City riding with kids on own bike.

[Sara_H]

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.

Amazingly, Bramall Lane is sign posted as a recomended cycle route! Yet it is literally a painted narrow lane on a nasty main road!

 

[marinyork]

Amazingly, Bramall Lane is sign posted as a recomended cycle route! Yet it is literally a painted narrow lane on a nasty main road!

Yes, but it isn't the only one in the area. There are the two alternative signed routes of the sheaf valley or down aisline/shoreham st. Not that you should particularly take notice of signed routes.

You have six routes you could go. Sheaf. Edmund St. SHoreham St. Brammal Lane. A zig zag of alderson Road and Hill St cutting through footpaths linking the streets and London Road.

If I was head of transport and had infinite funds I'd sort out Brammal Lane roundabout, traffic calm Brammal Lane and make large parts of Queens Road and one side of London Road up till about the Heeley Retail park a cycle path converting every crossing to a toucan. I'd also think about building the cycle bridge they were on about for crossing the ring road ages ago and add make sure the cycle paths went up both sides of the ring road and not just one side.

 

[Sara_H]

Yes, but it isn't the only one in the area. There are the two alternative signed routes of the sheaf valley or down aisline/shoreham st. Not that you should particularly take notice of signed routes.

You have six routes you could go. Sheaf. Edmund St. SHoreham St. Brammal Lane. A zig zag of alderson Road and Hill St cutting through footpaths linking the streets and London Road.

If I was head of transport and had infinite funds I'd sort out Brammal Lane roundabout, traffic calm Brammal Lane and make large parts of Queens Road and one side of London Road up till about the Heeley Retail park a cycle path converting every crossing to a toucan. I'd also think about building the cycle bridge they were on about for crossing the ring road ages ago and add make sure the cycle paths went up both sides of the ring road and not just one side.

Thanks for your advice.

We cycled to meadowhall today and took a better road down into town and past the train station to pick up the start of the Five Weirs Walk. Unfortunately the Cobweb bridge is closed again, and we missed the diversion signs on the way out so ended up pavement cycling through Atlas for part of the way until we found a way back onto the route.
Had a nice ride though.

 

[growingvegetables]

Had a nice ride though.

That's the most important ... by a long, long way!
My kids are a few years older than yours now - but that was a huge bit of keeping them cycling.

But it took (is still taking?) some years to get some basic road sense hammered in for once and for all! [Oldest is now 26, and his driving last night gave me a couple of scares ]

 

[Sara_H]

That's the most important ... by a long, long way!
My kids are a few years older than yours now - but that was a huge bit of keeping them cycling.

But it took (is still taking?) some years to get some basic road sense hammered in for once and for all! [Oldest is now 26, and his driving last night gave me a couple of scares ]

Absolutely - he's really loving cycling at the minute, I'm keen to make sure he keeps enjoying it.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Have you been in touch with PedalReady?

http://www.pedalready.co.uk/training_for_individuals.php

Really nice people, they do care about what they do

 

[I like Skol]

I just wanted to revisit this thread after reading it when it first started. I really can't imagine cycling in Sheffield with a yougster, as a driver that has passed through many times it just doesn't appear to be a very cycle friendly place (and it's all hilly!).

My oldest son is 9 and has been encouraged to cycle on the road with me over the last couple of years. I now feel he is almost ready to go it alone as I have almost taught him all I can. I think by the time he turns 10 (next jan) he will be given the freedom to ride the 2 miles to school by himself.

It dawned on me he may be ready after a couple of trips to his Cubs group over the winter and last night. Last nights trip was pretty horrid, we rode back along the main roads in the dark and rain. We both have decent lights and I take it in turns to ride ahead of him so he can see my road positioning and sometimes I ride behind so I can shield him and claim the lane at junctions.I asked him how he felt at one point and he answered honestly "a bit scared but OK". That is the perfect answer because it shows he obviously appreciates the possible dangers if he gets it wrong.

For the OP I think all you can do is give your son as much experience as possible on the quieter roads and slowly build up to the busier places when he is ready.I have always emphasised the importance of being predictable and following the same rules as the cars (ride on the left, obey the lights and the hardest, don't stop to give way to cars coming out of sidestreets as this confuses everyone)

I believe kids today can still cycle on the roads safely but I also think it is a huge help if they have a parent or parents that cycle and drive.

 

[summerdays]

Well tonight on a narrow bit of road - literally two car width only, lorry was coming towards us (so across on our side of the road). I held primary to slow him down a little, little Summerdays on the inside of me and went happily past it. I said it would have been nicer if it had slowed down, his response..... "it was good - the combined speed of him and the lorry passing close by meant the noise of all the sets of wheels passing him great". I was reasonably impressed with him though a bit worried that he was slightly blasé about it.

 

[hennbell]

I think you handled it just fine. It can be very hard to deal with city centers as an adult let alone as a 9 year old. Look for bike paths, ride on the pavement if you have too, but be as considerate as possible. Best to get him to enjoy riding first then work on the details later.

BTW Jesus could handle kryptonite but according to a mate of mine Jesus was eaten by a bear - not joking he really told his children this

 

[dongo]

I find riding on the road with either of mine rather nerve-racking. Having them in front of you is definitely safer and I pull up alongside to give instructions at turns (particularly right hand turns). Sometimes my wife comes too and that seems much better, one of us rides in front to show the kids how it's done and the other behind to make sure they're doing it safely. One of mine has done cyclecraft at school but learned very little from it, it was too short for her she needs things to be drummed in for longer to "stick".

We live in a busy area just outside Leeds and I'm not sure I'd be happy to have them on the road there yet but we pick out cycle routes that have a bit of on-road and a lot of off-road to give them some experience without traumatising any of us. They seem to have little understanding of how roads work so we do a lot of explaining that as we come to different types of challenge but a healthy respect for cars which encourages them to pay attention and they're definitely improving.

 

[User10119]

One thing that worked for me and my eldest was to try to only add one extra difficulty at a time. So I planned routes to be his furthest ever distance - but mostly in familiar territory or really easy roads. Or a distance that was well within his limits, but adding more difficult junctions/heavier traffic. Or (as complete flatlanders) a mostly familiar route with a diversion to A Hill - we needed a lesson at the top in how to descend safely, as I realised that at (then) 8 years of age he'd never ridden down anything bigger than a railway bridge.

He's 10 now, and almost at the stage that I would consider letting him ride to and from school alone. Not quite, because there is one busy road to contend with, but very close.

 

[Butterfly]

I ride quite close behind and give instructions for any tricky bits well in advance. The 7 year old I look after mainly rides on the pavement (this is around Brixton and Dulwich!), but I am beginning to get him onto the quiet roads. My stepson was very nervous of big roads (randomly allocated by him - some that he had a bee in his bonnet about were really minor!) when he came to live with us and the thing that helped him the most was doing some track cycling - all the skills, no distractions. Similarly, previous charges of mine have built up their confidence on traffic free trails. If they aren't having to think every time they change gear, they can concentrate on other skills. Smallish steps, interspersed with plenty of ice cream is mostly my approach!

 

[Butterfly]

Also, the more you ride with any child, the more you learn what to point out to them and what they will have realised for themself.

 

[Sara_H]

Thanks everyone.

I've been getting my son out on his bike as much as possible.

We ended up having a talk about him not arguing with me when we're out which seemed to hit home.

I sent off for a copy of The Children's Highway Code and they also sent him loads of reflective stickers, which he distributed among his class mates.

I've also revised our route into town based on the advice of Marinyork, so things are a bit better.

 

[jugglingphil]

I sent off for a copy of The Children's Highway Code and they also sent him loads of reflective stickers, which he distributed among his class mates.

sounds interesting, where did you send off?