Teaching someone to ride a bike

sithebike
sithebike Posts: 213
edited July 2008 in Road beginners
Hi everyone,

I need some advice / tips.
My wife as a child was never taught how to ride a bike, she has now decided that she would like to learn how to ride.
Has anyone got any good ideas / training tips they could share?

Cheers

Comments

  • simon johnson
    simon johnson Posts: 1,064
    giantscr2.0 wrote:
    Hi everyone,

    I need some advice / tips.
    My wife as a child was never taught how to ride a bike, she has now decided that she would like to learn how to ride.
    Has anyone got any good ideas / training tips they could share?

    Cheers

    Mine too! I taught her in an hour...

    Lower the seat

    let her put one foot on the pedal and, without sitting down, let her get the feel of balancing the bike while pushing along with the other foot, like a scooter

    look up - where she's heading

    breath slowly

    once she has a bit of confidence, get her to pedal while you hold the back of the seat, gradually letting go for increasing lengths of time

    keep calm (yourself)
    Where\'s me jumper?
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    If you want to speed up the learning to balance part, whip the pedals off, and let them use it like a scooter!

    A gentle gradient helps too.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    and maybe do the first one on a grassy area so that she wont be as worried about falling (it'll be soft).
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • madturkey
    madturkey Posts: 58
    I couldn't ride a bike until 11 months ago :oops:

    Being totally unsure of how to go about it I searched the web and ended up using the London School of Cycling. After a 2 hour lesson I was able enough to buy a bike and gradually build up experience.

    Can't really remember much about it but I do remember the following
    - Low seat
    - Walk the bike at first
    - Get balance by having a gentle push off from instructor
    - Learn how to use brakes
    - Then start pedalling
    - KEEP CALM (probably the best thing about the instructor was that he was very calming)

    Learning was on a gravel football pitch - not flat or soft! I think the logic being that it was more predictable. Clever idea was to use a folding bike, probably as it was smaller so less intimidating to a novice.

    I don't know if I'd have had enough patience with friends / family to have them teach me.
  • bill57
    bill57 Posts: 454
    ride_whenever wrote:
    If you want to speed up the learning to balance part, whip the pedals off, and let them use it like a scooter!

    This was the way we were taught as kids. Lets you learn balance before having to worry about pedalling.
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    Probably best to leave the clipless pedals until lesson 2... :wink:
  • bill57
    bill57 Posts: 454
    Nuggs wrote:
    Probably best to leave the clipless pedals until lesson 2... :wink:

    No, that's a whole new learning curve - learn to balance, learn to ride a bike, go clipless - and fall off again!
  • sithebike
    sithebike Posts: 213
    She's riding!!!!!
    After about 40 mins of scooting Mrs Giant decided to try pedalling and off she went.

    Thanks for your tips

    Simon
  • simon johnson
    simon johnson Posts: 1,064
    Excellent!! Pass on my congratulations.
    Where\'s me jumper?
  • bill57
    bill57 Posts: 454
    Well done her, but if you keep calling her that she may well cycle of and not come back!

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