Guide to Baltimore Family Biking

We’re working on a guide to family biking in Baltimore with a few of our favorite routes and where you can test-ride and purchase things like bike seats, trailers and cargo bikes. Of course, you can buy bikes, seats and more online but we always like supporting our local bike shops. Nearly every local shop carries at least a few options for trailers and rear-mounted seats so this guide is more focused on harder to find items. Any suggestions? Let us know.

Where do I start?

There are a number of helpful resources to help you learn more about biking with children. Here are a few of our favorites.

• Totcycle – Family Biking Ages & Stages Guide - a general overview of all the options for everyone from infants to pre-schoolers and kids on their own bikes.
• Hum of the city – Cargo bike pocket reviews - a thorough list of popular cargo bike options including reviews for many brands available in the DC-Baltimore area.
• San Francisco Bike Coalition – Family Biking Guide (PDF) -  a “how-to manual for all stages of family biking.”
• Two Wheeling Tots – helpful reviews and comparisons of child helmets, balance bikes, trailers, trail-a-bikes and bike seats.

Where can I find a bike seat or trailer?

• Baltimore Bicycle Works and Light Street Cycles both now stock iBert seats.
• REI Timonium and REI Columbia both carry Yepp bike seats.
• Race Pace Bicycles carries Burley trailers and accessories in all stores, and we stock Croozer brand trailer/jogger/stroller all-in-one (at their Baltimore location). They also stock the the Topeak rear mount baby seat and the iBert Safety Seat.

Where can I find a balance bike?

• Race Pace Bicycles carries the Strider and is a Kinderbike dealer (but do not keep many in stock).
• Light Street Cycles carries the Strider.

Where can I find a cargo bike?

• Baltimore Bicycle Works carries three cargo bikes: the Yuba Mundo, the Civia Halsted and the Yuba Boda Boda.
• Joe’s Bike Shop carries the Trek Transport.
• Race Pace Bicycles carries the Trek Transport and the Kona Ute.
• The Daily Rider in Washington, DC and Mt. Airy Bicycles both offer the Larry v. Harry Bullitt “long-john” style cargo bikes (although I don’t know if they are always available for a test ride).

What other family-friendly bike rides or trails can I find in Baltimore?

• Don’t have a bike of your own? Check out Ride Around the Reservoir in Druid Hill Park! Sponsored by Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, this ride offers bikes and helmets for all ages and sizes and BCRP employees are available to help teach beginners. A $5 donation is suggested to help maintain equipment and photo ID required to borrow equipment. Rides are every Wednesday from 4:30pm to 7:30pm at Druid Hill Reservoir across from the basketball courts.
• Looking for something for older kids? Old Line Velo organizes regular group rides including weekday evening rides for “Novice” road and mountain bikers. These rides may not be best for riders with small children but may be a great opportunity to bike with teens.
• Can’t get enough family rides? Take a look at Kidical Mass DC or find more family rides across the country on the Kidical Mass website.
• Want to get away from cars for a while? Baltimore Spokes has a helpful collection of local bike trail maps and Welcome to Baltimore, Hon! highlights a few of the most popular options including the Baltimore and Annapolis, Gwynns Falls and Northern Central Railroad Trail.