Cycling to School

If you have any questions on cycling to school, please mail william at bramhill.net. We welcome approaches from teachers, parents and senior students.

Many children can start cycling to school from an early age - if mum or dad has a bike seat or passenger trailer. They often enjoy this far more than being stuffed into a car and sitting in jams - and you'll be giving them a lesson in life, too, teaching them about helping the environment and staying fit.

Children will probably need off-road routes to start accompanied cycling at junior school level, though by year five and year six (ages 10 and 11), parents should be teaching them basic on-road bike skills and considering cycle training ready for "big school".

It can be a wrench allowing them to cycle by themselves for the first time. You can prepare them by taking them along the route several times beforehand, making sure they know how to tackle any difficult sections. You should also be aware of the school's rules on after-hours bike parking - some schools lock their bike sheds early - and check the bike for safety, buying lights if necessary. Colchester Cycling Campaign view on helmets.

Contrary to opinion, shared bike-ped routes are very often not as safe as the road - frequent crossings of side roads and driveways add in hazards - there are also pedestrians to contend with.

However, the road environment can be daunting, and that is why Colchester Cycling Campaign is seeking three key measures, as well as asking for changes to make certain vital links more safe. It is interesting to note that an increasing number of cyclists in cities worldwide is leading to a decrease in injury levels.

We are also calling on all parents to improve the standard of their own driving (and riding) by driving well within speed limits and being courteous to pedestrians and cyclists.

PS: If your school doesn't have one already, consider setting up a Bicycle User Group!