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There's a strip of woodland and a stream running behind our housing estate underneath the electricity pylons, you know the kind of thing. It has about 500 yards of sweet singletrack running through it between two access points. I was outside fiddling with my suspension and the neighbour kids (8 kids all under 12) started asking me if my 7" travel Patriot was a 'proper' off road bike. So I pointed out that all their bikes were more or less proper mountain bikes that they could take on proper real actual proper trails, and I offered to show them the singletrack. After a lot of noise and faffing and asking of parents we set off.
Well turns out it's severely overgrown, and we had to hack through brambles and nettles. So the neighbourhood alpha kid with all the toys (whom I don't like) turned out to be a complete screaming wuss; the oldest kid (who's pretty likeable) an even bigger wuss despite wearing jeans and a bomber jacket; my kids fortunately did ok; the posh softie who I thought would cry turned out to do ok; another kid in shorts grabbed a stick and helped clear the path; and the youngest kid (age 5) was absolutely fine despite being in shorts and a t shirt.
Everyone got stung quite a bit, they now think I'm Bear Grylls and their parents probably think I'm a child abuser*. But it's interesting to see how they reacted. None of them had ever been that up close with undergrowth before (except mine). Some were disgusted and others quite exhilarated. But none had explored the woods and stream before. I may get down there and clear the path so we can try again. Great way to spend an evening, I feel quite rejuvenated.
* actually two of them don't, they thanked me!
LIKES
can't believe they haven't explored it themselves though I blame the Internet, and specifically the lack of hedge porn
can’t believe they haven’t explored it themselves though I blame the Internet,
Absolutely!
It's the sort of place I'd have found bags of glue and aerosol cans in my youth, but I think now even those kids are playing Fortnight instead.
Molgrips you may well have implanted experiences and memories that will be there for good. Well done you.
I hope so. The older kid was well up for another one. I may look for more bits of trail in the neighbourhood. Although I can't take them properly biking without a minibus 🙂
Fair play to you. Too much negativity about the yutes of today!
I’m favourite-ing this story. Well done, molgrips!
Win. Big win.
Nice one Molgrips.
Great to show the youngsters something new and outdoors and adventurey.
Although im not sure about .......
"think I'm a child abuser" and "never been that up close to undergrowth before (except mine) 😄
I had a pack of local youths chasing me the other day...whilst riding through a less than nice part of town
local scrote "nice bike mate"
"do you want to swap"
me "you can have it if you catch me"
was actually quite entertaining, slowed down on a couple of corners to let them get closer.
looking back a bit dumb and I'll be avoiding that area for a while....
sounds like our local kids are a bit different
Top man!
never been that up close to undergrowth before (except mine)
snort
Good to read stuff like this, kids need adventure.
Well done - kids need that sort of thing. I see it in our local Scout group and now with the new cycle club in town.
Shame the kids who probably need it most are least likely to try it.
Great work! My lad via me has got a good few of his mates in to actually being outside for starters! They've now moved on to digging jumps in the local woods etc. It's great to see and be a part of!
Brilliant stuff!
Well done that man!
Good man, you never know, one of them might be the next great thing in cycling.
I also doubt they would think you are dodgy, they are probably just grateful that the kids are out the house after 5 odd weeks of hassling their parents 😉
Local youths
Man taking youths into the woods
"Cyclists"
There's a recipe for a Daily mail story in there somewhere.
🙂
Good work moly!
Well done, hope you didn't have to spend a while fixing brakes first !!!
nice work - am sure they'll appreciate it long after you think they will. I had similar experience..
my kids were 6&8 and there were about eight kids in the street all the same ages. After the same round of getting permissions from parents, we went to the bottom of the street to some rough ground/overgrown scrub/trees between the housing estate and the dual carriageway (6foot high fence between us and it) and played with some old cammo cream I'd found in the loft - taught them the basics of camouflage and spent a great day in the outdoors (no more than 150 yards from home) playing hide n seek. They still mention it (15 years on) when we get yapping round a BBQ!
I like the camo thing.. givese some ideas...
Great stuff, most kids and teenagers actually crave this sort of attention but are baulked by the suspicion of a lot of adults. Treat them with respect and generally they will respond. Communities need people like you, well done