Bicycles

Cycling with children

View helpful tips to cycle safely with children. 

Children aged 12 years or younger can ride on footpaths. Anyone 13 years or older can ride on a footpath if they're accompanying a child aged 12 years or younger who is also riding on the footpath.

View bicycle road rules for more information on:  

  • where you can ride your bike  
  • how you can use bike trailers and child bicycle seats
  • rules around helmets. 

Plan your route by checking council maps on the bicycle and walking route maps page or contacting your council to see if they have a walking and cycling map. Use these resources to help find a safe route, involve your child in the planning exercise.  

Check your children are wearing properly fitted and adjusted helmets.  

View information on the bicycle education program for school students. 

Cycling with babies and toddlers

Babies and toddlers must be able to support their own head when they’re on a bike or in a bike trailer. This is particularly important when going around corners, over bumps and when braking.  

Cargo bikes with boxes and bike with trailers attached to bikes must be ridden on the road. Bikes with tag-a-long attachments (where the child has pedals) or a baby seat attached can be ridden on the footpath.

Riding with young children

Teach young children to:

  • ride on the left
  • give way to people walking on footpaths and shared paths
  • ring your bell and slow down as you approach others
  • watch for dangers, like cars coming in and out of driveways.  

Get them to practise:  

  • starting, stopping and riding around obstacles
  • doing hand signals and head checks (looking behind).

Balance bikes (without pedals) are great options for young children learning to balance themselves on a bike.

Adults need to take great care to ride slowly if travelling on the footpath with children and must always give way to pedestrians. 

Cycling with primary school-aged children

If your child is in grades 4, 5 or 6, think about enrolling them in a bike education program. View more information on bike education programs in Bike Ed.  

Help your child prepare for independent riding:

  • Encourage your child’s school to run a bicycle education program.
  • Pick routes they will ride often and help them get familiar with the journey.  
  • Explain where and how to lock up a bike.
  • Talk about what to do if something goes wrong, like getting a flat tyre.

When riding on streets with children:

  • Use quieter local streets and ride in bike lanes where available. Use the footpath when you need to.  
  • If there are two adults, have one ride in front and one at the rear, with children in between. If there is one adult, ride at the rear. Ride slightly to the right of the child or children, so vehicles don’t pass too close.  
  • Teach children how to ride through intersections using hook turns, hand signals and the correct positioning.
  • Call out any instructions early, to give children time to respond.
  • Use lights, hand signals and your bell.   

Cycling with teenagers

Teenagers can’t ride on footpaths in Victoria, unless accompanying children who are 12 and under.  

To help your child ride safely: