Wishing you could go outside and ride a bike? Maybe you're
embarrassed that you don't know how to ride a bike yet? Or quite
possibly, you're as eager as anything to start riding and enjoying
one of the most satisfying and healthy forms of self-transport
possible! It's easy once you start.
Steps
- Get a bike. Also, get a helper, as this process will be
much easier if you have an assistant (see steps 7 and 8).
- Wear a helmet and gloves. If you fall and you happen to
put your hands down to break your fall, the gloves will protect
your hands.
- Go somewhere flat and car-free. Take the bike to a
large, vacant paved area (for example, a school parking lot on a
weekend). The area should be flat and free of obstacles such as
bumps, parked cars, pedestrian traffic, people playing games
etc.
- Prepare the bike. Use a wrench to remove the pedals from
the bike. Lower the bike seat so you can push yourself along with
your toes while seated.
- Get on the bike. Push yourself along with your feet and
get the feel of how the bike leans and steers. Do this for 30-45
minutes or so, until you have a good feel and some confidence about
steering the bike. Try pushing yourself along fast and "gliding"
with your feet up in the air, just steering with your hands. This
is the key bike-riding skill, that of balancing and steering. Take
as much time with this step as you need to feel confident.
- Get ready to ride. Re-attach the pedals to the bike.
Raise the seat a bit, but still keep it low enough so that you can
touch the ground with the tip of your toes while seated.
- Learn the basics. The key skills left to learn are
starting and stopping. (You've already learned the balancing, and
the pedaling is minor.) Practice pushing off with your toe (as in
step 5) and commencing pedaling. (This is the "start" part.) For
this step, it is useful to have someone to help steady you as you
try to do "two things at once" and begin moving.
- Learn to stop. For the "stopping" part, reduce speed
(use whatever braking system your bike has) and approach your
assistant-on-foot. Practice putting your foot down as you come to a
halt.
- Ride. Once you can balance, pedal, start, and stop, (in
this order) you're a bicycle rider. Congratulations!
Tips
-
Don't quit if you scrape up your knee. Keep trying. Wear elbow
and/or knee pads/guards if you feel like you need them.
- Look for a Bicyling Manual in your local bike shop or municipal
authority. Such a manual should contain helpful tips for safe road
riding and for bike
maintenance.
- Keep your arms relaxed as you pursue step 5. The design shape
of the bike will make it balance by itself, as long as you don't
interfere with it too much. (This is the reason why some people can
ride with no hands.)
- Do not assume the intention of other road users; always assume
you are the most reasonable road user at the moment by acting
responsibly and watching out for others, including other
cyclists.
- You can also wear a protective cup if you want.
Warnings
- Before you ride in traffic, learn more about cycling and the
rules of the road. Remember that a bicycle is a legal vehicle and
always ride with the traffic, not against it. Even if you
are on a sidewalk, ride with the traffic. This is because a car
turning across the traffic often will not check for traffic going
in the opposite direction, including your bicycle.
- Don't ride in traffic if you don't know how to (1) keep your
bike consistently within 3 feet of the edge of the road, (2) make
hand signals, and (3) quickly look behind yourself while pedaling
so you can assess upcoming traffic.
- Teach your kids and/or friends about the dangers of over
speeding, and teach others the basic traffic signs and
signals.
