# Cycling with youngsters ?



## Linford (9 Jul 2012)

When my kids were younger (10-14 ish), and I took them out with me on the bikes, I'd always have them leading so I could shield them to a degree from the traffic, and also call out directions etc.

I saw this chap yesterday with hsi son in tow (about 10 ish). The lad looked really nervous, and the father was just a bit gung ho with the kid furiously pedalling to keep up. It did makeme feel a bit uneasy as they were attempting to negotiate one of the busiest roundabouts in my town

When out with yours, what do/did you do ?


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## Andy_R (9 Jul 2012)

Always ride behind. That way, as you say, you can shield them to some degree, also you can see them all the time.


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## Ian Cooper (9 Jul 2012)

I'm currently teaching my 9 year-old daughter to ride her own bike on the road. I too, keep her in front of me, so I can see what she's doing, to call out directions, to make sure she's in the correct position in the lane, and to shield her in case she has a wide wobble. In my opinion, as a person who has passed the US League Certified Instructor exam and received training as a cycling instructor, keeping the kid in front is best practice.

I always have her scan for threats, assess the risk and decide when it's safe to cross an intersection or negotiate a difficult situation. The student must make these kinds of decisions for himself/herself. Many parents teaching their kids to ride do not give the kid this responsibility, which is (I believe) the single most essential skill for the student cyclist to develop. Of course, when doing this, the instructor must place himself in a position so that any order to wait/stop can be clearly heard by the student.

I disagree with the widely-held notion that cycling in the road is dangerous, so when I'm shielding her, it's from her mistakes, and not for fear of traffic. I think traffic only becomes a real danger if we cycle in ways that increase the risk. If we ride with the proper lane positioning, respect all traffic laws and signs, and if we take other common-sense precautions, I believe we can make ourselves more confident, visible and predictable and reduce any traffic threats virtually to zero. This is the case at age 8 or age 80. Any properly trained cyclist, from around age 10 or 11 on (after they have developed the ability to understand threats and correctly assess them), should be able to negotiate even the busiest roads.


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## Boris Bajic (9 Jul 2012)

Mine are now 18, 16 and 13... so it was a while ago.

Once they were ready for the road (at seven) I rode behind them and slightly to the offside (but not primary), to shield them. It seemed to be the way they were happiest and it gave me a chance to shepherd them along.

All of them rode solo in our town from eleven and solo on the NSL A-Roads from about 12 or 14. Unfortunately, one of the key issues is experience - and this takes time. There will always be a risk when a 13yo child is riding alone on single carriageways alongside 38-tonne artics doing 50mph. I think the benefits outweigh the risks. Do not ask me to repeat that judgement if one of my children is hurt or killed in that situation. In my limited experience, tragedy can alter one's thinking.

I thought it important that they rode safely, that they were aware and that they enjoyed it. I disagree with those who say that riding on the road isn't dangerous for children. In my experience it can be - and the factor determining whether it is or not is not always in the hands of the rider.

Each to their own. I've never been trained as an instructor. In some (but not all) cases these _Certificates of Training Fantastitude_ can be wheeled out and used as proof of every box-of-frogs opinion the author wants to tout. I prefer to hand on any clever things I hear and to teach by example.

I agree broadly with IC above, although experience of UK roads suggests that the reduction of traffic threats (or risk) to almost zero is a mathematical impossibility.

Two of my three children have had spectacular unplanned dismounts at speed. All are still alive as I typre this and all are keen cyclists. I think they are all pretty good on the road, but I do not kid myself that they have reduced any 'traffic threats' to almost zero. Children are children.

As they grow older, you can fool around with position. On longer rides, 13yo still prefers to lead. 16yo prefers to switch every couple of miles.


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## MrJamie (9 Jul 2012)

When i cycle with my nephew i normally ride just behind him, so I can see what hes doing and warn him not to cut people up, slow down near kids/dogs etc. Up until recently on his old bike he would moan constantly and cycle around 6mph so sometimes Id run with him rather than cycle, but I took him out on his new bike to get used to the gears and hes averaging 10+mph already. It would make things a lot more enjoyable for me, except im twice as terrified by watching him cycle faster and with no more sense. 

We dont really do roads at all yet, because theres cyclepath alternatives everywhere and hes very scared of being in the road, he seems to be saying school told them to use the cyclepaths and walk your bike accross roads looking both ways. I can kinda see their point, lots of traffic around the school and kids shoot accross between parked cars etc. Im expecting us to use a few more streets and more distance as hes a lot stronger cyclist on his new bike


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## Butterfly (9 Jul 2012)

I always ride behind. I need to know what they are doing. They can set the speed and they aren't following me into traffic. I need to see what hazards are there for them, not just me.


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## mickle (9 Jul 2012)

My missus would disagree with all of ya!


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## Ian Cooper (9 Jul 2012)

mickle said:


> My missus would disagree with all of ya!


 
Women have been known to be wrong on occasion.

But maybe I'm not fully appreciating your missus's intentions regarding the kid. If one wants to get rid of a kid, having it ride behind the adults is the best practice. It also gives plausible deniability in case the police start asking uncomfortable questions after the kid's unfortunate demise.

Seriously though, how would a kid ever learn how to assess potential threats at a junction, if he was always behind the adult? Too many kids, on leaving home and going off to college, still have no idea how to ride their bikes safely. I truly believe this is a big reason why so many college students are killed while cycling by motorists at intersections.


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## Nihal (9 Jul 2012)

Hmmm..lonely,lonely.................less companinons............less dependance


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## Pat "5mph" (9 Jul 2012)

mickle said:


> My missus would disagree with all of ya!


Explain? Please?


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## marzjennings (9 Jul 2012)

On the road I usually follow my 8 year old daughter, blocking following traffic and keeping an eye on her. Usually I'm in primary and I get her to ride in secondary, which gives her a little wiggle/wobble room.

On the bike paths, it's 50/50 as I don't have to worry about cars, but I do have to watch out for on-coming speeding cyclists.

On the dirt I often lead to make sure I know what's coming up and hopefully give a could example of how to get over and around obstacles.


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## Sandra6 (10 Jul 2012)

When I take the girls out on their bikes there's usually three of them, so I have the two youngest in front and the older one behind me. We only have a couple of short stretches of road before we hit cycle path though. 
I went out with my son - who is 18 - for the first time on roads, we had to get to a hospital appointment, and I set off in front assuming he could keep up! We came home with me behind him! 
When I cycle with my husband he always puts me in front so he can keep an eye on me, apart from at roundabouts .


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## ufkacbln (10 Jul 2012)

Ian Cooper said:


> Seriously though, how would a kid ever learn how to assess potential threats at a junction, if he was always behind the adult? Too many kids, on leaving home and going off to college, still have no idea how to ride their bikes safely. I truly believe this is a big reason why so many college students are killed while cycling by motorists at intersections.


 

Very easily!

Trailer bikes are an underused resource, and kids willl very quickly learn from the adult, increasing their input and confidence.

Discussing when to signal, noting hazards,best way to negotiate a junction and all the other minutae are possible with a trailer bike


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## Sandra6 (10 Jul 2012)

I would agree, they learn through watching the adult, then as they get older and cycle alone, learn through experience. 
I suppose it depends on what age your child is and when you let them go off alone.


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## Ian Cooper (10 Jul 2012)

Cunobelin said:


> Discussing when to signal, noting hazards,best way to negotiate a junction and all the other minutae are possible with a trailer bike


 
My daughter has been riding with me on a trailer bike for the past 5 years and we just moved to separate bikes. On the trailer bike, she was never far enough forward to have full visibility at junctions, so she was never in a position to determine the full range of hazards, nor could she ever tell me when it was safe to proceed. Discussion is all well and good, but practical application is key, and you cannot get that on the back of a trailer bike.


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## sidevalve (10 Jul 2012)

I must question what does Ian cooper mean by "I disagree with the widely held notion that cycling on the road is dangerous". It CAN be, and IS very dangerous, as he himself seems to point out later in the same post, if it wern't we could all just ride around with our eyes shut and no harm done. The skill is to obtain the knowledge and ability to reduce the danger to an acceptable level. To assume a lack of danger is to assume safety, a very dangerous thing and not something to pass on to a pupil.


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## summerdays (10 Jul 2012)

I generally ride behind but sometimes to the side and occasionally in front. In front can be useful in certain situations either to demonstrate or protect from on-coming traffic. I most often cycle to the side on the school road when it is too narrow to pass each other and occasionally get drivers pointing to the pavement suggesting that is where we should be (and sometimes that is where some cars go to pass each other!!!).

I think children progress at different rates and that even with the same experience within the family, their judgement and skill can vary a great deal. However the more experience they get - generally they get better.


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## Sandra6 (13 Jul 2012)

I tried cycling in front yesterday evening when out with two of my girls - 7 and 10. We only had two roads to negotiate before the cycle path, 10 year old got confused on the first junction (no traffic) and took herself on to the pavement. Then 7 year old was having a fight with her helmet and let out an almighty squeal as she wobbled all over the place - if they'd been in front of me I could have predicted what was coming next and coached them better. "Put your hands bike on the handle bars!!!" would've been a start.


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## defy-one (13 Jul 2012)

My sons 16 now and i still keep him infront of me when we ride. Paternal instinct kicks in and i ride a little further out so he gets no close passes


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## Andy_R (13 Jul 2012)

sidevalve said:


> It CAN be, and IS very dangerous,


I'd have to challenge the second part of that statement. Yes it can be dangerous, cycling on the road. But if done properly, then it isn't. If it was very dangerous, do you think we'd be allowed to do it in this day and age (nanny state etc.)


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## biggs682 (13 Jul 2012)

brought a tandem easier for all involved


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