Today I took my son, aged 6, to a birthday party, and then went on to do some shopping before picking him up again.
It was pants.Largely.
The father of a school friend of his said that he rode with his son on the road, so I thought I'd give it a try - previously we have ridden on very quiet residential streets but apart from that MiniEthel stuck to pavements. We have some wonderful cycle routes through our local parks, but the roads in between are not terribly cycle friendly. So today's experience was a mixed bag. No aggression, people actually according MiniEthel a heck of a lot more space and time than I am used to getting on my rides without him. But this was balanced against the knowledge and evidence that he has, unsurprisingly, the road sense of a six-year-old. He'll be back on the tandem coupling for such rides for the foreseeable future.
As I said, it wasn't all bad, I was pleasantly surpised that even in London the vast majority of drivers are very considerate in the face of a small boy on a bike. But I could still do without the abject terror that somebody out there might not be.
London may be making progress in terms of accessible and inclusive cycling. But we still have a long way to go before utility cycling is available to all.
It was pants.Largely.
The father of a school friend of his said that he rode with his son on the road, so I thought I'd give it a try - previously we have ridden on very quiet residential streets but apart from that MiniEthel stuck to pavements. We have some wonderful cycle routes through our local parks, but the roads in between are not terribly cycle friendly. So today's experience was a mixed bag. No aggression, people actually according MiniEthel a heck of a lot more space and time than I am used to getting on my rides without him. But this was balanced against the knowledge and evidence that he has, unsurprisingly, the road sense of a six-year-old. He'll be back on the tandem coupling for such rides for the foreseeable future.
As I said, it wasn't all bad, I was pleasantly surpised that even in London the vast majority of drivers are very considerate in the face of a small boy on a bike. But I could still do without the abject terror that somebody out there might not be.
London may be making progress in terms of accessible and inclusive cycling. But we still have a long way to go before utility cycling is available to all.
