Teaching an adult to ride a bike?

I'm the team leader for Bike to Work Week for my office, and was contacted today by a co-worker who says she never learned how to ride a bicycle, but indicated she'd be willing to learn. I told her there was probably no way she's be ready for a commute for BTWW, but that I would certainly help her if she wants to learn to ride.

I've never even taught a child how to ride a bike, so I don't know that I would be the best person to help her directly. Do any bike shops or advocacy groups offer this type of instruction?

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Permalink Reply by Larry Mysz on June 13, 2010 at 7:24am
Actually, Dave is no longer giving bicycle instruction.

There are about 15 League of American Bicyclists certified instructors around Chicago who would be delighted to assist first time riders (in addition to offering other bike related instruction) . I've been coordinating the first time rider requests. Ask your co worker to drop me an e-mail ( larry@customized-applications.com ) indicating the general part of Chicago or Suburbs in which they live, and I will forward their e-mail address to the nearest available instructor.

Larry Mysz
League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor #1823




H3N3 said:
Dave Glowacz AKA Mr. Bike still takes on adult beginners AFAIK-- contact him at glow (at) mrbike.com.
Permalink Reply by RodimusPrime on June 13, 2010 at 5:46pm
i seriously never learned how to ride a bike until i was like. . 10. my dad just dragged me to empty area/parking lot and did the whole trial and error hold on to them by the side and just let go thing.
Permalink Reply by Ken Gray on June 14, 2010 at 12:23am
I saw what I thought was very good advice about learning to ride a bike the other day. The suggetion was to remove the pedals at first, and lower the seat. Just scoot around for as long as it take to feel confident. You can use the brakes, coast downhill, get your banance...then try with the pedals back on and it should be easy. Good luck with this.
Permalink Reply by Will on June 14, 2010 at 5:06am
Thank you, Larry. I passed along the info to my co-worker. That's great there are instructors who do this.

I did also offer to help teach her myself, but it may be more comfortable for her to get instruction from someone she doesn't already know.

Larry Mysz said:
There are about 15 League of American Bicyclists certified instructors around Chicago who would be delighted to assist first time riders (in addition to offering other bike related instruction) . I've been coordinating the first time rider requests. Ask your co worker to drop me an e-mail ( larry@customized-applications.com ) indicating the general part of Chicago or Suburbs in which they live, and I will forward their e-mail address to the nearest available instructor.

Larry Mysz
League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor #1823
Permalink Reply by Pablo on June 14, 2010 at 5:14am
That is exactly how I tought my wife last year. Started no pedals coasting, moved to a quiet alley to start pedaling, and finally after working up alot of courage moved on the Chicago side streets. She is still hesitant to ride on busy streets, but I put quiet routes together where she feels safe.

Ken Gray said:
I saw what I thought was very good advice about learning to ride a bike the other day. The suggetion was to remove the pedals at first, and lower the seat. Just scoot around for as long as it take to feel confident. You can use the brakes, coast downhill, get your banance...then try with the pedals back on and it should be easy. Good luck with this.
Permalink Reply by Barry Niel Stuart on June 14, 2010 at 10:43am
My suggestion for teaching an adult to ride from scratch is to keep it simple. The best bikes for a new adult rider either have a coaster brake or the Shimano Coasting System. I'd suggest either an Electra Amsterdam, Electra Townie, or Giant Suede Coasting. These three bikes allow the rider to sit in the saddle and stil touch the ground flat-footed. I'd find a good-sized parking lot for starters and let the novice shuffle the feet Flintstone-style while steering the bike. This will start building confidence. Then you move on to pedaling and braking. Then you go to the street. Hopefully, you've made a new bicyclist.
Permalink Reply by wig [ isaac ] on June 14, 2010 at 2:23pm
thats an amazing way to learn....

Ken Gray said:
I saw what I thought was very good advice about learning to ride a bike the other day. The suggetion was to remove the pedals at first, and lower the seat. Just scoot around for as long as it take to feel confident. You can use the brakes, coast downhill, get your banance...then try with the pedals back on and it should be easy. Good luck with this.
Permalink Reply by Larry Mysz on June 14, 2010 at 6:34pm
Ken Gray said:
I saw what I thought was very good advice about learning to ride a bike the other day. The suggetion was to remove the pedals at first, and lower the seat. Just scoot around for as long as it take to feel confident. You can use the brakes, coast downhill, get your banance...then try with the pedals back on and it should be easy. Good luck with this.

Yes.

The method we use involves removing the pedals and lowering the seat to where the new rider can get both feet comfortably on the ground. Most people will eventually end up having a bike with hand brakes and gearing , so that’s what I prefer to teach on. A large, level, empty parking lot is a good learning site.

The process isn't a secret, it looks like this:

1) They have to know how to stop. Have them walk alongside the bike, pushing it with both hands on the handlebars. Ask them to apply the brakes using different amounts of force to get a feel for what it takes to slow and stop the bike. Once they know how to apply the brakes, they’re ready to start scooting.

2) They have to learn how to balance the bike. Have them sit on the bike and scoot it around. As they become steadier, urge them to coast farther and farther. When their balance gets good, have them try some gentle turns. Once they can balance and have some small amount of directional control, they’re ready to start pedaling.

3) They have to learn how to start the bike moving. When they have enough control to coast some, put the pedals back on and make sure the bike is in a middle gear. Have them start the bike moving by making one big push on one pedal. See how far they can coast with one pedal push.

4) They have to get the second foot up on the pedal and keep the bike moving. Once they can get the bike coasting with one push, have them practice getting the other foot up on the other pedal. When they can get the second foot up, it's just a matter of practice to get steadier.

Will V said:
>I did also offer to help teach her myself, but it may be more
>comfortable for her to get instruction from someone she
>doesn't already know.

Yes. Sometimes it is difficult for an adult to learn from a spouse, relative, or friend.

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