Girls riding bikes

amother

Tue, Nov 18 2014, 10:08 pm

At what age is a girl considered too old to casually ride a bike around the neighbourhood. I am talking about an openminded charedi area. I am not talking about taking a long ride for excersize or on a bike path.

MaBelleVie

Tue, Nov 18 2014, 10:11 pm

You might want to be more specific about location. I think this varies a lot even among "open minded chareidi," which itself is subject to interpretation.

amother

Tue, Nov 18 2014, 10:11 pm

I grew up in Boro Park. I was able to ride my bike until age 12. After that I had to wear a skirt with pants and only bike ride after dark.

During the day I was allowed to bike outside of Boro Park, like Manhattan was ok.

agreer

Tue, Nov 18 2014, 11:33 pm

It's REALLY hard to adhere to the laws of tzniut while bike riding. You need to make sure your knees and thighs are covered the whole time without your skirt getting stuck in the wheels, which would be a terrible safety concern.

That being said, I voted for 10-11. Let girls ride while they are young. But come bat mitzvah, they need to prioritize their tzniut.

I do have a very tzniut woman who uses a bike in our community. She rides it as her mode of transportation, probably for health reasons. She is 100% tznuit, always riding in a long skirt (tucked under her, somehow) and a wig. She is the ONLY woman I know that consistently maintains her tziut while riding.

I know from myself, when I go bike riding on a bike path, I wear leggings and safety pin my skirt to my leggings at the knee (it's a trick I learned from a very tzniut friend's mother). It's hard, takes a lot of effort, and is so not worth it.

I've seen other women ride bikes. Their thighs and knees show. Truly, it isn't proper.

morahaviva

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 1:45 am

Is this question regarding tznuis only? I ask because I went out with a guy once (ONLY ONCE) who said his daughter would never be allowed to ride a horse or a bike, because it may "damage her inside"... and then she wouldnt be considered a btulah (virgin)....

monseychick

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 1:52 am

morahaviva wrote:

WADR... That is the most rediculous thing I ever read here.. Maybe a horse I could here, the Gam' has such a concern. But bikes, why stop there, no walking fast, or jumping, or aerobics. Just freeze them in a bubble till the marriage

Dina_B613

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 3:23 am

Agreer - I actually can't tell if your post was sarcastic or real.

If it's real, what is the world coming to where we judge people by their exercise modes?! We should be applauding people who encourage their children to exercise and to be able to get around independently. We in the frum society have a huge problem with obesity, lack of exercise, etc. - all of which negatively effect us. Why do we have to have protocols on when women can and can't ride bikes?

June

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 3:49 am

Dina_B613 wrote:

where was agreer judging anybody? she just said that bicycling with your knees and thighs showing isn't proper - and it isn't. exercising is very important, but halacha is more important. if you can bike ride in a safe and tzanuah manner, go for it!

yo'ma

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 4:50 am

amother wrote:

This made me laugh!! After dark?? I understand from the tzanua perspective, but what about the safety perspective. I'm thinking riding in the street which you're probably not.

yo'ma

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 9:23 am

amother wrote:

I commented on the other part already, but I reread your post and I don't understand the second part. If it has to do with tzanua, isn't one supposed to be tzanua everywhere, not only where you live, among jews? I'm just trying to understand.

DrMom

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 9:37 am

greenfire wrote:

riding a bike is not a religious query ... you wear leggings underneath your skirt and that's all there is to it

This. I don't even understand the poll (I voted for the last option).

amother

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 9:37 am

yo'ma wrote:

It wasnt accepted in my neighborhood to ride a bike above the age 12. My parents didnt share that belief. I dont remember anyone saying anything about tznius. If I rode at night I wasn't clearly recognized. There are plenty of street lights, and there is a path on ocean parkway that was fine.

During the day, if I biked in Manhatten then that was ok.

By the way, my brothers werent allowed to bike ride to yeshiva. My parents got him a strong bike lock and he locked it a block away from yeshiva.

My relative was read a shidduch and people told the parents they have something not so great to share. The guy rides a bike. Ha! My extended family looked at it as a positive healthy reason to continue the shidduch.

ShanaMatele

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 9:47 am

amother wrote:

Our Rav (and our family) puts a lot of consideration into respecting minhag ha'makom. In *our* neighborhood I ride my bike and so do my girls. If we were to visit an area where that wasn't done, then we wouldn't do it there. I can't imagine choosing to move to a place where this would be "not done," but if we had to then I would respect the local community's minhag. (I didn't vote in the poll.)

sky

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 9:49 am

It really depends on the community and hashkafa.

Where I come from there was no limit and girls would ride at any age.

What we do now is that girls over 9 don't ride in 'public'. But in a park off the main road it would be okay. This is per our rav and our daughter's school.

My sons's yeshiva also doesn't allow biking - but nothing to do with biking itself. They don't feel like the ride there is safe (it is not) and they do not want to take responsibility for a child riding their bike and something happening.

ShanaMatele

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 9:53 am

agreer wrote:

Here's a great trick for biking in a skirt.
(The video isn't geared for the tzenuah community, but the trick still works for us.
Watch with caution if you have men/boys around.)

http://vimeo.com/98808131

causemommysaid

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 10:44 am

morahaviva wrote:

ewww why would a guy say that on a first date