How do you teach a 32yo to ride a bike?

[Thistle]

Well I thought some of you might have some ideas on this. One of the women at work wants to ride a bike :D but she's 32 and has never ridden before.

She's really keen to learn, but I wouldnt have the foggiest how to start her off :confused: :confused:

Do adults learning to ride start with trainer wheels? Or does she just start with a bike where she can put her feet on the ground and ride on grass til she gets her balance?

Any help would be much appreciated.
Thea

[mimitabby]

i think putting her on a smaller bike is a great idea. I'm not so sure about grass, though, an empty parking lot or playground would be good.
Most people "get it" pretty fast..

good luck.

[BeeLady]

I've heard of adult training wheels, maybe your LBS knows about these. Be nice if you could rent them as new rider probably won't need them for long.

Does this person have any past activities that involved balance like skating, horse back riding, unicylces (just kidding)? If so, possibly you could skip the training wheels.

In a way it would be cool to get your first bike experience as an adult when you could really appreciate it! But its a shame she missed out messing around on bikes and exploring as a kid. Good luck to you both.

[Grog]

I agree with the too small bike. Like: really too small. Or rent a cruiser with flat-foot geometry (so she can put her feet directly on the ground).

Another idea I heard for kids and that could work well for adults is to take the pedals off (on a too-small bike with the saddle really low). Once they get the technique to push themselves around, lifting off their feet and keeping their balance for a few seconds, they're ready for pedals.

It goes without saying: a big piece of grass, and a very slight incline, will help.

A lot of smiling and patience and encouragement must help. I would be terrified, at my age (28) to be just learning to ride a bike when everyone else seems to have this skill.

[mimitabby]

In a way it would be cool to get your first bike experience as an adult when you could really appreciate it! But its a shame she missed out messing around on bikes and exploring as a kid. Good luck to you both.

Since I can still remember the wonder and marvel of the first time I rode a two wheeled bike, i'd say the experience was not lost on me, as a 9 year old girl who was embarrassed and frustrated because i couldn't ride a bike like everyone else. it is one of my favorite memories that involves my father.

[Bikingmomof3]

From personal experience, my first time on a bike was July of this year at the age of 37. I started on a comfort bike and literally learned in the cul-du-sac. No training wheels and no falls. It was not that difficult, I thought it would be awful. At first I was so slow. But I practiced and practiced and quickly got the hang of it. About 3 weeks later, I was bored with the comfort bike, sold it and now have my Trek 1000. :D

[alpinerabbit]

BF got "Bicycling" magazine while in the US, the current (November) edition has an article on teaching adults.

[velogirl]

I've taught lots of first-time adults. It's definitely more challenging than teaching children. Every adult will come to cycling with a different background and different fears. If someone has an athletic background, especially balance sports (skiing, skating, gymnastics, etc) it is usually much easier. Embarassment is a very real factor for many new adult riders, so try to be sensitive to this. And don't push too hard too fast. Learning takes a lot of mental energy which is exhausting. Let your friend succeed at one part of the learning process and then stop and come back for another session to move onto another part of the process.

First, check to see if there are any classes in your area. Let someone who knows what they're doing teach your friend. This would also reduce the chance of "strain" in your friendship. Good instructors know all the tips and tricks too.

Training wheels are a bad idea. I think they're a bad idea for children too, but that' another thread.

I do, however, recommend that learners use protective gear if they're at all aprehensive of falling. Elbow, knee, and wrist guards will instill some confidence and make a learner feel safer. And, of course, don't forget a helmet.

Here's how I typically approach teaching a first-time adult:


Find a quiet place with few distractions. Try not to go to a very public place like a park where your friend might feel self-conscious.

First, lower the saddle a bit. You want your friend to be able to put both feet firmly on the ground while sitting on the saddle. I don't recommend a bike that's too small (as others have said) -- that will affect handling and balance.

Now, just see if your friend can do it. Sometimes it takes very little teaching -- some folks are just naturals. Explain the basics -- look where you want to go, push off at the top of the pedal stroke, etc.

If this doesn't work, advance to plan B -- scooting. For this, I will sometimes take the pedals right off the bike. This allows the rider to scoot the bike under their own power without hitting their legs on the pedals. Scoot, glide, stop, and repeat. You can also do this on a slight grassy downhill (very slight). The grass is softer if their balance isn't good and the downhill will give them a little momentum. As you know, balance on a bike is easier with a little bit of speed.

Once your friend can scoot and glide, put the pedals back on and see if she can shoot and glide while balancing her feet on the pedals. After she feels comfortable with this, teach her how to pedal.

Until someone is comfotrable pedaling on a flat straight road at 8+ mph, don't worry about teaching how to turn or corner.

[Thistle]

Thank you all for the great advice. You girls are awesome :D. I will contact our local pedal power group and see if they run lessons for adults. I like the idea of learning to "scoot" and taking the pedals off would make a lot of sense.

Thanks Bikingmomof3.... it's so good to hear that you learnt as an adult and took to it well. I'm sure it will give my colleague a lot of encouragement. I'm really excited for her... how much fun is she gunna have when she can ride a bike! :D :D

[velogirl]

Theav, as a way of setting realistic expectations for your friend, my experience has been that for those who don't "take to it" naturally, it typically takes 3-4 sessions with me before someone is ready to ride on her own. This, of course, means that she also practices a bit in between sessions.

It's very frustrating for adult, intelligent, successful women (should I say beautiful, too?) to learn to ride. We're used to being successful in our lives so it's challenging to become a beginner again. Help your friend be patient -- the dividends are great (as you know).

[Bikingmomof3]

Thanks Bikingmomof3.... it's so good to hear that you learnt as an adult and took to it well. I'm sure it will give my colleague a lot of encouragement. I'm really excited for her... how much fun is she gunna have when she can ride a bike! :D :D

You are welcome. Let us know how she likes it. I am subborn and was insistant upon learning, it was the mental fear of biking that kept me off one for 37 years. It truly helped to have a supportive husband and 3 kids to help me learn. :) I have always been athletic, so I think that helped as I have fairly good balance and core strength.

I forgot to add, for me personally (my past fear of bikes), I would never, ever have gotten on a road bike. The comfort bike frightened me until I learned and then I craved more. :D Now I cannot imagine not riding a road bike.

[madisongrrl]

Training wheels are a bad idea. I think they're a bad idea for children too, but that' another thread.


Actually, could you explain more... I don't have kids right now, but when we do, I'd like them to be proficient riders. It certainly would be cool to have kids who raced!

[Thistle]

Well after all the feedback i was really excited for her! I emailed the local pedal power group and they are running an adult's learn to ride course in 2 weeks. How cool is that! Said i'd go with her for some of it if she wanted company.

So i spoke to her today and said what did she think.... and she's totally lost interest :confused: :confused: she said she's found a place close enough to walk and doesnt want to bother with the bike now! :eek: :eek:

Of course this whole concept of not bothering with a bike is pretty foreign to me.... but, i cant push her. So i've decided to just leave it. I'm really disappointed for her cos i know how much she's missing :(

Can only do what you can do. At least I have some tips now on how to teach my nephew to ride :D :D He's only 9 months old, but i KNOW he's gunna love bikes... :D

[velogirl]

Actually, could you explain more... I don't have kids right now, but when we do, I'd like them to be proficient riders. It certainly would be cool to have kids who raced!

Sure! Training wheels don't teach children how to balance. Instead of learning to ride a bicycle, they're sitting on a quadcycle that will stay upright no matter what they do. It's kinda like putting someone in an office chair and saying they're learning to ride a bike. Weight distribution doesn't matter either on training wheels. The transition from training wheels is often painful for children, and many stay on them way too long.

The Europeans have a much better idea. I think it's called a Trikester (someone from Europe chime in here). It's a two-wheeled bike without pedals, frequently made from wood. I think you can add pedals later, once they've learned to balance and scoot.

[velogirl]

The Europeans have a much better idea. I think it's called a Trikester (someone from Europe chime in here). It's a two-wheeled bike without pedals, frequently made from wood. I think you can add pedals later, once they've learned to balance and scoot.

Of course, this is driving me nuts now! I can't find it anywhere, but I did find this (similar concept)

http://www.mykinderbike.com/page/1chcc/Home.html

[SouthernBelle]

I believe I just saw the Trikester in a catalogue. I think it was LL Bean.

[Rai Sue]

Hey, I saw one of the neighbor's kids on a wooden bike w/no pedals. It seemed pretty cool--he thought it was cool, and he could scoot around on it. He told me that when he was ready he'd move on up to a bike like mine!

I remember when we were kids we had an old-fashioned scooter my parents had found at a garage sale. Those of us too little for bicycles would fight over the scooter.

And while childhood memories are running, after my sister had a bad crash after being unable to stop w/coaster brakes (down the steep driveway across the street, straight into next-door neighbor's mailbox, and then to the emergency room to get her forehead sewed up!) my parents got really into putting hand brakes on our bikes.