9 tips for biking to school

I talk all the time about how much I love my cargo bike, but this year I’m finding myself in a new situation: my two older kids are riding on their own more and more. I have several friends and acquaintances who are biking to school with there kids as well. One of those dear friends prompted me to put together this list of tips for biking to school! And just in time for Bike to School Day, too! That’s coming up on October 6, 2021. So get your gear together and reduce your family’s emissions by getting some glorious exercise in the bike lane.

one. // Make sure bikes, helmets, and other gear are in good condition. You need a certain about of gear to be able to ride a bike to school: a bike, helmet, and lights, at minimum. Before you ride, make sure everything is in good, working condition: tires have air, breaks are tight, lights are charged. In my experience, kids’ bikes are pretty easy to find used, and there are also lots of excellent high-quality bikes on the market if that’s what you’re looking for. Make sure the bike fits your child well, and they feel comfortable riding it. A test ride around the block is always a decent idea.

two. // Organize all your gear before your ride. You want to make going by bike as easy as other transportation options! Make sure you have a good system in place for where you store the bikes, helmets, and other gear. You want everything to be ready to go in the morning when you’re trying to get out the door for the school day. Set yourself up for success!

three. // Plan your route carefully. You rarely want to bike the same route you would drive. Often the route you would drive has more traffic, and biking is better on quieter streets. Google Maps has a biking overlay option that will show you which streets are city bike routes and where there are bike lanes. Check out local bike maps, too. For Denver, I recommend the Bike Streets Map. Also, talk to anyone you know who bikes regularly. They’re often the best source for figuring out a safe route.

four. // Make a plan with your kids and talk about it ahead of time. Don’t wait until you’re on the road to talk about bike safety. Before you ride, talk to your kids about where they should ride in relation to you, turn signals, and more. Make sure you’re all aware of the general route. It’s also great to “debrief” afterwards and make sure the speed was good for everyone and they felt comfortable with how the ride went.

five. // Wear high-visibility clothing and use lights, even during the daytime. I used to only wear bright colors on cloudy days, but now I wear high-viz gear every time I ride. I have a few fluorescent coats for cooler weather and lighter safety vests that the kids and I wear on hot days. We always turn on our lights when we ride, even on the sunniest days. I figure it doesn’t hurt anything and it might help keep you safe.

A note on lights: you want a white light on the front of your bike, and red lights on the rear. The white light should be flashing when it’s light out, and solid after dark. The rear red light can be flashing or solid; ideally have one of each.

six. // Make sure helmet straps are tight. You should only be able to slide 1-2 fingers under the chin strap. So often I see people with loose helmets. If you’re going to wear it, make sure it’s able to do it’s job if there was ever any impact. And yes, your kids probably will complain that it’s tight, but tell them it’s important for their safety.

seven. // Go on the sidewalk if necessary. Yes, it may go against local laws, but you have to stay safe when bike infrastructure is lacking. All parents approach biking with kids a little differently in terms of riding on the road or on the sidewalk. I have my daughter ride on the road with me and my cargo bike, but during one stretch of our commute she goes up on the sidewalk because the road is narrow and there is a lot of traffic that tries to pass us. Do what you need to do to stay safe.

eight. // Use hand signals. Pointing the direction you’re turning is simplest for kids and drivers. I do the “official” hand signals sometimes too (left arm up at a “L” when turning right and left arm straight out and pointing left when turning left), but it’s amazing how often someone thinks I’m waving at them.

nine. // Use a high-quality lock. If you do an internet search for “best kids’ bike lock,” you’ll get a lot of options that are not particularly robust. I think this is because the suggestions are for locks that kids can easily lock and unlock themselves? But if you’re going to be riding with your child to school and helping them lock up their bike, I’d get something that provides more security. Kryptonite is a good brand, and on their website they rate the security of their locks on a scale of 1 to 10.

Happy riding!