At what age (if at all) would you cycle to school?

[MovingTooFast121]

We live in a small village about 2.5 miles from school. There are no bridleways and the only route we could take involves 2 miles of B-road which whilst not busy per se, isn’t super quiet either. No footpath or cycle lane. There is lots of stables and farms around us so generally speaking I do think people are aware of the likelihood of there being cyclists/horses/cows in the road.

Imagining a) child is a competent, confident cyclist in complete control of their bike with no weaving or wobbling and b) they are cycling with an adult behind them and both are wearing helmets and high vis, with lights. At what age would you be happy for them to cycle on a ‘proper’ NSL road with some traffic?

(DCs are just turned 6 and almost 4 and not there yet but I wonder if it’s doable one day?)

I would never allow it but I’m a worrier for sure

My ds started riding on the road at 7, similar roads.

Never

Depends if you're cycling with them or not. Cycled with mine from Y3 and on own from Y7.

9 or 10 I reckon

We cycled from day one of school, so 4.

Sorry but that's probably a never from me too if there is no protected bike infrastructure. It would be a flat out no for riding on any road with a 40mph limit or higher and I'd be very uncomfortable about 30 mph too.

The roads you describe I would not cycle on as an adult - do you mean a B road as in no lighting 60mph speed limit, potential for vegetation to obscure view and standing water to collect on the carriageway? If anything like this the no no no no absolutely no not ever.

Children do not have fully developed depth perception until about age 11 so they cannot judge speed reliably until then so they should only make very straightforward road crossing decisions by themselves. (Road empty or pedestrian crossing)

We live a similar distance from the primary school my 3 DC went to, although we are in a more suburban area with a mix of road types, so it might be different. Our eldest DC cycled her own bike to school (accompanied by parent) from about Year 4. Have you considered a trailer bike? Before we felt it was safe for DC1 to cycle her own bike, we used a triplet (like a tandem but 3 seats, two being suitable for children) plus a child seat on back for youngest DC. They all cycled independently to secondary school (about 3.5 miles) from Year 9.

In the UK I’d never allow my children to cycle on the roads.

I'd do this from 8 or so.

I agree with this. I let my 7YO cycle on the road so I’m not overprotective but mostly via routes with protected bike lanes and all the roads are 20mph. Unless I’m misunderstanding what the road is like I wouldn’t cycle it myself or ever allow the kids to.

I’d allow it supervised from reception and alone from y5 or y6 here, but here it’d be lit suburban residential roads with a 20mph limit or on a separate cycle path.

National speed limit road with blind bends, gradients, no footpath, cycle lane or shoulder, absolutely not, especially not in winter. I wouldn’t do that as an adult. I see the odd man in Lycra ride those sorts of roads and I think that’s risky enough, but a child with less skill and less nerve, no way. It takes one impatient driver to do something stupid or one driver not paying absolute attention and at very best your child’s lost their cycling confidence.

Have you cycled the route yourself in rush hour and assessed what it’s like?

I am a keen cyclist and encouraged DC to cycle from 11 onwards. I did cycle with them on the route to check they were okay and then did a couple of mornings with them to check they were fine. We live in Norfolk and cycling to school is quite normal here.

I cycle it regularly and have done in rush hour so I know it very well. It’s not especially busy but obviously there is traffic. I can’t imagine we’d see more than 10 cars in the entire journey but obviously it only takes one idiot to knock you off your bike.

I do frequently cycle them so obviously am coming from a slightly different perspective. DCs are likely going to want to cycle on these roads or similar (no suburbs around here so it’s minor country lanes or slightly less minor country lanes for a couple of miles in any direction) to meet their friends, get to the bus stop etc. at some point. So for us I guess it’s more of a gradual approach to make sure they are as safe as they can possibly be.

On roads you describe, maybe the last year of primary school in preparation for them doing it alone at secondary.

I've seen way too many parents taking young and inexperienced kids on the roads and it terrifies me - they are so, so vulnerable.

Age 7ish with me, age 11+ alone

One of mine is out of catchment (2 miles from home) and cycles but he is 16yo, so can be trusted. I wouldn't allow it until secondary age tbh.