% of kids cycling to school?

Got this link from Austcycle and thought I would share with you. 

http://www.ecf.com/news/childrencycling/

It's an interesting read

At the weekend we took the kids from Brighton towards Glenelg.. It was not as pleasant as I would have liked various detours, road works meant that we had to take our 5yr old along the road for some stretches. 

Better planning next time and try other trails. I am working up to him cycling to school but not until the warmer months.

If anyone wants to share any kid friendly routes that would be great :-)

Tags: cycling, kids, school, stats

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Permalink Reply by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on July 10, 2012 at 12:00

Hi Michelle

I hope you are prepared for the people telling you what a bad parent you are for allowing you child to go on the roads.

Not to mention that going out in the sun is certain to give your child cancer.

Don't forget about the all the nasty perverts as well :-)

There is also the mothers "in group" that is more concerned with maintaining a social order and showing off rather than their child's education.


You cant participate in this group on a bicycle

While I used to cycle from grade one certainly there is a lot more traffic now.

Certainly there are some parents that are very self centred and they are more interested in going fast and getting where they are going rather than safety and children around schools.

Sadly many hoon drivers are probably parents and set hoon driving as an example for their children to follow.

I hope it goes well for you but it does take a concerted effort.

Of the 600 children at my sons primary school there are less than 10 that cycle regularly these children come from 2 different households.

Permalink Reply by Adam Williss on July 10, 2012 at 12:22

Definitely a lack of really kid-friendly routes out there.  I've been riding with my 7yo to a point where we do around a 10km round trip, but it is through the side streets of suburbia and to get any real distance we have to cross Goodwood Rd and Belair Rd which isn't great.  There are no cycling paths near us.

I'm working up towards getting him cycling from home up to Brownhill Ck rd which is low traffic volume and around 8km up and back alongside the creek.  Very beautiful at this time of year and a nice road for a 5yo to explore, and a ford on Tilleys Hill Rd intersection that he can splash across on his bike if he (or you) are brave.  Gentle rolling gradient of around 2-3% up, and then great roll back, though for memory the magpies along there will start attacking us cyclists soon (they didn't get me when I was there last week).  Some nice playgrounds nearby as well.

Permalink Reply by Brian Jenkins (BJ) on July 10, 2012 at 12:53

Adam, do you use the shared-use path in Mitcham Reserve that saves having to cross Old Belair Rd?  It runs off from the old bridge in the Reserve under Old Belair Rd - nice little diversion for small and 'big' kids as well.  I've never had a problem with the magpies back of Brownhill Creek.  Sounds like your nearest other option would be down to the Sturt River track.

Permalink Reply by Adam Williss on July 10, 2012 at 13:03

Thanks Brian.  Mitcham Reserve is precisely the distance we have managed to reach from home so far, and that path under the old bridge is the perfect place for crossing Old Belair Rd.  When we take that "next step" that will be my access route through to Brownhill Creek Rd.

I haven't used the Sturt River track yet - it is a similar distance in the other direction from my place so definitely achievable, but a bit less uninspiring to ride on.  It is on my radar as an option.  Cheers for that.

Permalink Reply by Gus K on July 10, 2012 at 13:17

In regards to kids riding to school I head some stats at a government department meeting that said (basically and I think primary aged) that 80% of kids live within 2kms of their schools but 80% are driven to school but when polled 80% of kids said they would prefer to ride a bike to school - so what does that say?

Where to start to change things. I changed my son's school to be closer to us and on the river and we ride some days but with his brother starting next week I think it'll be riding every day.

The school community needs to help. Better locking places, a visible cycling community of parents and kids. Sophia MacRae recently won a DPTI grant to promote cycling to school. She might expand on it but it involves information sessions and some facilities.

Permalink Reply by Dahondude on July 10, 2012 at 13:22

Gosh where do I start!


Anywhere along the foreshore north of Glenelg, all the way to Outer Harbour. Plenty of places to stop for coffee/milkshakes and the route is littered with playgrounds. We regularly ride from the Buffalo to West Beach SLC - its great.


Torrens Linear path (we've only done from the beach up to the brewery)

Captain Whatshisnames path - it runs from Tapleys Hill Rd along the southern perimeter of the airport.

Mike Turtur Bikeway - we ride from Glandore to Glenelg and back, or Glandore to the city and back


Circumnavigate the city through the South, East, North and West Parklands - there are a few cafes and heaps of playgrounds and its super fun riding through the parklands and along the Torrens.

Mclaren Vale to Willunga along the bike path

Amy Gillet Bikepath in the Hills

The Reisling Trail in the Clare Valley - the kids loved it (apart from the gravel rash)

We've ridden all of the above (except the Amy Gillet one) with 9, 7 and 5 year old. They are all off road, with reasonably well designed road crossings, nice wide bike paths and something fun or edible to keep the interest up along the way.

Permalink Reply by Lee-Anne on July 10, 2012 at 17:08

Foreshore north of gelelg is a bit dicy lately, (well it was last wkend) with path blocked off with 'use alternate route noted with no route pointed to or any other directions, We got lost going back the way we'd come and found that we were locked inside of the caravan park! Ended up having to go along Military road with a 5and 770 and my mum on a trike. they all did fine, but there was no signage ;-/

Permalink Reply by Michelle Crick on July 10, 2012 at 17:46

Oh no that does not sound good... it's hopeless at times when you want to try some where different!

Permalink Reply by Michelle Crick on July 10, 2012 at 17:48

Thanks DD we live South of the city and just fancied a quick afternoon out on the bikes getting a bit fed up of the C2V and the shared path to Moana all the time :-)

Maybe we will plan some routes in the city and further a field but lets face who does not like riding along the coast :-)

Permalink Reply by Tammy on July 10, 2012 at 15:16

We enjoy riding through the park lands around the city. Stopping or starting at the bmx bike track . The children are getting better at riding on the road between myself and my husband .

Permalink Reply by Hedginator on July 10, 2012 at 15:30

I have allowed my kids to ride to high school and they love it.  No waiting for buses, it's quicker than by car and they can leave when it suits them.  The only drawback is the ridiculous amount of weight teachers expect them to carry on their backs - laptops as well as books.

Permalink Reply by Richard on July 10, 2012 at 17:00

That weight issue is what stopped my son riding to high school - not that he couldn't carry it but it was messing with his back and no backpack lasted more than a few months before starting to tear (we'd still get a year out of them though).

My daughter and I often ride to the local primary school to play because it's got a really neat playground (11 year olds are conneseurs of such things). I noticed on our last visit that one of our throughways has been blocked ... by a secure pen for bikes complete with bike racks, so some schools at least are encouraging cycling.

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