Teaching Adults to Ride a Bike - ideas?

[TedMaul]

So Mrs Maul never learnt to ride a bike and very soon, i will be teaching Maul Jr how to ride his and no doubt, his little sister will want to follow suits soon after.

Mrs Maul says she would like to learn, but doesnt want to learn in public, i.e. in the local park, so has anyone else taught their adlt partner to ride a bike?

Also the thorny issue of buying her a bike - I'm of the opinion you should always test ride a bike before you buy it, but then you end up with the chicken and egg that she can't test it before she learns to ride it. I'm happy for her to learn on my Marin MV (I have even fitted pedals that have SPDs one side and flats the other to aid) but she doesn't seem interested.. I don't mind if she doesnt want to learn to ride, she says she does as I think she can see she might miss out on days out and fun with kids in future, but she doesnt want to learn to ride for fun or ridings sake - she will be learning because she needs/feels she has to iyswim.

[SystemParanoia]

[Beyond Rational]

No experience of this, but would a tandem work?

[71notout]

Remove the pedals!

Let her walk along, sitting on the bike and only worry about balancing/steering for a couple of sessions.

Once she has the confidence for that - add teh pedals back into the mix.

It can be offputting for a novice to keep getting clunked in the shin by the pedals.

My daughter learnt very quickly this way

[dmitsi]

Get her a unicycle to practice on, when she's mastered keeping her balance on that she'll find getting on a real bike very easy.

[arryb]

If she's not actually that serious about riding a bike and just feels she wants to because the kids will learn and she'll be missing out, is it really that important for her to try one out in a shop first? Would your best guess be good enough for what she's after? And then she has her own bike to practise on.....

[snotrag]

71notout said:

Remove the pedals!

This is the way to learn at all ages, NOT stabilisers.

You need a biek that is easy to standover and nice and stable.

Practice scooting along, then gliding down some gradual downhills, doing some turns. Then fit the pedals. The you can glide along, and rest feet on pedals.

THEN progress to using the pedals to propel the bike.

[TedMaul]

snotrag said:

71notout said:

Remove the pedals!

This is the way to learn at all ages, NOT stabilisers.

You need a biek that is easy to standover and nice and stable.

Practice scooting along, then gliding down some gradual downhills, doing some turns. Then fit the pedals. The you can glide along, and rest feet on pedals.

THEN progress to using the pedals to propel the bike.

That sounds a very good idea yes - maybe set it up so it looks to onlookers as we are testing the bike too, not learning to ride it so she doesnt feel so self concious - cheers!

arryb said:

is it really that important for her to try one out in a shop first? Would your best guess be good enough for what she's after? And then she has her own bike to practise on.....

You are probably right yes, after all, I guess most kids, inc me just had their 1st bike bought for them. Have looked at either 14" Cinder Cone 08 model, or Trek 4300/4500 WSD. Kona spec is better, but geometry on Trek may be better as she is fairly small.

[timbo48]

Just a couple of points. When you do get the bike, start off with the seat down a bit so she can get at least one foot flat on the ground. Also make sure she understands about brakes. I know that should be obvious but when she gets going for the first time braking will be important at the onset of panic (if you get my drift). Otherwise try and start on a soft surface such as grass, the longer the better as it will cushion the falls. And a helmet might help even if she decides she doesn't need one. I tried teaching my late mum in law some years ago and had to admit defeat after many, many attempts. Patience is needed on both sides. Incidentally, the Kona is a good idea as it has a very low standover height, she'll feel she's sitting in it rather than on it. Best of luck then........

[wong]

Footy shinpads make great shin protectors when you put the pedals back on for the first few times.

[thetrash]

dmitsi said:

Get her a unicycle to practice on, when she's mastered keeping her balance on that she'll find getting on a real bike very easy.

Genius!

[TedMaul]

thetrash said:

dmitsi said:

Get her a unicycle to practice on, when she's mastered keeping her balance on that she'll find getting on a real bike very easy.

Genius!

Was actually thinking of getting a cbr600 as a starter bike. Thought the extra power might make it more forgiving for a learner...

[Mike400]

I just find it amazing someone can grow up and reach adulthood without having learnt to ride a bike, I guess its just one of those things - you kinda take it for granted that everyone is at least halfway competent at riding a bike, my siblings and I have been riding around for no age and we all still do now as adults. Back in the day, you went nowhere without your trusty BMX (complete with cardboard for that motorbike noise!)

Having said that, a good few years ago I went on a family holiday with my family, and we hired some bikes to take in a few tow-paths and the like. My (then 40yr old) mum found it very difficult having last cycled as a teenager, and couldnt cope with the complexities of steering / braking and general co-ordination....so perhaps its not something that stays with you in some cases...

Anyway good luck with the Mrs, confidence is key to being a safe cyclist IMO

[Mr Will]

snotrag said:

71notout said:

Remove the pedals!

This is the way to learn at all ages, NOT stabilisers.

You need a biek that is easy to standover and nice and stable.

Practice scooting along, then gliding down some gradual downhills, doing some turns. Then fit the pedals. The you can glide along, and rest feet on pedals.

THEN progress to using the pedals to propel the bike.

My father-in-law teaches special needs teenagers to ride bikes and swears that the key is mastering the steering first. To ride a bike you have turn the handlebars the direction the bike is leaning to balance the bike and keep it upright, but the instinctive reaction most beginners have is to turn the bars the wrong way (i.e. left when the bike turns right and vice-versa) leading to the typical ride-ride-ride-ride-wobble-suddenly fall off pattern most beginners follow.

To avoid this get them to practice with the bike stationary first. Sit the learner on the bike and then (with your hand on the saddle) tip it right or left by a few degrees and get them to turn the handlebars the same direction. Repeat this for a few minutes switching directions randomly and you will train their "muscle-memory" to the point where they will be able to free-wheel down a slope successfully (normally on their first attempt). From there adding in pedalling and leaning your bodyweight to steer are very small steps.

[TedMaul]

Mr Will said:

snotrag said:

71notout said:

Remove the pedals!

This is the way to learn at all ages, NOT stabilisers.

You need a biek that is easy to standover and nice and stable.

Practice scooting along, then gliding down some gradual downhills, doing some turns. Then fit the pedals. The you can glide along, and rest feet on pedals.

THEN progress to using the pedals to propel the bike.

My father-in-law teaches special needs teenagers to ride bikes and swears that the key is mastering the steering first. To ride a bike you have turn the handlebars the direction the bike is leaning to balance the bike and keep it upright, but the instinctive reaction most beginners have is to turn the bars the wrong way (i.e. left when the bike turns right and vice-versa) leading to the typical ride-ride-ride-ride-wobble-suddenly fall off pattern most beginners follow.

To avoid this get them to practice with the bike stationary first. Sit the learner on the bike and then (with your hand on the saddle) tip it right or left by a few degrees and get them to turn the handlebars the same direction. Repeat this for a few minutes switching directions randomly and you will train their "muscle-memory" to the point where they will be able to free-wheel down a slope successfully (normally on their first attempt). From there adding in pedalling and leaning your bodyweight to steer are very small steps.

Thats very interesting. At first I thought, noooo its natural to turn in to it, but actually you are quite correct, the natural instinct must be to make it easy to put your foot on the ground and the sensible way to do this is to turn away from the lean and try and put your outside foot down.

I think you have probably made the very valid point that what i consider to be 'natural' behavour is actually learned, albeit subconciously and a very, very long time ago!! I will certainly give your idea a go, thanks!