Young children and bikes on the road, can I have opinions and experiences please?

[OverMyDeadBody]

Am just wondering if I'm doing the right thing here and what other people would do. My DS is nearly 5, he's been riding a bike for almost a year now and is good, doesn't wobble, can signal etc.

We live in bike city, everyone cycles.

We don't have a car and I cycle everywhere, so what I've been doing to get places with DS is I cycle on the road and he cycles on the pavement besides me. Obviously I don't go very fast to stay with him, and when we have to turn right he comes down on the road with me and follows besides me, he also does this when we meet a junction with a road on the left, so that he has right of way. I figured this is safer than him trying to cross the road like a pedestrian.

Am I mad? Should I get a trailer bike and pull him along behind me instead?

And at what age do you think they can cycle in the road like a regular cyclist? (with adult of course!) I'd say most of the kids cycling on the road around here are at least 7, but I see younger kids on the triler bikes, so it's no different to that safelty wise is it?

anyone?

Horrible dilemna. Writing as a dad of an 8 year old, a car driver and a regular bikist.

I would never let dd ride her bike on a public road until she is something like 12-13 when her size will demand the attention of car users. I trust her implicitly, and her sense and good judgement. I don't trust car drivers, and as a biker to work 3 days out of 5 days per week, I get situations where "cagers" act like tossers and disregard my safety like my life doesn't count compared to thier "need" to get to work 30 ssecs earlier than otherwise.

No, for me 12-13-14 years old, and then still witn A LOT of worry.

We cycle with our dds on roads, since they were about 4 or 5. But it really depends which roads. Generally we encourage them to go on the pavement and us on the road if that's feasible. or if it's a quietish road and no pavement (which happens a lot round here, we have rural one-track roads) then we'll let them cycle on the road but we'll be behind and further out than them - sort of shielding them from any wobbles.

also the regular routes we've done with them, they've got very good at knowing exactly where to stop, start, cross a road. So that makes them safer than on a new route where they might panic.

We have a trailgator too (a trailer-bike thing) which we will use on busier roads.

Thansk for your opinions.

Yep Pan my biggest worry is the idiotic car drivers who completely disregard cyclists. Because so many people cycle here though there are a lot of cycle paths, which make me feel a bit safer.

I think I'll be sticking with DS staying on the pavement for the time being. He does wear a luminous yellow vest for visability.

I think that a 5 year old is capable of learning and acquiring good road sense. The issue is of course the drivers and also your child's size, it may be harder for them to see him, especially if they're in some big 4 x 4.

It's a difficult one
Being on the pavement risks being knocked down by cars coming out of drives
I only have little ones but I don't think I'd want them on the road until 11 minimum

I grew up in a bike city. Alas everyone cycling didn't make it any safer

I live in a sleepy, low-traffic rural market town. Our experience is similar to OP and Fennel. HOWEVER, it depends on the child, too. DS1 was reliable to cycle on the road with us always in front of us, always always from 5yo. DD is 6yo and I still don't trust her to stay to the side, listen for instructions, etc., without a lot of reminders.

Now DS is 8yo and I'd let him go on any reasonably quiet road, or even to cycle behind me where I can't keep a constant eye on him. But I don't expect to DD to be as reliable when she's 8.

And as quiet as our route to school is, I don't really want DC to cycle to school alone until after they have done Yr5 cycle proficiency exams, when they'll be 10.5yo. But you do see yr4 children around here who are cycling to/from school on their own -- mostly on the pavement, which I think is still illegal, despite their age.

I don't allow my 7 year old to cycle on the road .. and he's been cycling competently for years .. and I cycle on the pavement behind him

he knows to pull over for pedestrians, to dismount to cross roads

we live in London

may I recommend a trailgator if you're thinking of a tagalong .. because you can attach / detach easily (once it's fixed to bike of course)

dd2 was 7 (and only just!) before she cycled with H and dd1 to school.

I'm concerned that H's plan is to allow them to cycle to school together in the summer. They're 8 and 9. I wouldn't want them walking to school now, let alone cycling. We live on a busy main road, btw.

[http://www.bikecare.co.uk/trail_gator/googleoffer.html trailgator]]

Twig, I cut and copied that but I still can't get it.

www.bikecare.co.uk/trail_gator/googleoffer.html

Both mine have been cycling back & fore to school etc since oldest was in YrR , they are 7 & 5. However I am reluctnat to put them on the road at the moment , not becuase of their lack of road sense (they are very good ) but of others lack of road sense.

They cycle on the pavement , wear high vis jackets and are told to ring their bells when approaching pedistrains and give way to pedistrians.

they have been knocked off their bikes when some idiot was reversing INTO their driveway !

CUP, that's my worry, too. I see people on our road who have quite obviously just come off the dual carriageway, and quite obviously do nothing about reducing their speed.

I'll look into the trail gator, it's a lot more affordable than I thought it would be!

As competent as my DS is, it's mostly the car drivers I worry about! When he is on the road with me he is always in front too, and only on routes he knows well, BUT no matter how competent he is he's only four and not aware of the safety risks the way an adult is.

The route to school is luckily along a quiet road that is very wide, and no drives to worry about, just lots of other cyclists!

Now to try and persuade DS that the trail gater is a good idea I fear he will view it as a restriction on his freedom!