Onto the dirt..

AGE: Between 3 to 5 years old

BIKE: 16” pedal bike such as Trek’s Precaliber 16 RRP $349.99

■ Confidence is king

■ Find the right track. Pump tracks and flat, nontechnical mountain bike trails are excellent starting points. Always the optimist, I made the mistake of taking my kid on some gravity trails when he had just transitioned onto a 16-inch bike. He loved the descents but smacked his chin on a jump and washed out pretty bad on a berm. All in one run.

■ After a few falls, sometimes they don’t want to ride on the dirt anymore. You can try going for a walk on the trails… and then suggest how much more fun it is to ride them!

■ Increase the riding frequency, but keep the trips short. 5km rides is about the limit.

■ Uphill battles

■ A kid’s bike is proportionally much heavier than an adult’s bike: a half-decent kid’s bike weighs about 8kg which is ~50% of the body weight of a four-year-old! It’s the equivalent of riding a ~35kg bike as an adult. As such, kids have a hard time pedalling uphill. Choose a flat trail, or be patient and tow them.

■ I carry a tow rope with me all the time. Practice on flat and easy terrain first.

■ Sometimes, they’re just not keen and you’ll have to muster up motivation

■ Get them riding with friends that ride better. A bit of inspiration and competition never hurts.

■ Lead by example and let them see you cycling places (“we don’t use a car to go there”).

■ Pack some goodies. Whenever things go pear shaped mid-ride, I offer a break, some recovery snacks as well as the promise of a “reward” when we get back home.

■ If all else fails, drag them along kicking and screaming. They’re usually OK once they get going.

■ Revisit their rig

■ Again, the moment to go from a 16” to 20” bike will depend mainly on your kid’s size. If they look like a ridiculous circus act, it’s probably time.

■ Teach your kid how to use their front brake early; it’ll make it easier for them when they move onto a 20” bike.