Bike riding with kids

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen residents across Sydney take to bike riding in droves, with a huge uptick in the numbers of families riding together.

Bike riding is a safe, fun way for kids to get exercise, fresh air and spend some time with their family away from the grind of home schooling. It’s a great way to experience your neighbourhood – you’ll see all kinds of things you might miss in a car.

Exercise in family groups within your local government area or 5km of home is permitted under current health orders, but please keep an eye on updates from NSW Health in case this situation changes.

The rules allow kids and adults to ride together on footpaths

In NSW, children under the age of 16 can ride on footpaths and people over 16 who accompany them.

All riders, including kids, must wear a helmet. Bikes must have a bell fitted.

Good riding etiquette means leaving space – and using your bell!

If you’re riding on the footpath, keep to a slow pace and give plenty of room to people walking. Take care when crossing driveways too.

Use your bell when approaching people or intersections to let people know you’re coming. It’s good bell etiquette to sound your bell early – don’t wait till you’re right behind someone to give a ding.

A hello and thanks as you ride by is always nice too.

There a plenty of great places to ride

Our local area has heaps of great places to ride with kids, including parks, separated cycleways and shared paths.

Most the large parks in our area are suitable for riding with kids. Sydney Park is a popular option. This sprawling parkland has many kilometres of shared paths. Centennial Park is also a great place to ride with children with a dedicated bike lane and very little traffic.

There are more than 22km of separated cycleways and 50km of shared paths across our local area, making it possible to explore large parts of the city free from traffic. You can download or order a free copy of our Sydney cycling guide and map and start exploring the bike network.

Popular cycleways and shared paths include the Bourke Street cycleway, which runs from Redfern to Woolloomooloo, and the harbour front shared path area between Pyrmont and Barangaroo.

Sydney’s roads are quiet at the moment too, making riding on the road even safer. When riding on the road with kids, a good general rule is to avoid the roads you’d normally pick in a car. Our cycling map and guide has low-traffic streets marked, making it easy to pick a safe route.

A few tips for a safer ride

Consider riding with two adults in the group. One adult can ride up front to guide the group, leading and watching for hazards. The other can ride at the rear to keep the group protected from passing traffic.

If you’re riding on the road with kids, the safest place to be is in the middle of your lane. Riding in the ‘primary position’ in the centre of the lane makes you more visible and gives you a bigger safety buffer.

Avoid riding in the ‘door zone’ next to parked cars, as people in cars may open their doors without checking for riders.

Learn more about riding in Sydney

You can learn more about the bike network’s features and get tips on riding to school with kids too.