I was four when I had my first unaided cycle ride. My dad, an industrious New Zealander, had attached some rickety stabilisers to my bike and I was beginning to get the hang of it when I had a go on someone's else's 'proper' bike in Highams Park where we used to play out (do kids 'play out' these days?). I'll never forget the speed, the exhileration, the arc I traced down a grassy hill then back up the other side where I came to a stop, beaming with pride that I was really cycling.

A new kind of child's bicycle is promising to make it easier for children to start riding. Called a 'balance bike', the design dispenses with stabilisers and even peddles, and instead puts the seat low enough for the child to be able to whizz along using their feet to propel them. It's an idea that makes balancing a priority right from the start, but because the child can use their feet to help them stay upright, perhaps it might help avoid some of those bumps and grazes which come with learning to cycle.

If it helps get kids on bikes, and parents keen on the idea, then that's good news for cycling.