Biking to School: Why, When, and How

Charles Luiting

Many adults can recall a time when they took their bicycles everywhere, sometimes miles from home without a backward glance from their parents. However, times have changed, and bike safety has increasingly become a well-founded concern for parents of young children. We will help address safety concerns as well as when you will know that your child is ready to bike to school alone.

So, let’s break it down!

Age

Deciding what the right age for a child to start biking to school is a big concern for many parents, but there is no right answer to this because every child is different and develops at different times. For some children, this can be as early as third grade or perhaps younger, while for others, it may mean middle school is the best time for them to begin biking to school. Therefore, it is important to go by what feels right to you as a parent.

A great way to learn if your child is ready is to start is by biking with them to school. This way you can see where their skill level is at and if there are things they still need to learn you can teach them as they go. After you believe they might be ready you can always do what my father did and follow them, secretly, in the car to reassure yourself that they are in fact ready to bike on their own.

Another great way to let your child ease into biking to school is by starting out young and giving them levels of freedom. Perhaps first they are just allowed to bike around the block alone. Then to a nearby park; each time increasing the distance and practicing this new form of communication.

If you are not comfortable with your child biking alone it is possible that a bike train in your community already exists or you could create one. A bike train is a group of children who bike to school together every day and are led by an adult supervisor.

Fact: According to the Safe Routes to School website: “In 1969, 48 percent of children 5 to 14 years of age usually walked or bicycled to school. Compare that to 2009, where 13 percent of children 5 to 14 years of age usually walked or bicycled to school.

Safety

Many parents’ biggest fears are about traffic and safety. Living in an area with high levels of traffic makes this quite understandable. To address this concern, it is good to ask yourself if biking to school is a possible option for your child in the first place. For some parents who live far away or in a very busy town or city, the answer may be no, but perhaps there is another route to school that is safe for your child. If a safe route exists that you can ride with your child, try it out with them and teach them how to ride the route safely. Point out where the stop signs are, where they should be riding their bike and any areas where they may have to be more cautious.

Secondly, more general safety concerns can be prevented by teaching your child both the rules of the road and safe practices such as wearing a helmet every time they are on their bicycle. These lessons can be instilled early and can be non-negotiable rules when your child is on their bike. For more educational information about safe riding and how to correctly wear a helmet check out the Bicycle Safer Journey which provides videos and quizzes to educate your child.

Health

According to Momentum Magazine, “studies demonstrate that a 30-minute walk or bike ride to school greatly increases a child’s ability to focus in the classroom.” To top that, the USDA recommends 60 minutes of physical activity for children each day. With the staggering numbers reported pertaining to childhood obesity and the reduction in activity in youth, biking proves to be a potentially successful way for children to not only hit their levels of active minutes each day and maintain a healthy weight but also to be more focused in school.

What if the route is too busy or too far for a Schwinn kid’s bike?

We have tons of kids’ bikes for all kinds of riding, but sometimes riding to school just isn’t a good idea. If it’s not feasible for your child to ride to school but you still want them to get out on their Schwinn kid’s bike, find other ways for them to ride. For very young riders, consider starting them out on a balance bike. As they get older, go for bike rides as a family, practice commuting together to run errands, or even just take a spin to the park.

You can also set the example by modeling biking habits. Leave your car behind for certain (or most) errands, and even teach your child some bike maintenance tips the next time you give your ride a tune-up. If riding to school isn’t in their immediate future, give your child the tools to commute successfully when they’re older.

For more information check out these great resources!

Safe Routes to School: http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/

Bicycle Safer Journey: http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/bicyclesaferjourney/

Helmets on Heads: http://www.helmetsonheads.org/

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