What skill level do I need to ride a bike? Or for my daughter to be safe on the road?

I was asked this question on twitter which needs more than 139 characters to answer. (This was part of a discussion around the #space4cycling campaign where some people seem to suggest cycle training goes against the idea of creating better infrastructure.)

In an ideal world it would be great if anyone with a low level of riding (or walking) skills could wobble (meander) about anywhere without harm, where people using more harmful modes took responsibility to move in a way that could accommodate low skilled people. This isn't the case of course.

Off road and on a separate cycle network
A degree of skill is required even off-road or on a completely separate cycle system. You/your daughter would need to know how to balance on a bike and to control the bike (starting, stopping, looking around, use gears etc). You would also need to know how to interact with other people in that environment, how to pass them and communicate a change of direction. You and your daughter would have to know some basic rules such as which side of the path to use and to understand who has priority at junctions where the path intersects with another path or a road.

Riding on road
Once you have the control skills described above and you/your daughter has the skills to read the speed/distance of vehicles (about age 9/10) you both have the skills to begin riding on the road.

You will need to understand priority in various situations from the outset such as when beginning a journey your both will need to know who goes first, you or someone already moving along the road. You will also need to understand where to ride to get seen and how to communicate your intentions to others. Once you both have grasped these principles and have had more experience and gained confidence you should be able to ride on the road. (In current situations you both may need to consider that some other road users may be impatient/distracted and will need to compensate for them)

Riding with your daughter on road
Even if your daughter is too young to read the speed and distance of other road users you may be able to ride with her if you have the skill. If she has good bike control, will follow your instructions you could ride behind her, slightly to her right ensuring other road users pass her wide. Tell her to stop at junctions where you can pull up next to her and ride with her through junctions.

Using such techniques could enable you to ride with your daughter even on A-roads riding in bus lanes. Were you (and others) to do this and people got used to seeing kids and parents riding together it would become more acceptable (and reduce the hysterical cries of 'how can people consider riding on roads with buses and lorries') and would become another way of claiming #space4cycling.

The more skills all road users have (up-skilling drivers is even more important that up-skilling cyclists/pedestrians since drivers cause the most harm), the better. Training cyclists gives a rider (you and your daughter) more options to make trips in the current environment and is in no way contrary to improving the infrastructure in our towns.