To let 6/7 year old cycle on the road?

[HelloMorning]

With me directly behind on my bike? 2 miles on village / small town roads ...?

Depends how competent you both are.

As long as they can cycle in a straight line and will stop immediately if told to you should be fine. I've done it, but if you want to I would cycle on paths for a while and make sure your son/daughter learns to stop on demand. It is too young to be able to read what other road users are doing.

Depends on bike handling skills, ability to listen to instructions, how visible they’ll be to cars. I let my DS6 on small non busy roads in London, but anything with frequent traffic we are on the pavement. If you are worried ride two abreast with him inside, as cars are more likely to see you than your child and should slow down until it’s safe to pass. On small roads it should be easy to pull in safely and let cars pass so you don’t hold up traffic.

I wouldn't.

Nope never. There are no quiet roads here and even the lanes are populated by lunatics who don't observe safe practices.

Nope nope nopety nope.

When cycling with small children it is much safer to have them in front of you, not behind.
In this way you can communicate with them without having to take your eyes off the road, you can speed ahead if necessary and can pull out if you feel you need to protect them. An adult is often more visible than a small child.

If your child is a competent cycler there is no reason why you shouldn´t cycle on a quiet road, as long as you can see them at all times.

I very rarely let my 6 yo DD ride on the roads on the way to school / park. Only if it's a quiet road and there aren't too many parked cars on it. I was abused by a man in his 50s recently because we were riding on the footpath together so I've started to encourage her to do it where it is safe, which isn't much in the bit of inner London we are. I do try to ride on the road beside her as well but it's really tricky to keep an eye on her with the parked cars so I'm often on the pavement too which I really wish I didn't have to do. I wish they would make cycle lanes - I ride with my younger daughter on the back and cars pass within inches of us.

If the roads are really quiet and the child is a competent cyclist, then yes.
If the road is busy and child still has stabilisers or is wobbly, then no way.

Happens frequently in my area of London however most children that young go out with two parents/adults - with one infront and the other at the back - so vehicle drivers can clearly see them. Once the kid is older/larger they go out with one parent though often the kid is the better cyclist.

Meant to say if you are going single file, like PP suggests above, make sure child is in front. Children cannot predict danger such as car doors opening, junctions, pedestrians crossing without looking... they just don’t have the skills. I’m watching my son and scanning the road and shouting instructions! My DS has cycled to school since the age of 3 and he’s getting better at noticing danger but still has gasped in concentration where he’s looking at something and steering goes off kilter. You need to be able to see your child and the road at all times.

Lapses not gasped

I think it’s too young , he wouldn’t have control of the bike.

We do, I don't like it but have to to get to the more off road paths. She's going to have to cycle to school alone, down a busy main road in 5 years.

I do this all the time, but dd is a very competent and confident cyclist (wins races etc, goes to coaching etc). Age is nearly 7.

I live on a quiet housing estate and allow it off the "main" roads on quieter cul de sacs. What does concern me around here is that because it is very quiet, there are too many twats who assume that they are the only one on the roads and get unpleasant surprises when they find that they actually have to share a public space