To think DS (16) saying he cycled 36mph speed on bike ride today is NOT ok?

[Feckthelotofthem]

What do other cycling parents think? Am I in the wrong? Just had massive row with DH ( and DS) who thinks it's OK for a solo teenager doing a ride out on his road bike in a rural area to reach speed of 36 mph (wearing shorts). I love him going out on his bike, great healthy exercise etc. Good for his mental health too. I cycle myself. But I told him going so fast is dangerous, not enough time to react if pothole, gravel on road etc. Obviously being a know all teen he was having none of it. I expected DH to agree and be worried re DS safety too but he went against me, said it was fine as long as he's getting out on his bike. Just don't tell his mother next time he goes so fast! I'm furious for lots of reasons.

Is there a cycle velodrome near you?

I'd suggest he wears gloves. My dad, a very experienced cyclist, always made us wear gloves to protect our hands in the event of a crash.

I'm assuming he's already wearing a helmet.

Yes, it's fast, but in a year's time he'll be able to drive a car much faster (and for much longer, that must have been a peak downhill speed). And while the car itself gives him some protection, it also makes him much heavier and more of a danger to other road users.

I do triathlons that speed is pretty normal

rather than telling him not to do it stress the importance of keeping bike maintained and helmet/clothing

Well done for OP asked advice taken it on board and held her hands up

I’m well aware, living in a village in a dip with a 30mph speed limit. But it’s such a lovely downhill for cyclists.

Although great to get into, track cycling is a slightly different set of skills and as a parent even more terrifying to watch. For the uninitiated the bikes do not have brakes or gears.

Cyclists can be done for speeding too

incorrect, they can be done for cycling furiously but unmotorised vehicles don’t have speed limits as it’s not a legal requirement to be fitted with a Speedo

what was your son’s average speed on strava? That’ll be very different from his top speed

I honestly can't believe how over protective people are! I am a 34 year old woman, very casual cyclist and I go about 25mph as a top speed down hill. A fit young lad 36mph is fine, my triathlon friends definitely do that. I've hit 100kpm on skis in the past. Yes it's mildly dangerous but life is for living. Let the poor lad enjoy himself!

A GPS watch.

No they can’t, there’s no legal requirement to have a speedo.

If he’s a keen cyclist improving his fitness and speed he’s probably thrilled with his top speed. Get him to enter some road races!

Not ok if it's a 30 limit. Or a winding country lane which might be national speed limit but there could be a car, tractor, horse or pedestrian just around the bend.

I’m a cyclist and that speed is not unusual going downhill on a road bike

A quick look on strava & I’m well passed middle age and this is my stats from a ride out,

Not ok if it's a 30 limit.

the speed limit is for motorised vehicles with mandatory speedo fitted

Yeah, I'm a massive coward but I regularly reach 30+ mph on downhills with controlled braking and relatively flat tyres - I know the local cycle club regularly reach 50mph on the same hills. As long as visibility and the road surface is good, and the bike is well maintained, it's pretty safe.

Obviously if something did happen (tyre blowout, unexpected pothole, animal jumps out), going at a faster speed increases the risk of injury. But going slower has its own potential issues (cars more willing to attempt dangerous overtakes, plus some surface flaws are more jarring at slower speeds, etc).

I’d have reacted the same OP and I have plenty of cycling experience so know the speed isn’t overly unusual on a downhill.

Road cycling is dangerous. There is no getting away from it. I know three road cyclists who have suffered life changing injuries and one will never walk again. Two out of the three did now involve any cars they both hit potholes whilst going at speed.

I think I’d be inclined to say to DS your first reaction came from one of fear and love and you know it wasn’t the best response hence you are coming back now to talk more rationally. You are impressed he’s become such a competent rider but perhaps that now means it is the time for him to be riding in a group who can for one push him with his fitness but also act as a safety check. Pelotons will point out potholes to each other and traffic is usually more respectful (whether they want to be or not!).

It also means if he were to have a crash that there are others on hand to help and sound the alarm which as a solo rider on quiet lanes is always a risk that you could lie injured for a while until discovered.

Don’t be hard on yourself. Being a mum is so hard and adding in a risky sport is terrifying trying to balance up the safety but also letting them go and try things. You sound very lovely to me and the fact you worry you have responded wrongly shows how much you care. He’s lucky to have you.

@Pedallleur ”If it goes wrong on a bike it hurts. Trust me I know. Got up to 60mph some years ago on the way to Sheffield.”

Did ye aye? 😆 Strava link or it didnae happen! if it did I’d be calling Jumbo-Visma because I think they’d be interested!

OP- best to just encourage safety and responsibility unfortunately. It’s a great sport and can be enjoyed safely without accident. Of course there are risks, but this is the case with many sports.

No indeed, but knowing what the likely conditions are when it’s a 30mph limit for motorised vehicles it’s probably a good idea for bikes not to exceed it. Bikes going through my 30mph village sometimes find it tricky to stop at the zebra crossing after the lovely downhill bit.

There will always be part of me that will never let my teenage son do anything

In my head

I would have asked him to think safety first in everything he does but your son was not doing anything wrong

Running a red light at speed on a bike sure he would have heard it from me big time

That speed is a normal road cycling speed. Yes it’s scary / carries a risk but no more scary than lots of other sports eg skiing, horse riding, mountain biking, rugby etc

I think a massive row and being furious are a really shit way to deal with this tbh. He was proud of an achievement, you could easily have used that as a starting point for protective clothing and made a real positive out of it. Instead you basically pissed on his cornflakes

36mph is fast but not excessively so. It depends on the road conditions, bike quality etc. On a clear straight road with a good surface and a decent bike bike it's ok.

My old bike started wobbling above 30mph which was disconcerting so if he wants to be riding fast check his bike can do it ok!

It's still probably a lot safer than what I see the kids doing at my local downhill mountain biking tracks!

Maybe in some forms but my experience is very different, and maybe velodrome is the wrong word. The track I have been on is outdoors, very pleasant and smooth, quite hilly, no traffic, and the bikes I have used have breaks and gears. It was a great place to cycle, and of course you can still have accidents, but much less likely, much less dangerous if you do, and first aid on site

By far the biggest dangers to him are people driving cars and those people are far less considerate these days. If he’s on a quiet road that he knows well then I wouldn’t have a problem with this. He sounds like a confident cyclist but I’d hope that he regularly checks his brake pads and the tightness of bolts for handlebars etc. And just hope he doesn’t see any videos of Tom Pidcock descending.

Bikes going through my 30mph village sometimes find it tricky to stop at the zebra crossing after the lovely downhill bit.

Don't care to rather than find it difficult to, in my experience.