Dad produces instructional video showing how he helps 7-year-old son cycle to school on busy London roads

Great vid, I hope to be taking my daughter to school by bike when she starts (a few years off yet). We currently use a child trailer for the childminder run which works well even if it is too wide to filter in traffic.

One thing I would comment on, and this is acknowledged by Ali, is that the roads generally appear very quiet. Compared to the run that we do to the childminder all of the roads that we use are at least as busy as the one that Ali and Ethan avoided in the video. There is an alternative route for us with slightly quieter roads but its much longer (I'd estimate almost twice the distance) and not possible with the trailer.

Anyway, great vid that might just inspire some parents to cycle to school with their kids.

It's interesting to note how the father advises the child not to use the cycle lanes provided and the video highlights why they're not fit for purpose due to the proximity of the parked cars.

Indeed. Glad to see that common sense is being applied to avoid using worthless 'cycle lanes' like these ones. This video gives me hope!

Great Video and well done Ethan and his Dad

If Ali is monitoring comments could he please explain who are accredited/ insured to provide on-road cycle to school training or accompaniment for small groups of children in addition to one's own child?

I cycle with my five-year-old to her school. She rides on the pavements mostly, with limited excursions onto the quieter roads, while I cycle alongside on the road. I've planned our route so I can always be beside her.

I find one does need to be a confident cyclist to do it. Not only am I cycling in traffic myself, not only am I looking out for her and making sure I give her instructions at the right time but the necessity to pace myself to her makes me feel more vulnerable in the traffic. I really need to keep my wits about me.

She's a good cyclist and making good progress. Hopefully when she's Ethan's age we can be more on the roads together.

I know he has a bit of a head start but that's some great bikeriding from the young lad there. It gives us all a bit of hope to see a video like that doesn't it. Quite moving actually.

Nice one. Cheered me up after all the negativity of the past week or so.

Kid's lucky to have a father like that.

Parenting. Doing it right.

Hi Izaak30, you could get cycle training for yourself and your son, just contact your local council and ask about Bikeability. Looks like what he is doing is based on Bikeability. It's a great confidence booster.

Great Video!!

Well done to Ethan and his dad, lovely to see someone his age riding so sensibly. I occasionally ride with my son to school but don't enjoy the experience. The distance is approximately the same but I feel the journey is hairier. Sadly, in my view, this is mainly down to other parents on the school run. Most seem to be obsessed to getting to and from school as quick as possible and forgetting about others kids walking & crossing the roads.
We tend to ride in the better weather and I adopt a similar position to his dad. However I insist that my boy wears a multicolored fluo vest to help with visibility. Hopefully this makes him/us more visible and then safer.
The other reason we do t ride as often as I would like is the lack of provision of facilities to store his bike safely at school. There are several kids who use bikes from time to time and all seem to use the same small bit of railing to lock the bikes to. When are schools going to wake upto the fact that more and more of us wish to use bikes?

Simple, effective,respectful to other road users and showing other drivers that we're not all egotistical morons in Sky Team (other major cycling teams can equally be inserted-just my personal experience!) Lycra outfits! More of this and less of the sensational Head cams of confrontations and bust ups. You are a real credit and your young son is showing that he is learning life long skills of common sense and respect! Hail future cycling!

Well done to Ethan and Dad. I'm a car free mum and have been cycling like this with my son since he was 8. He's now coming up to 11 years old and unfortunately I believe that our roads are not safe enough for him to ride independantly.

Cycling is our main form of transport, but I find riding with him very stressfull, having to try to control the traffic around us and constantly shouting out instructions to my son is wearing.

Like the film shown here, we often find ourselves illegally riding on pavements to avoid busy roads or junctions.

Segregated/dutch style infrastructure would make our journeys so much more relaxing.

As things stand, I don't really think theres a safe legal option for parents who choose to ride with their children.

That is a beautiful thing.