kids

The number of companies making kid-specific bikes is continuously growing. Rather than simply seeing smaller (yet heavy) versions of adult bikes with cheap components, we are starting to notice a movement towards high quality rigs for kids. There were several new brands and models at Sea Otter this year. Prevelo Prevelo launched just two weeks before ...

This reader submission comes to us from Hannah Heydinger. She just finished her senior year racing in the Texas High School Mountain Biking League where she was team captain for St. Stephen’s in Austin. In 2015, Heydinger was invited to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) banquet to be awarded the Specialized Student Athlete Leadership Award. ...

Bike companies are getting hip to the next generation of mountain bike talent. Commencal is starting them young on the 12-inch Ramones push bike. No toy, the $199 Ramones 12 is built with some quality parts, like an actual threadless stem and handlebar that can be swapped out as your child grows and pneumatic Kenda ...

I’m not sure what you were doing when you were twelve but I know for myself I certainly wasn’t piloting a bike with this much grace and style. A little motivation and inspiration for your weekend riding courtesy of Steven Lloyd and Weston Lloyd. Enjoy “The Dance”

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or at least that is what I have heard. Does that mean the machine that is mountain biking world at large takes a break from all the technological advances of tire compounds and mullet bikes? Do shralpers stop shralping to hang up stockings by the fire? Most ...

As the fat bike market matures it is inevitably diversifying into specific product categories. Just as mountain bikes now have categories for downhill, cross country or trail riding, fat bike riders are realizing one size does not fit all. The Farley model has been hugely popular for Trek, but it was being pulled in two ...

Balance bikes are a great introduction to learning to ride. They teach balance, gliding, and how to start the initial forward movement on a bike, unlike training wheels that teach children to start with both feet on the pedals. If you’ve got a little tyke at home, or know of one who needs a ride, ...

We love hearing from readers, especially readers who are as passionate about mountain biking as we are. Alexis, 13, of Biddeford, Maine, sent us this poem that beautifully summarizes why we do what we do. Thanks Alexis.

When Justin’s (the nut butter company) emailed us about sending over some samples, we envisioned a mid-morning project with the office kiddos, lazily moving around in the haze of summer and excited to get out into the woods behind Dirt Rag Headquarters. It would be so fun, so nutritious, a learning and bonding opportunity for everyone! ...

…between ridiculous and awesome! Are you tired of waiting for your toddler at the top of a climb? Do you find yourself taking out unnecessary “extra” bolts and other heavy componentry so that your three-year-old can hold more momentum on the flats? Has your child learned how to ride a pedal bike but their downright ...

So many of us ride bikes past the pavement to escape into the magic of the woods, the desert, or the plains where our imaginations can still take off and our adult stresses relax. Most of us started that early exploration and adventure by reading books, whisked off to alternate realities where we could see ...

This year, we partnered with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association to host a literature contest encouraging student-athletes to write about how mountain biking has effected their lives, specifically how their coaches have been a part of the experience. The prompt was: Has your NICA coach helped you develop not just as a rider but in character as ...

This year, we partnered with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association to host a literature contest encouraging student-athletes to write about how mountain biking has effected their lives, specifically how their coaches have been a part of the experience. The prompt was: Has your NICA coach helped you develop not just as a rider but in character as ...

This year, we partnered with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association to host a literature contest encouraging student-athletes to write about how mountain biking has effected their lives, specifically how their coaches have been a part of the experience. The prompt was: Has your NICA coach helped you develop not just as a rider but in character as ...

Calling all student-athlete writers! We’ve partnered with NICA to bring you a fun literature contest with some awesome prizes! Prompt: Has your NICA coach helped you develop not just as a rider but in character as well? Describe in 750-1000 words how you have been able to develop a strong character with the support of your ...

Remember that feeling of freedom when you were a kid on your bike? Your little world expanded from your driveway to your street to your entire neighborhood. If you were curious enough to explore off-road you probably had adventures skidding through the fallen leaves, smashing through puddles, and jumping whatever was in your path. Follow ...

Mountain Bike Trailer Park is a regular column written by Uncle Dan that appears monthly on the Dirt Rag Interwebs. He dabbles in a variety of topics including racing, training, trails he loves and not taking himself too seriously, all with a big dash of humor. If you missed his previous columns, check them out here. ...

This coming weekend is IMBA’s annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, so we felt this was a timely opportunity to share some of our tips for taking your little shredders out on the trails. Kids are resilient but if they have a terrible experience on a bike, they might not be quite so willing ...