How do you teach an adult to ride a bike?

[TigerMom]

This is how we taught a woman in last spring's "Ready to Roll" class, although we didn't remove the pedals. She coasted for a few days, then gradually started putting her feet on the pedals for a few pedal strokes at a time. By the end of one week she was riding and the seat had to be moved up a bit. As far as I know she's still riding.

I think that the class needs to be separated into 2-3 classes depending on ability.

The ones that CANNOT ride a bike at all. The ones that can ride a bike but do not understand gears. The ones that are fit and know how to ride a bike but want to advance faster (I don't know if you have any that belongs in the 3rd group).

I agree with nuliajuk. The ones that CANNOT ride a bike at all needs to have bike pedals removed with their tiptoes just touching the ground. Coast on a very gentle downhill and practice lifting both legs up and braking with the hand brakes. When they are comfortable lifting their feet up and braking, then put the pedals on for them to try.

For teaching gears, I would keep the right hand gears in the middle for now. Yell out which left hand gears to shift to when you go up or down a hill (hopefully, these bikes have numbers for the gears). Once the students are comfortable with shifting gears on their own for the left hand front gears, THEN teach them the right hand rear gears. I would have liked it if someone had yelled out which gears to shift to in number form. The words "Shift to the higher gear or the bigger gear or the front gear depending on how you feel" did NOT help me at all. Instead, yell out to me..."we are about to go uphill. Keep pedaling and shift your left hand gear to the number 1. After your left hand gear is at 1, as we go up the hill, keep pedaling and shift your right hand gear to 1 slowly.".

[rebeccaC]

I’ve taught inner city children and this method would work as well for an adult. Lowering the seat so they can put both feet flat on the ground helps to reduce the anxiety of falling while learning to balance on a bike going down a gentle grass slope with no obstacles. Add using the rear brake instead of foot friction with the ground for stopping. Add putting one foot then putting both on pedals and continue the coasting down a gentle slope using brake to stop. Add pedaling with more braking and a longer slope

Add starting from a standstill on flat ground using pedals and using a solid pedal stroke that keeps the bike steady until the second foot finds its pedal. Keep working on getting a smooth steady start until it’s consistent. Add how to use both brakes to stop and more info about just using front brake problems and less brake power with just rear brake. Add info about body position and smooth pedal stroke info for straight riding. As confidence and skill grows gradually increase speed. Add info about steering and turning: slowing down before entering a corner, a little leaning and very little steering and inside pedal up. Add info about gear changing and use. Most importantly add safety lessons: riding the same direction as traffic, looking carefully both ways when crossing a road, stop at stop signs, keep hands on handlebar, lights and reflective clothes at night, wearing a helmet etc.

I would add a maintenance class to empower them in taking care of their own bikes!

Hope this helps…

[lph]

I’ve taught inner city children and this method would work as well for an adult. Lowering the seat so they can put both feet flat on the ground helps to reduce the anxiety of falling while learning to balance on a bike going down a gentle grass slope with no obstacles. Add using the rear brake instead of foot friction with the ground for stopping. Add putting one foot then putting both on pedals and continue the coasting down a gentle slope using brake to stop. Add pedaling with more braking and a longer slope

Add starting from a standstill on flat ground using pedals and using a solid pedal stroke that keeps the bike steady until the second foot finds its pedal. Keep working on getting a smooth steady start until it’s consistent. Add how to use both brakes to stop and more info about just using front brake problems and less brake power with just rear brake. Add info about body position and smooth pedal stroke info for straight riding. As confidence and skill grows gradually increase speed. Add info about steering and turning: slowing down before entering a corner, a little leaning and very little steering and inside pedal up. Add info about gear changing and use. Most importantly add safety lessons: riding the same direction as traffic, looking carefully both ways when crossing a road, stop at stop signs, keep hands on handlebar, lights and reflective clothes at night, wearing a helmet etc.

I would add a maintenance class to empower them in taking care of their own bikes!

Hope this helps…

Thanks RebeccaC, this is just what I was looking for - where to start and how much to add at a time.Great tips!

[Sylvia]

This may be a little off topic particularly since it sounds like you already have your bikes, but have you considered teaching with a bike that has a gyroscopic wheel.
There is a company that has been producing a gyroscopic wheel for kid's bikes for a few years, but from their website it sounds like they are looking into creating an
adult's bike with a 26" wheel. See here.

To get an idea of what I'm talking about see this video.
I've not actually tried a bike like this, but I find the idea intriguing.

[DocZan89]

Great thread. Call me a bad mother...but I never insisted that my daughter learn to ride a bike when she would protest as a kid. Now at the age of 16, I would really like her to ride a bike and I think she wants to learn but is afraid to look stupid (seems to be a preoccupation for most teens). I am currently looking for a beginner bike for her and was just pondering this very question.

Thanks for the good ideas!

Rosanna

[lph]

I've been sent a great cue sheet for instructors, with a detailed sequence for learning basic skills. PM me if you'd like it!

[lph]

[QUOTE=TigerMom;681897]I think that the class needs to be separated into 2-3 classes depending on ability.

The ones that CANNOT ride a bike at all. The ones that can ride a bike but do not understand gears. The ones that are fit and know how to ride a bike but want to advance faster (I don't know if you have any that belongs in the 3rd group).
</quote>

Absolutely. That's one of the reasons we want to be at least 3 instructors, so that we can split the group up according to prior skills.

For teaching gears, I would keep the right hand gears in the middle for now. Yell out which left hand gears to shift to when you go up or down a hill (hopefully, these bikes have numbers for the gears). Once the students are comfortable with shifting gears on their own for the left hand front gears, THEN teach them the right hand rear gears. I would have liked it if someone had yelled out which gears to shift to in number form. The words "Shift to the higher gear or the bigger gear or the front gear depending on how you feel" did NOT help me at all. Instead, yell out to me..."we are about to go uphill. Keep pedaling and shift your left hand gear to the number 1. After your left hand gear is at 1, as we go up the hill, keep pedaling and shift your right hand gear to 1 slowly.".

We will only have three speeds on these bikes. But before I knew this I made the same suggestion - keep the rear gear somewhere in the middle, and only shift the front. Ideally I'd mark them "easy - medium - hard", or even "uphill - flat - downhill"... :-) I still have no idea what number gear I'm in, I go by looks.

[TigerMom]

[QUOTE=lph;681917]

I think that the class needs to be separated into 2-3 classes depending on ability.

The ones that CANNOT ride a bike at all. The ones that can ride a bike but do not understand gears. The ones that are fit and know how to ride a bike but want to advance faster (I don't know if you have any that belongs in the 3rd group).
</quote>

Absolutely. That's one of the reasons we want to be at least 3 instructors, so that we can split the group up according to prior skills.



We will only have three speeds on these bikes. But before I knew this I made the same suggestion - keep the rear gear somewhere in the middle, and only shift the front. Ideally I'd mark them "easy - medium - hard", or even "uphill - flat - downhill"... :-) I still have no idea what number gear I'm in, I go by looks.

My hybrid had numbers on the gear reader. It would be great if you could mark the bikes for hill, flat, down.