daughter gone... With bicycles...

[phil_hg_uk]

I find it quite terrifying to be honest. Made me even more determined to keep cycling with my son. At least if he gets used to the roads with me riding along spouting Cycle Craft at him, he'll have more chance of survival if he decides to get a moped later on.

I tell you one thing though I find that anyone who has ridden any type of motorcycle is almost always a much safer car driver as a result, because they know the dangers that cars present to motorcycles and drive accordingly.

 

[Sara_H]

I tell you one thing though I find that anyone who has ridden any type of motorcycle is almost always a much safer car driver as a result, because they know the dangers that cars present to motorcycles and drive accordingly.

I think that counts for cycling too, I know I'm a much better driver due to experience as a cyclist.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I find it quite terrifying to be honest. Made me even more determined to keep cycling with my son. At least if he gets used to the roads with me riding along spouting Cycle Craft at him, he'll have more chance of survival if he decides to get a moped later on.

I didn't use Cyclecraft with my children, just some homespun old nonsense I made up.... But it seems to be similar in content.

One of my 'tricks' when they were younger was that if I called their name while we were riding, they had to say what the car behind was without turning to look. So...

"Silver Ford!" or "Blue van with two people in it!". It sounds Draconian, but they liked it. It was a regular thing for all of them until they were about ten.

Another one was asking how many fingers I was holding up when riding behind them, as I thought that some glances behind weren't really 'proper' glances. Bizarrely, they liked that game, too.

Some years later I was out riding with my daughter (probably around thirteen then and a seasoned cyclist). I was behind and called her name to tell her something. Without turning she yelled "Blue Audi!"

And it was. We're a bit sad, because we still giggle about that Fascist conditioning OI made them suffer... But for all the silliness of the games, my children all have pretty good rear-facing radar. On our NSL A-Roads where many drive at 70+mph, that is a Very Good Thing.

As an ex-motorcyclist of great enthusiasm and limited skill, I am jolly glad that none has yet acted on the desire to have a 'bike. But I'm sure they will...

 

[Gravity Aided]

Reminds me of my Father, also one for talking while cycling, and testing us on our awareness, and promoting the idea that bicycles are vehicles also. My Mother also rode, but was a bit more frantic about things we kids were doing.