We have all heard the old adage “It is as easy as riding a bike,” but learning to ride a bicycle is usually not easy. The following is a list of tips and tricks, compiled over the years from teaching more than 500 children and adults how to ride bikes.
1. Make sure that the person actually wants to learn to ride a bike.
This seems obvious. But, if it is the parent that wants the child to learn how to ride, and the child has no interest in riding, the chances of success are pretty low.
2. Make sure they have a suitable bike to learn on.
Bikes that are their size, and actually slightly too small, work much better for learning how to ride. A bike with flat bars and wider tires will likely make it easier to learn as well. Hand brakes and gears make learning to ride much easier, but plenty of kids (and some adults) have learned on single geared bikes with coaster brakes.
3. Teach the person how to get on and off of a bike.
For those of us that ride every day, this is a step we may not think of. Have them stand to the right side of the bike, with hands on each of the handlebar grips, and lean the bike slightly towards them. Have them practice swinging their left leg over and, then, have them practice doing the reverse (hold each handlebar grip, lean the bike and swing left leg over bike) to get off of the bike.
4. Teach the child or adult how to balance.
There are balance bikes out there, which are a wonderful thing for a child to practice on. However, you can use any bike by removing the pedals and lowering the seat on the bike. While the person is sitting on the bike seat, they should be able to reach the ground with both feet at the same time – flat footed and a slight bend in the knee.
Initially, just have the person “walk” with the bike, while sitting on the bike seat, to get used to it. Then, have the person try to get some speed and pick up his/her feet briefly. The goal is to have the person be able to keep their feet off of the ground for ten seconds.
Sometimes people will need reminders that they have to be sitting on the seat in order to pick their feet off of the ground. If they are seeming to have a hard time with this, have the person push off the ground with both feet at the same time (similar to a hop).
5. Teach the person how to brake.
With hand brakes, have the person walk alongside the bike at first to get a feel for braking. Then, have the person use the brakes while gliding.
If the bike has coaster brakes, you can stand in front of the bike and hold the handlebars. Have the person put their feet on the pedals and pedal backwards to brake. Once they understand the motion, begin to let go of the handlebars, as soon as they brake, to have the person get used to having to put their feet down immediately after they brake.
6. Work on a good first pedal stroke.
Have them sit on the bike, with one foot on the pedal and the other foot on the ground. The pedal (with the foot on it) should be at approximately the one o’clock to two o’clock position. The foot on the ground should be slightly away from the bike frame. Have the person push down hard on the pedal while also pushing off with their foot on the ground.
7. Teach the person how to find the pedals.
Once the person is able to complete a good first pedal stroke, have them work on being able to put their foot on the second pedal – without staring at their feet, of course.
8. Have them attempt two pedal strokes. Then, three pedal strokes, etc. until they can pedal.
Congratulate them on riding! After they are pedaling consistently, they will want to work on things such as pedaling in a straight line, turning, etc.
Need help teaching someone (or yourself) how to ride? You can request a Learn to Ride lesson, from a League Certified Instructor, at Learn to Ride a Bicycle at Any Age.
This article is an updated version of information provided for this How to Teach a Child to Ride a Bike post.
