How Far Would You Allow Your 14Yo to Go on a Bike or Electric Bike?

If you're really in Herndon, VA - my question to you is WHERE and WHEN?

If it's on Alabama street at night? NEVER. And it's "iffy" during the day.
Will your child be traveling down Elden Street or Centreville Road?
Does your child know how to CONTROL the bike?
How responsible is this 14 year old?
Does your 14 year old know the rules of the road?

If it's on Dranesville Road by Herndon High School? I'd let 'em ride all day long.

If the child in question is responsible, knows the rules of the road and is going to keep in touch? I would say okay.

I agree that it depends on the kid and the circumstances, as has been clearly stated in other's wise answers. Can't add to the wisdom.

However, I want to add a couple of things to consider.

First, before allowing such a young teen to have transportation of any kind around town, I'd sit down and come up with a contract between teen and parent. Certain safety rules: helmet worn AT ALL TIMES, no headphones or ear buds, no cell phone use, consistent use of a very secure lock. And some kind of consequences laid out in clear language. If the bike and the kid are out and the helmet in still in the garage, loss of the bike for 2 weeks. If you see him riding up to the house taking the ear buds out, ditto. And if the bike isn't properly stored at home in the designated place, ditto. That kind of thing. Have him sign the contract.

Make sure that the bike is photographed, and the serial number is safely recorded (in case of theft). He should know his bike's identifying info. He should know it's place of purchase and the price, and any upgrades (a better seat, better tires, etc).

If you get an electric bike, know that those are very expensive (they can be as much as a small used car in some instances). Check with your homeowners' insurance about insuring it, and make sure that your teen is completely involved with the insurance process. He should know the name/number of the insurance company, and what the premium is, etc.

And make it clear: if the bike is misused, lent to a friend, left behind, not locked, and it's stolen or not returned, you won't just replace it. Treat this as the first step towards car ownership or privileges and treat the bike in much the same way. It's a good life lesson in responsibility. You'd be amazed at how many kids have no idea who their car insurance company is, or how to call them, or that it costs money, and they're licensed young drivers. Their parents haven't taught them these important facts.

Also, he needs to know bike rules for riding on roads (riding with the traffic, obeying traffic signals and signs, not riding on sidewalks, etc).

It really depends on the kind of traffic your town gets.
Some places it's safe - while in others people get killed on bikes all the time.
Every year near the beach there's a road where even adults can't cross it without getting killed.

Also - your son needs to be aware of traffic around him.
I almost ran over a kid on a moped a few years ago - came within an inch of my bumper - because he wasn't paying attention what was going on around him.
Looking at a phone while riding a bike is just as dangerous as when driving a car.
Your son will be driving a car in a few years, so I'm not sure a bike now will make sense.

I rode my bike all over town growing up - so much so that I didn't want to drive a car at first.
Once I got use to the car (and my mom sending me on errands) - the bike started collecting dust.

If you live a typical suburban town where busy intersections tend to have stop signs, traffic lights, and crosswalks, where most areas are well populated, and she or he can get around without having to go down long stretches of wooded roads with no one around, then have at it. I hardly think an electric bike is necessary...those are designed for people with health issues or who travel long distances. An otherwise healthy teenager should be able to go miles and miles on a bike without difficulty.

My 14 year old is free to go wherever he wants to on his bike. We live about 4 miles from his school and he bikes there, then bikes around after school or from that area, can go to a friend's house, etc.

My kids have been road biking with me since they were babies, and one was on a cycling team, so they know the rules of the road very well. If yours is an inexperienced cyclist, go out with him or her (or have a friend who rides take him or her out if you don't) so that they learn how to safely ride in traffic. At this age, they are old enough to bike in the street as a vehicle instead of on the sidewalk and that can be different from just booting around the driveway. Helmets are a must, and if your child will be riding when you're not just a phone call away, she or he should have a small bag under the seat with a tire repair kit (spare tube, air cartridge and tools to get the tire off). And she or he should know how to change a tire in an emergency.

With a little common sense and planning, biking can be a terrific way of getting around town for a kid who is too young to drive (and even later...it's a great form of exercise).

I'm with JB.

Here, my kids when they were that age, got around to their friends' homes and to the local this and that on their bikes.

However, we live in a town - not a city. So I was ok and we worked with them early on about safety, and did a lot of responsibility training with them in all areas from young age.

We started out small (where they could bike) and progressed from there. It didn't all just happen in one go. We biked with them as small kids and went for longer rides with them as they got older so we knew what they were capable of.

Electric bikes is not something kids here have. It's something I have seen the odd time in the city - just once or twice with people who commute into the city who go up hills getting home, but we're talking people who have like an hour long bike ride home after work. Or as others have mentioned, someone with mobility issues perhaps.

I don't know what the regulations for something like that would be.

My kids have done just fine on their regular bikes. It's great exercise.

there are too many variables to answer this as is.

where we live now i'd really only be comfortable with it happening around the neighborhood. the main roads into town are super narrow and hilly, with lots of blind corners. when i run them i can hop into a ditch, but that wouldn't work with a bike.

but when we lived closer into town i'd have been fine with my boys at that age riding them all over town. at 14 they were responsible, and with bike lanes or reasonably wide shoulders it was as safe as roads ever are.
khairete
S.

It depends on the kid, and the roads. My kid was on his bike (not an electric one) at 10, and pretty much anywhere in our town of 17,000). But he didn't have a cell phone and he wasn't distracted by technology - no earbuds, no texts. He was mostly on low-traffic roads or with a friend or two. It was great for fitness and independence. He's in his 20s now, and still rides his bike to work (17 miles on a quality mountain bike), where he showers in their gym/locker room.

My friend has a 13 year old who is distracted, irresponsible, and unable to go anywhere if unsupervised. He has some psychological issues and it's complicated. He would never remember to lock up a bike to prevent it from being stolen.

I think a regular bike provides great exercise and there's no reason why a kid can't learn to make an effort. Bikes are vehicles and kids absolutely have to know the rules of the road and drive (ride) defensively. Distracted drivers are a huge problem, and teens have to know that just because they have the right of way doesn't mean the driver will comply. Most drivers don't know what hand signals mean, so cyclists have to assume that drivers will be clueless or find bikes annoying. Bike riders also have to be careful going by parked cars - drivers just open up doors without looking back, and BOOM! Injured cyclist. If you have wide roads, low-traveled streets, and bike paths/lanes, those are good things.

I don't know much about electric bikes, but I wouldn't start there if you aren't sure your teen is going to use it a lot, especially in bad weather. I would look up reviews and talk to more than one bike shop. I'd also get the proper add-ons, like rear view mirrors (for bike or helmet) and something to strap down any cargo he's taking with him. Also be sure he takes a class on maintenance, can change a popped tire, and so on. My son has had these problems more than once, and has stopped to help cyclists who didn't have the right tools. I think this could build independence and confidence for your teen and make him appreciate all the driving you have done for him!