-
Urban Bicycling With Children
Article Overview
Many people are intimidated by bicycling in an urban environment, and this is even more of an issue when safety for children is concerned. Nonetheless, cycling for transportation or recreation offers many benefits to children (and their parents), and there are many techniques that significantly reduce risk of serious injury while bicycling in an urban environment. This article explores the benefits of urban bicycling with children, safety techniques for riding with children, and examines a range of equipment options for bicycling for children of all ages.
The Case For Urban Cycling With Children
There are a number of very good reasons to bicycle with children in the city. Children are naturally curious and bicycling is an excellent way to explore the urban environment. Bicycling expands the child's universe beyond the immediate vicinity of their home and school, and exposes them to the people and places between home, school, and other destinations. Through bicycling, children learn to read and use maps, navigate traffic, and interact with pedestrians and motorists. Bicycling is also good exercise that is easier to fit into a busy schedule when used for the dual purpose of transportation. Instead of purchasing large vehicles such as SUVs that pollute and detract from our cities while sealing children off from their natural and social environment, parents can bicycle with their children and make transportation an engaging, educational, health-promoting family experience.
Bicycling with children initiates so-called "virtuous cycles" that further promote bicycling. Parents who bicycle with their children may be encouraged to bicycle more often because of their children's enthusiasm for bicycling. Adults bicycling with children tend to zealously guard their children's safety, becoming potent advocates on the road and with government for improving bicycling safety. Motorists tend to drive less aggressively when they are aware of children bicycling nearby. Children who bicycle regularly will be more likely to bicycle as adults. In all of these ways, urban bicycling with children promotes bicycling and bicycling safety generally.
As Enrique Penalosa has said, "The measure of a good city is one where a child on a tricycle or bicycle can safely go anywhere." Parents can help realize this vision of a good city by bicycling with their children and making sure that they are safe.
Riding On the Sidewalk
Generally speaking, even the youngest cyclist if properly equipped and escorted can cycle safely on the sidewalk, although it is best for children to first learn how to cycle in an enclosed area that is not in use by others such as a park, schoolyard or playground during off-hours.
Depending on the jurisdiction, cycling on the sidewalk by children is permitted. In New York City, a child age 12 or younger operating a bicycle with wheels smaller than 26" in diameter is permitted. Many children aged 5 or older can operate a bicycle safely and independently, while exhibiting respect toward pedestrians, on less-crowded sidewalks.
[Add information from other jurisdictions].
It is best for children to remain on the sidewalk until they have learned certain key skills, such as maneuvering around stationary and slow-moving objects (including pedestrians), yielding to others, dismounting and re-mounting smoothly, and stopping at intersections.
A bicycling parent can escort a bicycling child on the sidewalk by holding and operating the handlebars of the child's bike (see above). With a little practice, the adult can accurately control the speed and direction of both bikes, and even come to a complete stop and hold it by distributing most of his or her weight across the front wheels of the two bikes. Though pedestrians sometimes express alarm when confronted with this technique, their concerns often are allayed when it becomes apparent that the adult is in control and will yield and allow pedestrians to pass at whatever speed using whatever path they choose (i.e., "after you"). This technique is too dangerous to use on the roadway among motor vehicles because of the higher speeds and need for greater maneuverability.
Where parents are not permitted to accompany their children on the sidewalk, a child properly trained to stop at each intersection can be accompanied by a parent who rides the length of the block in the roadway and then dismounts at the intersection and escorts the child on foot (or holding the child's handlebars as above) through the crosswalk to the next segment of sidewalk. The adult should try to keep him or herself between the child and intersecting/turning motor vehicle traffic in these situations, as shown below (this may require switching sides in the middle of a two-way street, so that the adult is always between the child and the oncoming traffic):
Riding On Separated Bike Paths
The key skills for children to learn on separated bike paths are (1) the ability to ride at speed in a straight line, so that they are predictable to faster-moving oncoming traffic from behind; (2) signalling turns; and (3) proper use of a bell or horn. Children may find it useful to focus on the painted lines on separated paths that divide traffic by direction or by type (i.e., peds vs. bicyclists) in learning how to ride in a straight line. The escorting adult can help shield the child from faster oncoming traffic by riding directly behind the child. Oral reminders that there are faster, oncoming vehicles behind the child are also helpful.
Riding On On-Street (Painted) Bike Lanes
On-street, painted bike lanes can provide a useful transition for children who have learned how to ride in a straight line, stop at intersections, and are otherwise are prepared to begin riding in motor vehicle traffic. Kids as young as 9 years old can learn these skills.
As opposed to riding in front, as shown above, the escorting adult should ride on the outside flank of the child, just out into traffic (just behind where the child in the photo has his hand held up), for greater visibility to oncoming traffic and to serve as a buffer.
Group Rides
Group rides are an excellent way for children to bicycle safely and independently. Kids often love the excitement and camraderie of group bicycling, which can enhance their overall interest in bicycling. Depending upon the number of adults in the group, they can form a "pod" around the children that will buffer and protect them from motor vehicle traffic. If there are too few adults for a "pod," they should be positioned at the front and at the outside flank, with the children proceeding in between single file or two abreast, depending upon traffic conditions and the size of the group.
Transporting a Child on An Adult Bicycle
There are a variety of child seats that are integrated into the frame of an adult bicycle, including rear wheel-mounted seats, top tube seats, European-style cargo bikes, and "perches," as well as trailers that attach to adult bikes and allow the adult to control the child's motion. Each design has its own safety features, benefits and drawbacks.
Rear Wheel-Mounted Seats
These are the most commonly found type of child seats for adult bikes. They can accommodate larger and older children, are reasonably comfortable for smaller children to nap in, and keep the child close to the adult. The increased weight at the rear of the bike doesn't improve handling, however, and both the child's view and the adult's view of the child are poor for this kind of seat.
Tube-Mounted Seats
Child seats mounted on or above the top tube offer an alternative to rear-wheel mounted seats; the most widely available model (linked here) uses a metal bar that is fixed to the seat post and head tube rather than directly to the top tube. These seats offer the greatest stability, improved views and interaction between adult and child, and those with a padded front rest give some possibility for the child to nap. Their main disadvantage is that except on bikes with large frame sizes, the placement of the seat forces the adult to ride bow-legged; with older, larger children the adult may even find it uncomfortable to ride low on the handlebars.
There are also frames with built-in tube-mounted seats, but this design of bike does not appear to be marketed widely (or at all) in the United States.
Front Wheel-Mounted Seats
As with tube-mounted seats, the advantage of this type is that the child's view is not blocked by the parent, and it is easier for adult and child to communicate safely while riding. By mounting on the stem and/or handlebars, the problem of riding bow-legged is reduced, but handling is somewhat compromised by having the child and seat move together with the front wheel as it turns. These seats are not very comfortable for small children to nap in, as they offer no head support.
Below is a bike with older models of both front- and rear-wheel mounted seats.
Cargo Bikes
These provide the safest and most comfortable ride for both adult and child, but their weight can be a disadvantage in hilly neighborhoods, and they are generally more expensive than other options. There are several configurations of cargo bikes; tricycles (pictured below), "Long John" style bicycles, and Xtracycles, which provide an extended rear cargo rack that can mount one or possibly two child seats.
Tricycles
Much like cargo tricycles, conventional tricycles (with two fixed wheels in back, and one for steering in the front) can also be adapted with rear child seats. These have recently become very fashionable in New York (need reference, photo).
Trailers
Probably the most common way to transport children by bike, trailers offer flexibility and comfort; however they are not well suited for urban transportation as they are wider and less maneuverable than other options. While the enclosure and low position offer more comfort and safety from falls for the child, it is directly in the splash from the rear tire, making it less desirable for all-weather travel. (A good rear fender for the bike can help with this.)
Trailer cycle (a.k.a. trail-a-bike, third wheel attachment)
An excellent option for older children, these allow children to actively participate in riding, while not requiring them to do the whole ride themselves.
Perches
As shown below, there are small seats and footrests that install on the top and front tubes of an adult bicycle frame, sometimes called "perches." Perches generally are not sold with seatbelts, and so they pose a risk of the child flying forward in the event of a collision or a short stop (see examples below):
"Perching" a child on the top tube or front tip of the seat of an adult bicycle without any saddle, footrests or seatbelt to hold them there is unsafe and often illegal. In addition to the risk of serious injury in the event of a collision, it is uncomfortable to sit on a tip tube for any length of time and a child may, in attempting to reposition for greater comfort, fall off (see below).
ALSO ON THE LIVABLE STREETS NETWORK
REFERENCES
Each source is referred to by the same number every time it is cited. Please keep citation style consistent.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
PICTURE REFERENCES
Pictures are cited in the order they appear above. Please keep citation style consistent.
[1] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[2] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[3] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[4] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[5] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[6] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[7] WeeRIde
[8] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[9] iBert, Inc.
[10] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[11] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[12] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[13] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[14] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[15] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
[16] BicyclesOnly (Flickr)?
