World cycling champion bikes children to school
BBCFormer world champion mountain biker Tracy Moseley has joined a bike bus initiative at her local primary school, where her 8-year-old son is a pupil.
Moseley, 47, who lives near Malvern in Worcestershire, led a group of children on a two-mile (3.2km) route through the Herefordshire countryside as part of an effort to improve their health.
"We try and let the kids have a much fun as they can," she said. "We try and make sure that they're engaged with us, chatting rather than sitting in the car or being on a screen."
"It feels great to have the wind in your face and just to get out in nature in the morning said 9-year-old Monty. "Not just be sitting in a big metal tin on wheels."
He added: "Most mornings I'll just be really sleepy... but now I'm in a really great mood because I have done bike bus."
Moseley said: "We can talk about nature, we can talk about the weather, we can have skids and wheelies and just have fun on bikes."
The national Bike Bus scheme gives pupils the chance to ride together, joining up at meeting points along the route with a nominated "driver"—an adult volunteer who leads the cyclists.
Other adults bring up the rear and help to manage traffic.
With several successful routes set up across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Moseley said youngsters had gained confidence on a bike since joining in.
"I think for children it is this first step to their freedom," she said.
She added they were picking up important navigational and road sense skills, including which side of the route to travel on, listening for traffic and what to do when a car came.
"Some of these children when they first started, didn't know where they were," she said.
"It's bringing back all of those skills that I think sadly we've lost in the last couple of generations of kids."
Children and volunteers meet at Coddington Church and cycle the remaining distance to school as a group.
Parents said the chance to be active with their friends got their children out of bed more quickly.
"It's just really nice to get out in the open," said Aurelia, 8.
"It energises me and sets me up for school a little bit. It makes me feel better in the morning when I get up," agreed Toby.
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