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Older, wiser and safer on a bike

4 September 2004

ONCE you learn to ride a bike, you’ll never forget. And a few scraped knees and bruises are an inevitable part of the process. Right?

Not according to Kari Hansen of Haukeland University Hospital in Norway. She has found that children who learn to cycle when aged 6 or 7 suffer far fewer injuries than those who learn when younger. Hansen blames the extra spills suffered by the younger children on their immature psychomotor skills, rather than on inexperience alone.

Hansen asked 1200 parents about when their children learned to cycle and how many injuries they suffered. Of those who…

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