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 Remember how much fun you and your friends used to have riding bikes around the neighborhood? Kids today aren’t usually seen riding without adult supervision, but cycling is still great for kids (and a little exercise for you probably couldn’t hurt), so load up the bikes, kids and helmets and head out for a ride. Staying smart when biking is important, though. The Georgia Department of Transportation’s Bike Sense: A Guide for Cyclists & Motorists offers some great advice about biking with kids. Here’s the big stuff: Kids can participate in cycling from a young age. Young children should start out in a child’s seat or a trailer. Slightly older children will get their start when they graduate from a tricycle to their first bicycle, often equipped with training wheels. It is important to stress that a bike is a vehicle, not a toy, and Georgia traffic law defines it as such. With the freedom and mobility come many responsibilities, including safety considerations. Be a good role model. Be familiar with safe cycling practices and make a point to ride safely and responsibly. Wear a helmet. Stop at stop signs. Wear brightly colored clothing. Use riding as an educational opportunity. Talk to your child and point out safety issues as you’re riding. Make note of potentially hazardous situations; you can also point out certain types of plants and animals or talk to your kids about memories from your own childhood as you ride. Bike Trailers vs. Bike SeatsBike trailers and bike seats each have pros and cons. A trailer is the more stable way to transport a toddler who has adequate neck strength. A seat loaded with a child raises the bike’s center of gravity, making it more top-heavy and prone to tip over. Also with a bike seat, children wanting to see around the adult’s body will shift back and forth in the seat; adults can unexpectedly lose their balance. However, a child in a bike seat has a better view than a child in a trailer. Both trailers and seats have five-point harnesses to keep a child firmly restrained, but in the event of an accident, trailers provide a frame to absorb impact. Most bike trailers also have hitches that keep the trailer level in the event the adult falls. On top of being heavier, a trailer creates more wind drag, especially if the clear vinyl windshield is rolled up to increase ventilation. Trailers also tend to be wider than a bike, which can present problems in narrow or confined spaces. Because trailers are more enclosed, they are more conducive for use during cooler or wetter weather, but in summer they can be considerably hotter than a bike seat. The choice of either a trailer or a seat depends upon the purpose of travel and the relative riding skills of the parent. Recreational riders who only ride with their children in good weather will most likely be content with a seat. Parents who rely on their trailers for transportation may find a trailer more versatile Getting Started: Ages 1-44Children can begin cycling at about 12 months old. Be sure to get an OK from your pediatrician before getting started. Georgia law requires anyone under the age of 16 to wear a helmet while cycling. This applies to toddlers who are passengers on a bicycle or a trailer. Rear-mounted child seats are a good way to get started with small children, but they do raise the bike’s center of gravity, which will make it handle differently. Many parents find themselves going directly to a trailer instead. These allow the child to ride behind the bike rather than on top of it. Newer models will disengage in a crash, reducing the likelihood the trailer will roll over. Overall, trailers are considered the safer of the two options. Most preschoolers don’t have the coordination to ride by themselves. However, it is still not too early to get them familiar with the parts of a bike and how they work. Show them the brakes and how to apply them. Teach them to keep hands and feet away from the spokes of a spinning wheel and clear of the chain. Preschoolers should not ride in the street. Explain that they are hard for drivers to see, and use it as a bridge to a lesson on dressing for visibility before going out on a ride. Once they’re up and running (without training wheels), let them get some experience on driveways, trails or sidewalks with close adult supervision. Continue to stress safety issues. Ages 5-10School age kids can grasp the basics of cycling. Make them familiar with shifting and braking, as well as dodging rocks and obstacles. This is a good time to introduce general concepts of how cyclists interact with one another. Stress the importance of always riding on the right and passing on the left. Teach them to make eye contact with other cyclists. Basic concepts of group riding, like not riding too close to others, using hand signals to indicate stops and turns, and giving verbal warnings such as “on your left” when passing other riders, can be discussed. Stress the concept of riding with traffic rather than against it, and always ride this way to set a good example. Tweens and TeensKids ages 11-14 have the physical ability to ride independently. If they already have some cycling experience, they’ll be familiar with the basics of bike handling and safety. They are likely to have interest in bicycle accessories; gloves, rearview mirrors and different types of clothing can be useful. How and when to use head and taillights is important, and also required by law. If they are regular riders, their bikes can be equipped with some simple tools and a pump for changing a flat. They can also get more involved in maintaining their bikes and learn to make simple repairs such as changing or patching a tire. This is also a good time to show them more about safe positioning on a road or trail. Scanning for traffic is a good habit to get them into. Teach them to check behind before changing lanes or moving out into traffic.
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Helmets for children:
It’s the Law