Make cycling with your kids your 2024 New Years resolution

Happy new year from Cycle Sprog! If you’ve decided to make cycling with your kids your 2024 New Years’ resolution, then we’ve got a heck of a lot of advice ready to help you get started!

Now in its 13th year, Cycle Sprog is the home of family cycling advice, and we’ve got a wealth of expertise for you to draw on, whether you’re looking for practical advice on how to physically cycle with your child on board, or in search of buying guides to help you invest in the right equipment.

Cycling with your child, whether it’s a weekend leisure ride or the daily school run, is a wonderful way to bond, stay active, and create lasting memories together. Even at this time of year! Don’t let the colder season stop you from getting started, we’ve got plenty of advice on winter cycling with kids, and a blog post about why you should get outside with your child in January.

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to start, so we’ve taken the opportunity to signpost you to all of our most useful advice articles for parents who want to get started with cycling with their children. You can either read through the whole thing in order, or skip to the most relevant section for you.

Article contents:

• Practical advice to get started

• Helmets and safety

• Buying a kids' bike

• Other bike accessories

For parents with babies or toddlers, You have a choice of  how you’d like to carry your kids, whether that’s with a bike seat, cargo bike, or trailer. Check out our article on 7 ways to cycle with a young child, toddler or baby for creative ideas to make it the best experience for both you and your little one.

For those with smaller children who aren’t pedalling on their own yet, our article on how to start cycling with a small child in a bike seat, cargo bike, or trailer takes you through everything you need to know to choose the best setup for you and your family. 

If you like the idea of making this a new years’ resolution, but are worried about the current weather, don’t worry, we've got you covered with tips for winter cycling with kids. These will make sure your family can enjoy cycling all year round. 

Of course, you may have all the will in the world to get out on the bike, but what if your child is reluctant to hop on their bike? If that’s the case don't worry, you're not alone. Check out our post, why doesn’t my child want to ride their bike? for insights into common challenges and how to overcome them.

Another important question you might have around safety, is should my child wear a bike helmet? If you decide they should, then it’s important to make sure it fits properly. Learn how to measure your child’s head for a bike helmet, and then follow our advice in is your child’s bike helmet fitted correctly?

Once you know what to look for, we’ve got a round up of the best bike helmets for kids, because the right helmet is worth the investment.

If you want your child to enjoy cycling long term, then buying them one of the best kids’ bikes is a surefire way to achieve that, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. We’ve got some great advice on buying a second-hand kids bike that will help you find the perfect set of wheels for great value, or you could look at leasing options. We’ve got a whole post dedicated to answering the question, should I subscribe to Bike Club instead of buying a kids’ bike?

For more useful advice, check out 12 things you need to know before buying a kids’ bike, and above all else, make sure it fits them properly! We’ve got a simple and useful article about how to easily measure your child for a new bike that can guide you through the process. Finally, if you order your child’s bike online, we’ve got a handy guide to how to assemble a kids’ bike out of the box for a stress-free setup.

With that in mind, here’s all the buying advice you could possibly need. If you’re planning to pull your precious cargo along, we’ve rounded up the best kids bike trailers, as well as the best tagalongs for pulling a child behind your bike.

If you prefer the idea of having your co-pilot up front with you, then check out our recommendations for the best front bike seats for toddlers and young children. We’ve also got a similar guide for best front mounted seats for older kids.

If you’re more of a fan of having your little one sitting behind you, then you can find all the guidance you need in best rear bike seats for toddlers and small children and best rear bike seats for older kids.

Finally we shouldn’t forget about cargo bikes! They’ve seen a huge surge in popularity lately, and for good reason. We’ve got a lot of great guides to help you choose the best cargo bike type for your family, as well as a full guide to the best electric longtail cargo bikes.

Getting started on this kind of cycling journey with your kids can be a great new years’ resolution, but it isn’t just that. It’s also a commitment to a more healthy and active way of getting around, and creating more space for quality time together. With all the advice and expertise we can offer, we hope you’re now feeling much more prepared to get 2024 off to a flying start. If you think we’ve missed something, or have your own tips to offer fellow parents, leave us a comment below, and tag us in photos of your trips together using our handle @cyclesprog on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X, and be sure to join the Family Cycling UK group for support from a community of other families.

Other articles you might be interested in:

• How do I pull a child’s bike behind my bike?
• 7 ways to make your child bright on their bike in the dark
• Best kids winter cycling jackets
• Best children’s winter cycling gloves
• Best electric longtail cargo bikes to carry kids
• Does my child need MIPS in their cycle helmet?
• Cheapest kids’ bikes