This has me thinking about the @attackracing member of our family. She's in grade 8, and the school bus, is a very serious stressor for her, has been for 10 years. She has never rode her bike to school though. Why??? 1/ https://twitter.com/london_chrisp/status/1310024625594798080

Well for starters the school is just over 4km away, the area we live in is a holding zone, and has been for 35 years. We have two schools within walking distance, and yet this neighourhood for 35 years had bused kids into Old South. 2/

Second the direct route of only 4km would take someone straight down Wharncliffe Road. Even for the most advanced cyclist you would need to be crazy to ride on Wharncliffe, yet along for someone aged 4-13 3/

Third, the ride home has roughly 128 of vertical climb, or roughly the same as riding up a 12 story apartment building, and taking the safer route increases the trip to 6km each way 4/

Fourth, the school has a bike rack but lacks secure bike parking, considering the high rate of bike theft in London and other cities would you trust a pre-teen to count on her bike still being there when school is over 4km away? 5/

And just for fun we got to ride by 4 other schools along the safest route (did I mention we live is a holding zone that's been in place for 35 years) 6/

So after 2 years of training with a cycling team, building the endurance to do hard hills and long rides, a deteriorating bus situation with COIVD rules, the principal allowing her to park her bike in the office, and me having time to ride both ways with her she finally... 7/

Rode her bike to school for the first time ever on Friday, and she loved it. e/