Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happy

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Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happy

Post by admin »

We've been cycling to and from primary school for five years now, with the twins on a U-plus-2 tandem trailer bike. This has worked very well, as I'm in control of steering and braking, but they can pedal to help and get a bit of exercise. On a good day I just hear lots of chatting and giggling from the back :) They get to cycle, but they don't need to have 100% concentration all the time.

Sadly we've had a spate of rather-close passes by cars in the last week or so, and the twins are now getting quite fearful about the school run by bike. So much so that last night we had some tears at bedtime about it. I think, now they're nine, they're becoming more aware of their surroundings on the road and the possible effects of a car coming too close. Perhaps it's just we've been unlucky, and had an unusual run of close passes. Perhaps it's just that more cars these days are obese things that are bigger and wider and more scary when passing us.

I've been cycling in traffic for donkey's years, and I'm well aware of when to "take the lane" and when to let cars pass by moving into the secondary position. The roads we cycle along are all local residential 30mph streets, so shouldn't be dangerous. Our route has been the same for years, too, so we know the roads very well. The close passes happen apparently randomly, and not on particular stretches of road (other than one which has lots of central pedestrian refuges, but "taking the lane" at these almost always works well).

The school run is 1.25 miles, and takes about 12 minutes. Walking takes more like 25 minutes. Going by car is possible on some days, but I'm very reluctant to add yet more motor traffic to the streets. We're the only family that cycles to the local suburban primary school of 400 children, lots walk, some use scooters, and many drive. There was another family at our school that cycled daily, but they've given up now and they walk half and hour each way instead. We see three to four other adult cyclists on our way to and from school, and perhaps a handful of secondary school children cycling on their BMX bikes.

Options seem to be:
1) Carry on cycling exactly as we are, reassuring children that it's OK to feel a bit anxious when cars pass too close, but that it's not particularly dangerous.
2) Carry on cycling, but add big bright flashing lights and spacer flags to try to stop cars passing too close.
3) Carry on cycling but let the twins ride their own bikes so they feel more in control. Cars might give them more respect on their little bikes. On road, or on the pavement, as they prefer.
4) Walk to school instead, using bike for the return trip to save time.

I've cycled with one twin not too much stress across Worthing to piano lessons, but most of that was on the motor-traffic free coastal cycleway. And it's a lot easier with just on child to keep an eye on and give guidance to. The rules of the road, and road positioning are easy, it's the decision-making about what the cars might do next that's more difficult for them to do: it takes lots of experience to forecast what motorists might try to do.

Anyone else in a similar situation?

Anyone have any other ideas?
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by Elizabeth_S »

9, its about that age when I was only allowed to walk a certain distance near the school with the eldest. The youngest walked on his own and with friends from a younger age. It could be that they want to walk with friends and are beginning to feel left out. It could be that they are scared. But at 9 they will have an opinion and I suggest you talk to them about it and find out what they want.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by admin »

Nope, nothing to do with wanting to walk with friends: most of their friends get taken to school by car, and we say "hello" to some friends as we cycle past anyway. The problem is simply that they're now getting scared of near passes by motor vehicles. As I say, we've been cycling to school happily since reception, and they're now in year 5. In a year and a bit they'll be able to walk on their own round the corner to secondary school, but we still have a year and a term of primary school (the other side of the busy A27, and more than a mile away) to go.

They love cycling, and don't really want to have to walk every day (they do on some days, anyway, for various logistical reasons, so they know what it's like to walk).

It might be that we've been unlucky in the last week or so, and that things calm down again. But I hate the idea that they're frightened on the back. They've just started pedalling really hard whenever a car comes up behind, to try to keep our speed up to discourage overtaking. We've talked about the risks, and how small they are, but it doesn't help with the actual experience. Even I get scared with some of the near-misses we get.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by Vorpal »

I've had a tears a couple of times from Mini V when she didn't want to ride the bike (she will be 9 in June). My worry in that kind of situation would be putting them off cycling. If you are ok with them accompanied on their own bikes, they may be happier that way. Certainly Mini V prefers to ride her own bike these days, at least for anything under 5 miles.

Something else that might help, is having them look around, and *tell* you when a car is coming. For one thing, that will engage them in doing something, and for another, it may help reduce the close passes if there is a child face staring back at the driver.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by TonyR »

Give them each an Air Zound and ear plugs and/or water pistol to blast drivers that pass too close. Make dealing with them fun and active rather than scary and passive.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by admin »

The Air Zound idea is a great one! I had thought about it for me to use, but thought it might just raise tensions and worry the twins. But if they have control of it, that might be better. They'll also have more time to react to a close pass, and won't be concentrating on steering like I have to :)

They have already started looking behind for approaching cars (and now they will often start pedalling very hard to get our speed up, if they think a close pass is imminent). I think the worry is more that a close overtake will hit me, on the bike in front. We're quite a long rig with the U-plus-2, although most local drivers should know us well enough by now. Hmmm... I might try adding a "LONG VEHICLE" sign to the back, perhaps with "Please Give Us Plenty of Space!" added. Won't affect the "punishment passes" that are designed to scare us off the roads, but might help with the ordinary motorists.

Thanks for the ideas!
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Confidence is hard to build and easy to dent.

Engaging them in lookout and "eye contact" duty may help - as might an airzound for them and or a lollipop flag?

Certainly a "Long vehicle" sign, maybe with "fast moving" as well?
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by 661-Pete »

I'm thinking, camera. Perhaps two cams, one on the helmet of the child in front, facing forward: the other on the child at the back facing rear. If they're very visible cameras, especially if carried by the children, might make motorists think a bit. Just an idea.

Other than that - my choice out of your four options would be, time for the children to go independent on their own bikes. I get the impression you're leaning towards that option too.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by TonyR »

admin wrote:They have already started looking behind for approaching cars (and now they will often start pedalling very hard to get our speed up, if they think a close pass is imminent).


In which case make one of them the rear gunner with a water pistol. If they see a close pass coming up, eye them up and lift the water pistol and I bet the car will swing wide and remember to go wide next time. If not, a shot across the bows. Wielded by an adult it might cause conflict but kids are kids and playing with water pistols is what kids do. Supersoakers etc have a good range and have the advantage they are made up of lots of hi-viz colours so not easy to not see.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Have one filled with nitro morse for the recalcitrant motorist? (Not sensible by the way, the nam will et the plastic and damage the children - but it's fun to imagine)
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by irc »

Is there a way to mount a bright rear flasher on a boom so it's off centre around handlebar width making it quite clear how much room you need?

When I was commuting regularly on shifts and doing 1 trip in the dark every day almost year round I had an aluminium tube mounted on my rear rack. About 2 feet long and off centre to the right so the right hand end was almost handlebar width. With a light on each end I felt the effect was to increase the apparent width. I never had a ny close passes at night.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by firedfromthecircus »

I don't know what to suggest. I am just very saddened to be reading this. :(

You have done the hard part in getting your kids out on the roads in the first place and giving them a love of cycling and active travel. For that to be in jeopardy because of some peoples driving standards is a really poor show.
As a new dad (7 months) I can't actually see me being able to take my son cycling on the road any time soon. I did have hopes for all sorts of fun but now he is here and I am re-assessing the situation it just doesn't feel safe. When I am cycling on my own in the rural area I live I can't even get a mile down the road most days without at least one incident of substandard driving, but at least I am big enough and getting enough out of it to take that risk and make that choice. It's a different story for kids.

Is moving to Holland the only choice left?
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Get a trailer - tow it around, see how much difference it makes...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by TonyR »

firedfromthecircus wrote:I don't know what to suggest. I am just very saddened to be reading this. :(

You have done the hard part in getting your kids out on the roads in the first place and giving them a love of cycling and active travel. For that to be in jeopardy because of some peoples driving standards is a really poor show.
As a new dad (7 months) I can't actually see me being able to take my son cycling on the road any time soon. I did have hopes for all sorts of fun but now he is here and I am re-assessing the situation it just doesn't feel safe. When I am cycling on my own in the rural area I live I can't even get a mile down the road most days without at least one incident of substandard driving, but at least I am big enough and getting enough out of it to take that risk and make that choice. It's a different story for kids.

Is moving to Holland the only choice left?


Sometimes we can over think these things. Whatever the perceptions cycling is very safe and accidents very rare. Against that you will be setting a good example for your kid and they will be getting lots of healthy exercise which has significant long term health benefits. So stop over-worrying and get out there and ride. Mine were on the back of the bike as soon as they could hold their heads up and on the back of tandems from age 4. As the vast majority of kids do they survived it but we sadly can't say the same for several of their friends in cars.
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Re: Cycling to school for years, but children no longer happ

Post by pwa »

I'd try the walking. I used to walk 2 miles to my primary school at that age, and it was fine. It's still good exercise and fresh air, and nothing is more natural than walking.
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