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#1
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Getting kids started riding on streets
What skill level should kids show before introducing them to riding as
traffic? My 9yo is there, I think. She's riding a 24" wheel multi-speed bike, maintains a resonably straight line, comfortable with braking, turning, etc... She has a comfortable range of around 5mi. I'm a bit more concerned about the 6yo. She's still on a 16" bike, with a lot of front wheel jerking back and forth, she struggles to apply enough backwards pressure to stop quickly with her coaster brakes. She starts complaining about being tired at around 3mi. Another question; how have you other parents handled riding with kids of such differing levels of ability? I want to start taking the 9yo on local errand rides, but the 6yo isn't going to take that well if she can't come along. I'd love to get one of those trailering thingies that you attach to the kids' headtube, turning it into a trailer, but I'm saving now to get helmets on them. Helmet has to come first. Any other ideas appreciated. Thanks, Mark |
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#2
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Getting kids started riding on streets
What has to come first is drilling the rules of the road into the kids,
they are easily distracted. For example, I made the mistake of passing through the local wetland path on my Sunday ride. No less than three children between the age of 6 and 9 forced me off into the grass. I ring my bell, slow down, get the family entourage's attention, and inevitabley, the youngest stares you in the eye and pushes his/her bike right into your path. Of course the daddy called me an a-hole. Oy. Younger kids are prone to distraction so the piggy back bike option is great. Around nine is a good age to have them go solo, but that depends a lot on the kid, the traffic, and the parent. 3 miles for a kid on a 16" wheel bike is pretty far, btw, so give the little trooper a break. If you do make 'em wear helmets, have them wear them correctly. The vast majority of children around these parts have zero road manners, and unbuckled helmets perched lightly on the back of their heads, serving as some sort of talisman. Eyebrow level is the proper tilt folks. |
#3
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Getting kids started riding on streets
Mark Mitchell wrote: What skill level should kids show before introducing them to riding as traffic? I have a six and a ten year old. The ten-year-old is fairly confident in traffic, does well obeying traffic rules, observiing right-of-way rules, avoids the doorzone, shoulder check before moving left and so forth. Still, a couple of weeks ago he blew right through a stop sign in front of car because he wasn't paying attention. He's been riding as a vehicle in the road since he was out of training wheels, but riding in heavy traffic has always been under my supervision, with me following behind him and calling out instruction as necessary. He's been in traffic enough to know to anticipate Stupid Motorist Tricks; he'll probably be a much better driver for it when he receives his drivers' license. My six-year-old still rides on a trailer bike for any riding in heavier traffic and longer distances. She knows how to signal, to obey stop signs, to look left/right/left after a stop. She has a hard time judging distance to an oncoming car so I have to encourage her to cross the street. RFM http://www.cyclelicio.us/ |
#4
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Getting kids started riding on streets
"Mark Mitchell" wrote in message
... What skill level should kids show before introducing them to riding as traffic? My 9yo is there, I think. She's riding a 24" wheel multi-speed bike, maintains a resonably straight line, comfortable with braking, turning, etc... She has a comfortable range of around 5mi. I'm a bit more concerned about the 6yo. She's still on a 16" bike, with a lot of front wheel jerking back and forth, she struggles to apply enough backwards pressure to stop quickly with her coaster brakes. She starts complaining about being tired at around 3mi. The 9 year old is likely to be developmentally able to process information like the speed of cars. The 6 year old won't be in the same shoes. Here, you have to be at least 9 to be a student crossing guard for that reason. -- Warm Regards, Claire Petersky http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/ See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky |
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