My 4 year old has been riding a peddle bike for about 6 months. From the beginning he has pushed himself and will try to copy what others do. Currently he rides down curbs and concrete steps. At the bmx park he goes from the top of the ramp and gets 'air' on the jump. He can go all round the park. He does skid stops. He pushes himself constantly and improves every day. This is all coming from him. DH and I don't even own bikes although we obviously take him to the park, etc.
So my question is about safety gear. He has an excellent helmet and cheap knee and elbow pads. I'm not sure if we should be making him wear anything else. I looked into the full helmets. Not only are they insanely expensive but the sales guy said that they are heavy and can potentially cause whiplash in a young child. He hops on and off his bike all day and sometimes just keeps his helmet on. This wouldn't work with the full helmet. Then there's the question of body armour. Again, not practical to put on every time he rides but maybe he needs more for the bike park. I'm definitely going to get him gloves but haven't found any small enough yet.Â
I realise that this is a personal judgement call but I'd be interested in hearing what other families do. Thanks.Â
