General Cycling Discussion - Learning to ride as a adult?

I think that I may be the only grown woman in the country who never learned to ride a bike as a child. Does anyone know where I can learn this? Or is it something that I should be able to pick up on my own?

Learning to ride a bike is not hard at all unless you have something working against you. Now if you are over 50 age and reaction time may start to catch up with you.

My one hint is it is easy to ride a bike. It is hard to balance on a bike that is standing still. If you are afraid then the natural tendency is to slow down. This is BAD you are making it hard on yourself. I'm not saying you have to hit 20 mph, 10 is plenty, but somewhere near the pace of a brisk walk it starts getting hard to balance. Go slower than that and you will have trouble.

If you can get a mountian bike or other bug tire bike that may make things easier. A off road bike on grass trimmed short is ideal as then a fall is something to laugh about. But to start pick a place with nothing for you to hit and nothing to hit you.

Odds are you will either have no problems or they will seem foolish and avoidable looking back. (Hopefully with a few more tips it will be the former).

I did things backwards...Never rode a bike as a child, and bought a motorcycle at about age 25. Learned to ride that, THEN bought a bicycle. Not a procedure I'd reccomend...

I worked with a 24 yr old guy who just learned to ride a bike. Its because of scooters he said.

wear a helmet...

push down on the pedals hard.

It is easy for those of us who learnt as children to say "its easy". I am sure that is what ski kids say when they see guys like me tripping over ourselves on the nursey slopes.
Teaching an adult is quite different to teaching a child to ride.
Do you have a bike at the moment?
There are a few fundamentals to remember when riding a bike?:
Bikes dont travel in staright lines, but a series of swooping curves. With experienced riders, the curves are so large that they appear straight, with beginers the curves should be more obvious.
You use the steering to correct for balance and change direction by leaning (much like flying an aircraft , which is no coincidence).
When you stop the bike with brakes, your body weight will continue forward unless you brace against the bars.

Find a safe place to ride, ideally a gently sloping grass field with a large run off area and no sticky-outy bits to ride into. Wear clothes to protect you from scratches if you fall. A helmet may be useful but on soft grass is not essential.
Start with the saddle low. Roll along and get the feel of stopping using the brakes.
Riding is easier if you go a bit faster, the bike will be easier to balance. Slow speed riding is quite a difficult skill.

Its really hard to describe a balancing activity in words, you just have to go and try it.

Bikes dont travel in staright lines, but a series of swooping curves. With experienced riders, the curves are so large that they appear straight, with beginers the curves should be more obvious.

Well, I learned my one thing for the day - and it's not even 7AM!

Using a road bike to start learning to ride is probable not a good idea. I would suggest bikes with fatter tires and set the saddle fairly low so that the tip of your feet can touch the ground easily. Try starting on a gentle downward slope so that you will have some forward momentum without having to pedal.

Good luck. It's never too late!

I agree with plin - you'd be best off learning on a comfortable bike. I would suggest a so-called "granny bike" style is great because, as the name would imply, it's easy to ride. However, I think the first point is where you can go to learn.

Where are you? Maybe you can find a local bike shop that would allow you to test ride some bikes to get the feel of them, or at the very least they would know of any other places or courses that would be useful.

MichaelW, a series of sweeping curves? Now I've heard everything :lol:

Take the pedals off, lower the seat so that your feet touch the ground, find a grassy slope with a gentle downhill, sit on bike, use feet to move bike forward, and as you can, raise feet to get the feel of "balancing."

As you gain balance, put pedals on and use them to gain speed. Raise seat and pedal away!

MichaelW, a series of sweeping curves? Now I've heard everything :lol:
Try riding with your front wheel in some kind of rut that prevents steering. You fall off if you unable to steer. If we are contantly making small adjustments to the steering, we are not riding in a straight line. It just appears straight because the radius of the curves is so large. Most complete newbies attempt to steer a straight line and wobble all over the place. If you direct newbie to ride in curves, around some widely spaced markers then balance becomes a lot easier.

Training techniques often seem counter-intuitive because experienced people forget or internalise what they are doing.

I'm around Lynchburg, VA. No, I don't have a bike yet. I have access to a few here on campus. I am going to be moving to Tucson next fall, and I don't want to get a car, so I figured that its about time that I learned.

Thanks for all of the advice. :)

The ideal learning bike is a singlespeed with a low open frame.
If you are getting a bike for commuting and want to learn on that, then treat it as a singlespeed and ignore gear changing till you are ready. Make sure that the selected gear is fairly low for easy riding.
Dont try to learn on a bike that is too large or too small.

get started with a helmet to get into habit..
otherwise like 10 other ppl said... small grass hill.

The ideal bike is a rental bike so you don't have to worry about dinging it.

DFox was right on, take it in stages:

1. walk bike slowly and practice braking
2. coast downhill with no pedals, or feet outstretched to learn steering
3. start adding pedaling, do not put both feet on bike before moving. If the bike's not moving you'll fall.
4. celebrate
5. try shifting between 2 gears WHILE pedaling
6. celebrate
7. repeat any of the above you want to practice on more
8. try riding on empty bike trails/roads
9. when have balancing and shifting and braking review bike safety rule for road travel
10. get on the road and practice more
11. celebrate, you've made it.

good luck, let us know where you get stuck. kudo's to you for taking this leap.

I am a 57 year old adult and I've just learned to ride a bike.
If that sounds like the beginning of an alchoholics anonymous meeting, there's good reason.

I just went for a short ride together with my daughter for the first time ever (she's sixteen now and I taught her to ride many years ago - ironic or what?).

Here's my experience, which I think gives a different perspective to those posting who learned at six and think it's all easy.

So this post is directed only at people like I was two weeks ago. Please don't bother to tell me my understanding of the gyroscopic effect is wrong.
It's still all new to me, I've only had about 6-7 one hour sessions so I am riding: but following a narrow path without falling in the bushes on either side and uphill starts are still beyond me.

If you are remotely like me you are not just learning to ride but also battling with fifty years of fear and shame.
We are older. Falling hurts and isn't just shrugged off with a cuddle (trust me the long chain mark going up my leg really hurts!).
So I would argue the best way to learn as an adult (and maybe for a child like I was fifty years ago) is by tiny, safe-feeling steps.
I've seen some programs that say "repeat ten times or do for five minutes".
IMHO this is rubbish: repeat until the fear reduces. You will then try a bit too hard and it'll go wrong and put you back a bit. Don't feel you can't go back a step or two. If like me you spend maybe an hour just sitting on the bike or scooting about a bit, that's all vital progress towards the goal.

I largely followed the ideas described in this forum and on other pages. I also found a uTube of an elderly lady learning that taught me nothing at all but gave me a kick towards starting. [BTW: I found internet pages on "how to learn to ride as an adult" - then took six months working up the courage to actually start]

Things that helped me:
The real eureka for me was being told that the handlebars aren't for steering but are used to balance.
The tip, turn away a little from the direction you want to turn is helpful, but only partially. [I still don't know how I turn! In the early days turning isn't in your repertoire anyway]
At the beginning I found it helpful to drop the saddle right down to have my feet flat on the floor, this boosts confidence immensely.
I removed the pedals, easy if you have the right spanner and know they undo in different directions. Find the right spanner for your saddle too.
I did my first four hours in the dark, not ideal but helps with the shame/embarrassment factor.
Like many posts, I started just by scooting about like this, this starts to give a feel of balance.
You next need a place to learn. I found "the perfect park": Wantage Park, UK in case you are near.
All these factors were helpful to me: wide spaces, flat parts and some relatively gentle slopes.
Few trees (although I did get very close a few times to the few there). But a few are good later when learning to steer round things.
The grass isn't too bumpy nor too long. (That said, some small bumps help learning as they stop you thinking about things too hard).
I found the grass helpful as I felt more in control on the slower surface than when on the the tarmac in the car park or paths (later).
A wide area is essential at the beginning, you are learning to balance, not steer.

I spent a bit of time on the flat and then freewheeling down the gentle hill, working my way further up the hill as I learned and gained confidence. This took me several sessions.
At this time you will need to learn how to stop: two tips, wait until stopped before putting feet down. Use both brakes gently, I found the front stronger and will start to send you over the front if you panic.
Look ahead not down.
Once freewheeling with a bit of confidence, practice lifting up your feet to where the pedals would be.
I found I could steer by looking where I wanted to go. Almost certainly anti-scientific but it may work for you too.

I expected the "putting the pedals back on" step to be hard but provided you still have the saddle low you will find scooting is still possible so isn't a huge jump (which we want to avoid).
The slope here was invaluable. Starting to pedal from a cold stop I still find hard, but starting to freewheel, and then lifting your feet up is easy if you have done the freewheeling practice.

If you're like me, this is the core to starting to ride. There's lots more (raising the saddle back up, going uphill, gears, going round stuff, playing with little slaloms) but I found this to be much more obvious than the first part above which is more about overcoming fear and "inner-riding" than anything else.

Hope this helps, Good Luck.
It's a hell of a kick when you move on a step!

This subject actually comes up quite often. You're not alone.

I'll echo Dnvr's advice. I'd recommend putting the seat down far enough that you can not only touch but flat-foot both feet at the same time while seated. With no pedals on the bike, 'flintstone' the bike around an empty parking lot. Remember that a bike is balanced by steering into the fall. Turning past the fall line sets up a fall in the opposite direction, so the net result is that you will go in the desired direction, but you'll follow a somewhat wavy line. Bearing that in mind, paddle the bike around until you get comfortable. As you get better, you will learn to push and glide. The better you get, the less you'll wobble. When you get comfortable doing it - you'll know when the time is right - you'll be ready to put the pedals back on and go for a short ride.

We'll be waiting to hear your success story!

My wife never learned to ride a bike until she was 24. My friend tried to teach her but without luck. Another friend of mine, owner of the LBS said he teach her in one day and he did.

Starting out. First you need to get your pedals in the same spot each time. If you start with
your left foot, you want the left pedal at 10 o-clock. If you start with your right foot, you
want your right pedal at 2 o-clock.

One foot on the ground, one on the pedal! Eyes straight ahead. Slight push down on the
foot with the pedal. Don't try to push with the foot on the ground, it will just upset your
balance. As the pedal comes up on the ground foot side, just put your foot on it and push
down. DO NOT LOOK DOWN AT THE PEDALS, you know where they are! Looking down and
going forward is bad. Your eyes use the things in front of your to reference up and down
and side to side! And a little speed and the bike is stable! More speed more stable!

DO NOT DRAG YOUR FEET, that is what brakes are for! If you are dragging your feet and
run over your heel, it will be a bad day!

Welcome to BikeForums, Steve57! You've proven that you're never to old to learn something new.

Stop by the 50+ forum and say hello.

Kids learn without fear; adults fear the learning process.

Falling is the big thing. The post that talked about scooters is to me, the transition stage. The scooter like the adult laser kick scooter is low to the ground, is driven by your leg and feet action, and consequently, you get accustomed to the balancing thing quickly.

The next step would be the bike.

I thought I'd update my story about learning as an adult.
As I said in this thread a few weeks ago: I'm 57 and first rode a bike just six weeks ago.

Well, today my daughter and I just completed our first cycle event: the uptonogood (http://www.uptonogood.org.uk) 12-mile mountain-bike challenge.
Ok, it's not "mountain"-biking (I live in the UK we have no mountains, just hills) but a 600ft height range was enough to make me get off and walk a few times.

steve57 -- way to go!! That is so great to hear! I'm going to be sharing your posts. I loved your earlier post with the tips and then to hear of your success today is such a happy ending... or rather, a happy beginning!

ML

I thought I'd update my story about learning as an adult.
As I said in this thread a few weeks ago: I'm 57 and first rode a bike just six weeks ago.

Well, today my daughter and I just completed our first cycle event: the uptonogood (http://www.uptonogood.org.uk) 12-mile mountain-bike challenge.
Ok, it's not "mountain"-biking (I live in the UK we have no mountains, just hills) but a 600ft height range was enough to make me get off and walk a few times.

Hi Steve 57!

Bravo!

I'm feeling your elation and pain!

Currently, I'm writing what I hope will be a humorous take on bike riding. Would you be willing to have me mention/quote some of your account of your riding efforts?

I was back to riding after many years not riding and had a rough time. Finally, I changed bike types - I now have a hybrid which allows me to sit up and not hurt - and not fall off like I was. (I am slightly arthritic in my knee and getting off quickly was causing me issues.)

Please let me know if you're okay for me to quote what you've written. (My book will be called - Biking for the Couch Potato - it's a sequel to my book - Hiking for the Couch Potato. (You can see my web site - which is going through a transition- www.hiking.forthecouchpotato.com)

I like your spunk and writing!

Warmest regards,

headpotato - Shelley Gillespie

No problems.

[QUOTE=steve57;12806002]I thought I'd update my story about learning as an adult.
As I said in this thread a few weeks ago: I'm 57 and first rode a bike just six weeks ago.

Steve57 - I see your post was over a year ago...I found it recently as I was searching for information about learning to ride - I'm about the same as you are and it's so good to know I'm not alone. After reading your story I am going to get myself a bike - I'm not far from you and know Wantage park well! So...I found a shop nearby - in Abingdon - where second hand bikes are sold so I'm going to take the plunge and actually go in and talk to them!!! My kids are encouraging me to do this - something I've always wanted to do but afraid to look silly!

Take the pedals off, lower the seat so that your feet touch the ground, find a grassy slope with a gentle downhill, sit on bike, use feet to move bike forward, and as you can, raise feet to get the feel of "balancing."

As you gain balance, put pedals on and use them to gain speed. Raise seat and pedal away!

That's how Mrs. Grouch learned to ride.

[QUOTE=steve57;12806002]My kids are encouraging me to do this - something I've always wanted to do but afraid to look silly!

The only folks who are silly are those that don't try new worthwhile things - now that is silly!!

Way to go, molymeux! Good for you for having the courage to go forward with this!

While I was out on my Independence Day ride along the Whittier Greenway Trail, I saw an older woman (easily 50s or 60s) on a bike with training wheels. Ride!!

I'm 20, and I just learned how to ride a bike last summer, and throughout last year at college, I gained experience and confidence riding around. I first rode on larger size BMX bike, in a grassy area with a tiny hill. My advice is to find a nice open area without trees to run into, until you get the hang of balance and steering and pedaling and all that. Once I figured out how to get on and pedal, I was riding around the neighborhood, in big circles. Beyond those initial learning stages, experience and practice is the best way to gain confidence and skills! Now I'm riding a road bike, about 100 miles a day. Tucson is a great place to learn too.

I just successfully taught my 11 year old nephew how to ride a bike via what I think is a great method. It splits the learning process into two distinct methods, vice lumping it all in together. Start by just using your feet on the ground to propel the bike, lifting your feet for short periods. Practice this for a while until you have worked your balancing skills up enough to keep your feet up for several seconds. Unless going down-hill, you won't build up enough speed to do much more than this. Once you have mastered balancing, and controlling the bike. Then work on pedaling. Remember a few important things as you progress: try not to look at the ground in front of you, but rather look to where you would like to end up. Many people, when they start, will end up looking at things they want to avoid, which actually draws you to the object. Where your eyes point, your chin points, which is where your shoulders will point, which is where the bike will go. Learn to focus on your destination, surveying your surroundings with your peripheral vision. Practice things, one at a time, and then combine them as you gain proficiency, and you will be speeding around the neighborhood in no time.

Hi everyone! Just wanted to thank you for all the inputs in this thread. I stumbled upon this forum a few weeks back when I was looking for tips on how to learn how to ride a bike as an adult. I'm 30 and have never been learned how to ride until now. :) I'm still wobbling my way around the city, but I am riding just the same. Learning how to balance was the most difficult part for me, but after keeping at it and sustaining one wound in the process I think I finally figured it out. I'm now in the process of gaining more confidence on riding out in the streets.

What helped most for me was having someone push the bike and keep it steady while I was getting used to controlling the bike. As has been mentioned in several posts, it's a good idea to put off pedaling until you learn how to keep your balance. Best of luck for those who have yet to learn. I'm officially in love with biking.

transformosa,

You might want to take an LAB road course (http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/) to increase your confidence and safety in dealing with traffic.

transformosa,

You might want to take an LAB road course (http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/) to increase your confidence and safety in dealing with traffic.

Hi Artkansas,

I am not from the US so I cannot take the classes, but the website has a lot of useful info. Thanks for the link!

I have just bought a bike at the age of 51 and am starting to learn to ride using the no pedals and sccoting/freewheeling method. I went out yesterday and was doing really well on the grass but when i went onto a hard surface, I was a lot less happy. I know I will get there but it seems a long way off yet. I am geting more used to using the brakes rather than putting my feet down, but I wondered, how long should I leave it before getting the pedals back on? Should I get used to turning corners etc first?

I just learn to ride also and I am 30 y.o. I am in love with cycling now, went on my first ride Sunday mornig 1.5miles. Keep at it, it will be a payoff.

I got recruited to teach all my sons friends how to ride their bikes because i'm the only dad in the area that can run along side a kid on a bike for more than 10 feet without have a massive coronary. All you need is a good flat sidewalk with no trees or poles to hit, and a friend that's willing to push you for a short distance to get you going. Lower the seat so both feat touch the ground easily, and if you get off balance just fall into the grass.

I bet I've run 1000 miles next to kids while pushing their bikes to keep them up to speed. Before they know it, I'm not next to them anymore and they're happily pedaling around.

I have just bought a bike at the age of 51 and am starting to learn to ride using the no pedals and sccoting/freewheeling method. I went out yesterday and was doing really well on the grass but when i went onto a hard surface, I was a lot less happy. I know I will get there but it seems a long way off yet. I am geting more used to using the brakes rather than putting my feet down, but I wondered, how long should I leave it before getting the pedals back on? Should I get used to turning corners etc first?

You might want to get comfortable turning before you put the pedals back on. Is there an empty parking lot that you can use to practice riding on a hard surface?

I have just bought a bike at the age of 51 and am starting to learn to ride using the no pedals and sccoting/freewheeling method. I went out yesterday and was doing really well on the grass but when i went onto a hard surface, I was a lot less happy. I know I will get there but it seems a long way off yet. I am geting more used to using the brakes rather than putting my feet down, but I wondered, how long should I leave it before getting the pedals back on? Should I get used to turning corners etc first?

No pedals, scooting, freewheeling, all this describes a scooter. I think that's the way to go for adults who really need more time to adjust to balance, steering, and speed. Besides, you may actually like the scooter too much.

http://www.amazon.com/Razor-A5-Lux-Scooter/dp/B004C6BGII

I learn to ride by sitting on the seat and going down a small hill placing my feet close to the ground for safty. After getting hang of the balance I started to pedal at the end of the hill.... After that I just practice starting from a flat surface then practice turning and such. I learn to ride last week at 30 y.o. btw

Try riding with your front wheel in some kind of rut that prevents steering. You fall off if you unable to steer. If we are contantly making small adjustments to the steering, we are not riding in a straight line. It just appears straight because the radius of the curves is so large. Most complete newbies attempt to steer a straight line and wobble all over the place. If you direct newbie to ride in curves, around some widely spaced markers then balance becomes a lot easier.

Training techniques often seem counter-intuitive because experienced people forget or internalise what they are doing.
And counter steering. Even most motorcyclists don't know about it. Any time you are steering a two-wheeled vehicle above ~8 mph, you use countersteer to initiate a turn. It's so subtle and slight that most people don't realize it. It's also one reason so many avoidable accidents happen...people 'freeze up', and wind up thinking too much about steering, target fixate, and go right where they are trying to avoid.

A Reporter Learns to Ride a Bicycle As An Adult
Matt Flegenheimer, a transportation reporter for The New York Times who did not know how to ride a bicycle, took a class in Manhattan offered by Bike New York

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/11/nyregion/a-reporter-learns-to-ride-a-bicycle-as-an-adult.html?hp

Hi All,
I just joined bikeforums so I could respond to this thread! I am 32, and over the past few months have been learning to ride a bike for the first time. I had two good lessons; the third was also good until the end... I fell over the side of the bike and smashed my chin and lower face into the pavement. I was wearing a helmet, but it wasn't even touched. I had a concussion and two badly broken front teeth, in addition to several other bruises and sprains. I've been afraid to ride since, though I really want to learn! I was learning on a thin road bike; what other style of bike might be easier for a newbie? And of course I would appreciate any advice on overcoming fear after an injury! I've enjoyed reading all the adult new riders' stories, but I haven't heard of another accident like mine, so I feel extra lousy...
But I don't intend to give up, so any help/advice would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

Hi All,
I just joined bikeforums so I could respond to this thread! I am 32, and over the past few months have been learning to ride a bike for the first time. I had two good lessons; the third was also good until the end... I fell over the side of the bike and smashed my chin and lower face into the pavement. I was wearing a helmet, but it wasn't even touched. I had a concussion and two badly broken front teeth, in addition to several other bruises and sprains. I've been afraid to ride since, though I really want to learn! I was learning on a thin road bike; what other style of bike might be easier for a newbie? And of course I would appreciate any advice on overcoming fear after an injury! I've enjoyed reading all the adult new riders' stories, but I haven't heard of another accident like mine, so I feel extra lousy...
But I don't intend to give up, so any help/advice would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

I am so sorry to hear about your experience. It is difficult to overcome trauma from one incident, and the "getting back on the horse" advice is easier said than done, as it is very different for everyone.

Why not try learning as a young child would? Lower the saddle so that you can plant your feet firmly on the ground while in the sitting position. Remove the pedals and scoot along for a few meters and lift your feet up off the ground. This will give a feel for the balancing of the bike and it will give you enough confidence to put both feet down if you feel losing control. Keep this up until you are confident enough to put the pedals back on and use them.

Crank forward bikes are great for those who are uncomfortable stopping tippy toed.

Trek has nice ones..

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/town/recreation/pure/

What a great topic! There's lots of great advice here.

I, too, am a late learner. My husband taught me to ride a bike when I was 26. Like steve57, I started out practicing in the dark, scooting around our neighborhood on my bike around midnight because I would have been mortified to have the neighborhood kids observing my beginner's efforts. I didn't think to take the pedals off as others have suggested, but I did wear shin guards. :rolleyes:

My big mistake was getting a bike that was just a little too big for my comfort. I am short, so it was difficult to find a decent bike in my size and my DH prefers over-sized bikes and hoped I would share that preference. Big mistake. I was shaky on that bike around other cyclists and around any kind of traffic. I had a very scary accident with a car (totally not the driver's fault) that ended with my head on the ground inches from her stopped-just-in-time tire. That shook my confidence and eroded nearly all my progress. DH and I got a tandem after that, and that's how we rode for years until he started having problems with his wrists, exacerbated by the heavy steering of the tandem.

I miss riding with my husband, who is still very much a bike enthusiast, so at age 51, I recently decided to give cycling another go. This time around, I decided to go for a small bike so that I would feel absolutely comfortable about being able to put my feet down on the ground without toppling. Because I wanted a bike with a small frame that would let me "grow into it" as I improved my skills and developed my confidence, I decided on a folding bike. Last week, we purchased a used Brompton. As a "starter bike," it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but you just need to think about what you'll feel comfortable with - then consider borrowing, renting, or buying used if possible.

Learning has been a little different this time around. We live in a rural area with a driveway big enough to practice in, which I have been doing once or twice a day for the last four days. I lowered the seat and scooted around, pushing with my feet and practicing my balance. Today, I managed to keep my balance and pedal up and down the driveway. :)

The Brompton has been GREAT for learning (re-learning) to ride! Plus I like that my DH can ride the same bike simply by adjusting the seat height. He likes it so well, that he's already shopping for one for himself.

Pardon my long first post, but it's just so good to know that I'm not alone in learning to ride a bike as an adult. A big thumbs up to all of you who are pushing past embarrassment, fear, whatever, and making an effort to learn!

What a great topic! There's lots of great advice here.

I, too, am a late learner. My husband taught me to ride a bike when I was 26. Like steve57, I started out practicing in the dark, scooting around our neighborhood on my bike around midnight because I would have been mortified to have the neighborhood kids observing my beginner's efforts. I didn't think to take the pedals off as others have suggested, but I did wear shin guards. :rolleyes:

My big mistake was getting a bike that was just a little too big for my comfort. I am short, so it was difficult to find a decent bike in my size and my DH prefers over-sized bikes and hoped I would share that preference. Big mistake. I was shaky on that bike around other cyclists and around any kind of traffic. I had a very scary accident with a car (totally not the driver's fault) that ended with my head on the ground inches from her stopped-just-in-time tire. That shook my confidence and eroded nearly all my progress. DH and I got a tandem after that, and that's how we rode for years until he started having problems with his wrists, exacerbated by the heavy steering of the tandem.

I miss riding with my husband, who is still very much a bike enthusiast, so at age 51, I recently decided to give cycling another go. This time around, I decided to go for a small bike so that I would feel absolutely comfortable about being able to put my feet down on the ground without toppling. Because I wanted a bike with a small frame that would let me "grow into it" as I improved my skills and developed my confidence, I decided on a folding bike. Last week, we purchased a used Brompton. As a "starter bike," it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but you just need to think about what you'll feel comfortable with - then consider borrowing, renting, or buying used if possible.

Learning has been a little different this time around. We live in a rural area with a driveway big enough to practice in, which I have been doing once or twice a day for the last four days. I lowered the seat and scooted around, pushing with my feet and practicing my balance. Today, I managed to keep my balance and pedal up and down the driveway. :)

The Brompton has been GREAT for learning (re-learning) to ride! Plus I like that my DH can ride the same bike simply by adjusting the seat height. He likes it so well, that he's already shopping for one for himself.

Pardon my long first post, but it's just so good to know that I'm not alone in learning to ride a bike as an adult. A big thumbs up to all of you who are pushing past embarrassment, fear, whatever, and making an effort to learn!

Janis, there seem to be loads of us, and what's more, other cyclists have, in my experience, been really supportive and encouraging, it really is an inclusive sport, which is great!

I'm also a late re-learner, having got my very first bicycle at the age of 53. My previous cycling experiences had been on holiday as a teenager - I learned to ride at the age of 14 on my cousin's bike by trying to balance on it in the driveway and falling off a lot. Not owning a bike of my own, I never really progressed beyond the wobbling round the block stage. Fast forward nearly 40 years and, encouraged by some dear friends who provided me with a second hand bike, I had three lessons with an extremely patient nephew! I have since been practising in my local park when no-one can see me fall off - my numerous adventures involving the perils of wet grass, squirrels, wood pigeons and an alsatian with attitude have kept my friends, family and colleagues amused (and bored to the eyeballs!) for months!

I definitely agree with the idea of gaining confidence via a smaller wheeled bike. My bike is a 40 year old Raleigh Stowaway fold up bike, with 20" wheels and no gears. Although the bike is quite heavy compared to more modern bikes with full sized wheels, I'm not sure my confidence on the bike would have grown as much if I had started on one of those. The fear factor is very real and I'm still learning how to mount and dismount properly in preparation for when I have a bike with more of a cross bar and full sized wheels. I have every sympathy for the learner who had an accident and is wary of getting back on the bike. It is very difficult indeed to "feel the fear and do it anyway" and perhaps a bike with smaller wheels and without a cross bar may help the transition. For what it's worth, I've found that progress is not about what others think you should be able to do on a bike after x number of attempts or lessons, but what you feel safe and confident about doing. Celebrate every time you get something right - I also celebrate every time I get back home in one piece without any new bruises!

I absolutely love riding my bike even though I'm just a wobbler, not a cyclist. After nearly 5 months of practising I still have a death grip on the handlebars and clearly have a very long way to go. I really need to buy a road worthy bike soon in order to do my bikeability training, but in the meantime, I'm simply enjoying riding in the park. Don't be put off, do wear a helmet and any other protective clothing you feel necessary and do enjoy yourself.

Take the pedals off, lower the seat so that your feet touch the ground, find a grassy slope with a gentle downhill, sit on bike, use feet to move bike forward, and as you can, raise feet to get the feel of "balancing."

As you gain balance, put pedals on and use them to gain speed. Raise seat and pedal away!


+10000

This is how I taught my kids, each only took about 3 hours of coasting (divided into about 3 days) and they were off. My daughter a week later did an 8 mile Sunday Parkways ride just fine.

I seriously was so excited to see this thread, that I just joined this forum on the spot to post!

Hi everyone! I'm Jenn. I'm 37 (though I much prefer to think of myself as 29, for the eighth time), and I learned to ride a bike two weeks ago. I honestly thought I was the ONLY adult on earth who couldn't ride a bike. I am thrilled to see that I'm not alone!

My push to actually learn was my son, who is 3 1/2. He just mastered riding a bike (with training wheels), and loves it. He wanted both my husband and I to ride bikes with him. My husband found us some great bikes on eBay, used. Once they arrived, it was my "moment of truth."

Fortunately, we live near an elementary school, with a nice, big, flat, freshly-paved parking lot. My husband and son rode their bikes, I walked mine over. I told my husband I wasn't going to leave until I could ride my bike home.

After that, I'm stubborn, so my approach to it was "I'm going to get on this bike and ride it" without much thought to my approach. :) I found myself doing what a lot of you mentioned -- I kind of pushed myself along with my feet, then got comfortable with picking my feet up and coasting a short distance. Once I got comfortable with that, I tried actually putting my feet on the pedals and going. This is where I found myself struggling. My husband watched me for a bit and finally told me to stop watching my feet, and to just keep going.

With a little persistence and some cheering from my husband and son, I did it!

Learning as an adult, you are fully aware of how counter-intuitive the process of riding a bike actually is -- moving faster is what brings stability, as does steering INTO the direction you're wobbling.

Weirdly enough, one of the things that helped me a lot was shifting my bike into a harder gear. For some reason when I felt like I was working to pedal, I felt more in control of the bike. I've only recently tried shifting the bike to an easier gear.

Like a lot of you mentioned, I felt embarrassed at wobbling across the parking lot in a less-than-straight line. I have found though, that once you start telling people you JUST LEARNED, after a bit of good-natured ribbing, most people are extremely supportive.

This past weekend, I just went on a 3 mile ride for the first time. I'm a disaster with tight turns, I can't take my hands of the handlebars (or I lose control) and I have a hard time looking anywhere other than straight ahead :) -- but I did it!