• My son has been riding his bike for four years. • As his confidence has grown, he's started asking to ride alone in our neighborhood. • I wasn't sure if he was ready, but we gave it a shot anyway.

My 11-year-old son started riding a bicycle about four years ago. When he really became a confident rider last year, he started begging me to ride his bike alone in our neighborhood. He has grown up watching shows like Stranger Things, where kids his age ride their bikes all over town, but I try to explain that's just a show.

And while I grew up in Miami riding my bike in my neighborhood alone or with friends, things changed over time, and the city became more populated as I got older. With so much traffic, it felt less safe to ride a bike, even in your own neighborhood.

Now, we live in

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