First time out alone

[Pancho]

I've been telling my daughters (9 and 11, IIRC) to "go ride their bikes" for a while now and today, they took me up on the offer.

First time out without supervision. A bit sad to say, that's not just first bike ride - it's almost[1] first time /out/ without parental/teacher/adult oversight.

Anyway, they went off and returned home 2 hours later having been to the PYO strawberry place and then to the beach. They'd cycled 6 ish miles and eaten their own bodyweight in strawberries (from the farm) and icecream (from the van at the beach).

As you can imagine, Mrs P was in agonies thinking of them dicing with traffic while they were suitably blase on their return.



[1] They have once or twice walked the 200 metres from Grandmother's to cousins'. Partly due to us living on a road that, though rural, can be a bit of rat run and is the only way to anywhere from home.

[hatler]

Cool !!!!

(Why hasn't anyone else responded ?)

[Jurek]

Cool !!!!

(Why hasn't anyone else responded ?)

I'm offspringless but not without contact with cycling infants / kids / parents.
Equally surprised here.

[Wowbagger]

I hadn't noticed this thread.

It's good to see that not every parent is browbeaten by the PPBT (Popular Press Bogeyman Threat) that they incarcerate their kids.

Good stuff.

[Quisling]

Good stuff. MiniQ is 11, and we live in the sticks with no friends for a couple of miles along a busy road linking villages so she hasn't so far ventured that far on her own.  It helps if you have siblings or mates locally that you can go off with together.  I know at that age I'd go out and play for hours with my brother, but my (only) child is I suspect slightly disavantaged in this regard.

That said, by the age of 12 or so I was merrily off doing 10 or 15 mile rides or longer. But I'm a chap, and us dads get a bit protective about our little girls.

[Jurek]

Yesterday I was behind a mum and her daughter as they used the cycle path to cross Clapham Common.
Mum (from behind) was prompting sprog with 'signal left / signal right / watch out for the car ahead /behind' instructions.
As our paths crossed, I commented that its good to see someone trying to instill some road sense into their young.
This was met with the response of "You can but try......"
Somehow, and illogically, it made me think of the H.G. Wells comment of "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race".
Following my cr@p unenjoyable ride through town to N17 and back (to buy bits for the Honda) I found this an uplifting experience.

[agagisgroovy]

Good for them! 

I only got let out on my own after I could prove to my parents I had at least a bit of road sense... 

[Butterfly]

Sounds like a lovely outing. Good for them.

[scott]

Well, after yesterday's incidents on the tandem of Anders (1) putting his feet behind him on the rack, and (2) casually riding no-hands down a fairly major street, I think it'll be a while before we get to any real traffic sense. But he is five.

But the first day out for your daughters sounds great--I'd be very happy for them. Lots of fun to be had wandering around by bike.

[andyoxon]

Well done to them.  Out of interest did they have a mobile phone?  Our 10 yr old is confident on her bike having done two 30ml bike rides on her own bike now, and is proud of her new cycling proficiency badge, but so far - on her own (without adult) has only been allowed to go round 'the block' a few times with a friend.  I think to school on her own will be the next thing...

[Terry]

I hadn't noticed this thread.

It's good to see that not every parent is browbeaten by the PPBT (Popular Press Bogeyman Threat) that they incarcerate their kids.

Good stuff.

Absolutely. My little 'un is going to ride his own MTB on the Tarka trial in September with both SWMBO and I on the Bromptons, me towing the Burley. When he wears out we can sit him in the Burley and stick that on the back.   

He's going to learn road craft as soon as he is deemed smart enough.

[Pancho]

Well done to them.  Out of interest did they have a mobile phone?  Our 10 yr old is confident on her bike having done two 30ml bike rides on her own bike now, and is proud of her new cycling proficiency badge, but so far - on her own (without adult) has only been allowed to go round 'the block' a few times with a friend.  I think to school on her own will be the next thing...

Cool !!!!

(Why hasn't anyone else responded ?)

Glad to see this thread was disinterred. It was a Big Deal for the girls. And probably for Mrs P.

[Pancho]

Well done to them.  Out of interest did they have a mobile phone?  Our 10 yr old is confident on her bike having done two 30ml bike rides on her own bike now, and is proud of her new cycling proficiency badge, but so far - on her own (without adult) has only been allowed to go round 'the block' a few times with a friend.  I think to school on her own will be the next thing...

Sort of. The rules were that they went out (a) with each other, (b) a mobile phone and (c) a deadline to return.

(a) and (b) went OK but it was only on their return that bothered to point out that they didn't understand why I'd make them take their phones with them seeing as they'd both run out of credits days ago. Hmm. Kit inspection next time, I think.

[jane]

Oh, this thread brought a lump to my throat- my daughter is a lovely young 19 yr old now- but I remember being so proud and terrified at the same time when I finally left her to ride off on a little mini trip on her own- we were cycle touring in Scotland and she wanted to ride from the field we were camping in down to the village (about 3 miles)  to get the bread and milk.She was 9 but as we lived in London she had never really been allowed out on her bike alone.  I was worried sick the whole time but don't regret it one bit.  (Although I still worry every time she's out on her bike, which she is frequently as it is her chosen mode of transport- she has shown no inclination to own a car as yet.)

[andyoxon]

Well done to them.  Out of interest did they have a mobile phone?  Our 10 yr old is confident on her bike having done two 30ml bike rides on her own bike now, and is proud of her new cycling proficiency badge, but so far - on her own (without adult) has only been allowed to go round 'the block' a few times with a friend.  I think to school on her own will be the next thing...

Sort of. The rules were that they went out (a) with each other, (b) a mobile phone and (c) a deadline to return.

(a) and (b) went OK but it was only on their return that bothered to point out that they didn't understand why I'd make them take their phones with them seeing as they'd both run out of credits days ago. Hmm. Kit inspection next time, I think.

   kind of sounds familiar...  We're not planning to let our's have a mobile until secondary school, but to be honest I hadn't really thought about it for solo bike rides - before that time.  I saw a PAYG mobile in the orange shop for £4.99, but I'm guessing that would be far to 'functional' without MP3, camera, video, games, radio... 

[David Martin]

I hadn't noticed this thread.

It's good to see that not every parent is browbeaten by the PPBT (Popular Press Bogeyman Threat) that they incarcerate their kids.

Good stuff.

Absolutely. My little 'un is going to ride his own MTB on the Tarka trial in September with both SWMBO and I on the Bromptons, me towing the Burley. When he wears out we can sit him in the Burley and stick that on the back.   

He's going to learn road craft as soon as he is deemed smart enough.

Did a similar thing with my wee one. He was 4 and riding asingle speed raleigh Max 16" kids bike with time trial gearing and a frame of depleted uranium. We set off to ride out to Invergowrie on the old railway path, along riverside drive to the centre of town and then home up the hill from Magdelen Yard green. I took the tandem and a bungee cord as he wasn't road safe. The first part was 8 miles off road. He then had to be forcibly removed from his bike and placed on the tandem for the road ride home. He managed better than TODM (who hasn't been out on her bike since).

..d

[Karen Sutton]

A few weeks ago I let my 11 year old daughter ride her bike to Guides alone.  I really didn't want her to but she insisted she would be fine.  She took my mobile with her and promised to call the landline as soon as she arrived,  or if she had any problems.  It's only about a mile, but the last  hundred yards are on a busy main road.  I asked her to either walk or use the pavement on the last bit as I usually ride behind her (slightly to her right) for that part because there are usually parked cars to negotiate round.

She was fine and very proud of herself.  But it is hard letting them go those first few times.

[fruitcake]

I remember my dad taking me cycling when I was about 12 or 13.  This was in the 1980s when Loughborough was a dual carraigeway 'heaven' and roundabouts were not yet adorned with traffic lights.  He gave me some good advice which has formed my understanding of cycling today.   I remember him riding behind me saying 'stay in the middle of your lane, don't let them push you around'.   He's forgotten that he said that, but when I quote it back to him he still reckons it's good advice.  Sadly he now refuses to cycle to work preferring instead to commute by car- half a mile.  I repeatedly try to get him back on his bike. When we discuss tackling that very same roundabout I end up explaining the merits of primary position.  The wheel has come full circle.