Make 9 year old learn to ride a bike?

I learned as a child but haven’t been on one for 45 years.

But then I can’t drive or swim so I’m probably quite shocking to MN.

I work in a city and the issue is the cyclists and motorists loathe each other so the cyclists (including those food deliveries) tend to ride on the pavements

So while it’s safer for the cyclists, they don’t give any consideration to pedestrians, coming up from behind with no warning, missing people by a tiny amount etc. The teen lads like to ride in the middle of the pavement and expect you to move out of their way. (I generally stand my ground though and they have to stop)

And there are Loads where it IS a viable option and parents still transport their little darlings around

So you expect a group of kids to not do stuff because of one unable to ride a bike Dream on

Well that tells us more about the importance of choosing nice friends than it does about riding a bike.

I'm in my 70s, own my house, have savings, married, 4 children all doing well, good career , six figure salary when I retired. Not sure how I managed without the essential skill of riding a bike.

If he's not motivated, would he like a couple of days off school? If his school offers bikeability, there might be a couple of days in Y5 / 6 when some / most / all of his friends and the rest of the class go and ride their bikes for a couple of days, and he doesn't.

For many people, even adults, it doesn't take that long to get the basics of cycling (balance, pedal, steer, brake) if taught well.

Cycling is a really good life skill to have. It's not essential, but it is enabling. e.g. my young teen can make whatever arrangements to visit friends and relatives in nearby towns and villages surrounding us that they want to, as they aren't dependent on us to drive them there and back. They've got their independence in a way they wouldn't otherwise be able to have. It's also heck of a lot cheaper and much less hassle for us parents than having to drive them around, and in a few years' time when they'll likely be looking for part time jobs, it massively increases their search radius.

I even wonder if some parents are reluctant to teach their kids to ride a bike because they know that there aren't safe cycling routes near them and are worried about their kids cycling unsupervised on roads when older. I know it's something I'd be very worried about.

Exactly! There is no safe way to leave my village via bike, and a large part of the village is on a hill, so again not the best place for cycling. While DD can cycle, and has done Bikeability, it’s not a large part of our lives because we have to put the bikes on the car and drive before we can get somewhere suitable. Or have a scary ride out of the village.

I never understand this statement and see it a lot on here. There are loads of places and situations where cycling isn’t a viable option. No need to judge!

Yes I've never understood parents driving teens about rather than them cycling

I think it’s an important skill and I’d feel like I’d failed my child if they couldn’t ride a bike tbh.

For me, it’s a bigger deal if my bike is out of action, than if my car is out of action. For that reason, we have six in the garage.

It’s a life skill. It’s clearly not essential as many people like me don’t possess it yet lead perfectly normal lives. My life would also continue to be normal if I had to stop driving, it would just be slightly less convenient.

Totally flabbergasted at firstly a child can get to the age of 9 and not ride a bike and secondly people don't think it is an essential skill. It sure is. Bet lots of people who don't think it is essential actually think a driving licence is essential. I'm beyond comprehension I really am.
Both mine did it aged 3 and use their bike daily to see friends, go to school etc. Yes I admit not in the UK but still this doesn't sit right with me.

It’s essential here, for commuting, getting to the pub. I’ve even arrived at posh events by bike - me in my best frock and DH in his DJ. I just need a clothes peg to stop my dress getting caught in the back wheel. It was a great way for the DC as teens to get around. No need for lifts from parents. Definitely worth the effort to teach him to ride a bike.

It’s not generational. I’m in my 70s, my husband is 80, and we and all our friends can ride a bike. A couple choose not to as they’ve never enjoyed it.

I’ve cycled all my life, and there have been times when it’s made a massive difference to jobs I could take, or hours I could work, but it’s not essential. I wouldn’t have died without it, just been inconvenienced and/or poorer. It’s definitely a useful skill , and I’d push any kid to learn.

I do I think it’s a life skill. I spent a random year in a Dutch university as an Erasmus student and there was one British girl who didn’t know how to ride it was really limiting for her.

Lots of times as an adult I’ve ended up on a bike ( I’m not an enthusiast) it’s easier to supervise bigger kids on bikes from a bike iyswim

I realised this is old, but I hope you see this.

Riding a bike is a life skill akin to swimming, and it gets harder to learn the older you get. Your child will definitely regret not learning to ride if they don’t learn.

Neither of my (now grown) children can ride bikes. They weren’t especially interested, one even had a brand new bike bought for him once. We don’t ride bikes as parents either (though I can). It’s certainly not considered an essential life skill in this family. Unlike swimming. Both my kids swam like fishes from an early age, because I do consider that essential.

Ahh, but if they are too young to assess the danger they won't be out without adult supervision and as most kids these days aren't out playing at younger ages the dangers are reduced.

Yes definitely get the bike. We lived in flats in built up areas for years and so I didn't get my DS a bike. But when he was ten I just thought he has to know how to ride a bike in life. So I got him one, no training wheels and he fell a few times but he mastered it in one afternoon

It’s a useful skill. And once you learn, you really don’t forget. I used a bike everywhere when I lived in Cambridge. I’d quite often pop up to London with it, so I could cycle from Kingscross to numerous places. I didn’t ride a bike much as a child as we lived in a very unfriendly biking part of the world, but every holiday we’d rent bikes and go for long early morning rides, picnic breakfasts and then hangout by the beach or river all day, before heading back to our accommodation. I’ve carried on that tradition and every summer holiday we rent bikes wherever we are staying. We’ve found some absolutely stunning near deserted beaches by having bikes (too far to walk, not on the public transport route). A bike can give you a huge amount of freedom.
plenty of second hand bikes. We got a couple off freecycle when the kids were young.

I don’t think it’s an essential skill as clearly many people manage without but I do think it’s a skill worth learning if possible.

My DC have both really struggled to learn (still not great at all) and we live in a city centre so it’s a faff getting somewhere appropriate to practice but we’ve always made sure they’ve had the right size bikes and kept encouraging them.

I think it’s good to put in the effort if possible.

Local councils often offer Bikeability courses
The child has to be able to ride.
Bikeability is about getting children( and in some cases adults )to ride safely on roads, teaching them how to ride in traffic, deal with junctions sto do controlled and sudden stops etc.

Some councils may do 'Learn to Ride ' sessions though

Local councils often offer Bikeability courses