garysol1 

Well my son wants to take up road biking. Just what I need, another bike in the garage...lol. At what age do you think it is SAFE for a child to ride on the roads with a parent. Now I know all kids are different so just state a age range. My son is a very mature 11yo but I just don't think I could handle the stress of trying to keep him safe on the road. On the other hand......I did my first century when I was 12 years old. Keep in mind that I am not talking about racing or strenuous training. Just recreational riding.

fmw

He should be fine. After all, he has an experienced instructor.

gapowermike

I'd be nervous about anything under 13-14. And I would have to ride with them at ALL times. That being said it would be great to get the kids out with you. Promoting a healthy lifestyle for them and getting some quality time together.

Good luck Gary and make sure he wears a helmet!

Michael

timwat

Boy, that's a tough one, Gary.

For me, there were several factors to consider:

1) marked increase in Amber Alerts in No. California
2) traffic in East Bay suburban area (don't know what Collierville is like)
3) ability of child to take serious matters seriously (possibilities of bad drivers, speeding autos, etc.)
4) general responsibility - will he leave the new Colgango I bought him outside the 7-11?

All kids are different, but I don't have to tell you that. For my older son I felt comfortable with giving him more freedom way earlier than my happy-go-lucky younger one.

I know this is is no help at all. Definitely not a "one size fits all" question.

garysol1 

We have lots of traffic and terribly thin roads with little to no shoulder. So that means we would ONLY ride within the neighberhood (7-8mile loop maybe) or drive to the next town west that has bike lanes. That could be a factor Tim. The PIA factor.

Michael...Helmet's are a lifestyle in this house. My kids dont touch a bike or scooter or skates for that matter with out a lid on. No if's and's or but's.

SteveE

Let's see, in 2005, according to the CHP website, there has been one Amber Alert in Northern California this year where the suspect was not related or known to the family of the child.

garysol1 

Can we PLEASE keep this thread on topic...........

timwat

Yeah, Steve, but as a parent my heart sinks everytime there's an Amber Alert, whether the suspect is related or known or not. Doesn't yours?

timwat

Ok, sorry about the diversion, Gary.

Is your son interested at all in the competitive aspects of cycling? That might get you all over the PIA factor.

Another wild thought. Do you have a velodrome nearby? How many dads get their sons into crazy track fixed gear at 11?

garysol1 

No Velodrome.....this is Memphis....Not exactly the cutting edge of recreation in this area but I LOVE the idea Tim. He races BMX and while he does well he is not a competition junkie. He would be happy to just spin the miles like dad.

SteveE

Sorry Gary. Back to the topic at hand.

I think that it depends on the child and also the roads that you take him on. If he can ride in a straight line, listen to and obey your instructions, and there are roads with wide shoulders, little traffic, and not high speeds, then it would be ok. I would avoid residential areas where there are lots of intersections and cars pulling in and out of parking spaces and driveways. I also think it is better if you have a larger group than just the two of you. When our kids were younger, we would have at least one adult out front and one or more adults behind. If you can afford it, getting a tandem is a good idea. You can go farther and you, as an adult, remain in charge of any situation.

timwat

Good ideas, Steve. The tandem is one I hadn't considered.

Since your whole family has bikes (per your sig), is there interest in everyone going roadie? Great opp to up the Team Performance points. LOL

A good, long stretch of several miles to ride, if you need to both climb in the car and drive there, would be a great place to teach your son about drafting, pace line, all those finer points, etc.

garysol1 

Not a problem Steve...LoL...
Negative on the Tandem. I can't spend that kind of cash while he is growing so fast.........unless.......the stroker position could fit him as well as my wife

SteveE

My wife and I got a tandem pre-kids. We never went the trailer route. The first thing we got was an add-a-bike. Then we put a kiddie stoker kit on the bike. When the girls got too old for that, we moved to crank shorteners. Now that they are both teenagers (16 & 18) they can ride in the stoker position by merely changing the saddle height. The younger one is now riding with us on a single, while the older girl is my stoker. My wife rides her single, too.

Felt Z65

I'm from Louisville KY but visit Memphis. Shelby Farm has some nice trails, not a whole lot of distance but pretty safe and a nice surface.

twahl

Traffic should be your primary factor in deciding, but no reason to believe he couldn't adequately handle a road bike. My daughter was 10 this spring when she did her first metric, and she regularly rides 20+ with us. My son is about to be 14 and handles 15 mile hammerfests with me. He's usually drafting me and I don't keep it too strong, but we certainly do it in well under an hour. He does 30+ with me regularly. Daughter doesn't have a road bike yet, she's on a Sirrus, but I plan to get her a road bike next spring, and she's looking forward to it, and she's making noises about racing.

We ride on the road mostly, but mostly residential when we can. When we can't, I generally ride sweep.

Panic

Back in 2000 I bought my 11 year old a Gitane Road bike, some guy in New Orleans had them and was just beginning to sell them. I took him to the school parking lot and had him do some laps and when he felt comfortable we hit the River Levee ride.

he did great the first 5 or 6 miles, then on the way back he deciding to race a truck that would be crossing the street. He missed the truck but hit a dirt mound and wiped out in the road getting road rash and bruises.. The truck had a stop sign, but my son was going to fast. Watching him crash is a memory that I will have forever.

I told him to slow down, and he's normally a cautious kid - but he thought he was going to fast to slow down.

Well now at 16 he wants a road bike, he's been riding around town for nearly 4 years and I'm sure he'll be fine - but of course I'll still be nervous with that memory etched in stone on my brain.

That said....I'd wait till he's 14.

saintx

my son is 7 we live somewhat out in the country, we wake up early on Sunday mornings to ride our loop. This is about 10 miles of country 2 lane roads, and I basicaly take up the whole road with him in front of me hugging the white line. I enjoy this immensely but I'm a nervous wreck at the end.

dfw

My daughter is 9 and we do about 10 miles a couple of times per week. Most of this is on the bike trail, but we ride on the roads to and from. We also do the roads in our neighborhood about every other day. There are kids younger than her out there by themselves, but their parents should be spanked.

trayer350

You know the maturity of your son, and you know what level of stress you want to handle.

garysol1 

If I had all the answers I would not have posted here for others opinions. Thanks your input.

FFFda7th

I will add this... when I was younger, about your sons age, my dad was an avid cyclist. Occasionally he'd take me with him (this was in so cal.). These were some of the best times of my life. When I was a teenager I hated everything that had to do with him, even cycling. Now that I'm older, I don't even own a car a cherish those days of cycling with my dad (I even race him at times, even though we live 400 miles away). Those times I spent with my old man will never be forgotten. Depending on how comfortable you feel about the situation (traffic, cars, etc.) I think the time you spend with your son, and the time he spends with you, will mean a lot. All things being equal, I say you will love every minute.

SirScott

Take him out on the 7-8 residential loop and see how he does. Once you feel comfortable with him there, take him out on slightly busier roads. I think you too will be fine. He's plenty old.

Roadie2112

He should do fine. I am 14 turning 15 next month and rode the Seattle to Portland this year with my friend who is the same age as me. After it became obvious to my parents that I was safe with my biking and responsible they let us do the ride alone since no one else in either one of our families are bikers.

garysol1 

Very impresive......We need more young people like you around here. Again....GREAT JOB!
I bet you get good grades as well.