Quad Biking Off Road

elektra-2007

My 8 yr old wants a Quad Bike, for his next birthday.
Ive been looking around online and cant really find any places I can take him to ride it. I have a van so i dont mind going to somewhere where its going to be safe.
I live in Derbyshire, we have trail nearby but i only see bikes, walkers and horses so im not sure we can use it there.
Ideally an unused field would be brilliant but i dont know anyone with land.
Any ideas would be brilliant

Hintza

We have one and it isn't used a hell of a lot and we have a field!

What about just taking him for a day's quad biking? At least to start might save you a few bob.

Gloomendoom

Really your only legal option is a field. Obviously, he wouldn't be able to use it on a public highway... and that includes verges, unsurfaced public roads, bridleways and footpaths.

This link does give some guidance, although it is really aimed at adult use.

10JH

Try searching for a dirt bikers forum.

Years ago I found a forum that discussed land where you bike riders met up to ride (illegaly that was). I drove over to have a look and there were loads of bikers there, as well as a few quads.

elektra-2007

Thanks for all that, i dont know any farmers with spare fields so thats out of the question, ive tried a few forums but they are reluctant to say online where they go as they have been meet by police before and had there bikes confisacted!
I was hoping there would be special tracks for kids ect, maybe il have to rethink the idea!

Mankysteve

I would go with Hintza suggestion. It would be waste of money to buy one as he could only use it on private land and your struggling to find somewhere.

boyse7en

Go and talk to a quad or dirt-bike dealer in your area. It is in their interest to know where people can ride.

Derbyshire Quads are based in Ashbourne, they may be able to help.

Coveredinbees!!!!

Lots of off road bike riders do it illegally, there are disused pits near us and our peace is often ruined at weekends, not by the dirt bikes but by the poxy police helicopter circling over head.

Strider590

My ex's boy wanted a Quadbike at that age too.... Went to a fairground one day and he tried a child sized one, he drove around painfully slowly because they're top heavy and don't corner too well (tip over), it scared the pants off him and he never wanted one again

Im all for giving kids a chance at something that could turn into a real hobby, (I could have been a pro mountain biker if not for my parents being unable to see the value of a proper decent bike) but often it's just a fad.

LandyAndy

Strider590 wrote: »

My ex's boy wanted a Quadbike at that age too.... Went to a fairground one day and he tried a child sized one, he drove around painfully slowly because they're top heavy and don't corner too well (tip over), it scared the pants off him and he never wanted one again

Im all for giving kids a chance at something that could turn into a real hobby, (I could have been a pro mountain biker if not for my parents being unable to see the value of a proper decent bike) but often it's just a fad.

Personally I feel 8 is quite a bit too young to put a child on a potentially unstable motorised vehicle in an unregulated environment.

The contrast with, say, karting couldn't be more clear.

Strider590

Imo, mainly two type's of people buy quad-bikes.... Farmers/landowners or chavs.

The former use them for legit reasons, the later go tearing up and down residential streets or the local canals causing damage that British Waterways don't have the funding to repair

There are of course those who compete and those who use them as cheap road transportation, but these are relatively few and far between.

Owning one is a risky business, because as soon as people know where it's kept you'll be a target for small time criminals.

Next he'll be asking for an air rifle or BB gun....