Riding with Children

adult following child, both on bicycles and wearing helmets, headed along a path.

Biking with your children is great way to get out and explore Madison! Not only is it a fun and healthy activity, but spending time biking with your children is a great way to emphasize the importance of health and fitness. Teaching a child to ride a bike can make an invaluable contribution to their health and fitness which they can carry through to adulthood.

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Sidewalks, however, can present a host of hazards to bicyclists. If your children ride on sidewalks, teach them to be safe. Teach them to be cautious when riding past shrubs, fences and buildings that create blind spots at driveways and intersections for both bicyclists and motorists. Teach your children not to enter the intersection unless waved on by the driver, and to look for other traffic that might turn across their path first. Children should warn others before passing them by saying "Excuse me" or "Passing on the left." Remind them that pedestrians always have the right of way on sidewalks and in crosswalks.

Children often make left turns, or swerve left around parked cars or other hazards, without looking behind them first to see if there are cars close behind them. Teach your children to do this by having them ride a straight line and look over their left shoulder when you call out their name. When they look back, they should shout out how many fingers you are holding up.

On a properly sized bicycle, your child should be able to stand over the top bar with their feet flat on the ground and an inch or two of clearance over the bar. They should be able to reach and squeeze the brake levers comfortably. A child who cannot reach the ground or the brake levers will be less likely to stop when required, and the bicycle will be harder to control in general.