Why we should encourage children to ride a bike

Imagine a world in which there was an invention, such a thing which could be your hobby, that provided health benefits, could bring you income in various ways and could get you to where you wanted to be for minimal cost and in some cases faster than ‘modern’ forms of transport!

Yes, that’s right you guessed it, the bike is that invention and it may have been invented years ago, but it may very well be the future for all our children.

When I was growing up (90’s early 2000’s) I was very active. Although I was lucky enough to have computer games at home., I was always happiest outside playing any sport, including riding my bike. My bike was my form of transport (although I didn’t cycle to school) I would cycle to my friends’ houses, to the playing fields to play football, hide and seek and many other childhood games. I was also lucky enough to live near some great woods which were a perfect playground to explore, ride bikes and take risks, some of which were controlled and others not so much!  I may not have known back then but I was learning many physical, social and mental skills, which would assist me in everyday life.

Reflecting on my childhood, I have come to realise how things have changed. Many things have changed! Some things for the better and some things unfortunately not.  I could list a plethora of statistics on childhood obesity, inactivity levels, mental health issues. However the trend linking all of them is that they are increasing.

It doesn’t take much to see and understand a correlation with personal computer advancements and overall health and inactivity of children. Of course, this isn’t the only reason and many more factors come into play however, it certainly is a big factor.

I sometimes go to the woods of which I spent many childhood summer hours playing in. I go there and I see trees, wildlife, streams and occasionally some dog walkers (remember to pick it up). What I don’t see and it amazes me every time, I don’t see any children playing. In fact, not just in the woods, I hardly see any children playing outside anywhere (it’s like that small town in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang where the child catcher has taken them all away!)  Of course, this is a slight exaggeration, but it’s not too far from the truth.

Computers and games consoles were around when I was younger and were certainly played, but being outside with friends was still a large part of many children’s lives. Now children can speak face to face and play games with their friend and not even leave their room.

Cycling isn’t just a hobby, it’s also a mode of transport. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t cycle to school (if I did, it may have been once or twice). I think this is probably down to my parents and convenience, however I don’t remember anyone else cycling to school either. Again, I am sure there were factors and barriers associated with this, as there still is.

Does the school have a bike store? Is the journey safe with the number of cars being used to drop children off?

If a child cycled to school, would they be more likely to cycle for fun, would they be more likely to cycle to the shop, would they be more likely to cycle to work when they leave education, would they be more likely to cycle with their own children to school? I would say yes to all of these, they are more likely.

 So how do we make the change now to see this improvement for the future and change behaviors?  First, we need to get children cycling and cycling earlier! Create opportunities for children and parents to enjoy a safe space to explore and build confidence on a bike. Working together with councils, governing bodies, government, private, third party and voluntary sectors provides a great opportunity to improve, promote, innovate and develop the current situation.

Young children learn so many things whilst playing, not just physically but socially and mentally as well. They learn to understand the world around them. Providing opportunities for young children to play outdoors should be one of the highest priorities for all of us, parents, councils, educational settings etc

“children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity”

         -Kay Redfield Jamison

 Cycling can be a huge element of children’s play and learning, both in school and outside of school.

 So why is cycling the future?

If together we were able to get all children not just riding a bike at a young age, but also make their cycling experiences fun via engaging structured sessions, provision and infrastructure to continue their cycling journey, then the behavior of our society will slowly become more active, healthy and environmentally aware.

36% of Dutch individuals list that cycling is their main form of transport, compared to 0.5% of Kirklees residents cycling to work (2011 Census). Of course, geographically there are challenges, but with e-bikes on the rise this isn’t as much of a barrier as it may have been in the past. As a country should we have the aim to have the cycling rate of the Netherlands? I say why not!

Changing culture and behaviors isn’t a simple thing and has many challenges, it needs the backing of all involved. How can we make cycling as popular as football? How can we make it safe for children to ride to school? How can we make cycling available for all? There are various ways, but what better way to start by getting children active, healthier and cycling at ages as young as 18 months old on balance bikes, and give the future generation the opportunity to break away from the modern day ‘Peloton’ and lead the way to challenge the current way of thinking at all levels.