Parents: do you let your kid(s) cycle to school?

[PpPete]

We're a yes.
It's about a mile, so they usualy walk with their friends but sometimes ride.

School has a policy that they must use the subway under the busy "main" road, rather than what can be a rather fraught right turn into the school.

 

[ACS]

Yes he's a teacher.

 

[mickle]

Yes. it's a mile and it's pavement, quiet road and cyclepath all the way. The middle one has been doing on her own since she was eight.

 

[william_just]

Well, so far, that's a comfortable Yes majority in response to the question, which is very heartening – and surprising when put into a national context – but everyone on this forum is a cyclist, of course, which obviously makes a difference!

I'm very much all for kids cycling to school – so much so, in fact, that I've even written and illustrated a kids' picture book all about it. Please take a look here:

http://yngbkrz.tumblr.com

Of course, the lack of decent cycling infrastructure, and the incredible amount of 'school run' traffic on the roads, are often determining factors. Two issues that MUST be tackled, sooner rather than later. Schools really should start taking this seriously, on behalf of their kids, and parents who care should be insisting that something is done about it.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the matter?

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Happy for mine to but they choose not to, not as easy to meet up with their friends and wander in. Also the storage is exposed to the elements & I don't trust its security when I ride in.

 

[I like Skol]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the matter?

Yes! My oldest son is now 11 and in year 6 at junior school. We have been occasionally cycling to school for around 3 years with younger son who is currently 8. Some weeks we do all 5 days then some weeks only 1 day or none at all depending on weather and my shift pattern. It is 2.5 miles each way along a mix of roads, pedestrianized town centre and old railway cycle track. Since last autumn when oldest son was just 10 and starting his final year at junior school he has been allowed to do the trip alone, with me and younger son following in his tracks or doing the parallel journey by car.
Oldest son's road sense far exceeds many adult bike riders I know. He is doing the annual Manchester - Blackpool charity ride in a few weeks with my work colleagues and on a recent social/training pre-event ride he demonstrated his superior road sense very clearly and I actually spent very little time riding with him and supervising him during the 40 mile ride.
IMO there is not a lot wrong with the current cycling infrastructure. If an 11yr old can be taught to safely use a multiple lane roundabout (I'm talking about the 2/3/4 lane stuff around the Trafford Centre) then the problem is clearly an issue of training for the cyclist and awareness on the part of the car drivers.
Younger son doesn't seem quite as savvy as his older brother but then again, he is 3 yrs behind his brother and is busy copying his older sibling, so may well be even more advanced by the time he reaches 11?

 

[MarkF]

Yes, my daughter cycles to school, on a major A road, she is the only girl that does. Out of 1000 pupils I'd say maybe 10 cycle in, probably less. My son has stopped cycling in as he is 15 and thinks it's uncool but he uses the same road to cycle on his paper round earlier.

 

[Arjimlad]

When my sons had done their stage 2 cycle training at school we let them ride to school. Y6 and upwards.

There are swarms of schoolkids on bikes at these times, on quiet residential streets and most drivers know to keep a good distance from them and drive slowly. Sometimes the Mummies even put their mobile phones down !

 

[summerdays]

[QUOTE 3145218, member: 259"]

My kids ride to school, but most here do, until they get to about 12 or 13, perhaps older for boys. A surprising number use scooters and inline skates. [/QUOTE]
Are you saying that the teenagers over with you don't?

 

[Mummy3monkeys]

Five yr old not yet, I'm not brave enough to. 8 yr old has ridden a couple of times in the last year, always with an adult. I don't trust the idiot drivers down there to let her go alone. I have taught her rd safety, but she has been cut up by said idiot drivers with me and hubby. Not sure when I'll be happy to let her. Shame as its only a 10 minute ride.

 

[User10119]

Eldest rode to and from school fairly regularly, under adult supervision, for most of primary school, although it's less than a mile. When me and their dad split (and he got a flat a bit further away) for a while they all rode in when the boys stayed there, with the littly in a seat on the back of his dad's bike until I acquired a taglong for them.

The big'un rides to secondary (and around town, to the shops/friends etc) on his own these days - I got him a 'pub bike' bmx that I was prepared to have left in school bike sheds and the littly, now 7, generally stokes the tandem for me on the way there and I then ride the tandem stokerless round my various work site. The stoker seat is often quite hotly contested on the way home as there's a few other kids from the same school who live nearby who like a turn. I've been known to go through 3 stokers in one journey!

 

[I like Skol]

Oldest son has been at secondary school for nearly 2 weeks now and today has asked to ride his bike to school. It's only 0.8 miles so hardly worth the trouble but I feel it helps his opinion of cycling as transport rather than just for fun. A quick pedal change from SPDs to flats and he was off.... "Dad, it feels really weird not being clipped in!"

It's only a bitsa MTB but it has some decent bits on it so I have instructed him in making sure he locks up properly and not to draw attention to the fact he has cycled as that will encourage the 'pranksters' and he doesn't want to come back to his bike tonight to find flat tyres or stolen Q/Rs.

Good luck son

Oh, and I let him go without a helmet

 

[Drago]

My 17 year old drives herself to school because the bus prices are extortionate, and the local country roads full of loons that thinkt speed limit is a minimum target so cycling is dicey.

My 3 year old walks to pre school with me, but that's in the same village.

 

[summerdays]

I was opening the blinds this morning and noticed a girl cycling to primary school judging by the uniform. They were unaccompanied, and cycling on the road, and probably year 5 or year 6.

 

[benb]

My son has cycled with me on the one day a week when I take him since he was 5½. He is now 6. There is a one way section, so he can go in front of me and I can protect him from the back. There is a roundabout that we have been over when it's mostly clear, but if not we hop onto the pavement.

His road sense needs some work, but he understands the door zone!