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Old 04-24-10, 10:16 PM
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prathmann
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Originally Posted by 3bluebikes
Bicycling Magazine published an article with a clever way to learn to ride a bicycle. Take the pedals off the bike, lower the saddle so the rider can sit flat footed, find a gentle grassy hill, and coast down a few times, each time holding your feet off the ground a little longer.
This is the approach I would use rather than using a tandem as a way to learn bicycling. But rather than a grassy hill, I use an almost flat and empty parking lot as the training area. The learner just pushes themselves along like on the old 'hobby horse' style of bike. Rolling is much easier and smoother on a paved parking lot than on a grass surface and with the ability to put their feet down easily there should be very little risk of falling. I've taught both children and adults this way with no falls involved.

Only after the learner has gotten used to coasting for extended distances without having their feet touch down and also steering in both directions do you reinstall the pedals. But still keep the seat very low (and use pedals without clips or other fastenings) so they can quickly put a foot down if still needed. Practice pedaling around and then gradually start to raise the seat to a more normal height as proficiency is gained.
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