Do some groups allow kids to ride their bike on shabbos?

amother

Fuchsia

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:35 am

My almost 5 year old taught himself how to ride a 2 wheeler on Shabbos in the country. yeshivish
would he ride now a year later, probably would tell him its not shabbosdik

amother

Lemon

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:36 am

I don't know. I grew up MO being totally not allowed.
But I moved to a community that's pretty charedi and they allow kids to do it.

DVOM

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:37 am

We allow our boys to ride their bikes on Shabbos in our Lakewood neighborhood. Our rabbi told us it is mutar. My oldest, almost 11, just started saying that he wants to stop as most boys his age don't, which is fine. I can see it petering out around bar mitzvah age.

Elementary school aged boys in our bungalow coloney ride bikes on shabbos.

polka dots

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:38 am

My husband asked our rav. He said that it is not against Halacha but not shabbosdig. So we don’t officially take out the bike to ride it. But if he’s playing outside and using a neighbors bike for a few minutes I don’t make a big deal cause I know that it is allowed

SixOfWands

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:40 am

DVOM wrote:

Few in our (MO) neighborhood do, but when I once asked, I was also told that its permissible, and the sole issue is the risk of it breaking and needing repairs.

Reality

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:43 am

I always thought the chain is what makes a bike a machine and and therefore it is muktzah.

A tricycle has no chain so it is fine.

giselle

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:44 am

For those who say it’s not within the shabbos spirit, why are scooters any different?

keym

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 10:50 am

giselle wrote:

For those who say it’s not within the shabbos spirit, why are scooters any different?

Because according to my Rav, bikes have been talked about in seforim for over 100 years, and the consensus is its Uvda Dechol with possible gezeiros FOR ADULTS. Scooters aren't discussed explicitly so they get discussed now on its own merit.

sushilover

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 11:02 am

giselle wrote:

For those who say it’s not within the shabbos spirit, why are scooters any different?

My rav said that bikes are not in the spirit of shabbos because they are used to go out of the tchum.
Scooters are mostly used by children, plus aren't generally used for long distance.

Nevertheless, if it's not accepted in your neighborhood, you should not allow your child to use a scooter on shabbos.

amother

Tan

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 11:04 am

In lkwd my boys ride bikes until they feel it's not shabbosdik. They play basketball which is a great occupation for a very long day! We hold that bikes are not muktza but since others in the neighborhood do, my boys don't want to be the only ones. My 6 yr old daughter rides in our driveway. .

thunderstorm

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 11:13 am

My kids stop around age 5 or 6. But I see my very Chasidish neighbors riding scooters in their three piece suits to mincha. These scooter riders hold a bike is not allowed even during the week (for other reasons)

amother

Scarlet

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 11:29 am

Our rav (Lakewood) said that a two wheeler is a big problem. Not because it is not shabbosdik but because it has the capability of taking a person out of the techum shabbos. That is a serious violation of the 39 melachos.
A tricycle, scooter or training wheel bike is not going to go too far.
For some reason I have also noticed that chassidishe kids are riding two wheelers on shabbos!

imasoftov

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 12:28 pm

amother [ Scarlet ] wrote:

... the techum shabbos. That is a serious violation of the 39 melachos

The techum Shabbat is not one of the 39 melachot. I think it is likely that you misunderstood your rav.

Leaving the techum is forbidden, and it's a machloket whether it's deoraita or derabbanan although even according to those who say it's deoraita, that's a much larger distance and the 2000 amot we follow is derabbanan, but even a derabbanan is serious, so I'm not saying "no big deal", just that it's not one of the 39 melachot.

Note: I'm only commenting on what I quoted, not on riding bicycles.

amother

Pewter

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 1:28 pm

Our chassidish rav said it’s ok when used for play. It’s only a problem when used for riding to a destination.

I was shocked with the psak but very happy!

nchr

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 1:32 pm

Under 9 years old I'll tell them I don't like it, but won't stop them from actually doing it if they choose to. This is in regard to scooters and balls. They have bikes, but they are not accessible without entering the garage and would involve parental assistance so BH that is not an issue for us.

aliavi

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 1:53 pm

giselle wrote:

For those who say it’s not within the shabbos spirit, why are scooters any different?

Adding that bicycles were not so long ago used for business such as deliveries.

pesek zman

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 1:57 pm

aliavi wrote:

Adding that bicycles were not so long ago used for business such as deliveries.

They absolutely still are! Come to manhattan! When I have pizza delivered it arrives by bike.

Geulanow

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 3:11 pm

I learned bikes are assur. A while back, when rollerblades were in, I asked a Rav about riding rollerblades on yomtov. He said they shouldn't be worn but once gave permission to a mohel to use them on yomtov.

sky

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 3:37 pm

We were told that bikes without training wheels are muktzah and should not be used regardless of age.

Bikes with training wheels or tricycles are a toy and are not muktzah.

Scooters seem to be a grey area. We were told better not but there is room to be lenient.

My boys play ball on Shabbos until bar mitzvah (and after bar mitzvah if they still do I let it slide).

princessleah

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 4:45 pm

As a kid we never biked on Shabbat but also we didn't have an eruv until I was 18 years old.

I follow what someone said above-- use it for fun/enjoyment, not to get from place A to place B if it were to be too far to walk.
Also it is very hard to violate techum these days-- you have to leave your boundary and cross through an unpopulated area. Maybe in the exurbs, but very hard in metropolitan areas.