to let DC cycle to secondary school

[catweasel44]

It's over 3 miles away. We've done the route and some of it is on a fairly busy road (in rush hour) but there is a cycle path/shared pavement and he can cut a lot of it out by cutting through the park and along a back footpath.

I think he will be fine, he needs the exertion and it will be good for him. However a couple of friends have done that wincey/gritted teeth thing when I've mentioned it as if it's terribly irresponsible.

I had that to school. I was so fit. I miss those. Days. There was amazing bakery on route back. Best thing i did... i had two vvvv busy roads to cross ans one terrible one to ride along but rest within 1970/1980s housing including that bakery

Doomsters or realists?

Doomsters.

A matter of opinion. But the OP asked it they were BU and got a variety of answers and suggestions so it's all good.

I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying why I would be the wincing friend. My 12 year old is lovely but I don't think he can judge speed/angles/risk etc reliably enough. As an adult cyclist I have regular near miss moments. There are lots of bad drivers out there however good a cyclist you are.

I cycle to work and back every day - winter, summer, rain or shine. I cycle 4 and a half miles each way and I work in a corporate environment and have to look smart.

You can keep yourself dry with a decent raincoat - I use waterproof trousers every now and again if it really downpours. I wear mesh trainers which I don't mind getting wet because they dry really quickly.

One trick I have learned over the years (17 years in November) is to just put a small polythene bag inside my helmet when it tips down to stop my hair getting wet - sort of like a liner - but a hood on my waterproof jacket does just as well.

Panniers of a rack on the back for his books/blazer etc and keep waterproofs/bike lock in there...

.... oh and invest in some puncture proof tyres - in 17 years I have had about 6/7 punctures in all.

I used to cycle to school and back too - so a seasoned cyclist I reckon.

If you are worried about his road sense go with him the first few times to just check?

My kids walk to school. It's about a mile but takes 20 to 25 minutes with faffing time, the same sort of time as it would take your son to cycle. They, and hundreds of other kids, get soaked on rainy days and gradually dry off in the classroom, just in time to get soaked again on the way home.
I can report that generations of young people have survived this regular drenching.
Sometimes there is a little bit of damp in the backpack but never yet running water or significant damage to books.

As long as he realises that pedestrians have priority, even on a cycle path

Pedestrians shouldn't be on a cycle path, let alone have priority. On a shared path they have priority though.

My daughter cycles two miles each way to school, in London, but most of her route is through the park and along a shared cycle way/pavement. Although the bus goes from just around the corner, she's never taken it. When the weather's been really foul she's walked, (I think I've driven her twice, once when it was a really stormy gale and she didn't have time to walk, and once when she was recovering from illness.)

To all those saying how much stuff they have to carry, it's far easier to stick it in a pannier and let the bike take the strain than lugging it all around in person. DD2 starts in September and I really hope she chooses to cycle too.

Pedestrians shouldn't be on a cycle path, let alone have priority. On a shared path they have priority though.

Make sure he has a bell on his bike as half witted pedestrians will wander into cyclepaths, the worst being dog walkers who have their hounds on extendable leads. I know a teenage boy will probably baulk at having a bell, but something like the Knogg oi doesn't look too naff.

Yeah definitely make sure he has a bell.

He'll be fine. Trust him.

Most of the high school children here either walk or cycle to school no matter the weather and carry their school gear with no problems, one school is 2 miles and the other about 2.5 miles. The only time I've seen more than a few on the bus is when it's snowing and slippery.

Your ds won't get any wetter on a 20 bike ride than my dcs do on our 30 minute walk to school which we do no matter what the weather as there's no other way to get to school.

Decent waterproofs will keep 99.9 % of the rain put. My dc's have been hiking in torrential rain in their waterproofs and were almost completely dry. A decent pair of waterproofs and a change of shoes and he'll be fine.

Bell has been purchased.

He's been accepted for a bus pass so we're going to keep that on standby for the first week and return it if he's happy to cycle.