Should parents allow their children to cycle unaccompanied?

[Goose]

A 1 mile journey for an 8 and 5 year old to travel alone is asking for trouble, anything could happen, especially with the amount of pedophiles around.

[Gunner Down Under]

1 mile is perhaps a bit too long.

The road distance from my school to my house is a tad over 1 mile and even though it's all paved and such they would be better off walking imo

I felt quite confident riding a bike at 8 years, I think the 8 year old could do it but perhaps not the 5 year old, but I don't fully understand the context.

[Inchpräctice]

Rode my bike to school from 6 to 16, never had a problem.

[Forest]

depends on the distance i suppose and prob not in this day

when i was young and on the estate we lived, everyone knew everyone and who's kids were who's etc so you looked out for eachother, now days people dont even say hello to the next door neighbour. GOD im sounding old

[CynicalGooner]

If it's not near a road I don't see a problem, the school shouldn't kick up a fuss, too much nonsense and nannying these days. I rode my bike to school from the age of 6 or 7 with no problems

[Gunner Down Under]

Rode my bike to school from 6 to 16, never had a problem.

How far away was your school from your house Inch?

[Goose]

Heres more info, including an aerial view of the route, its in a busy part of SE London

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... l-own.html

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... l-alone.do

[Gunner Down Under]

It looks a bit less busy than my school to my house then........

If the kids or the parents believe they can do it, let them, if the parents feel like they can't, fine. Top marks for the parents.

[Fabby]

Any of you thinking they should wether its country lanes whether its streets whether its a f***ing bouncy castle on the way to school a mile long for an 8 and 5 year old is a pisstake. FIVE? years old going a MILE with an 8 year old for company.

For f**k sake.

[Massa]

What's the worst that could happen?

[Inchpräctice]

Rode my bike to school from 6 to 16, never had a problem.

How far away was your school from your house Inch?

Bout two miles I would guess.
At the next school when I was 11 it was more like 4 miles.

[Inchpräctice]

Heres more info, including an aerial view of the route, its in a busy part of SE London

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... l-own.html

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... l-alone.do

Very posh school that.
Jude Law went there I believe.

[Massa]

It's bike not a f***ing deathmobile

[SE13]

Irresponsible.
That is way too much responsibility to put on an 8yr old kid, who in effect is taking his/her younger sibling to school.

As i posted, i used to take my younger brother to school with me at a simlar age.
It never did me any harm.

Likewise, I walked quite a distance to school with my sister from about 7 or so.

My older two (aged 9 and 8 ) both walk just over a mile to school each day, though they do catch the bus home. Morning rush through the City means that buses all run massively late, so they either catch an early one and turn up at school an hour early, or walk. Kayleigh and Thomas are at a different school in the opposite direction, and I can't be in two places at the same time.

Steven (the oldest) has a mobile phone with him anyhow, and that's something that wasn't even invented when I was his age!

[Gooner Girl]

Aged 5 is way too young these days - and in london too. I'm all for kids having independence and i'm all for kids cycling as much as possible but they don't do cycling proficency in english schools til year 6 (age 10/11) I know the route wasn't on roads but even so...