Cycling

Cycling to School with Kids in the Winter

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Cycling to school in the winter

The winter months are often when many families reluctantly trade in their walk/cycle to school habits for the warmth of the car. But for many reasons highlighted below it’s the best time to continue cycling.

Cycling to school has become a core part of our identity and our day-to-day life. Since our daughter Matilda started school in September 2020, we have cycled or walked to school every single day, without exception. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Our website is all about the joys of outdoor adventures with young children, and cycling is at the heart of our philosophy.

Today, we’re sharing why we continue to cycle to school even in winter and how you can make it work for your family too.

It’s worth noting that our advice is always aimed at those who have the means to do so. Many now work from home, close to home or work shifts. These can make the transition to cycling in all weather. We are here to promote positive habit changes in the day-to-day lives of ordinary families.

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Staying Consistent with Cycling When You Have Kids

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Staying Consistent With Cycling

Balancing your love for cycling with the demands of parenting can feel like a juggling act. Life with kids is wonderfully unpredictable, and it often seems like there’s always something that gets in the way of a good bike ride.

Yet, staying active is crucial—for both our physical health and mental well-being. Staying fit, getting out in nature and keeping my mind free are just some of the reasons I stay consistent with cycling. It’s not always easy and when the cold months kick in it can become appealing to stay inside where it’s warm.

Here’s how I manage to stay consistent with cycling as a parent, with two young children. 

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Great Places to Live for Cyclists Across England

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Trans Pennine Trail, Yorkshire

We are always looking for new places to visit in England where we can cycle as a family. This sent me down a rabbit hole of research on Great places to live for Cyclists across England.

Like many, we are always wondering if the grass is greener on the other side of the country. Is there somewhere we could live with more cycling infrastructure, does a specific county have more traffic-free trails? or can we find somewhere which is more accepting of everyday family cyclists like ourselves?

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Best Places to Teach Your Child How to Ride a Bike: Parks, Trails, and More

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Best Places to Teach Your Child How to Ride a Bike

Teaching your child to ride a bike is one of those unforgettable moments that brings a rush of pride and joy to both parents and children. For me, it’s up there with seeing your child walk for the first time or say their first word. 

Recently we successfully taught our four-year-old how to ride his bike with pedals for the first time. He’s always been strong on his balance bike and we followed this up with getting him used to a normal bike without pedals (we took them off). Following this and with some pushback from Barney we moved him onto pedals and he could cycle freely with us assisting his start.

He’s by no means the finished article now and we have many days ahead which I why I wanted to pen this article to help you choose the best places to teach your child how to ride a bike.

Our goal with this post is to help other families identify the best places for teaching their young ones how to ride, focusing on traffic-free, family-friendly areas, and encouraging a love of biking. 

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Nostell Priory National Trust Review For Families

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Place at a glance

Visit lengthHalf day – Full day
AccessibilityMain routes buggy-friendly; some woodland/garden paths uneven
CostNT members free; admission applies for non-members
Dog friendlyDogs on leads in parkland; house/gardens have restrictions
Facilities
  • Courtyard café · Toilets & baby changing
  • Shop · Bike racks · Play area
  • Formal gardens & parkland trails
Top things to do
  • Explore the house & collections
  • Walled/rose gardens
  • Adventure play & parkland walks

Nostell Priory is a Palladian house located in Nostell, near Crofton, close to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, approached by the road to Doncaster from Wakefield. It dates from 1733 and was built for the Winn family on the site of a medieval priory.

Now looked after by the National Trust it’s approximately 6 miles from the city centre. From our home in Sandal, it’s a merely 15-minute drive and is a regular on our visit list.

It is nestled in the small village of Wragby and can be found via Sat Nav at the following address or postcode. Doncaster Road, Nostell, Wragby, Wakefield WF4 1QE.

We are lucky that we can cycle directly from our home to Nostell Priory via mostly off-road cycle routes. We reviewed this route here but this article will focus on the National Trust itself.

Nostell Priory is over 300 acres of parkland and woodland. With a beautiful cafe, shop, play park and of course the main house it’s a fantastic place to visit with the family. 

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Trends in Physical Activity and Obesity in the UK (1980 to 2024)

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Obesity Active Travel

They say your job shapes you. This couldn’t be truer when it comes to the increase in obesity across the UK. As a family, we are huge advocates of active travel, and we practice what we preach. For work, school, and leisure, we cycle or walk as much as possible. But what’s the trend around the UK? I wanted to explore this.

As an 80’s child, I wanted to explore the data and see how things have shifted in the past 39 years of my life. They say people look back to their childhood with rose-tinted glasses. In some ways that’s true but did people really walk or cycle more in the past? The data suggests they did and the impact of going against this has supersized our population.

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The benefits of Resistance Training & Trail Cycling

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Resistance Training & Cycling

For anyone who enjoys staying active and maintaining a strong, balanced fitness routine, combining resistance training and trail cycling can be an ideal approach to achieving peak performance. As a dad, fitness enthusiast, and lover of the great outdoors, I’ve come to appreciate the unique benefits of this combination—improving strength and endurance and promoting mental well-being.

From my perspective, longevity is the key to all fitness: finding a sustainable, enjoyable way to stay healthy while setting a great example for your children. A combination of resistance training and trail cycling is the key to this.

This article explores why I believe integrating resistance training with trail cycling can elevate your fitness routine to the next level while also bringing enjoyment and calm to your life. Combined with outdoor family adventures, I am confident you will feel and look much better, and this will be channelled to your children.

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Is it ok to ride a cheap, second hand bike?

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Second Hand Bike

Cycling, as a physical activity, is known to have profoundly positive effects on mental health, and it’s especially important when considering the mental health crisis in the UK, particularly among men. Suicide rates in the UK show that men are three times more likely than women to take their own lives, and engaging in regular physical activities like cycling can help mitigate stress, anxiety, and depression.

But how do we get the everyday individual started when they feel financially squeezed after years of inflationary pressures?

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Fountains Abbey National Trust Review

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Place at a glance

Visit length Half day – Full day
Accessibility Main routes pushchair-friendly; some uneven/steeper historic areas
Cost NT members free; admission applies for non-members
Dog friendly Dogs on short leads in parkland & gardens (check seasonal restrictions)
Facilities
  • Visitor Centre · Toilets & baby changing
  • Multiple cafés · Picnic areas
  • Gift shop · Parking
Top things to do
  • Explore the abbey ruins
  • Studley Royal Water Garden
  • Deer park & viewpoints
  • Adventure play & family trails

Are you looking for an exciting, family-friendly destination to explore? Fountains Abbey National Trust is the perfect spot! With a range of activities for families to enjoy, Fountains Abbey offers a unique combination of history, natural beauty, and outdoor adventures.

Fountains Abbey is a National Trust property located in North Yorkshire, England. The National Trust manages this historic site and features a Cistercian abbey, a water garden, and a deer park, all set within beautiful countryside.

This article will review Fountains Abbey National Trust for families, including the abbey’s history, things to do, family activities, facilities, and additional tips and recommendations.

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Why School Drop-offs by Bike Are a Great Way to Start Your Day

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As parents, we all know the morning routine can be a rush—a whirlwind of getting the kids ready, making sure lunches are packed, and trying to beat the clock. 

There is however one part of our morning routine we have stuck to for the 5 years our daughter has been going to school. That is cycling the ‘school run’. 

I believe that in the vast majority of cases for those who live within a short distance of a local school, it’s the perfect way to start the day. Fresh air, movement and quality time together. I often see children driven to school with air pods lodged in their ears and mobile phones occupying their time. This feels like a sad way to start the day for both parent and child. 

Here’s why cycling to school is more than just a practical choice for us—it’s become one of the highlights of our day.

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