Pre teens cycling and my own fears!

[TickingKey46]

11 and 12 year old children, both done bikabilty at school. My 11 year old loves cycling and would love to cycle to secondary school when he starts in September, 12 year old less bothered.
But I'm terrified to allow them on the roads, my own father was killed while cycling and this has obviously had an effect on me. But I also don't feel it's fair to hold them back.
I'm fully aware it's my fears and I shouldn't project them onto my kids, but it's hard not to. Anyone got any advice or been in the same situation?
I'm their only parent so it's not as if they have anyone else who can take them out and about on their bikes. I'm also not a confident cyclist (unsurprisingly)

Is there a route that they could be mostly on cycle paths, even if this takes them a bit longer? I didn't allow my DC to cycle until year 9, because the roads around us are so busy in the mornings and evenings.

Thank you for your reply.
No not really, not that we live in a city more of a town.

I wouldn’t let mine tbh unless it was a very safe quiet route.

There’s also the fact that come secondary they may be carrying a lot of stuff - laptop, sports kit, instrument maybe - how does that work on a bike.

What is their alternative way to school?

Schools about 15 min walk away, so not far.
O yes I hadn't thought about the extra things they will carry.

Can you or their other oarent cycle the route at 8am and 3pm (or a more accurate school time for your area) and see what the traffic like?

Just me no other parent. I know it's pretty busy as I walk to work those times.

The carrying issue can be solved with some decent panniers, unless they take up playing the double bass or tuba…
I understand your worry about safety though; I cycled with my youngest for during her last few years of primary as the school was on my way to work, but I wouldn’t have been happy for her to do it alone because of the large number of distracted, careless motorists. Does your town have LTNs or “school streets” which are closed to traffic during school opening and closing times?

I think it's outrageous that the perception of our towns is that it's not safe for secondary age children to cycle places. I know that's not helpful, but if you want to do something practical, does your town have a cycle campaign group? Ours does and it's very active on the safer routes to school type work.

We're a cycling family. Would not have let my kids of that age cycle unaccompanied to school. The roads are too hectic at rush hour.

I think it's ok to say no until they are older.

It's also natural to be affected by your past experiences

Its not a perception is it? Its the reality.

We tend to cycle on cycle paths, shared paths, old railway tracks

This weekend we went somewhere with some nice routes, some of which was on 'quiet roads'.

Drivers are arseholes. Not me, I tend to stay well back and only overtake a cyclist when I have the space I would have overtaking a car.

But not most drivers, they're not like me

Swerving in quite quickly, driving fast on residential streets

The quiet roads had very steep cambers so I had to keep to the middle of my lane, I couldnt come over. The edge of the lane was rutted, broken tarmac, horrible drain covers, you could catch a wheel in the gaps if you werent careful

Some of our route was within a holiday camp/static home village and the roads approaching that, it was like the M25

Then there is the edge of 'quiet country lanes', cars bombing along because they're 60mph, but the edge of the tarmac is a massive dip, its been relaid so many times its now really high from the ground below it, if you were to go over that, you'd fall off your bike.

None of this is relaxing or enjoyable or safe. And thats without the bloody cars around you.

Sorry OP not helpful. I admire seeing people commuting on a bike but I wouldnt do it. Not without proper separated cycle lanes, not shared paths where there isnt room for pedestrians and cyclists and again the tarmac and surface is often rutted and pitted meaning theres a risk you fly off into the road.

I wouldn't allow mine to cycle on the roads. Pretty much everyone I know who cycles regularly has been knocked off their bike at some point. The roads are too busy for cyclists nowadays.

My daughter has bike ability coming up so I cycled with her to school with my younger daughter on my bike. We cycled on residential streets. 9 out of 10 drivers passed us fast with inches to spare only to have stop at a queue or junction just a little further on. It was often terrifying. I did see the secondary school students cycle in large packs though and if you join the back you're quite safe! This experience made me quite aire she won't be cycling the roads alone for a whole. It is just so unfair that car drivers can scare cyclists especially kids going to school off the roads.

Thank you everyone, it's hard to know if my fear is rational or not, due to what happened to my dad! It's also hard as I haven't got another parent to ask/balance out my school of thought.
We live in a town so not busy like cities and other more congested places. But in all reality I just don't want my child cycling on the road.