How to Ride a Bicycle as an Adult

Bikes

Learning to ride a bicycle as an adult may evoke some fear in you -- fear of falling or fear of embarrassment. You can conquer this challenge alone, without a parent or other adult's hand to help you. Following a few steps will have you steady on the seat and riding in no time.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bicycle Bike helmet Comfortable clothing Flat-soled shoes Open space or rarely travelled road

Learning to Ride a Bike as an Adult

1. Get a bike that suits you. Find a bike that is made of lightweight aluminum, has brakes at the handlebars and has a gear shift at the handlebars or on the crossbar. Since you are just learning to ride, you may not want to invest in an expensive bike, but riding a bike with these characteristics will make learning to ride much easier.

2. Find an open space with grass or a rarely travelled, smooth road. An area with a slight incline will be helpful as you practice.

3. Get your bike. Sit on the seat. Make sure your feet touch the ground. If not, lower the seat until your feet can touch the ground. The lowered seat is temporary for training purposes only.

4. Put on a correctly fitted bicycle helmet. Wear comfortable clothing: sweats or biking shorts and flat-soled shoes.

5. Start out on the slight incline, if there is one, heading down. Sit on the seat and scoot your feet along the ground to start moving. Lift your feet, but don't put them on the pedals. Leave them free, so you can set them down quickly if you lose your balance.

6. Put the gears in the middle range, if your bike has gears.

7. Keep scooting and lifting and setting down your feet as needed. Shift your weight from side to side to try to get your balance if you are wobbling. Put your feet on the ground when you feel like you are going to fall. Use your handlebars. Move them from side to side to help maintain your balance. Practice getting your balance.

8. Practice pedaling. Position the right pedal so it is a little bit below its top arc. Push down with your right foot as you use your left foot to scoot forward. Let your left foot trail on the ground. If you wobble, turn your handle bars toward the direction you are wobbling to get your balance back. Practice pedaling with one foot until you' feel comfortable with any balance issues. Go back to the top of your incline each time you practice, so gravity will help keep your bike moving.

9. Next, pedal with both feet. Again, if you are wobbling, use your handlebars to steady you and keep your balance.

10. Practice turning your bike. Lean in the direction you want to go. Turn the handlebars slightly. Practice doing wide turns before trying sharper turns. Squeeze your brakes gently to slow down as you turn.

11. Practice stopping your bike. Braking is usually done by squeezing the levers on the handlebars. Squeeze them gently at first. Then increase pressure until you come to a complete stop. Put your feet on the ground and get off the bike. Squeezing the brakes too tightly while going fast can cause you to have an accident.

12. Continue to practice in areas where there are few cars until you feel confident on your bike. Keep your seat low so your feet can touch the ground until you no longer need to use your feet for balance.

13. Practice riding your bike in sparsely travelled areas with the seat at its proper height. Adjust your seat so that your leg is almost fully extended, but not completely so, when the pedal is at its lowest point. There should be a very slight bend at the knee.

14. Ride your bike in more heavily travelled areas when you have learned to balance with the seat at its proper height. Wear your helmet every time you get on your bike. Have fun and enjoy the ride!

Tips & Warnings

• Knowledgeable staff at a bike store can adjust your seat to the perfect height for you. They can also fit your helmet.

• Wear your bike helmet whenever you go biking, even if it is for a very short trip. Your helmet protects you from serious head injury.

References

• How to Ride a Bicycle
• Learning How to Ride a Bicycle

Resources

• How to Ride a Bicycle in Traffic