The NEW 12-speed Youth cassttes are now in-stock - CLICK HERE
Our new NEW HUP straatrace road racing (disc brake) frames have just arrived! CLICK HERE
The Road season is back so it's time to prepare for a new age group. Here's a summary of what you need, including Bikefit changes, British Cycling gear restrictions and kit for the road racing season ahead...
A unique range of our custom built youth cycling cassettes, developed for the individual requirements of each rider category using 700c race bikes, including superlight versions. A reminder on the popular set-ups;
Above are 11-speed 1x recommendations, others are available including 10-speed Miche, 11-speed Supertype Miche and the 11-speed superlight Recon billet cassettes. CLICK HERE for all cassette options.
We’ve developed the full range of narrow-wide chainrings for our 4-bolt HUP cranks, plus 5-bolt chainrings for other brands. We also have a selection of 2x chainrings, including the new design 4-bolt Shimano chainrings and youth suitable sub-compact chairings from Croder. CLICK HERE for all Chainring options.
Often a change of cassette or chainring requires a new chain, an ideal opportunity to renew it and even lighten that rotating weight. Superlight Intrepid or KMC SL chains have been some of our most popular upgrades - CLICK HERE
To ensure you match the required age group rollout restrictions, the tyre size is critical. We base most of our gearing setups on 25c, but we also have 27c available for the ‘all round’ setups favoured by Triathletes and those wanting to climb in the U10 age group.
As they spin them up, tyre and tube weight has a big effect. Changing to a lightweight tyre and inner tube can save as much rotating weight as and wheelset upgrade, but for a lot less money! Our lightweight Challenge road tyres and latex inner tubes are superb at doing just that. CLICK HERE for all tyre options.
The change of season is a sensible time to check their bikefit too. Cranks length is very important for anything cadence related (Road and Track). 10% of their height is the nominal target crank length (slightly longer for CX and MTB).
Check ‘knee over foot’ and body angles to find the right position. They may need a longer stem to correct body angles.
In the U12/U14 category, they may also need a wider handlebars if they are beginning to broaden in the shoulders. Road and Track run as narrow a bar as possible, CX runs a slightly wider bar ideally for more stability off-road. Fresh, brightly coloured bar tape always makes a bike faster 😜 CLICK HERE for more detailed bikefit guidance or for our detailed guidance on component selection: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3.
Time to get their fit right: Short Cranks | Short Stems | Narrow Handlebars | Short-Reach Shifters | Kids Saddles & Posts
Don't forget the new HUP straatrace road framesets. This are the first range of dedicated, youth-specific 700c Road framesets designed for kids to race from U8 and above, utilising shorter top-tubes and lower stacks: CLICK HERE
For a Youth Specific range of competition 700c bikes to really work, you need a range of lightweight 700c race wheels, so young riders can get the most from running full-sized wheels. So to compliment our standard fit Fulcrum and Shimano wheelsets, we've developed UP wheelsets (all hand-built in the UK to your spec) which are all very light (minimum rotating weight) and 35mm deep (British Cycling legal) for all age categories. CLICK HERE for all wheel options.
Handmade in Italy, our Road cyling kit is unrivalled quality and raced all over the world by 1000's of youth racers. World-class quality bib shorts, jerseys, skinsuits and essential pre-race warm-up tights, jackets and arm warmers...
From Road specifc shoes down to size 32 to road pedals, multi-lense kids or youth/small adult sunglasses (including low-light lenses), gloves and water bidons - our unique range of accessories dedicated to youth racers...
All Road Racing frames, wheels, components, clothes & accessories for kids, youth & small adult riders: HERE]]>HUP Cyclocross framesets and complete bikes
#HUPbikes - the first youth specific competition 700c bikes for ages 6 to 16+. State-of-the-art disc brake cyclo-cross bikes, all developed with low standover, short top-tubes and low stack geometry for riders 120cm+ Choose from individual components, frameset only or complete Self-Build bundles (with or without wheels): CLICK HERE
The best tyres for all Cyclo-cross conditions!
Challenge, Italy are the leading CX tyre manufacturer of choice from champions like Tom Pidcock, producing a world-class range of cross tyres for dry grass, sand, wet grass and full mud conditions. Clincher, tubeless or tubular versions all offer their advantages, but super-low pressure tubulars in mud still rule! CLICK HERE
Correct cranks for every rider - 130mm to 175mm
Whether you are 6 or 60, you need the correct crank lengths and gearing for successful cyclo-cross racing, so we've created a unique collection of cranks to suit any frame, any rider and any gearing requirements: CLICK HERE
Lightweight wheels for expolosive acceleration between the tape
Repeated, high-intensity sprints between hairpins, up the banking and along those muddy straights will take it's toll. So lightweight wheel upgrades are always going to be poular in CX. Add the advantge of low pressure tubular tyres in the mud, it's no wonder our 1100g HUP TD35 carbon tubular wheels sell-out every season : CLICK HERE
Cyclocross shoes and pedals
Kids cyclo-cross shoes from UK size 13 (Euro 32) up with the Northwave Hammer and it's off-road design with reinforced heelpiece and toe caps, plus rubber lined anti-slip sole means they perform on all surfaces. Popular Cranksbrothers egg beaters, studs/spikes for Winter mud and classic SPD pedals too...CLICK HERE
Warm-up jackets, tights and arm warmers
CX can be cold, especially before the race, so it's crucial to keep warm beforehand with HUP Warm-Up Tights and arm warmers (these can be worn during the race too) and the now legendary HUP warm-up jacket. Thats the HUP 'no more tears' formula! We cannot stress enough, just how important this kit is: CLICK HERE
Cycling Sunglasses with clear/low light lenses
Flying mud and no eye protection will always be risky, so clear and low-light lenses for CX are key to safe Winter racing. Kids, Youth and Small Adult Cycling Sunglasses for younger riders and small adults, with 3 lenses for various light levels - perfect for youth cyclocross from approx 4yrs old up...CLICK HERE
Long-sleeved roubaix jerseys and Winter skinsuits/speedsuits
Crucial to keeping the cold out is the technique of 'layering'. On the coldest days, a long-sleeved jerseys over a short-sleeve jersey works well. Our superb Roubaix lined Winter speedsuits are raced all over there UK in the worst weather Cyclocross can throw at us! CLICK HERE
Shoe covers/overshoes and light arm warmers
Feet get cold, kids tend to suffer more than adults. Add windchill on a bike and it's a ride ending situation! We've developed 2 unique shoe covers for kids (from size UK13 upwards): a superlight Road version and a triple layer, deep Winter version with Kevlar toe. Summer arm warmers are great for adding layers too: CLICK HERE
Surface: tarmac courses or closed roads
Location: traffic-free at many locations across the UK (see below)
Bikes: generally drop-handlebar road bikes, but younger categories tend to allow flat bars too
Equipment: Correctly fitting EN regulation helmet and gloves/mitts
License: British Cycling road race license (free or from £15) – available online – CLICK HERE
Step 1 – join a club beforehand
Go along to your local Go-Ride club and join in on a training session. You and your child will learn a lot very quickly, with coaches always happy to help new members to prepare for their first race, which most clubs themselves host regulary. Find a local club HERE. Another benefit of joining a Go-Ride club is your first year’s race license is FREE! CLICK HERE.
Step 2 – get their kit ready
Probably the most important issue to address with road racing is gearing. Each age category has a ‘roll-out’ limit. Your club coach will happily explain this to you (sounds more complicated than it is) or you can get more explanation with our Gear Restriction Guide – CLICK HERE. They don’t need lycra to have a go, but if they decide to carry on, we do have one or two items of clothing that might help them to compete – CLICK HERE.
Step 3 – choose an event
You local club will almost certainly organise (or help) with a local race, so this may be the most practical to try first. If not, you can find road races all over the UK on British Cycling’s event database: CLICK HERE. You should be able to enter online, selecting the correct age group from U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 & Junior U18 (age as of 31/12 of that year).
Step 4 – go racing!
You will need to find race HQ on arrival and sign-on, producing your race license. You will be given a race number to pin onto their jersey (sometimes a specific position). Important – make a note of their race start time and be ready near the start well in time for assembly! Often, riders get a chance to ride the course to warm-up, but not always – it does depend on the running order of events. Its worth getting there early to at least walk the course if possible to settle their nerves.
Riders line up at the start at the due time, the flag is drops, and they have to complete a certain number of laps of the circuit/course. This is when they get to do their Tour de France bit! Race distances are usually time based, so the number of laps depends on the speed of the leading rider.
The chequered flag is out when the leading rider passes the line after the prescribed race duration. Each following rider then finishes, regardless of how many laps they have completed. Whilst there are rules if a rider is ‘lapped’, it is nothing to worry about in the younger age categories – its just important they enter and have a go!
Step 5 – celebrate!
With the race finished, they will be hot, tired and hopefully buzzing with excitement. Where they finish is of no importance, as long as they enjoyed themselves and want to have another go! Often there may be awards or a podium presentation for the first 3 in each age group, for both boys and girls – so there is a chance they might get a little trophy?
Enjoy constant chatter in the car on the way home about how they ‘…attacked…’ and ‘…lead-out the breakaway…’ on their 16″ wheeled bike at 6 years old 😉 If they do, they’ve been watching too much TDF with Dad!
Popular Road Racing Venues
British Cycling regulations state all under-16 races must take place on traffic-free roads or a closed-road circuit. As well as closed-road courses, crit racing can also be held at purpose-built cycling venues or even motor racing courses.
Cyclopark, Gravesend, Kent
Hillingdon Cycle Circuit, West London
Lea Valley VeloPark, London
Litherland Sports Park, Liverpool
Maindy Cycle Track, Cardiff
Redbridge Cycling Centre, Ilford, North-East London
Stourport Sports Club, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire
Tameside Cycle Circuit, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester
Torbay Velopark, Paignton, Devon
York Sport Cycle Circuit, York
Motor racing tracks with regular road racing events
Angmering Motorsport Centre, West Sussex
Castle Combe Circuit, Chippenham, Wiltshire
Ford Dunton Test Track, Bedfordshire
Goodwood Circuit, Chichester, Hampshire
Mallory Park Circuit, Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire
Rockingham Motor Speedway, Corby, Northamptonshire
Thruxton Circuit, Andover, Hampshire
Other venues with regular road racing events;
Abingdon Airfield, Oxford
Betteshanger Country Park, Deal, Kent
Crystal Palace, South London
Dunsfold Park, Cranleigh, Surrey
Harvey Hadden Sports Village, Nottingham
Henstridge Airfield, Somerset
Westpoint Centre, Exeter, Devon
Milton Keynes Bowl, Buckinghamshire
Trinity Park Showground, Ipswich, Suffolk
If they love their cycling, its worth the effort to let them have a go at racing. Benefits are numerous from the obvious healthy ones, to making new friends and just having a great time outdoors.
If you need a road race bike, kids cycling shoes or children’s cycling clothes we are UK’s specialists – CONTACT US.
]]>There are a few very useful benefits of Junior Cyclocross to bear in mind, particularly if you are a regular Junior Triathlete;
Races are mass start by age category. Either U9/12/14 & 16 format or U8/10/12/14 & 16 depending on Championship. (Adult categories are available too!). Don’t be put off by mass-start racing, as the pack thins out very quickly in CX as the course narrows as you leave the start. Most events tend to be time restricted races, perhaps 10 or 15 minutes for the kids.
A course comprising of several ‘Laps’ are used mainly on grass, sometimes venturing into woods – but don’t include technical terrain, especially for the little ones. Sometimes (it is rare in the younger categories) CX courses include obstacles such as a hurdle board, sand pit area or steep (short) climb where running with the bike is the favoured technique.
Unlike adult CX, younger kid’s courses don’t include sections requiring you to ‘shoulder’ the bike, so the need for a bike with brake cables on top of the top tube is not relevant. Kids cyclocross bikes look very similar to road bikes, except wider forks (to allow fatter grass tyres) and cantilever brakes to stop mud clogging wheels. Events allow Mountain Bikes too.
Many young triathletes will already have some experience with the skills required for Cyclocross, having competed on grass courses already. Flying mounts/dismounts during Transition are also very useful in CX racing to negotiate course obstacles.
If it’s a sport that you are considering for the first time, a couple of tips for newbies…
The big thing about kids Cyclocross (after a few seasons of competing with our own kids) is THEY LOVE IT! Safe, off-road cycling with the need for handling skills in the wet, means a huge amount of fun throughout the season on their bikes.
Finally, events are in Autumn and Winter, so the right clothes play a big part in the kids enjoyment. Some simple items like Arm Warmers, Leg Warmers and a Race Cape make a big difference. Its important to keep them warm, dry and enjoying themselves.
]]>Aside from the obvious benefit of traffic-free cycling, MTB gives the opportunity to learn a wide range of bike handling skills, all of which are still relevant to road, triathlon or cyclocross events. World Tour rider Peter Sagan (Saxo-Tinkoff) began his career winning the 2008 Junior MTB World Championship, before switching to the Road!
Dedicated venues are available right across the UK, with more opening-up all the time. The vast majority of centres use the CTC developed colour code system for their route definitions;
Green (Easy);
Intended for non-cyclists and families, children aged 4 or above riding solo, bikes with child seats or trailers, touring bikes, bikes for those with disabilities.
Blue (Moderate);
Ideal for occasional cyclists with some experience of road use or easy trails, reasonably fit families, children aged 10 or above riding solo, suitable for mountain bikes, hybrids or robust touring bikes.
Red (Difficult);
Intended for regular cyclists with experience of moderate trails suitable for off-road quality mountain bikes.
Black (Severe);
Suitable for expert mountain bikers who will expect and relish technical challenges.
Many of these venues run Coaching sessions for kids, so its worth enquiring if you want to introduce your kids to this fantastic discipline. Most kids will be fine on Green and Blue routes, but if you intend to venture onto Red and Black routes, coaching is highly recommended beforehand.
Bikes:
Kids MTB bikes have really come on a long way. For younger kids aiming for Green/Blue route riding – solid fork ATB Bikes are perfectly good enough. If you intend to venture onto more technical Red and Black routes, suspension is a must with Front Suspension (XC Hardtail) the most popular MTB Bikes.
Kit;
Obviously the kit they use is very important and like any other discipline, we believe lightweight and proportional are key to your child getting the most from their MTB riding. We’ve sourced a range of Kids MTB Kit which we believe are just that.
Shoes:
There is now a fantastic choice of proper MTB cycling shoes available for kids. CLICK HERE for info. Suitable multi-direction release MTB cleats for older kids doing XC riding are also a musts.
Protection:
Just like any other cycling, the right protection is all important. Helmets are critical, full-face is recommended if your kids take on technically challenging trails or downhills. Body Armour is also very sensible from the simple EVOC back protection to the superb front/rear/shoulder and neck vest by Leatt. Full fingered gloves are also recommended.
Hydration:
With short, sharp climbs – often in the shelter of trees (little wind cooling effect) MTB riding can be hot, thirsty work. The child-specific EVOC Joyride Hydration Pack means they can re-hydrate constantly, offering a degree of back protection too.
Coaching;
Alongside the larger venues running their own in-house coaching courses, here a few more options;
Singletrack School
SMTB Coaching
MTB Instruction
Boars On Bikes
List of UK MTB Venues;
The MoreDirt website has a great directory of MTB venues across the UK, which you can filter to find a centre near you – CLICK HERE to take a look.
Kids MTB Racing;
Take a look at the events directory on the British Cycling website for a kids MTB race near you (scroll through the directory and take a look at the events marked ‘MTB XC’ in the Event Type column). CLICK HERE for the directory. We can recommend the Mud, Sweat & Gears (East) series for kids, which involves a coaching session for over an hour on the course they race beforehand.
So what can a 6-year old and his 8-year old brother get up to on their Mountain Bikes? A short video of their half-term holiday at Cannock Chase, Chicksands and Haleigh Park, taking in a round of the MSG race series
]]>The phrases ‘Olympic Legacy’ and ‘Inspire a Nation’ are ones we hear multiple times via the media during the 16 days of the games but possibly never more so than this year with Team GB’s incredible haul of medals which had us all glued to our TV screens and cheering for the athletes.
Many of us will also have been sat alongside our children watching their favourite sports and their little minds no doubt wondering whether one day they could also be representing their country and fighting for a medal.
As we sat at home watching the track cycling I turned to my 10 year old cycling mad daughter Jessica and asked her if she fancied having a go on the track and before I knew it I was having the phone thrust in my hand and being told to hurry up and get it booked.
My son had already ridden the track a number of times so I was aware of the process to follow and a quick call to Cycle Derby had her booked onto one of their summer holiday programs and her track riding dream was about to take off.
This summer Cycle Derby have run three track days throughout August for beginner and improving riders and have just reduced the minimum age requirement to 9 years old which opens up the track to even more children.
The format of the day begins with arrival at Derby Arena at around 9.30am, which for us meant an 8am start but with everything packed and sorted the night before it’s a pretty civilized starting time. Registration takes place inside the velodrome and then after the formalities are completed the kids head outside to the car park where half of it has been cordoned off to allow the children to practice their general bike handling skills in a safe traffic free environment.
Jessica took her own road bike but Cycle Derby have their own fleet of loan road bikes and helmets which anybody can borrow for the session and it’s all included in the current £25 cost of the day. Once everybody is fitted up with their bikes they then spend the next 90 minutes working on general skills such as correct gear selection, cornering and braking. The session is then rounded off with a couple of fun but always highly competitive races to put their newly developed skills into practice.
After an hours lunch break in the velodrome clubroom which gives some tired legs a chance to recover, its time for an introduction to track bikes and how they differ from the road bikes they’ve been using in the morning session. The concept of no brakes and no gears causes some initial apprehension from some parts of the group but soon everyone grasps the fundamental lessons of ‘don’t stop pedaling’ and ‘make sure you look before you move’ and then everybody is ready to move up to the ‘Riders D’ area which is where all the bikes are kept.
Derby Arena use track bikes made by manufacturer Moda and they have a large selection available in multiple sizes, but fit for smaller riders can be difficult, especially as they have 152mm cranks on the smallest models!
Once they’ve sized up their bikes the kids move onto the shoe section where we quickly found out that the smallest size available is a UK size 5, which was an issue. Jess normally wears a size 3, so these were a tad on the large size but once the three Velcro straps were done up tight they were fine and didn’t move about. (Update: Derby now has shoes down to a size UK13, thanks to Kids Racing!)
Riders are allowed to bring and use their own road shoes if they have them but they must be fitted only with Look Keo cleats that fit the pedals used on the hire bikes. Jess uses the Shimano SPD clipless system for all her bikes so using her own shoes was not possible. There is an option though for any child to ride in flat sole trainer shoes if they prefer and use toe clips instead of the clipless system which might be more preferable for some children who are not confident to go straight to cliplesss pedals.
Once everything was fitted then the kids were ready to hit the boards. The session that Jess was on only had 10 children on it so all of them took to the track at the same time. Other session we have attended with my son have had up to 30 kids and these then get split up into multiple groups, normally three, and they get 20 minutes track time each per hour.
The kids in Jess’s group who had previous experience on the track were set off to ride a few warm up laps while the first timers were taught the basics of getting on and off the bikes correctly and using the handrail to set off and stop.
Soon all the riders were circling the track on the flat blue apron section and then they are gradually moved up to first part of the track known as the Cote d’azur which is the light blue section on the inside of the track which has fairly shallow banking and gives a good introduction to the track proper.
After a little break and further instruction, they are then moved up to the black pursuiters line and then the red sprinters line. Its quite amazing how quickly the kids pick up the whole fixed wheel idea and learn to judge and adjust the distance between them and the rider in front of them by altering their pedaling speed rather then just grabbing the brakes which they would normally do on their bikes at home. Its no surprise that often the most skilled road riders come from having a long track riding background as for improving your bike handling and awareness of riders around you, there is nothing better.
The final half hour or so of the session involves the more confident of the riders being allowed to move further up the track to the blue line and you can almost see the pride and confidence oozing from them as they cruise almost effortlessly around the banking, something they wouldn’t have dreamt possible just a couple of hours before.
All too soon though the session was over and after a round of thank you’s to the coaches and saying goodbye to the friends they had made it was time to head back to car and off home. Had the next generation of track riders found a new addition? Yes I think so, Jess certainly had a great time and is eager to get back as soon as possible and get the laps in ready to give Laura Trott a run for her money in a few years time.
Here’s what Jess had to say, in her own words…
“What I really enjoyed about the track is that I got to learn a lot of useful tips and pointers such as stopping, as there are no brakes on a track bike you have to slow down really slowly. Also as you get higher on the track you have to push harder and a key pointer is observation, which is to check before you make a move to check whether it is safe. I gradually moved up when I felt I was ready for the next challenge. First I moved onto the light blue section, secondly onto the black, and then the red. Finally I thought that I couldn’t do the blue line but I did and it’s an amazing experience. I hope to go back and learn more and maybe one day I will have an Olympic medal around my neck.”
Hope to see some of your kids on the boards in the future. Keep ’em riding!
David Lea.
Derby Arena Velodrome Information:
This session runs from 10am to 3pm and currently costs £25 including bike hire if required for both the road and track sessions, helmet and shoe hire. The next sessions should be during the autumn half term and can be booked once released by calling Cycle Derby on (01332) 641747.
Children over 12 years old can also undertake a track taster session and then progress to full track accreditation by contacting Derby Arena directly on (01332) 640011 or www.derbyarena.co.uk
There is now a growing number of Velodrome around the UK. Alongside their indoor Velodrome, many also have outdoor road circuits, BMX and MTB facilities. Here are some website links;
British Cycling Go-Ride Track Events (can run for younger aged riders than the Velodromes usually allow)
Emirates Arena (Glasgow) – riders from 8-years old upwards
Lee Valley Velopark Velodrome (London) – riders from 12-years old upwards
Wales National Velodrome (Newport) – riders from 10 upwards
The National Cycling Centre (Manchester) – riders from 9-years old upwards
But compared to the recent past, streets are deserted during the Summer holidays, as are many local playgrounds and playing fields. Childhood obesity is still rising. 2014 figures show 31.2% of 2-15 year olds are obese or overweight. Even childhood Type 2 diabetes is now a statistic, unrecorded before 2000 in the UK. Computer game sales continue to grow.
Kids’ lives have certainly changed since the 60’s and 70’s and part of this change is a move away from ‘free play’ and activity in the street or playground, to more formal sport, training and competition. Has this transformation split the younger generation, creating the ‘Haves’ and ‘Have-nots’ or more accurately the ‘Doers’ and the ‘Do-nots’?
Often kids with active parents have a weekly ‘sports social’ diary that would exhaust the average adult, with many hours each week dedicated to their chosen sport. From results presented in the ‘Copenhagen Consensus Conference 2016’ this group is also more likely to succeed academically too.
On the flip-side, with free play and outside activity falling out of favour, kids are more likely to do virtually no exercise in a typical week, if their parents don’t exercise. Changes to school curriculums and the rise of ‘non-competitive’ school policies won’t help. One extreme to the other, so which is right? Neither! Like most things, balance has to be the key.
An unhelpful but influential perspective in the matter can come from the Media and its collective schizophrenia on whats right or wrong for kids. Their attention grabbing, emotion provoking approach can discourage families from being more active. Whilst sport and activity is generally promoted, with plenty of ‘Legacy’ initiatives during the Olympics, when it comes to kids the media has a habit of focusing on potential risks rather than benefits – citing overuse injuries as a risk to kids.
One of the overuse injuries seen are Growth Plate fractures. These involve the softer bone areas at the ends of limbs where there is ongoing growth (long bones grow from their ends, not from the centre). These fractures at the ends of ‘long bones’ (bones longer than they are wide) are most common in the fingers, legs and arms. Fractures are classified as 5 common types. While recognising there are potential risks, shouldn’t we take a more balanced approach to prevent discouraging inactive families?
Accurate figures for overuse injuries are difficult to come by. We can’t find any published figures. If you can, let us know!
In an attempt to quantify the risk, we can look at some very basic figures. Various research data in the UK and the US shows that approximately 15% to 30% of all childhood fractures, are growth plate fractures. These figures show a big spread, indicating more work is needed in this area!
The 2011 Census records approximately 7.2m 4-14 year olds. With a population fracture incidence of 14% for that age group means 1m fractures annually in children, wow! So taking 22.5% (mid-point of 15-30%) for an estimate of Growth Fractures gives approx. 225,000. However, these are NOT all sports related. A trip on a kerb walking to school and a child can fracture a Growth Plate.
Looking at the sport of cycling, a figure of 20% has been estimated in US studies for recreational sports such as ‘biking, sledding, skiing, or skateboarding’, but we don’t know the individual breakdown for each sport. So taking a proportional split of 5% for cycling, that’s 11,250 fractures. Finally, what percentage of this figure has been caused by actual overuse, and not an accident whilst cycling?
Even if it was half of this number (in reality, it may actually be just 10%!) at 5,625, the incidence of injury is a significantly lower number than the 2.3m overweight or obese children!
However, we believe its far more plausible that the actual figure for cycling sports related overuse injuries is likely to be in the hundreds, not thousands – is it even possible to fracture bones without a crash of collision on a bike? The more common injuries to prevent would be muscular, as is the case with adults over-training. Common cycling injuries and their prevention are well documented.
Other sports also risk overuse injuries. Gymnastics and Football are listed as the highest risk. Gymnastics is understandable, Football is probably high being the most common youth sport with collisions causing fracture.
So if the reality of the risk may be as small as several hundred incidents annually, should this be used as a stick by the media to deter millions of kids and parents? Of course not. However, hundreds of incidents a year is still too many and its the responsibility of parents and coaches to ensure it doesn’t happen. Kids on their own will very rarely hurt themselves, but parents and coaches can push too hard.
How can we reduce the risk to a minimum? Balance is key again. The move away from ‘free play’ towards more dedicated, repetitive training means overuse injuries are reportedly on the increase.
During a Growth Spurt children are more vulnerable to injury, so observing behaviour can help. Are they sleeping longer, eating more or suffering mood swings? Outside of the obvious “trousers look shorter” these are all common changes whilst growing. ‘Growing Pains’ is another, although it is most likely muscle growth spasms that can be felt, not bone pain!
So whilst it’s good for all parents and coaches to understand the risks and recognise the signs, sweeping rules to limit or stop kids who love what they are doing is also counter-productive. We are happy to let our kids challenge themselves, as long as the risks is sensibly managed. So far our kids have sustained no injuries!
From our own research and practice with our kids, this is our own preventative action list;
We feel the last point is a crucial one and another convincing case for Kids Triathlon. Triathlon provides a variety of activities that reduces the risk of overuse injury to a minimum, whilst continuing to provide stimulus for the child, avoiding physical and psychological burnout. It is recognised that specialising in one sport too soon, is the real problem.
Overuse injury aside, too much anecdotal evidence points to kids who start too serious, too early, dropping out of that sport by their early/mid-teens. Browse the CV’s of the average TeamGB medal winners, to see how many only took up their chosen sport in the mid to late teens. Vicky Holland didn’t compete on her first Triathlon until the age of 19!
As for the group of ‘do-not’s’ the future looks a lot less bright. More needs to be done by government and through schools to raise the profile of sport and exercise in schools and elsewhere. Childhood Obesity, diabetes and associated long-term health effects are still on the increase, albeit recent increases are slowing. However, levels are still significantly higher than 30 years ago, so where will this put the NHS in 30 years time?
Compared to the huge health risks of obesity and diabetes, we think the fear of overuse injury is over-played in the media. Minimising the risk is about applying common sense – involving young kids in Multi-sport, avoiding specialising too soon. Keeping it low pressure but lots of fun is the key.
More useful sources of information;
The Dangers of Overtraining Youth
Overuse Injuries, Overtraining, and Burnout in Child and Adolescent Athletes
The starter fired the gun and almost as soon as the race started, a young boy tripped, fell over and sat on the track starting to cry. The eight other runners saw the boy fall and they all slowed down and looked behind them. They stopped and went back to where the boy was lying. A girl with Down syndrome sat down next to him, hugged him, and asked, “Are you feeling better now?” The boy then picked himself up and all nine of them held hands and ran to the finish line, at which point the whole crowd stood up and applauded them home.
I love that story so much as it encompasses so many aspects of why we should be actively encouraging our children to compete in sports. From the fact that the kids were there to have fun and compete, to the great values and compassion they showed when the young boy fell, it shows us yet again how sports is such a fantastic way to teach life lessons if done correctly.
If you ask people why kids take part in competitive sports, a lot of people would invariably say it’s to win, to stand on the podium or to come home with a nice prize, but the facts prove time and time again that this just isn’t the case.
The reason that the majority of kids go racing or play any sport for that matter is primarily for the social aspect. Through many studies, the actual thought of winning comes surprisingly low on their list of priorities. Much higher is being around their friends, socialising and having fun; the goal of winning is often very much a parent thing.
As a sports parent, the choices we make in how we interact in the lead up to; and at the event, can either make youth sports a fun, exciting and pleasant experience for our children or it can make it into almost a job and a chore for the kids, and as any parent knows – kids don’t want to do jobs or chores for very long.
The statistics from all over the world tell us that that by age thirteen, 75% of children will have totally given up youth sports. This should be in itself enough of a wake up call to parents to realise that a large proportion of those kids have chosen to walk away from sport because it simply isn’t fun for them anymore.
No matter how many youth races your child wins, the chances of them riding the Tour de France or picking up an Olympic gold medal are very small indeed; but the chances of them becoming a lifelong lover of cycling and the social, health and general wellbeing that this can bring them over their entire lifetime is very high; providing we can keep the love of riding the bike in them.
We do that by making sure that our first priority as parents is that at races or coaching sessions we need to be asking ourselves; are the kids smiling, making friends and having a good time. If the answer is yes and your focus is first and foremost on those things then the children will associate riding the bike with fun and enjoyment rather than a day at the office.
Trust me when I tell you that any child who has the right character and physical ability will get noticed through their results and be given opportunity to move up through the cycling ranks as they get older, but to do this they need to be still riding the bike into their teen years.
The dedication and sacrifice needed to succeed at cycling at the higher levels are immense, but if you ask any top professional what they most enjoy about their job and what keeps them going through the often very tough times, they will tell you that they simply love to ride the bike above everything else.
Work with your children on good character, integrity and sportsmanship and the rest will fall into place. Sport has the ability to teach our children some of the greatest lessons to take through life with them, such as: to work hard, to be determined and focused, to play fairly, to accept defeat graciously, to be humble in victory and above all to never cheat and break the rules.
This is the true meaning of sport. We’ve got a responsibility to make sure our children realise that the true long term goal of sport isn’t to become a millionaire or become a modern day celebrity, but instead to become a person of great values and actions.
A favourite quote of mine is by Frederick Douglass who said “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” We have a great privilege through sport to be able to teach these valuable life lessons in a fun environment and set the kids on the right path for the rest of their lives. What an opportunity.
David Lea.
]]>