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

Oh yeah. Roads task force. Theyre all cyclists working undercover for the motor industry supported by the government.
That tunnel idea ia brilliant

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

It's a good question, but hard to answer.

I ride on the road with my two kids (9 and 11) at weekends and stuff when it's quieter. The older one has also had a fair amount of cycle training, which is really useful.

The difficulty is that there's no substitute for getting out and doing it. You have to ride on the road to get a feel for how traffic works, where you should position yourself, and so on. That's how you build your skills and there's no way around it.

One important factor is that kids, obviously, are smaller. That means they can't see over cars and drivers can't see them as easily. So their optimal road position might not be the same as for an adult. This is something the cycle trainers could do a better job of, in my opinion.

It is scary. No question. On the positive side, drivers are much more considerate of kids on bikes. Much more so than if you're on your own.

One important factor is that kids, obviously, are smaller. That means they can't see over cars and drivers can't see them as easily. So their optimal road position might not be the same as for an adult. This is something the cycle trainers could do a better job of, in my opinion.

Thanks for that.

Could you elaborate what would improve the message from cycle trainers that you think would improve young people's road position?

I'm not a cycle trainer and obviously professionals could do a much better better job of developing and codifying advice

But from observation it seems to be things like:

• Kids need to allow more space before they attempt to "take the lane" because, for example, they can't be seen easily over the bonnet of a 4x4.

• Say you're following a car through a narrow piece of road, as an adult you can see over the top and get a sense of what's happening up ahead. And drivers waiting to come through the other way can see you coming. A child can only really see the back of the car in front and the drivers waiting to come through in the opposite direction have no prior warning a cyclist might be there.

• Pulling out at T Junction. If there are parked cars either side, kids can't as easily see over the top to check what might be coming and have to pull out further into the road. Similarly, cars that want to turn in don't know the kids is there until they've started the turn.

Thanks for elaborating gabeuk

A core principle cycle trainers teach people of all ages is ensure you can see and be seen. This would address your suggestion that they should take the lane when needing to. Looking back and catching the eye of the diver (in the 4x4) behind before moving would be taught; as would glancing down a T-junction on approach to make eye contact with drivers pulling out, moving right if the junction is parked up to get seen early and prevent drivers overtaking at T-junctions.

I'll have a think about your point about a road narrowing where one vehicle can move through at a time...

catching the eye of the diver

Scuba training thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I'm not a cycle trainer and obviously professionals could do a much better better job of developing and codifying advice

But from observation it seems to be things like:

• Kids need to allow more space before they attempt to "take the lane" because, for example, they can't be seen easily over the bonnet of a 4x4.

• Say you're following a car through a narrow piece of road, as an adult you can see over the top and get a sense of what's happening up ahead. And drivers waiting to come through the other way can see you coming. A child can only really see the back of the car in front and the drivers waiting to come through in the opposite direction have no prior warning a cyclist might be there.

• Pulling out at T Junction. If there are parked cars either side, kids can't as easily see over the top to check what might be coming and have to pull out further into the road. Similarly, cars that want to turn in don't know the kids is there until they've started the turn.

Sound's like something is amiss in their training if they haven't been taught that when approaching a junction (from minor rd to major), if there are parked cars on either side of the junction on the road they're about to join (major), they should not be stopping dead on the give way lines as you know your view will be blocked. They should be "peeping and creeping" to where they can see and be seen. If it's done really well your kids may have been taught to cruise up to the give way lines with in 'set position'.
If they have to stop they're already in set position* but if it's clear they can proceed.

*I think this gives drivers behind a subconscious confidence that the cyclst in front knows what they're doing and are less likely to do that aggressive passive overtake from a static position.

I wouldn't say that. The cycle training has been really good.

I was really only commenting that, having ridden quite a bit with my kids on the streets of South London, it seems like stuff you take for granted as an adult is different for kids -- an eight year old on a 20 inch wheel is simply not as "tall" and therefore harder to see.

But most drivers are much more considerate of kids on the road. So maybe it balances out risk-wise.