Recreational & Family - Can a 16yo bike by himself?

Thought I posted before, apparently not...

So my little brother wanted to go from Orange County to San Diego by himself. He is 16. My mom said no, that she called the police and they told her it is illegal for him to bike by himself. I searched this and found nothing of the sort, he will not be out past curfew so I don't see him violating any laws. Opinions, comments, concerns, advice?

Other thing: he got a helmet ticket a while ago to the tune of $200. It got waived by a judge because it was his first offense. However, according to CA V C 21212 (e) the fine cannot be more than $25. How is a $200 ticket legal?

Sounds like the child restraint law here. The ticket is $160 or so but when you prove you have the device that remedies the situation(like a booster seat), they toss it. 16 should not be illegal per-se unless the route involves restricted highways or the like. Depending on road savy it may be wise to not go it solo, but an actual legal matter seems like someone was loading the opinion.

He looked it up on Google Maps, it is about 90 miles and there are no highways. I'll let him and my mom know.

What do you mean by child restraint law? He was biking by himself without a helmet, there are no booster seats for a bike lol.

Cops seem to like to make up laws when it comes to at least two things--bicycles, and minors out in public by themselves. There have been ridiculous examples of parents being charged of child endangerment for innocuous things. Some cop might take it upon himself to prove that a 16 year old taking a trip like this is in serious danger.

I wouldn't think that it would be impossible, and depending on the 16-year old, they could be perfectly capable of handling this. But it's just something to keep in mind.

If he follows the Amtrak Century route, he will be near Metrolink and Coaster train stations throughout his ride. If something happens, he can always catch a train home or to his final destination.

I don't see why a 16-year-old wouldn't be able to bike by himself if he had the route planned out and had backup plans and carried a cell phone.

My kid went to Ecuador by herself at 16.

Most of us drive at 16 let alone bike, lol. She should be happy hes not begging for the car keys.

Yes I am 14 and did 2500 miles all on my own last year. You can drive at 16, why can't you bike?

Lol that's what I said. Robby you are 14, you aren't getting kicked off for age limits lol ;)

I don't see a problem with him biking.

That is assuming he is physically capable of making the trip in one day.

Finding a place to overnight can be a nightmare at 16.

Is he a fairly independent kid already? Does he know what to do if he gets in trouble? Can he fix his bike in case of a breakdown or know how to get it fixed? What about a buddy? It might be more fun for him if he shares the experience with a friend. The fact that he wants to do it at all, rather than sitting drooling in front of a computer game makes me inclined to say "Hell, yeah. Go for it! Don't take candy (or drugs or sex) from strangers, and call if you get into trouble." 90 miles? Pffft. Do it.

What about this little guy? https://www.pinkbike.com/video/147106/

Heck, get the whole family involved!

Help plan the route that's the easiest from a terrain standpoint. Maybe Mom, Dad or you and your bro can drive the route together;
a "recon", if you will, before the big one. That way everyone will have a good idea of where he's riding, and know what to expect.
Make it an event, a spectacle, a big 'to do'! Video it and post it on YT!

And, just to be on the safe side; a document written by Mom and Dad giving your little bro permission to undertake his ride, so if
the local po po's get suspicious the letter and a link to above mentioned video showing the entire family's participation will
hopefully cool their heels.

I dunno... personally, I think it's an awesome idea and if it's a dream of his, then stifling it is the worst thing to do.

There's worse things he could be engaging in or be influenced to do at 16.

Alan :thumb:

If you check out another post that is me sorry for the confusion, didn't know if the moderators would boot me for being underage. My mom is not the most active person, so probably not on the bike ride. I am a relatively new bicyclist so I don't really know anybody to bike with. Most of my friends are like "dude, go home and study."

But my mom's main concern is biking alone so I do need to find somebody. I have relatives living in SD so I am thinking about heading down there, spending the night, then heading back up in time for school. Plus a relative (my mom's cousin's sister in law's husband) is an avid biker down in San Diego.

At the risk of invoking clichés....

You've got yer whole life ahead of you, kid. Plenty of time to bike to San Diego and beyond when you're 18. Spend a little time doing 30-40 mile rides in your area, get used to cycling, hit some hills. I'm sure there are plenty of places to do lots of cycling right where you are.

Thought I posted before, apparently not...

So my little brother wanted to go from Orange County to San Diego by himself. He is 16. My mom said no, that she called the police and they told her it is illegal for him to bike by himself. I searched this and found nothing of the sort, he will not be out past curfew so I don't see him violating any laws. Opinions, comments, concerns, advice?

Other thing: he got a helmet ticket a while ago to the tune of $200. It got waived by a judge because it was his first offense. However, according to CA V C 21212 (e) the fine cannot be more than $25. How is a $200 ticket legal?

Heyho, the Land of the Free :(

My friends and I rode distances like that a number of times from ages 15 to 17. Of course, in the seventies we also hitchhiked to travel such routes and no one would think of letting their kids do that now. As far as finding a place to camp, we'd just stealth camp where we saw an out of the way place. No reason a 16 year old can't handle a trip like that.

No reason a 16 year old can't handle a trip like that.

unless he's been pampered his whole life....

Yes I am 14 and did 2500 miles all on my own last year. You can drive at 16, why can't you bike?

You can drive at 16, with a permit, with parent/guardian supervision. :)

Wasn't there a kid who sailed solo around the world at 16?

at 16 I was riding wherever I wanted. I don't really think they have changed anything that would make it illegal, although there are curfews in some locations that might be a concern

When I was 14 or 15 (can't remember exactly) I rode from Brea to Huntington Beach on the Santa Ana river trail. It was about 6 0miles. By the end of it I was totally spent. So...my take is...

Make sure you can do shorter distances before you bite off more than you can chew. This will also prove to Mom that you know what your doing. Then go for it.

seems like a question that only the family involved should deal with.

If the mom thinks it's ok, then this is a non-issue....

Robi

seems like a question that only the family involved should deal with.

If the mom thinks it's ok, then this is a non-issue....

Robi

Yup. If he's in reasonable shape there's no reason that he can't physically make the trip. The rest comes down to maturity, independence, and parental attitudes. No way of knowing that on a forum.

If it was my kid, I guess my default position would be to let 'em at it, unless I could think of a compelling reason not to.

Not my kid though.

Cops are not the ones to ask when it comes to legal matters, it's just easier and safer for them to say no.

There's absolutely no problem, I'm 16 and bike by myself all the time! I cross highways and sometimes ride on them carefully for a about 1/2 a km or so. Absolutely no problem.


Most of us drive at 16 let alone bike, lol. She should be happy hes not begging for the car keys.

Oh and +1

Man, I've been using my bike to get around town since I was 12. I think my parents couldn't WAIT until I could do that, so they wouldn't have to drive me anywhere.

Of course, that was back in the dark ages, before helmet laws or curfews.

As for a 90 mile ride - I'm an adult and I don't know that I'd do that ride alone. If it were 100% on marked trails with lots of other traffic, maybe, but from OC to SD is a little convoluted, I wouldn't want to be caught somewhere in need of assistance without a companion.

If he's a responsible kid I don't think the age is a factor. But I personally wouldn't recommend anyone to do that kind of trip solo, certainly not if it's their first time.

As much as I'm a big supporter of law enforcement, if an officer told your mom that it is "illegal" for a 16-year-old to ride 90 miles solo I believe he is full of it (personal opinion as I am not a legal expert). 16-year-olds can drive coast to coast, take a train or bus cross country, or even take international flights without a guardian present. If mom said "no" she could have him picked up as a runaway but unless there is some whacked law where you live, a 90-mile cycle ride with parental consent should be no different than a 90-mile car trip. Maturity varies wildly among 16-year-olds (the same could be said for 40-year-olds) so it would really be up to the parent to decide if their teen is ready to handle such a venture.

I don't know your younger brother, but saying that a sixteen year old can't go on a long ride by himself seems absolutely nuts. In suburban Maryland, I was riding a lot by myself at a younger age, although I'd never taken a ride that was as long as the one he's proposing. My dad was riding double-centuries when he was a teen-ager, although they were organized rides.
If he's fit, mature, and savvy enough, let him go for it.

LOL I rode my bike whereever I wanted as a kid, now mine ask for rides to town that is like 1.5 miles away ... ugh

Can he, yes. Should he, No. It's aginst the mothers wish for her son to do the ride so he should not do it. If somthing were to happen to him on the ride I would not want to be you. Don't go on the ride against your mothers wishes. When the kid is 18 he can do anything he wishes including move out. Also if somthing were to happen your mother would be resposible. You cannot buy car insurance or registar a car at 16. If someone sells a minor somthing and a parent did not say it was okay you would have to give the minor a refund includeing a bus ticket or an airline ticket. At 16 you cannot even get a drivers lic without your moms permission. You cannot force a minor to pay a ticket but you will not be able to get your drivers lic until you pay the ticket when your 17. What you should do is change your mothers mind about you going on the ride. More honey less viniger.

Is it illegal? I highly doubt it.

Does your Mom have valid reasons to restrict you brother's cycling? I imagine she might.

You can drive at 16, with a permit, with parent/guardian supervision. :)

No..... thats at 15. Drivers license at 16. ;)

At 13, I routinely went for 50-60 mile rides on my own. At 14, I did my first century riding from Maine to N.H. 16 is certainly not too young for a 90 mile solo ride. It's sad to see what a nanny state the U.S. has turned into over the past couple of decades.

So my little brother wanted to go from Orange County to San Diego by himself. He is 16. My mom said no, that she called the police and they told her it is illegal for him to bike by himself. I searched this and found nothing of the sort, he will not be out past curfew so I don't see him violating any laws. Opinions, comments, concerns, advice?

A cop said what the law is, not a lawyer. If you want to know what the laws are, you ask a lawyer and not a police officer.

If you have your route planned out and a cell phone, go and have fun. We did this fairly routinely when I was 15+. My buddy and I would hit the different mini golf courses. That was back in the late 70's early 80's. Personally, I miss SD and Oceanside, and Carlsbad, and.........sigh!
have fun!

legally, I think that cop was making stuff up

practically, I drove from CA to NJ when I was 16. There are some 16yr old kids I wouldnt trust to drive to the corner store. Depends on the kid

It all depends on ability and maturity. It is also important to know why he wants to go to San Diego on a bicycle. If he wanted to go 90 miles, which is really 180, he has to come back, what is the purpose of San Diego?

There are tons of teens that bike long distances to train for different types of rides or even races (aka - training for the Olympics or Tour de France). When I was in my teen years I was gone all day on my bike.

Since this thread is like 4 months old, I'm guessing he did it if he was going to. Since he never came back and posted, I'm guessing he found another hobby and spent his summer doing that instead. Either that or his mom was right all along.

Could always do it like I call "filing a flight plan". My parents made me do that when I would go out of town riding as a teen(and I did a lot). As long as I had an approximate route/timeplan they would generally let me go solo. At least then they had a checkpoint to know when to be concerned. That said, the margins were rather lax. My friend/riding partner at the same time had very stringent flight plan requirements with his parents. Later on I got my Amateur Radio(ham) license, for which my dad and sis were also licensed and that helped a lot on the accessibility. This was before cell phones had reached promincence in that area but the radio was more effective within the radius anyhow. There is no min age for that ;)

When I was 14 or 15 (can't remember exactly) I rode from Brea to Huntington Beach on the Santa Ana river trail. It was about 6 0miles. By the end of it I was totally spent. So...my take is...

Make sure you can do shorter distances before you bite off more than you can chew. This will also prove to Mom that you know what your doing. Then go for it.

+1

My concern for the teen stems mostly from his admission that he is a relatively new cyclist. I know as a teen there were some times where I got far afield and ran into some problems that required calling the parental units to bail me out with their car. I think your advice is solid. Not just for experience, but also for conditioning. Its simple stuff, like knowing how much water and food to take, and how to pace himself and how to fix a flat. There are no stores on the stretch through Pendleton.

What he might do is figure out a route that gives him equal mileage in a circle around his home would give him the mileage, with the advantage of never being too far from help. For example, with a hypothetical example, if he rode about 11 miles from home, and then did a circular route with his home as the center and maintaining that distance from home, and then rode the 11 miles back home, he'd do about a 90 mile ride, yet never be more than 11 miles from home.

Another thing might be to have him join some organized Century rides. But once he has some experience and knows he can make it. Go for it.

i rode from riverside to corona and all over those parts when i lived in socal as a kid up till i turned 16. i rode this all on a bmx also, rode the wheels off that sucker many times. 90 miles, i don't think i did that once but i rode all over that part of socal. when we couldn;t ride, we walked it. for cross country in high school, we ran it. we lived in la sierra and i knew that area with my eyes closed.

i think the mom might not trust the kid enough yet. i know i could tell my mom i was going for the weekend and she was fine with it. but i had been out like that almost as long as i can remember having a bike. when we lived on oahu, i rode all over the side of the island we lived on and i was only 8 or so. i just think the mom just hasn't built up the trust yet.

wait till the car though, you are right about that. once that happened, i was gone. we moved to texas and i was driving across texas on the weekends at 16 and 17. from livingston to corpus christi to austin to houston. no cell phones either, only rich people had those in the early 90s.

My wife went to France alone when she was 16.

90 miles is a decent 1 day ride - likely no reasoin to even camp if there is a warm bed a the other end.

But 16 is a mior and your mother is the decider.

My Uk perpective is that this even being an issue is crazy.
Is a 16 old not counted as an adult in most ways in USA, like the UK??

My Uk perpective is that this even being an issue is crazy.
Is a 16 old not counted as an adult in most ways in USA, like the UK??


I believe they are not even (legally) allowed to have sex... if a 17 yo has sex with an 18 yo, the 18 yo can go to jail for statutory ****.

Sad situation if you ask me. Mom need to get off the sofa and support the kid!

Drive the route first to have a look: we did ths often, especially becouse of health issues i can not risk getting lost or a lot of hills.

Ride with him!

One more thing we tend to forget: it is possible to do a trip together, also if you do not ride a bike: Four peopel, three or four bikes and one car. Put luggage (if you want) and maybe grandma and or the baby in the car plus a driver. The rest is riding bikes. Driver can go ahead, take a look at the road, search for a good place to eat (or stop and cook food), put up the tent or look for a Motel. If one person is riding and want no contact ("want to do this on my own") this is also possible.

If several peopel ride they can take turns riding bikes or driving. This is a good way to test what you can actually do ant to get peopel into touring that would not dare to do it otherways.

We use good quality foldingbikes becouse they are so great to combine with bus/train/car. Often when I am not up to doing a planned biketrip (let`s go and visit x by bikre tomorrow) we often decide my son is riding his bike and I drive. That way he can decide later if he wants to go home by bike (is it too late, cold or dark?), or go with me in the car, both is easy. I think this way he ride his bike much more.

I rode a lot with him when he was younger, to and from school, trough "shady" parts of towns and rural areas. This way I know he know what he is doing and how to avoid problems. He is not into wrenching like me but i made him learn the most important. Last weekend he decided to walk a bike after he found several loose spokes in it. Last time he rode until the wheel (and rear der) broke. He is learning.

Last longish trip he did on his own he had a cell phone, money, rode close to train and bus and I told him to call for help if needed. He enjoyed his trip and is wery happy and proud when he can tell his mates what he did. He is almost 17.

Independent research .. Go find the Statute on the Books.

ask the cop to state the statute , specifically, they are referring to, by number..
in the vehicle code, and go read it yourself..

the judge on the bench Interprets the law, but you can too, and if your interpretation
convinces or changes the judge's mind, then your interpretation wins.

Holy smokes, in grade 5-6 I biked all around Toronto without even a hiccup. 16yr olds can't bike by themselves?

I'd let my kid if he was responsible and fit enough to do the ride. I would probably ask to review the route.

No way in hell he wouldn't wear a helmet though.

Thought I posted before, apparently not...

So my little brother wanted to go from Orange County to San Diego by himself. He is 16. My mom said no, that she called the police and they told her it is illegal for him to bike by himself. I searched this and found nothing of the sort, he will not be out past curfew so I don't see him violating any laws. Opinions, comments, concerns, advice?

Other thing: he got a helmet ticket a while ago to the tune of $200. It got waived by a judge because it was his first offense. However, according to CA V C 21212 (e) the fine cannot be more than $25. How is a $200 ticket legal?

Your mother got wrong information or she is intentionally telling your brotehr wrong information.

If he can drive a car from one end of the state to the other, he can certainly ride 90 miles on his bike.

The ticket is only $25, but court fees and other "add-ons" can jack the fine way past the original low amount.