City riding with kids on own bike.

[Sara_H]

So I've started trying to get my 9 year old son more used to riding TO places (as opposed to putting bike in car, driving somewhere, riding bike, driving home).

This is bourne of necessity really, my car was written off in an accident in december. bikes are now my main form of transport. Also I'm too mean to pay the £5.80 it costs to make a return trip to the city centre for me and my son (a trip of about five3 miles each way!).

I've been to city centre today with my son, I have to say it was SOOOOO stressfull.

He has no road sense (why would he?), and we both ended up riding on the pavement for large part of the journey Luckily, its a long a stretch of busy main road with deserted pavements, so I didn't upset anyone.

On the busy bits I can't even cycle on the road as I can't concentrate on keeping him safe and sensible on the pavement and me safe on the road.

Its really frustrating. I think as an adult driver, the rules of the road become instinctive, you forget that its ll alien to children. I've been trying to teach him little bits, but I feel so unsafe with him out on the road - my hearts in my mouth at some of the things that have happened when we're out and about.

There aren't really any decent off road tracks we can use, though there is a little BMX track half way along that we can stop at for a bit of light relief.

Part of the problem is that at the minute he's having a phase where he challenges everything I say. So me saying "keep left, theres a car coming towards you" is an invitaton for him to swerve round and start bickering with me in the middle of a road! Even when he's not giving me lip, he's busy blethering about Lionel Messi, His friends new DS game, Is jesus vunerable to kryptonite, why won't I let him have a new football etc - he just won't concentrate.

Help! Top tips? Advise?

I know the only way forward is to just get on with it and he'll learn through experince. Any reassurance?

 

[jugglingphil]

Do you have access to bikeability? He may respond differently to someone else teaching him.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability/
If not start on some smaller roads where there is little traffic and do some training when you are not trying to get somewhere. Can he cycle one-handed? ie to indicate when turning, this will be a fun new skill.

 

[Sara_H]

Hiya, I've considered bikeability. They have it next year at school, but thought I'd see if I can access sessions early.

We've been cycling a route near to home with only a short stretch of quiet residential road (mostly though park land), that takes us to his footie training, cycle speedway training and his Nan's house! I think it was because we went off piste today that it was stressfull again.

I can't decide if he should be in front or behind. If he's in front I can ride in primary to protect him, but I've found if we need to make a right turn it feels safer if he's behind me.

I was quite proud today that as we did I right turn he was signalling to turn when I glanced round!

 

[summerdays]

I'd leave the busy roads until you are more happy cycling on the the small residential roads first. He should be in front of you where you can see what he is doing, and as you say you can be a bit further out to shield him. At the actual junction come up beside him and turn together (or get off and walk at particularly busy junctions). Having said that I cycled my middle child who has the least road sense at the weekend and for her it is easier to follow at times (and yes we did walk to cross the A38 - it would have been too much to turn right using a central lane). I talk describing the journey as we go along to try and get my youngest noticing the hazards, he's already done Bikeability so must be slightly older.

Some children take longer to get the rules of the road than others - in this case my middle child is the least aware by quite a considerable amount.

 

[sidevalve]

I feel for you. You really do have a problem. It seems to be he doesn't really want to learn some do, some don't, all kids assume they are invulnerable and he probably doesn't see any reason to be so carefull [to be fair this can carry on for 30 years]!
The result of a mistake could be terrible for you, him and any other poor s-d who may be involved, I wish you luck but I fear you may have to bite the bullit and try waiting a year or two untill HE decides he wants to have another go.

 

[400bhp]

what's the rough area of the country you live in? 1st 3 letters of postcode will do.

Have a look on opencyclemap, bikeroutetoaster and/or sustrans mapping to see what paths are available near where you live.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Golly Gosh... this is a fraught and opinion-dividing area. First, it's wonderful that people are riding on the street with kids. Some quite serious, grown-up people (including our GP) questioned my sanity for getting my kids to cycle on the road.

The advice (all of which may be wrong) from someone who got 3 kids riding on the road in city and country at a young age:

1. Shadow him from slightly behind and to the right. You may attract a few close-ish passes, but you are shielding the child.

2. Use games to get him to look behind. "What colour is the car behind us?". "First one to see a blue car behind us" etc...

Looking behind seems unimportant to kids, so a game can make them do it. There may be better ways.

3. Overtake before junctions (saying that you'll do so) and tell them to do what you do and to stay close. Remember when doing this not to go for small gaps.

4. Is he OK at signalling? You can practise that with them in a car park. Signalling while climbing and looking behind... signalling while descending and looking behind. Those are the ones that got my kids swerving a little at first.

5. Use instructions while riding, but be clear, consistent and calm when giving them. Even if you go through what you're going to say in your head, there will be a time when it comes out as "STOP!! No, go on, stay left... WATCH OUT!!! Keep going... LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT!!! BLOODY HELL!"

Keep trying to sound calm and assured at all times and once you've done the Demented Parent Yell of Nonsense once, try not to do it again.

If it's a game and not too unamusing, he may take to it. Give it time. At nine, he may have pals who are let out on their own. Mine did, although they didn't do so themselves until eleven.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[summerdays]

Golly Gosh... this is a fraught and opinion-dividing area. First, it's wonderful that people are riding on the street with kids. Some quite serious, grown-up people (including our GP) questioned my sanity for getting my kids to cycle on the road.

The advice (all of which may be wrong) from someone who got 3 kids riding on the road in city and country at a young age:

4. Is he OK at signalling? You can practise that with them in a car park. Signalling while climbing and looking behind... signalling while descending and looking behind. Those are the ones that got my kids swerving a little at first.

Some good advice in your post - the only one I would question is encouraging them to look behind whilst signalling (especially when going downhill). That is how I broke my arm as I missed seeing the pot hole and lost control with one hand off the bike. So I would encourage them to look behind first and then signal whether it be up or downhill. (That's my personal opinion).

 

[Hawk]

Cyclecraft has a fairly thorough chapter on cycling with children on roads. I haven't read that chapter in detail but considering the rest of the book is a godsend, the best money I've ever spent on cycling, I would expect that you'd be able to pick up a few tips to help you out

 

[Sara_H]

Thanks for the tips.

He's very enthusiastic about cycling, and was very proundcto have cycled "all the way to town" the other day. So its not a matter of him not wanting to do it.

As I said, there aren't really any offf road options to get us to the places we need to be, and from my perspective I'll let him ride the pavement to get him off the busier roads.

Ill definitely revisit cyclecraft and consider bikeability.



I guess it's mostly a matter of getting him on his bike as much as possible, and it will come together naturally for him at some point.

 

[marinyork]

I'd cut yourself some slack, the town centre is not very cycle friendly at all. There are a lot of complicated routes mixed in with tram lines and busy junctions. It takes some time to get used to them and find a route you are happy with. I think one of the main problems is cutting east-west, this is particularly poorly served for cyclists.

The new city cycle map is in the process of being published, other than there is the old cycle map on the council website, opencyclemap and cyclestreets.

My tips would be to avoid Ecclesall Road which is statistically the most dangerous road and to avoid the Brook Hill "university" roundabout area and try and cross the ring road at some other location. Most other places are all right although the West St area is not ideal for cyclists.

If they like it that's great, would just start increasing the ride distance to the sort of places I'm guessing you went to.

 

[Sara_H]

We just went down through Heeley to Decathlon, he went on the pavement along Bramall Lane.

One of the things that is confusing about Sheffield is that (as an example), the underpass at the end of Bramall Lane is sign posted for cyclists in the underground section, but no indication that cyclist are allowed at some of the street level entrances.

 

[marinyork]

I agree that the south of the city entrance routes into town is problematic. I live on the south of the city.

I have specifically made the point about the brammal lane roundabout a number of times to the council. It is not actually completely their fault as a developer was supposed to cough up for it.

What it is is there is a 'ringroad' route that has slowly been built up over about 20 years. The original bit was on Hanover way and then bits have been added to it - one of the most recent bits being the bit along St Mary's Road between Charlotte Road and Shoreham St.

There are four entrances/exits to the Brammal Lane roundabout. You are only legally allowed to cycle through one of them (the one outside staples). The cycle route then stops in thin air, you're supposed to walk about 160ft to approximately outside St Mary's where a 'cyclists dismount' sign is and then resume. There is no provision whatsoever on the other two entrances. Of course no one is particularly going to complain about you using either of the other two entrances.

The theory about entering the city from that direction is that you're supposed to use the ring road/sheaf route. The problems with this is that you have to go further east cross using a toucan, cross brammal lane further down with just marked lines, wind your way down Aisline Road cross onto Fieldhead Road then the really big problem bit if Wosley Road. Cross Broadfield Road etc. Alternatively the Sheaf Valley walk weave in and out.

Don't blame you for pavement cycling on Brammal Lane. It's not an awful road to cycle on but the problem is cars pulling out of side roads or it being choked with traffic or at quieter times people doing 40+mph along it.

You may or may not prefer Shoreham St + Charlotte Road to Brammal Lane. It brings you out just next to the roundabout from the other side.

 

[xpc316e]

One thing to bear in mind that may help with your frusration is the knowledge that most children only start to acquire the skill of judging speed & distance from the age of 8 onwards. We look and see a car X metres away travelling at Y mph, and we make all sorts of judgements based on that info. Your son will look and probably 'see' only a car with no other useful info.

You can acquire a single copy of 'Tales Of The Road', which is the junior version of the Highway Code, from the DfT via their website. Your council's Road Safety Dept will gladly give you a copy. Seeing the rules of the road in black & white, as opposed to you telling him might also help. Your local RS Dept may have info on Bikeability courses run during holidays etc.

 

[coffeejo]

Might also be worth asking about cycling clubs for kids in your area. I'm part of a group that's just set one up for 8-16 year olds - we do everything from BMX to MTB, and fortnightly skills sessions which includes cycling safely on the roads - and then we put into practice on family rides out to local coffee shops.