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Now before the flames begin, I'm not one of those helicopter parent types (a saying I read on here) but last night we followed a kid about 12/13 years old, im presuming out on a training ride. All the gear, good quality road bike, lycrad up, decent helmet etc so obviously something he's in to at the very least but no doubt competing.
However it was foggy, he had a shit rear light on and was riding literally 6/12 inch from the kerb line.
I genuinely felt like following him as some kind of support car till he peeled off on to the pavement to go home.
Been bugging me all day as I don't want to read about some kid being flattened on the local Facebook page etc.
Great that he's out there but would you let yours, my lad is under instruction to stick to the pavements after dark.
my lad is under instruction to stick to the pavements after dark.
Mine's 16 and rides pavements all the time. Not under instruction, he just knows what idiots there are out there.
I don't think I'd stop him if he wanted to do something weird like a roadie training ride, but I'd buy him decent lights in a shot!
With good lights you are generally more visible at night than during the day, probably a conversation about lights rather than if you should be or not
With good lights you are generally more visible at night than during the day
Well, the lights are
, probably a conversation about lights rather than if you should be or not
It's a conversation about what wrightyson posted.
It’s a conversation about what wrightyson posted.
OK, properly equipped I'd see no reason for somebody not to be. Risks of riding during the day are there, especially in all sorts of conditions, would you only let a kid ride on the road on a perfect day? In good light with no low sun?
Be suited for the conditions and it seems fine to me, be sensible and understand what is going on then go for it.
Oh
You won't get to be the next Wiggins or Froome without doing this type of riding.
But yes, better lights.
Eldest does quite a lot of training for xc racing. Now 16 and so far we've managed to build up training whilst avoiding him having to do dark road miles.
At the age you mention it was mainly family mtb and rollers in the garage. Over the last few years we've ridden with him at weekends to develop knowledge of local road routes, together with the road skills regarding position, guessing what drivers might do etc.
College now means he can do solo big miles at weekend (we can't keep up) and a midweek afternoon with good recovery / turbo / core stuff in between. So in answer - it isn't that we "didn't let him", just that we steered what he did to avoid the issue.
But there is no excuse for not having good cheap lights these days - we insist he uses them winter daytime, but do find kids are awful for thinking ahead about charging them.