cattle gate on my Goldrush the last time they were out.

Damn, I feel old.

 

[DonutKing]

http://www.mtbvideos.net/video/norcalxtreme.mpg (copy and paste into the address bar of a browser)

That little girl with the pink bike and the neon helmet puts me to shame. Maybe if I had streamers on my handlebars I could ride better.

And that little guy is going to be the Tiger Woods of MTB-ing.

 

[Pete]

Maybe some knee/shins for the son would be wise..

Nope.

It's a moral/ethical/religious issue in our household.

No armor for XC rides.