I just presume it’s xbox and all that shit?
I’ve found a nice little circuit probably no more than 3/400m in some local woods that incorporates a couple of sharp climbs a bit of twisty stuff a nice humped jump and a steep drop in. Laddo (starts big school in september) loves it so I said you wanna come up here in the summer with a few of your mates, the response was none of my mates really ride bikes.

Tricky to type in real-time on Facebook. 😆

Too many cars making too many parents too afraid in most places I reckon, so the kids never get started.

My lad says the same thing, none of his mates ride bikes.
Sad times, I lived on mine as a kid

Kids arnt allowed out of sight of parents, cos of the ‘peodos‘. So to go biking requires the parents to, which they dont want to, so the better choice is to buy them a £500 console and matching giant tv to keep them indoors and then protest to their friends they wished little timmy would play outside.

Kids are gamers now . Majority anyway .

What choice did we have?
It was Crown Court or the Grifter.

Thus, we lived outdoors.

3 things I reckon, in no particular order:
– kids aren’t brought up roaming miles away from home on their own like they used to be, on bikes or otherwise
– cycling increasingly seen as dangerous by parents
– other stuff to do, Xbox, Facebook, Netflix box sets etc.

Edit to add a 4th:
– physical activity generally seems to seen as something to avoid outside of specific sports/gym contexts.

Kids arnt allowed out of sight of parents, cos of the ‘peodos’.

Pretty sure we had stranger danger in the late 70s/early 80s.

I was out on my bike all the time and I didn’t have an easily traceable mobile device…

Son lived on his bike, daughter barely touched one till her 30s now she bikes, runs, swims, goes to the gym etc. However her kids aren’t really interested whereas sons 2 love their bikes. Daughter lives on a housing estate, son lives in a small country village on the main road through it.
There are half a dozen girls of about aged 8 blasting around my curled sac most nights and weekends but I do agree we see less kids of all ages on bikes or in the local parks even
I know my grand kids appear to have a load of home work these days and lots of other choices like swimming, dancing, scouts, brownies etc the costs af doing all these things all add up.
Scooters also seem to be popular nowadays ❓
We had 30 kids at our bike club last night on a trail 7mls out of town 😆

We live on a residential street that leads nowhere (it’s a circle basically) in the Peak District. It sees maybe 50 cars a day. Our next door neighbours won’t let their 3 and 6 year olds ride bikes because the street is too dangerous. They also got me to source a replacement chain cover for a 16″ Raleigh because cycling without it was too dangerous. Why the boy can’t just tuck his trousers into his socks I don’t know.

Parents seem a bit mental about risk these days.

Plenty round by me. Depends where you live innit. Riding down the Taff Trail the other day noticed that the little bombhole area seems to have been updated into a passable looking pump track, with loads of kids on it.

Also, many are at skate parks with bikes but also skateboards and scooters.

It was all kidnappers in the 70’s/80’s and being scared that some old man might force you to get in his car.
And the Apaches public information film (they’d never be able to scare the c**p out of 10 year olds like that now).

Used to ride bike several villages away, with a 20p coin taped to the handlebars, and was taught how to use a phone box.

Too much traffic now. But what the parents haven’t sussed out is that THEY are the traffic.

jimdubleyou – Member
Kids arnt allowed out of sight of parents, cos of the ‘peodos’.
Pretty sure we had stranger danger in the late 70s/early 80s.

I was out on my bike all the time and I didn’t have an easily traceable mobile device…

POSTED 4 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
I’d be more concerned about the junkies that hang about the parks. Sad fact of life the the council inspections are more looking for needles and other drug/drink paraphernalia these days 🙄 Having said that you knew or soon learned which of the “big boys” to avoid if you saw them hanging about. We also didn’t have any play parks only farms, fields, rivers, castles and shorelines to amuse ourselves on.
Like you but in the 60s we went everywhere by bike. It was a mike to school which is where the only phone box was but with no money or phone in our house it want much use to most of us 😕 Vehicles were much smaller in those days, a tractor now covers the same amount of road as 2 small cars ❗

Both kids ride to school everyday and to get about every evening. Its slightly less of a shithole here than most of the UK though.

Its getting worse though and I do sometimes worry, car people are just such nobheads.

Funnily enough, just went out to the garage after reading this and 3 kids rode past on bikes! Is quite rare though, apart from the paper boy.
My son rides to school every day, but none of his mates do.

I asked (challenged) the headmaster as to why children aren’t actually allowed to ride to school. He said it was because of the traffic danger. The schools traffic danger is idiot parents who drive like dicks!

There are plenty of kids of all ages by me (luddenden Foot, Calderdale) that ride.
A few have even rebuilt a lot of old jumps in some woods!
All the weirdos live further up the valley in Hebden bridge so I guess their parents think it’s safe to play out 😈

I’d love my kids to ride more, but the sad reality is, until they’re old enough, and competent enough to ride on reasonably busy roads unaccompanied, then they can’t. We live on a pretty busy road, and the nearest park is two miles, and several main roads away, so unless I take them there, they can’t ride.

The lad is becoming a dab hand at riding around the back garden though, which is a decent enough size.

It is frustrating though, as at the same age as him, I was riding all over the village we lived in and out all day by myself, but it was a smallish village, with very little traffic in the 80s. Very different from the busy town we now live in.

There are half a dozen girls of about aged 8 around my curled sac most nights and weekends

Best.Typo.Evah!

Awesome! 🙂

The fear of ‘the boogeyman’, fear of any precious child being hurt in any way, fear of what others will think about thier parenting.
Increased cars – more traffic (if on foot or bike), also more use of that car to facilitate increased acccess to commercialised play opportunities, classes such as dance, music, sport. Our relationship with local area around our houses is mainly by car – not foot.
Parents, particularly women, now working full time because of the need or choice to earn more, over time with kids.
Distractions and competing computers/screen/phones means the argument of ‘get out’ is harder, and ‘I’m bored’ is not to be heard, because a switch means entertainment.
A society that values exam passes, wealth and status above all else, to the detriment of ‘childhood’ and play.
.
Interestingly, the lack of outside, contact with nature, low physical literacy, less social time, no boredom, no risk taking, always warm, mental rather than physical tiredness, lack of responsibility and no need for resiliance fails our kids and society.

I asked (challenged) the headmaster as to why children aren’t actually allowed to ride to school. He said it was because of the traffic danger.

Our school had a Bike To School DAY as part of Bike Week last year.

Well intentioned I’m sure, but I couldn’t help thinking that it was a shame the school promoted it as one special day, rather than just a generally good idea.

And of course they had the usual dire warnings and caveats about children needing helmets, high viz and close adult supervision at all times. Which only reinforces how terribly dangerous it all is. When in reality most could do the entire route on paths.

But yeah – growing traffic levels is definitely a major factor.
This is quite sobering:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-VuB131sFo[/video]

Fascinating thread. All the main points have been covered – games consoles (Thoroughly addictive and mind numbing), parental paranoia, peado fear etc. My tuppence worth is that; aside there being a lot more cars on the roads – compared to the late 80’s/early 90’s when I was cutting my sprocket teeth – cars and drivers are more aggressive and insulated. I’m very worried for my children when they cycle; not through any fault of their own.

But, it has to be said, you just don’t see that many kids hanging out and playing these days without close parental supervision. Kids don’t play in streams making dams anymore. It’s not just cycling.

Sad fact of life the the council inspections are more looking for needles and other drug/drink paraphernalia these days

NOt anywhere I have lived

[/quote]I asked (challenged) the headmaster as to why children aren’t actually allowed to ride to school. He said it was because of the traffic danger

My kids school tried to get me to sign a declaration saying the bike would be well maintained, they would wear helmets and lights in winter

I asked to see the dec for drivers about having MOT, insurance, appropriate setas, parking respectfully etc

Only one other child cycles to school

As above its mainly traffic danger, kids dont play out as much so the ones who do are the feral near do wells

the ones who do are the feral near do wells

And on the flipside I think some parents worry that their own kids will be seen as the feral ones if they are allowed to run free.

Brilliant wee hand-dug jump/pump track in the woods near me – they all want to be the next Danny MacMadskill. On my commute into Inverness the place is awash with kids cycling to school.

And on the flipside I think some parents worry that their own kids will be seen as the feral ones if they are allowed to run free.

True but trust me I have been to parks with my kids and they really are those kids.

MoreCashThanDash – Member
There are half a dozen girls of about aged 8 around my curled sac most nights and weekends
Best.Typo.Evah!

Agreed 😆

Forced to wear helmets. Who wants to ride around with a polystyrene loaf on their head?

I used to live on my bike but there was a heck of a lot less traffic when I was a kid- less traffic on the roads and parked up the sides of them.

Waiting for the Xbox one edition…. 😉

What really grips my shit is the the little estate we live on has a 20 mph limit. The road is a big circle, no cut throughs its just people who live here that use it. It should becsafe for kids to ride round and yet no end of **** in big cars drive around the blind bends at 40 with their kids strapped safely in the back whilst every one elses kids are hold up in the house eating cakes and getting fat. Even see **** adults riding bikes on the path as onbviously roads are dangerous..

Modern tech. is a curse for kids. If you kick them out the front door to play outside, then chances are they will end up gaming around someone elses place. Organised activity is probably the best way to deal with this in todays world. My 12 year old son has football 3 days a week, will be sailing at his grandparents club every Friday evening and I will be getting him out cycling at least once a week when I’m recovered from a back injury.
That’s at least five days covered !

The leading cause of death for 5-19 year olds in the UK is traffic accidents. It’s not that surprising that parents aren’t encouraging their kids to cycle.

I grew up on Grifters/Mustangs/choppers/skyway mags/activators/bmx bandits/the one that made all sorts of noises from a speaker box.. Etc

Each one promised a brand new way to be cooler/faster/more wickeder than your mates.

I’m not sure there are any equivalents to the above ‘new and exciting’ concept type bikes. It’s just BSOs in halfrauds.

I really reckon it’s traffic. Post above seems to confirm that. When I was a lad I cycled miles on lanes, main roads, paths and pavements etc.. Now a days it’s keep off the pavements and paths, lanes are pretty hairy as the cars and vans are wider, faster and far more frequent. Main roads are pretty grim and I avoid them, never mind children.
Still sprog James took to the hills with me at 8 and didn’t stop till he was 19 ish with the vast majority off road. We have both cycled around Normandy/Brittany touring on a few summers but over there the roads are so much quieter and drivers much more cycle sensitive/appreciative. He barely cycles now but girls, cars and racing keep him occupied else where. My daughter had a couple of ‘traffic moments’ early on and has avoided cycling on roads since but she pedaled around the campus during her degree.
Also good point in post above, coolest thing a lad could have was a Chopper or a Grifter! Not sure a bike, never mind a specific one would be now.

We have a generation (or two) of parents that on the whole consider driving to be the only way to get from one place to another – its the norm to drive to places where it is safe to ride a bike – village I used to live had a “no bikes to school” policy with a busy narrow commuter A road the only way in and out and I got hate mail when I tried to get a bmx/skate facility in local dog walking field pointing out that kids lacked anywhere to ride

where currently live in Aus’ pavement riding with kids is allowed but isn’t a lot safer than the road – the only schools that have high levels of kids cycling to school are those located on segregated bike paths – but like the UK these are in places that they are convenient to build and exist in isolation

😥

I’m not sure where all of you are located but I’m in Germany and many of us still ride bikes, everyone has a bike actually. Most of my friends ride everywhere, but we also have a really good transportation system with trains and buses but if you can get there by bike, most likely we will be riding as the first option, and even when it snows we just change our tires..unless it’s really cold and wet, then I’ll definitely be taking a train to school. It’s the same when I’m in Switzerland.

We have a generation (or two) of parents that on the whole consider driving to be the only way to get from one place to another – its the norm to drive to places where it is safe to ride a bike

I went down the pub last week with a couple of my housemates, it’s 1200m away. I was heading out the gate as they were deciding who should drive.

Part of it is conditioning, when I was younger the school bus stop was 1 mile down the road (country), I managed to walk everyday there and back, carried a torch for winter and knew everyone around so on the really wet days one of the locals would probably give you a lift. People would be horrified at that these days.