Your cycling fallacy is…
“Cycling isn't a practical transport option when you have children”
The response
This is a problem of public infrastructure, as children generally don't have a problem cycling! Most children are attracted to cycling, rightly seeing it as providing freedom.
The reason many people believe it is too difficult to ride somewhere with children is because there is insufficient provision of safe places to cycle. Areas with high volumes of cycling invariably have safe places to do so – off-road paths, protected cycleways, separation from motor traffic, quiet residential streets, etc.
As the Dutch and Danish experience shows, children are able to cycle significant distances from a young age, and cycling with children can be a great way for families to get around, and also for children to travel independently. Data shows that in the Netherlands almost half of all trips made by under-17s are cycled, and over three-quarters of high school pupils cycle to school.
Dutch families cycling safely at a busy urban junction
Photo by The Alternative Department for Transport (Copyright, used with permission)
The children in this photo are too young to have taken their school cycling lessons, yet are already cycling to and from school.
Photo by The Alternative Department for Transport (Copyright, used with permission)
Photo by As Easy as Riding a Bike (Copyright, used with permission)
Photo by A View From The Cycle Path (Copyright, used with permission)
Photo by As Easy as Riding a Bike (Copyright, used with permission)
Further reading
- Carrying children on bikes — Bike Hub
- Cycling with children guides — Sustrans
- Going on a bike ride with children — Cycling UK
- Cycling with a baby — BicycleDutch
- The school run in Assen: Two-thirds of children cycle to school in this suburb — A View From The Cycle Path
- Dutch children must cycle at an earlier age — A View From The Cycle Path
- Arriving at school by bicycle — BicycleDutch
- Cycling to school — BicycleDutch
- Starting cycling with children — Cycle Sprog
- Cycling with babies and toddlers — BicycleDutch
- Cycling to school in Culemborg, the Netherlands on YouTube Show video Hide video
Čeština
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