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Eithne Shortall: Bikes help kids learn to navigate the twists in the long road to independence

Your offspring gaining the ability to cycle is a big moment for both parent and child – the start of the bumpy journey towards adulthood

‘People were happily side-stepping and clapping as my son wobbled past on his shiny new bike. He kept wanting to cycle by the men on the park bench who had cheered so enthusiastically’

My son learned to cycle last week. It happened, like so many of life’s big moments, slowly and then all at once.

He had a balance bike to start. These were not around when I was a child, and if you’re old enough to be reading a newspaper then you probably didn’t have one either. Although you may have had a visionary parent who took the pedals off your bike when you were learning. Because ...