I had my full driving licence, and owned a car, within a week of my 15th birthday. I drove to school for 6th and 7th form, when I could afford the petrol. Is your daughter a bit (struggles to find appropriate word and not cause offence) um differently abled ?

I had my full driving licence, and owned a car, within a week of my 15th birthday.

I’m guessing American?

Is your daughter a bit (struggles to find appropriate word and not cause offence) um differently abled ?

To be fair the daughter appears to not have an issue with doing said trip – it’s the perception of the perceived risk by the mother that is an issue.

Kiwi. They have changed the rules now, so you can’t do that any more is a graduated system. So yes, I learned gears and everything.

Probably a gradual thing – my mum wouldn’t let me cycle 5 miles to school in the 80s because it involved crossing a DC, would have much rather done that than taken the bus.

From this I conclude that my mum wished me dead, as when I was 15 she was quite happy for me to ride out of Bristol over the Severn bridge and into South Wales/Forest of Dean on my own.

Indeed. As my mum said to me the other day: “I never saw you from the age of 12”. We’d ride our BMX’s to 3 Sisters, or Barton BMX tracks. Or ride the road bikes (or ‘racers’ as they were known in those days) to Manchester Airport or out to Chester. We’d just disappear in the morning and come back in the evening. Our parents just assumed we were sensible enough to try not to die.

As I’m still alive I just apply the same standards to my daughters. They’re presently up in the woods somewhere. I’m sure they’re still alive. Probably.

After last week’s discussion re the 7yr old being 40mins from home I tested the waters with my sister and sister-in-law who both have 4yr olds this weekend. Depressingly they were both in the never let them out of my sight at 7 camp. I have a little park less than 40 yards up the road in our little village – you can see the tops of the swings out of our bedroom window. It would mean crossing the road but it is a tiny country lane with about a dozen cars a day along it. Both claim there is no way their kids would be allowed to go to the park on their own from our house at 7yrs old. Both said they didn’t have an issue with the road but they wouldn’t because…well…perverts. I tried to persuade them they had more chance of winning the lottery than their child being abducted but both said it was risk not worth taking. I despair. And the SIL is a primary teacher – I thought she would have more common sense.

SIL is a primary teacher – I thought she would have more common sense

really? most teachers never actually left school…. 😆

sadly times have changed, far more pervs and far more traffic, which equates too far more idiots on the roads,its not about the age, its more about being self aware on the roads and treating all drivers as if they havnt seen you, so take more precautions,ive cycled since i was 10yrs, im now 54, and been knocked off 6 times luckily nothing serious, but now im alot more aware of where i cycle and where i position myself on the road,it only takes a near miss to put some people off cycling on the roads, my misses doesnt like it for that reason,i think ita all down to the individual, wether or not they are confident in their abilities on the road, it will never be a 100% safe, but you can minimise the risks, like on busy roads instead of waiting in the middle of the road to make a right turn, wait at the side and wait for a gap in the traffic.

I grew up and live in suburbia in the South East of England.
The roads where I live are probably three times as busy now as when I was scooting around on my bike in the 1980s/90s.
There are also a lot more parked cars, which make it more dangerous for cycling.
I don’t see any kids cycling around here now, unless they are with adults.
Very sad.

3km on the A272 into Winchester yesterday.

The end of a lovely 60km ride on quiet lanes. It’s far too narrow to pass in the lane so riding well outgrow the kerb as bikeability teaches. No cycle lane. Not even any pavement. Then an unprotected right turn onto a dual carriageway with a blind bend with cars coming round at 80mph.

First punishment pass within a km. Second with use of horn. Crossing into the dual a leap of faith.

UK drivers are **** basically and they’re getting worse.

If it’s the 3 miles into Manchester City centre on the A34, including the 4-lane section when you need to be in lane 2 to avoid ending up on the M60 I have to agree with your wife. That’s not safe. But then I didn’t die (nor did any of the 5 other guys I was with), so maybe it was safe after all, 100% of people survive.

At 17 I cycled from my house to the station in Keighley (2 miles along an A road), from Keighley station I got a train to Leeds, then a train to york, then a train to Edinburgh, from Edinburgh I rode the Capital Trail at a distance of 150 miles with a loaded bike. Having finished said 150 miles I then got all 3 trains back to Keighley and rode 2 miles back up an A road to my house.
Convinced?

sadly times have changed, far more pervs

This proves my point about the media being partly to blame. There are no more pervs about than in the 70’s and combined with the fact that most pervs are known to the abused it makes no sense to link pervs with riding on the road.

Don’t believe everything you read in the papers…

Surely it depends on the A road? If it’s the A1, then you might want a different route?

I cycled with my mates to Durham down the A690 one summer (can’t remember why we didn’t do the off-road route along the river to Fatfield and down). I’d been club riding for two years at that point, didn’t stop me being nearly wiped out by a trailer-wagon. That was over 20 years ago, roads are busier now.

Again, depends on the A road. Which is it and where?