At what age do you let your children ride bikes alone...

After seeing in my opinion, BABIES, (maybe 6,7,8) riding their bikes throughout our neighborhood, DH and I started talking about what age would we let our kids ride alone.

Besides the obvious, car accidents that could EASILY occur. Especially when the child is THAT young. There is kidnapping, and a whole sleuth of other horrible things that can occur. (Leibby Kletzky :()

I know I am not a parent yet, but am I crazy to think 6 is just way too young to be riding a bike in the street. Yes we live in the burbs, but a car can crash into you just as easily! Or worse, a lunatic could snatch them up so easily?!?!

Is this my only option? I wish I was kidding. My poor boys are going to have NO friends,

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Message edited 7/15/2011 10:41:26 AM.

Re: At what age do you let your children ride bikes alone...

My parents where very paranoid, and we lived in so so neighborhood in brooklyn. They let us in groups, friend family at 8, but only up and down block, and my mom was hanging out the window watching.

Around 13, she let me go solo around the neighborhood, but I was very responsible and very street smart by then.

Re: At what age do you let your children ride bikes alone...

I think about 11 I let my dd go by herself.