Teaching an adult to ride a bike?

[semislickstick]

How do you teach an adult to ride a bike? Never ridden one before, has anybody done this? I imagine it would have to be done without onlookers and without adult sized stabilisers!

I can't imagine getting through life without having learnt.

 

[Crackle]

I don't know but my sister can't ride a bike and has no inclination to learn now.

 

[Hilldodger]

Contact your local council - they should offer lessons with an qualified trainer

 

[theclaud]

Yes our campaign group runs four or five sessions for adult beginners a year. We take the pedals off and lower the seats so they can put their feet flat on the floor, and cordon off a flat circuit so there's no traffic to distract or intimidate. They sit on the saddle and push themselves round with their feet, and we encourage them to lift up their feet briefly, and then for a bit longer, until they can balance the moving bike (and have learnt to use the brakes to stop). Then we put the pedals back. Most of them get the hang of it well within 2 hours. It's hard on their arses though - you have to reassure them that it hurts less when you have pedals .

 

[semislickstick]

Thanks for the replies people.

I might try theclaud's method on him, he doesn't know he wants to learn yet. (small details)

 

[wanda2010]

Interesting post there theclaud. I first learnt to ride at the ripe 'young' age of 42. My trainer didn't remove the pedals but he did lower the saddle a bit. It was a 2 hour session and I was supposed to arrange another lesson a few months later, once I was more comfortable on the bike but didn't for another year!

Lessons with a trainer is a very good idea. I would thoroughly recommend them but without the one year gap

 

[swee'pea99]

The no-pedals approach makes perfect sense - as with those kids' wooden bike. It is, after all, basically about getting a feel for the balance...everything else is just refinement.

 

[MLC]

I've never taught an Adult to ride a bike but used a similar technique to the Claud for my 4.5 year old would imagine the same principles must apply regardless of age

Took pedals off got her to scoot then lift legs up and balance for a bit. (I think this bit is the key once they can scoot and balance with both legs off the ground the rest comes easy). Then pedal back on scoot put one foot on pedal other dangles off ground but no pedalling scoot two feet on pedals no pedalling, then scoot both feet on pedals then pedal a couple of goes of this up and down the road and I let go and she was off. (not falling off)

The hardest bit was pedalling from a standing start

All in all the who process only took about 30-40 mins and she went from nothing to up riding and turning left and right.

 

[summerdays]

I used theClaude's method in the last month to help an 8 year old - and they went from being unable to balance the bike to riding around within 2 hours. Don't even need to take the pedals off as long as they can push themselves along without hitting them.

he doesn't know he wants to learn yet. (small details)

That might be the harder part ... getting them onto the bike without them realising

 

[Arch]

+1 for the scooting method. I taught a middle aged chap that way, at a tryout roadshow. He confided that he couldn't ride a bike, and would like to, so I gave him our Giant Halfway, which had folding pedals, told him what to do and let him get on with it round our circuit. In about half an hour, he came back and said he thought he was ready to pedal, so I folded them down, and off he went. After a few more laps he swapped to a more stately Dutch bike, and he was sorted. And so chuffed! As was I.

So I would suggest finding somewhere quiet, explaining what to do and then leaving them to it for a bit, rather than watching over them the whole time. Be there, but don't make it look like you're watching.

If you can find somewhere with a very very gentle slope, all the better, as they can get more out of each scoot downhill. But make sure they can cope with remembering to brake.

 

[zacklaws]

Riding a bike and swimming are very similar, when you cannot do it you don't know why, and when you can, you still don't know why you could not or even why you can now, it just becomes a natural thing to do.

One day you can't stop falling off, and then you can't fall off, well usually.

Does that make sense

 

[threefingerjoe]

Here's how! This will be especially appreciated by anyone who has ever ridden an Ordinary! Still funny, even if you haven't. http://www.bicyclinglife.com/HowTo/TamingTheBicycle.htm

 

[Keith Oates]

I've never seen that article before, very amusing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I learnt to ride a bicycle when I was young, in the garden, being pushed from one end to the other, then sent off at one end, to balance then caught at the other end, then it was amatter of me propelling myself at the same time. The gras was a nice soft landing, and hey presto, a weekend or two I was done. This of course came after staberlisers for agoodtime, to see what the bike was about, make yourself up a pair ofadult staberlisers, then go down to one and none, who cares what folk think, It doesn't bother me!

I learnt the penny first ride, being held by someone,and this is/was the worst thing to do, as you can't balance, then just found launching myself was the way forward, then learning to mount/dismount correctly,so I no longer had to plan my route to take fences and traffic lights into the trip for steps etc.

Now when wehold penny farthing classes, we explain it, and get them up on the machine, holding the back bone, then they start riding, we let go, but stay close, and then provide support to get off again, untill mounts and dismounts are sussed. This is the best way to do penny training, or so say the numerous successful students we have! It is pretty obvious to us, that some people just don't have the feeling for it, and if they risk breaking the bikes, they are asked to finish the course, and there money is returned! hehe

Cheers

Dave