U17 Riding on the Road

[Bigadz]

@HeavyMetalCyclist

In oxford the other day I saw the whole fam out on the road, the kids were like 7-8. Bus right behind them. Baller.

Lucky it wasn’t Reading
[video]https://i.imgur.com/mCQe57X.gif[/video]

[Jelmer]

Maybe the question could be - should traffic and bicycle infrastructure be safe enough to let our kids ride in it without them needing supervision or parents being terribly worried about their safety?

Here’s a story from a notoriously ‘Euro’ place - the Netherlands:
From when i was eight years old i rode my bike to school, on the road, no supervision. All the kids do it and riding on the sidewalk is not allowed anyway. Only balance bikes and tricycles are ‘tolerated’ on the sidewalk as they’re considered kids toys, not bicycles. In primary school you get ‘traffic class’ at some point after which you have to do a ‘cycling exam’ on public roads. Which is actually fun, with all kids pinning on a number and parents volunteering at intersections to check whether you indicate properly etcetera. After the exam the school encourages you to ride to school.

First i rode in a city (primary school within the same suburb), then we moved to a small village (primary school within five minutes of riding). I always rode on shared roads with speed limits of 30 or 40 kmh). The law mandates there are physically separated bike paths constructed if max road speed is over 40. Got my first newspaper route when i was twelve, rode that route five days a week for years. After finishing my route in the AM, to get to high school i had to ride 12km to the next town. We’d ride in a peloton of thirty or so kids every morning, two abreast, always rolling turns. Start young!

Aaanyway bit rambly but it starts with political will. Also WTF 16 year olds can get a car license but shouldn’t be allowed to ride on the road?! :S

[jezza323]

@Jelmer

Maybe the question could be - should traffic and bicycle infrastructure be safe enough to let our kids ride in it without them needing supervision or parents being terribly worried about their safety?

Here’s a story from a notoriously ‘Euro’ place - the Netherlands:
From when i was eight years old i rode my bike to school, on the road, no supervision. All the kids do it and riding on the sidewalk is not allowed anyway. Only balance bikes and tricycles are ‘tolerated’ on the sidewalk as they’re considered kids toys, not bicycles. In primary school you get ‘traffic class’ at some point after which you have to do a ‘cycling exam’ on public roads. Which is actually fun, with all kids pinning on a number and parents volunteering at intersections to check whether you indicate properly etcetera. After the exam the school encourages you to ride to school.

First i rode in a city (primary school within the same suburb), then we moved to a small village (primary school within five minutes of riding). I always rode on shared roads with speed limits of 30 or 40 kmh). The law mandates there are physically separated bike paths constructed if max road speed is over 40. Got my first newspaper route when i was twelve, rode that route five days a week for years. After finishing my route in the AM, to get to high school i had to ride 12km to the next town. We’d ride in a peloton of thirty or so kids every morning, two abreast, always rolling turns. Start young!

Aaanyway bit rambly but it starts with political will. Also WTF 16 year olds can get a car license but shouldn’t be allowed to ride on the road?! :S

That sounds like a place id love my kids to grow up in

[WestToastPete]

@Bigadz

Lucky it wasn’t Reading
[video]https://i.imgur.com/mCQe57X.gif[/video]

Ha! I’ve been to that pub. When I first saw it I thought “that looks like the Purple Turtle”

[iwearmoccos]

Parents in offices are always the most up tight when it comes to adventure.

[familyguy]

My first job was chemist courier as well. Used to take some pretty potent stuff to the nearby private hospital twice a week.

[HeavyMetalCyclist]

Yes.

[2wheels4cam]

@lukemarkof

Pretty sure Google was called “Encarta” back then

copy and paste but remember to delete the encarata info at the bottom.

[Captain_Commuter]

@EzyLee

Should U17s be allowed to ride on the road?

One of my colleagues asked my opinion on this and I didn’t actually realise that they were allowed at this point (In Canberra anyway).

My opinion: Not unless they have an adult with them. I think until they have a good solid grasp on the road rules that it would be fairly risky to have U17s on the road.

Discuss.

The primary school both my lads went to discouraged riding on the road and riding to school until year 5, when all kids went through a pretty comprehensive Bike Ed program and got their “license” to ride to school (on the road). I helped out as a parent vollie for a few years (which was sweet cos it was fun and counted as the “community engagement” part of my workplan). Lots of kids still rode/ride to school at younger ages anyway.

I still live near the school and from about 8:45-9:00 and 3:30-4:00 the streets in my neighbourhood are teeming with kids on bikes. My two blokes use their bikes for transport and fun at other times, much like I do. I think it’s good.

(note also: here in VIC similar rules to NSW about riding on footpath, prohibited for over 12s, unless adult or older kid supervising kids riding on the footpath or adult or older kid with a disability that would make riding on road hazardous)