Teen and bike riding along country roads and highways, please advise me.

[Pen]

My son (age 14) has recently graduated from being allowed to ride bike near our house, but not out onto the highway, to being allowed to go on the highway around 3 miles to our rural area public high school.

 

He is interested in extending this to a (aprox) 10 mile ride along the highway to the nearest town big enough to have a library.  I am concerned about safety. The roads between us and high school are fairly flat and fairly straight with big shoulders. On the way to the library the highway becomes more steep, hilly, and windy, with small shoulders (sometimes with a drop off).  Traffic speed is officially 55mph.

 

I am not sure how to balance safety with increasing autonomy.

 

Your thoughts and opinions?

[linders]

Our situation is similar. We live in a small development, and to ride out of it means a windy, 45-55-mph road with virtually no shoulder. The speed limit is too high for the sight distance, in everyone's opinion. And cars on the outside of a curve often "cut the curve" forcing oncoming cars on the inside of the curve to crowd the shoulder, all at high speed. There have been two bike-riding fatalities in the last two years. We just don't do it, sadly. Too much is out of the riders control.

[MEmama]

My teen is an experienced cyclist (races road, mountain and cyclocross), and safety is always our number one priority. We do tons of biking in our area along all kinds of roads, BUT he is extremely safety minded AND we live in a very biker friendly area. Still, letting him go out on his own adds an extra element of nervousness on my part. I totally get where you are coming from. Despite all his experience, solo riding still isn't something I embrace.

 

I think your situation depends on a lot of things. What is his comfort level--riding alone, riding with different types of traffic, with road conditions (including how does he handle himself with unexpected potholes, gravel, sand, deteriorating surfaces), with drivers who drive too close? Does he panic or swerve into the lane, or can he handle these things calmly?

 

How aware is he of his surroundings? Can he "read" traffic? Is he a confident biker who understands and OBEYS traffic rules? How does traffic respond to cyclists--do they honor the 3 feet rule or are they hostile? Is traffic along that road heavy or typically light? We do a lot of our biking on country roads early on weekend mornings when traffic is lighter. It's more enjoyable for us, and of course safer in general.

 

We insist on high visibility clothing and lights (and of course, a proper fitting helmet). On country roads, I would highly encourage a front light and a back blinky light. Riding that far, he ought to also carry a multi tool and a patch kit at the least--and know how to use them.

 

And, this is one situation where I do feel better sending a cellphone along just so he can check in and tell me he got to his destination okay.

[Carrie12345]

It's hard for me to say without really picturing the area.

 

Here, it's an easy no.  For one thing, our tiny shoulders (also with many drop offs) are littered with debris, from sanding material to actual litter.  That alone makes me picture lost traction or sudden bumps and popped tires.  And our "highway" (I know it's technically a highway, but not a big one) has a ridiculously high number of vehicle accidents for such a small area.  No matter how skilled my children might be, they can't compensate for the terrible driving that happens here.

[The Girls' Mom]

Here, there would be no way.  Our no-shoulder highway has people driving at 60-70mph (speed limit is 50), large trucks, and jerk drivers that think they own the road.  Biking is extremely dangerous.  Even walking along this road is dangerous.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Is it allowed?  I know a lot of the highways around here have signs specifically prohibiting that.

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

And my opinion...nope..not happening. I would not let my 14 year old do this.

 

 

[J-rap]

We were in a similar situation with our son when he was that age.  I kept telling him, "I'll know when I know."  Meaning, until I felt comfortable about it, then no.   :)  I think in your case, I would want to really examine the route he'd be taking.  I think I'd be most nervous about the curves, possibly with small shoulders, knowing that cars could be coming around quickly and not see a biker.  Are there are a lot of cars on that road? Is there an alternate route?  (an older, less-used farm road?)  Or is there a point where, if he could just get off his bike and walk it up the hill for 50 yards, then he'd be on safe ground again?  If the route truly seemed unsafe, then I just wouldn't let him.    

 

But either way, I'd keep working with him to increase his route and make it interesting, but change the route/goal if necessary, to make it safe.  Of course this depends too on his general bike smarts.  Is he cautious and aware as a rider?  Does he make smart decisions while he rides?   In different scenarios that you could play out, would he know what to do?  (Flat tire, weird car following him, lost, etc.)

 

I love when kids bike and would want to encourage him to keep it up and keep it interesting, but would want to feel very comfortable about the safety issue.  Fourteen is pretty young, too.

 

When my ds graduated from high school, he flew to Europe with his bike and biked from Oslo to Istanbul.  He did end up taking a train through a few countries  (through Russia, for example).  He spent months beforehand researching and scouring the safest routes, and stuck to bike trails whenever possible (though often it wasn't possible), and reading bikers' blogs.   He had lights on the front and back of his bike, and always wore reflective gear.  Looking back on it now, I really can't believe we let him do that!

 

[QueenCat]

You can't ride bikes on highways (or the shoulders of highways) here......... so no.

[Pen]

Is it allowed?  I know a lot of the highways around here have signs specifically prohibiting that.

 

 

You can't ride bikes on highways (or the shoulders of highways) here......... so no.

 

 

Yes. It is allowed. This is not a freeway. It is a highway by name and function, the main north/ south route that existed for this area before Interstate 5 was built, and now either just a route for local traffic, or a scenic alternative to Interstate 5.  House driveways come right off of this highway which is one lane in each direction with a double yellow line down the middle.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Pen

[QueenCat]

Yes. It is allowed. This is not a freeway. It is a highway by name and function, the main north/ south route that existed for this area before Interstate 5 was built, and now either just a route for local traffic, or a scenic alternative to Interstate 5.  House driveways come right off of this highway which is one lane in each direction with a double yellow line down the middle.

 

in some parts of the country, people use different terminology. No where that I've lived would the road you are describing be called a highway, even if the dictionary calls it one. Based on where I've lived, people refer to highways when they are talking about roads that don't have a bunch of traffic lights, etc. Such as an interstate or a state road with exits on it.

[SKL]

When I was that age, I rode my bike daily over rural highways to get to a summer enrichment program and just to chill out.  Make sure he studies the rules and laws, and start out with short trips so he can build confidence.  Depending on your son's individual abilities and personality, 14yo can be mature enough to bike ride anywhere an adult can.

[SKL]

According to that dialect quiz we took the other day, "highway" has different meanings in different locations.  (This was news to me.)

 

By my definition, the roads that don't allow bikes are "freeways."  These are the roads that don't have low speed limits (except in construction zones), no stop signs or lights, access by on-ramps instead of intersections.  All other roads allow bikes.

[Pen]

My teen is an experienced cyclist (races road, mountain and cyclocross), and safety is always our number one priority. We do tons of biking in our area along all kinds of roads, BUT he is extremely safety minded AND we live in a very biker friendly area. Still, letting him go out on his own adds an extra element of nervousness on my part. I totally get where you are coming from. Despite all his experience, solo riding still isn't something I embrace.

 

I think your situation depends on a lot of things. What is his comfort level--riding alone, riding with different types of traffic, with road conditions (including how does he handle himself with unexpected potholes, gravel, sand, deteriorating surfaces), with drivers who drive too close? Does he panic or swerve into the lane, or can he handle these things calmly?

 

How aware is he of his surroundings? Can he "read" traffic? Is he a confident biker who understands and OBEYS traffic rules? How does traffic respond to cyclists--do they honor the 3 feet rule or are they hostile? Is traffic along that road heavy or typically light? We do a lot of our biking on country roads early on weekend mornings when traffic is lighter. It's more enjoyable for us, and of course safer in general.

 

We insist on high visibility clothing and lights (and of course, a proper fitting helmet). On country roads, I would highly encourage a front light and a back blinky light. Riding that far, he ought to also carry a multi tool and a patch kit at the least--and know how to use them.

 

And, this is one situation where I do feel better sending a cellphone along just so he can check in and tell me he got to his destination okay.

 

 

The biggest problem in terms of my son, has been a reluctance to use proper visibility gear, and a lack of understanding of how hard it is for drivers to see bikers. Also, probably, he has excellent sight and it is hard for him to understand that not everyone is as sharp eyed as he is. And as well, it is hard for him to understand that drivers are mainly focussed on looking at the whole picture of the road ahead, not just on seeing if there is a bike anywhere around. 

 

His favorite jacket is grey. As in camouflaged with the road type grey.  I kept getting him bright orange, neon green etc. jackets--and he kept on not wearing them. I have now gotten him a neon yellow vest that can go over his grey jacket, and he is using that, but with a sort of attitude that suggests to me that he is doing it only because of my insistence, but really still does not get the importance of visibility and has not personally embraced it.

 

His biking, reflexes, calmness, etc., are all excellent, but the drivers of vehicles could be in any state of alertness or tiredness or drunk or ______.   I think that the 3 foot rule is generally honored -- or even more room than that is given. But there are places where it is hard to see that there is a biker due to curves.

[SparklyUnicorn]

in some parts of the country, people use different terminology. No where that I've lived would the road you are describing be called a highway, even if the dictionary calls it one. Based on where I've lived, people refer to highways when they are talking about roads that don't have a bunch of traffic lights, etc. Such as an interstate or a state road with exits on it.

 

Yeah must be different terminology.  I've never heard anyone around here use the term freeway.  I had to look that up.  Here they call that an expressway.  But trying to nail down the differences seems impossible.

[AndyJoy]

Yes. It is allowed. This is not a freeway. It is a highway by name and function, the main north/ south route that existed for this area before Interstate 5 was built, and now either just a route for local traffic, or a scenic alternative to Interstate 5. House driveways come right off of this highway which is one lane in each direction with a double yellow line down the middle.

We live right off a similar highway. My kid is only 6, but DH and I are not comfortable cycling on it ourselves. Ours has a 55 mph speed limit and a lot of impatient drivers who exceed this or don't allow sufficient following distance. It's unfortunate, as we would like to bike out of our neighborhood without driving first, but I've known (or known of) too many cyclists who were killed in similar roads. My husband (who was wearing a bright vest in broad daylight) has been clipped by cars while riding his bike three different times, on roads with a 35 mph speed limit. Fortunately he was not seriously injured. One time our toddler son was in an attached bike trailer! We are cautious because we've experienced too many inattentive drivers.

Edited April 21, 2016 by AndyJoy

[Pen]

We were in a similar situation with our son when he was that age.  I kept telling him, "I'll know when I know."  Meaning, until I felt comfortable about it, then no.   :)  I think in your case, I would want to really examine the route he'd be taking.  I think I'd be most nervous about the curves, possibly with small shoulders, knowing that cars could be coming around quickly and not see a biker.  Are there are a lot of cars on that road? Is there an alternate route?  (an older, less-used farm road?)  Or is there a point where, if he could just get off his bike and walk it up the hill for 50 yards, then he'd be on safe ground again?  If the route truly seemed unsafe, then I just wouldn't let him.    

 

But either way, I'd keep working with him to increase his route and make it interesting, but change the route/goal if necessary, to make it safe.  Of course this depends too on his general bike smarts.  Is he cautious and aware as a rider?  Does he make smart decisions while he rides?   In different scenarios that you could play out, would he know what to do?  (Flat tire, weird car following him, lost, etc.)

 

I love when kids bike and would want to encourage him to keep it up and keep it interesting, but would want to feel very comfortable about the safety issue.  Fourteen is pretty young, too.

 

When my ds graduated from high school, he flew to Europe with his bike and biked from Oslo to Istanbul.  He did end up taking a train through a few countries  (through Russia, for example).  He spent months beforehand researching and scouring the safest routes, and stuck to bike trails whenever possible (though often it wasn't possible), and reading bikers' blogs.   He had lights on the front and back of his bike, and always wore reflective gear.  Looking back on it now, I really can't believe we let him do that!

 

 

I think the bold is what I should do. I am thinking that if he keeps going past the high school, it is on a much more bike friendly road, one where bike races are even often held. If he goes on it for 10 miles  or so--that is, equally far as what he was wanting to do, but in a different direction on a different road, he will end up at a place where he could then connect to a bus route which would then take him (and his bike) to the 100,000 population city and all it offers. I think this would be a better goal.

[Lanny]

I need to cross an International highway, every time I go to/from town.   I try to be very patient and careful, before crossing. There are times I have probably waited, without exaggeration, as much as 5 or 10 minutes, before crossing the highway. Usually, 2 or 3 minutes, but one needs to be cautious.   I could do part of my route on the highway,  BUT I NEVER RIDE ON THE HIGHWAY.    When you are driving your car, notice how hard it is to see Pedestrians, Motorcycles and Bicycles.  The difference in velocity, between a slow moving, almost impossible to see vehicle or pedestrian, and a fast moving car or truck or bus or motorcycle makes for a dangerous situation. There are many people here in Colombia who are into long distance bike riding and they usually go in groups on the highways and have a car following them, with Emergency lights flashing, to try to protect them, from cars going the same direction they are going. For an individual on the highway, alone, it is more dangerous.  I would not want my DD to ride her bicycle on the highway and I suggest your DS not ride on highways. Your DS MUST wear a Safety Helmet at all times. Safety Orange or Safety Green.    GL with your decision.

[MEmama]

The biggest problem in terms of my son, has been a reluctance to use proper visibility gear, and a lack of understanding of how hard it is for drivers to see bikers. Also, probably, he has excellent sight and it is hard for him to understand that not everyone is as sharp eyed as he is. And as well, it is hard for him to understand that drivers are mainly focussed on looking at the whole picture of the road ahead, not just on seeing if there is a bike anywhere around.

 

His favorite jacket is grey. As in camouflaged with the road type grey. I kept getting him bright orange, neon green etc. jackets--and he kept on not wearing them. I have now gotten him a neon yellow vest that can go over his grey jacket, and he is using that, but with a sort of attitude that suggests to me that he is doing it only because of my insistence, but really still does not get the importance of visibility and has not personally embraced it.

 

His biking, reflexes, calmness, etc., are all excellent, but the drivers of vehicles could be in any state of alertness or tiredness or drunk or ______. I think that the 3 foot rule is generally honored -- or even more room than that is given. But there are places where it is hard to see that there is a biker due to curves.

That's tough. Personally, not understanding how difficult it can be for drivers to see and react to cyclists in those conditions would tell me he's not ready yet. Are there enough cyclists in your area that he can get a sense of it when you drive around in various conditions? Honestly, bikers can be hard to notice in the best of weather and high vis clothing really does make a huge difference. If it were my son, I wouldn't let him go on his own just yet , but I would bike with him and I would take every opportunity I could while driving around to get him to see like a driver.

 

I'd hate to say no to a teen who is asking for more autonomy and independence, but in this case I think I'd have to. It's a tough call, for sure.