Mountain Biking Adventures

Mountain biking is the step up from paved-trail riding, and the jump is bigger than it looks - dirt, roots, rocks and the need to pick a line. The good news is that the North Texas trails in this section are among the friendliest anywhere for a first go: rolling, wooded, and built by local volunteer crews who care about progression.

Is your kid ready

The honest test is not age, it is bike handling. A child is ready for singletrack when they can ride confidently without looking down, brake smoothly with both hands, and stop where they intend to. That tends to arrive somewhere between eight and ten, though kids who have been riding since four get there sooner.

Erwin Park in McKinney is the classic North Texas first-singletrack: a flowing loop through trees with few technical features and plenty of places to bail out.

Reading a trail before you ride it

Look for a green or beginner loop, and one that is a genuine loop. Being able to finish a short circuit is far better for a child than turning around halfway down something hard.

Check whether the trail is directional. Most purpose-built singletrack runs one way. Riding against the flow with a child is how collisions happen.

Check the trail status before you drive. This is the big one in North Texas. These trails are clay, and riding them wet destroys them - local trail associations post open/closed status daily, and a closed trail means closed, not “be careful.”

Find out where it crosses itself. Knowing the shortcuts back to the car makes the whole ride lower-stakes.

Skills worth teaching first, in a car park

• Attack position: off the saddle, knees and elbows bent, weight centred. This one thing solves most problems.
• Look where you want to go, not at the obstacle. Children steer into whatever they stare at.
• Brake before the corner, not in it.
• Ratchet the pedals - half strokes rather than full rotations - to keep pedals off rocks and roots.

Kit

Helmet, gloves - hands hit the ground first and gloves prevent most of the tears - water, a spare tube and a pump. Flat pedals with grippy shoes; nobody’s kid needs to be clipped in.

Best time

Fall through spring in North Texas. Summer singletrack is hot and shadeless in stretches, so ride at dawn if you ride at all. Always check the trail status page first - after rain these trails stay closed for a day or more.