WHEN the Tour de France gets under way in Leeds on July 5, the eyes of the world will be watching. As the world’s top cyclists pedal through Britain it’s likely that the nation’s youngsters will be more keen than ever to get on their bikes too.

But research by the holiday company cottages4u has found that while 93 per cent of British children own bikes, only one in ten use them every day, and 84 per cent of parents say they wouldn’t be happy for their child to cycle to school alone. It paints a worrying picture for the future of British cycling.

Claire Francis, head of policy and campaigns at the cycling and walking charity Sustrans, says: “We know parents are worried about letting their children cycle – more parents are worried about road danger than stranger danger, but the benefits of cycling are huge.”

Despite safety fears, 20 per cent of parents haven’t bought their child a helmet, and only half had taught their children the Highway Code.

As part of its campaign, Sustrans is urging parents to write to their local MP to demand every child be given the right to a safe journey to school.

“Increasing the amount of children cycling is about making sure they have the skills and confidence to do it. We know that they really want to do it,” says Francis. “We need to make sure that parents see the benefits and feel confident that their children are able to cycle safely.”

She says councils need to assess routes, and provide money to change the infrastructure to make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), says the age at which a child is ready to cycle on their own will vary depending on the child’s ability to ride their bike and to cope with the risks.

He advises parents to make sure children have practical training, such as Bikeability, check their bicycle is the right size and in a safe condition, and that the child wears a cycle helmet and bright clothing.

  • Information about children’s cycling courses from bikeability.org.uk.