Safe Speed Forums

Richard Peace also writes for "Enjoy Your Bike!" - which the Mad Doc likes.

He advocates taking you child at 9 months on a child seat or trailer. Basically once they can sit upright unassisted - they should be OK on road with you on a bike. Not sure I would have done this with my own as such young tots though The Mad Cats do have their youngest in the bike trailer. Apparently they are not sure whether she is screaming with thrills or she has complaints about his riding skills (She gurgles and chuckles when they drive I wonder if this says more about their driving than their cycling skills )


Sorry guys


Around 4 to 9 years - he suggests trailer bikes or tagalongs. He reckons this is when to start getting them some "road sense" and some basic riding skills. Ours started with us on family rides on traffic free routes and designated areas in the local parks. Level One Bikeability tests these skills and the DfT recommends that kids under 10 years should not be cycling on the main roads. Richard reminds us of this in his article this month.

At ages 9 and 10 - he suggests introducing your child to quiet roads around the residential areas. This can be tested out with Bikeability Level Two per his piece.

At ages 11-15 is when tehy become really vulnerable. I think he has a point when he opines that part of this is down to "over-confidence" and wishing to test this out. As he says - they are starting to mature and gaining peripheral vision and judgement of speeds. However, as he points out - precisely when you need to hammer home Green Cross and an appreciation of road safety. Level 3 Bikeability can help address this as can the PoliceSchools Liaison Officer.

It seems we do the right things - My wife takes up the front and I take the rear with the kids between us. The Mad Cats have Ted at the front with Wildy at the rear. We also ride to the right of them and keep insutructions loud and clear to the front.

Lots of other good advice as to choosing child seats and trailers. You need to make sure the bike's brakes can cope with the extra weighting. Sounds obvious? Well.. like car child seats and COAST - the obvious ain't obvious to some

Worth buying or browsing in for this piece alone.

_________________
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Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.