Hey Doug,
I taught myself yesterday, and I am really psyched about it! Took me about 20 min to go from impossible to balance to riding loops around my apartment complex. No need for the "take the pedals off" and all the other stuff that scared me before I started. Just find a piece of flat ground where no one can bother you (and no kids around to laugh and point
), and try first to kick start and glide without pedalling, to keep your balance. Then little by little I started pedaling, and then moved to the quiet road around where I could also go downhill. Not kidding, 20 minutes. Go for it!
Oh, I'm 33!