Raising Kids on Bikes

Of all the purchases that have brought me joy in the past five years, the number one spot goes to the adoption fee for our cat. But numbers 2-5 are all bikes. 

These days our family – my husband and I, our kids 9 & 11 – does as many of our daily errands by bike as we can, but that wasn’t always the case. We live on Taaffe St. in Sunnyvale, walking distance to Target, Trader Joe’s, the library, downtown, and more. And while we walked pretty often, we would often give in to “I don’t wannnnnt to walk, can’t we drive?” Or it would feel impractical to grocery shop or pick up a stack of library books on foot with a kid in tow. 

Then in 2022, I bought an e-bike for commuting to work on the Bay Trail. It had a little seat on the back, and plenty of bucket space on the front for cargo. Despite not having ridden a bike in many years, I was immediately hooked. I couldn’t believe all the years I’d spent in a car crawling on the freeway, when I could have been riding by the water, communing with the white pelicans drifting through the bay in the evening. 

Biking quickly became the default easier option. The kids were thrilled to run errands with me on the e-bike. There’s a closeness to riding a bike together that feels joyful. And pulling up to the bike racks directly in front of a store always feels like some kind of cheat code. 

We quickly added another e-bike with a long tail that could fit both of our kids–and even a bonus kid for days we did carpools–without exceeding the weight limits. It’s truly amazing what those bikes can hold: piles of backpacks, a week’s worth of groceries, supplies and canvases for a painting class, the aforementioned cat–strapped in her carrier riding to the vet. 

The e-bikes haven’t just opened up errand-running. They’ve also been like training wheels for us to get out on our acoustic bikes more. Bolstered by my confidence on the e-bike, I bought a gravel bike a couple of years ago and started road and trail cycling for fun. Also, riding with the kids on our bikes means they aren’t zoning out in the back seat, they are active passengers. I think that feeling of participation has made both kids more safe and capable riders, and more willing to ride on their own. 

This year, the feeling of cycling = freedom has really clicked for Michael (9) in particular. He heads out the door in the morning for school, dinging his bell as he rides off. A few weeks into the start of the school year he was packed up and headed out the door at 7:45. “Bud, I’m not sure you need to leave quite yet?” “Well, I need to leave early so I can get the best spot in the bike rack.” Fair enough. 

So often when we are out and about people will ask me about the bike. I always love answering the most common questions about the range and the weight limits. But I always end with the best part: “it is SO FUN. You should get one.” 

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About the Author

Brenna Hall is a long-time Sunnyvale resident, former tech-worker, frequent cyclist, and parent of an elementary schooler and a middle schooler. In her free time she enjoys gravel cycling, painting, and hiking. She's an advocate of safe school routes for kids, and loves encouraging families to ride together!