I started letting my son bike with his friends when he was 8. It gives me anxiety, but I see the value in having independence.

The author's kids are part of a neighborhood "bike gang." Courtesy of the author I started letting my son bike around our neighborhood with his friends when he was 8. He and my daughter now bike up to a half mile away, as long as they're in a group. Letting them bike around has taught them responsibility and independence. The first time my son asked if he could bike in the neighborhood with his friends, I hesitated. His friend balanced on his bike, one foot on the ground, waiting impatientl...