Places to Ride for Kids?

How old do you need to be to come on the ride? My daughter(11yrs) Is just getting into mtb biking and I don’t know many trails locally; I’ve been biking for years as a teenager but things have changed; and places like the whopper don’t really exist any more, nor is it a good spot for a fairly new rider(daughter)! if someone can recommend something beginner based that would be awesome!

Welcome aboard,

16+, I would say. Many of the trails we ride are tough even for adults. The pace also is hard to keep up with for youngsters.

I also have an 11 yr old daughter, Zoe. and we ride these trails:

Crusher Dust
Shubie park,
The frog pond by the dingle.
Belcher’s Park (in Clayton Park).

Off Road
Irishman’s Rd.
9 Mile River, (when it is dry)
Nora Warren
Victoria Park

Trailflow does a clinic in the Spring for kids. A few of us hit that last year and had a blast.

3 Likes

@rolls, @Fish, @smdavis, @gtrguy also have kids around 10 -11. Once the snow recedes maybe we can do a kids group ride.

4 Likes

I’d add the new Long Lake park and Mcdonald Sports park to that list of trails.

And yes we should do a kids ride for sure.

5 Likes

Appreciate the response’s! Would be a great idea to get the kids together; Aaliyah doesn’t have any friends that like to bike, so it’s really only been me and her going out!! I’ll have to check those trails out as well; Was checking out the links in the tab in the forum; lots of great information on here! Look forward to getting back out on the trails!!!

3 Likes

Is this the manik i saw recently on kijiji? Sweet ride. The ad was gone super fast i didnt even have a chance! Enjoy! (Fellow old school manik owner)

1 Like

The Tuesday night short track series at Seaview Park is a great way for kids to try mountain bike racing in a relatively easy to ride venue. My kids have all enjoyed it over the years.

One of my daughters is 12 and she started riding more seriously last year, and I’ve had her out to a number of different trail systems. Bowater isn’t too bad for kids. Low consequence, but teaches them slow speed tight riding. I’m going to take her to Whopper this summer and maybe Fight after she gets comfortable there. My 10 year old son is also into it, but his small 24" wheels are holding him back. Need to get him onto 26 this summer, I think.

4 Likes

@nova yes it is the one that was on kijiji. He lived 2 minutes down the road so I was able to get it same night it was listed. I think I got a fair deal on it, all original, with tires in good shape.

1 Like

Yeah it looks mint! Was listed for a great price. Awesome, enjoy! (Take it to keppoch!)

I got it for better then the listed price; so I’d say I got the better end of the deal! I’ll definitly have it out to Keppoch this summer!

Add me to that list also, my son is 11 and I think a kids group ride would be excellent.

2 Likes

Nice score, I didn’t even see that one and I’m always checking out the bike section on Kijiji… lol

Well then, why don’t I just give you the specs and you let me know if one pops up? :grinning:

Haha! Looking for a new ride Jeff?

A buddy is considering picking up a medium full squish.

Even though I bought a bike; I’m still on looking csuse I’d like to find a Sasquatch; or wolverine for my daughter. If I come across anything else I’ll let ya know as well! There’s a Gary fisher on there right now for sale, but buddies flakey and wouldn’t reply to emails.

We’re pretty loyal to Irishman’s Road and MacDonald Park. There are also some nice trails around Uniacke House in Mount Uniacke, including the old Windsor post road. If we need to stay around town there are some nice trails here in Hemlock Ravine, including a few short singletrack runs. This is also a good place to get the kids hardened up for hill climbing because they’re going to be doing a lot of it. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I love the idea of having a regular kids ride. We had one a few years ago over in Shubie and it was a good time. Maybe get Michelle and Ryan to come out and give the kids some pointers. As Jeff said they did a clinic last year and the kids had a blast.

2 Likes

I think the Glenbourne pump track in Clayton Park s quite kid friendly and fun. You can pop on it before or after doing the Mainland Linear Trail (big hills, but it’s wide crusher dust) and Belcher’s Marsh Trail.

First Lake Trail in Sackville is a nice crusher dust trail along First Lake. Second Lake Trail across the road is another crusher dust trail that you can extend the ride, but has big hills. There’s a new trail out from the Second Lake Trail parking lot that is relatively flat that goes back along First Lake Drive and comes out across from the ball fields.

A little further from Halifax,
Reservoir Park in Wolfville has some beginner friendly trails and a skills park with many newbie-friendly features.

Kentville Bird Sanctuary has lots of nice doubletrack, and flowy singletrack.

2 Likes

I live in Mount uniacke; the trails are nice for kids; with no huge climbs or heavy descents. My daughter keeps checking this website looking for the kids ride post; seeing if anything has been set up yet! She’s dying to meet some new friends with common interests!!

2 Likes

Awseome… we might need to wait for some of this snow to go away.

Does she have a favorite loop in Mount Uniacke?

1 Like