Mountain Biking

My husband and I love to mountain bike. Needless to say, we dream of the day our daughter might mountain bike with us.

Thanks to the new Frisco Bike Park, she’s off to a good start. The park, conveniently located on the Frisco Peninsula, includes a small pump track that is especially popular with toddlers and preschoolers, like our daughter. The pump track’s small rollers and berms were the perfect place for her to learn how to balance and steer her bike.

Older and more experienced kids head to the park’s jump and skills area or onto one of the many Peninsula trails.

If you’d like a gentle and fun ride for the whole family, consider the Oro Grande trail in Dillon. The two track rolls in and out of aspen trees, along the flanks of Tenderfoot Mountain, with views of the lake and Ten Mile Range.

The local ski areas (excepting Arapahoe Basin) offer lift-served mountain biking in the summer. The trail selection and difficulty level varies with each resort.

Boreas Pass Road, above Breckenridge, is shared with cars, but it’s a gentle climb and the views can’t be beat.

Of course, the most important element of a ride with your kids is the fun factor. You want them to enjoy themselves enough that they’ll want to do it again.

Be sure to select a route that is safe, fun and not too long or difficult. Bring extra food and water (tasty treats are especially helpful) and essentials, such as spare tubes and a pump. Always ride together – preferably with one parent leading and the other riding last. Keep kids engaged by playing games, learning new skills, like bunny-hopping, or stopping often to rest or explore.

If you play it right, one day your kids will be leading the ride.