HOW CAN I LEARN TO RIDE A BIKE QUICKLY

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by jaac [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]
I have...... husband a cycling fanatic and two fit 17 year old children.

You're so lucky! You have a built-in support group and expert trainers. Ask your husband to show you how and where to cycle safely in your area. And pay the 17 year old kids to ride with you a few times. Don't worry... you will progress much quicker than you think. Have fun!

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Dave Cutter [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

You're so lucky! You have a built-in support group and expert trainers. Ask your husband to show you how and where to cycle safely in your area. And pay the 17 year old kids to ride with you a few times. Don't worry... you will progress much quicker than you think. Have fun!

No doubt. <3 wks probably won't get you up to fanatic husband's level, but with 4 people they can also alternate one person taking it easy and hanging back with you while the others go out and hammer (if they'd like).

The only way for you to get confident is by going out and riding.

I've been competing for a few years and my wife just got into cycling last season, she's come a long way, it's really a matter of putting in the time.

Go out and ride around the neighborhood to get your confidence up. I think people overthink the sport, it's really very simple: you press the pedals and it goes forward, you turn the handlebar and you go left/right 🙂

If you're talking raising your fitness levels, then that's a whole other bag. But I'll tell you what I've told recreational runners who I've trained, just go out and enjoy it, everything else like weight loss and fitness is secondary and will fall into place if you're putting in the time. The point is, go out and have fun! It's the same with cycling.

For now, without getting too structured, I would say ride as often as possible and sprinkle in some hard efforts during the week (maybe race the kids)

Have fun, take pics and keep us posted.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by jaac [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Help,

I have less than 3 weeks to go until I go on an activity holiday with my husband a cycling fanatic and two fit 17 year old children. I can barely ride a bike and am now panicking as I need a 'crash course' soon.

I live in the Enfield/Waltham Cross area. Has anyone got any ideas of where I could A. learn B gain some confidence.

Thanks.

North London, right?

Just had a quick google but Enfield sounded familiar (I used to live in England) - Lee Valley park should have some quiet roads. Ask your kids where's best. Failing that take a drive over there in the car to see what the roads look like around there and if it looks nice and quiet go ride.

But Dave Cutter said it best - have your family take you out for a ride. They can offer advice, support and lead you on a good route.

Hello Friends,

1. Firstly don't bother with the pedals yet - that's right leave them alone.
2. Lower the seat until you can easily touch the ground, ideally you want to get your feet flat on the ground.
3. Now find somewhere without any vehicles, possibly an empty parking lot or somewhere safe like that. If you can, find one that has a mild slope.
4. Then just start pushing yourself along with your feet. Try using the brakes so you get able to stop, also start doing some gentle turns. When you get to be confident with this, use the slope to coast downhill. As you go downhill, gradually lift your feet and coast along.

Thanks and Regards,
Umang Kumar

Yes. sure you can easily learn this with the help of husband in few weeks.

Quote: Originally Posted by jaac [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]
Help,

I have less than 3 weeks to go until I go on an activity holiday with my husband a cycling fanatic and two fit 17 year old children. I can barely ride a bike and am now panicking as I need a 'crash course' soon.

I live in the Enfield/Waltham Cross area. Has anyone got any ideas of where I could A. learn B gain some confidence.

Thanks.

The most important thing is to find the balance,easily learn with the help of your husband.
Also you can refer to the article http://www.diy-carbonbike.com/blog/110-do-you-really-understand-how-to-ride-the-bike.html

Quote: Originally Posted by jaac [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]
Help,

I have less than 3 weeks to go until I go on an activity holiday with my husband a cycling fanatic and two fit 17 year old children. I can barely ride a bike and am now panicking as I need a 'crash course' soon.

I live in the Enfield/Waltham Cross area. Has anyone got any ideas of where I could A. learn B gain some confidence.

Thanks.

Let me amplify Umang Kumar's suggestion that you learn to use the bike's brakes ...

Being able to control the bike's speed PLUS to stop-and/or-dismount without falling will probably go a long way to building up your confidence when you are riding at faster-than-jogging (>10kph) speeds ...

Because knowing that you can slow the bike & stop WHEN YOU WANT TO will assure you that faster speeds should not be a problem.

BTW. Practice, practice practice ... Find a relatively quiet place ... smooth, closely trimmed grass on a level surface would probably be "best" (just in case you were to fall!!?!) ... otherwise, an empty parking lot which is level will work well ... [INDENT] Pedal in a straight line for about 10 yards and then practice slowing & stopping ... Repeat until you are confident that you have mastered THAT speed and/or are bored ... Then, pedal in a straight line for about 20 yards & practice slowing & stopping ... Again, Repeat until you are confident that you have mastered THAT speed and/or are bored. Remember: GLOVES + a HELMET should be worn, BTW.[/INDENT]

BTW. With hand brakes, the convention for the past several decades is for the RIGHT lever operates the REAR brake ...

And, the LE[B]FT[/B] brake lever operates the FRONT brake lever.

Due to shifting weight distribution during braking, the front brake generally has a greater affect on stopping.

philk1 said:

Yes. sure you can easily learn this with the help of husband in few weeks.

I agree with you. She can learn cycling easily with the help of his husband. By the way, she can also take the help of a course.

alfeng said:

BTW. Practice, practice practice ... Find a relatively quiet place ... smooth, closely trimmed grass on a level surface would probably be "best" (just in case you were to fall!!?!) ... otherwise, an empty parking lot which is level will work well ...
[INDENT]Pedal in a straight line for about 10 yards and then practice slowing & stopping ... Repeat until you are confident that you have mastered THAT speed and/or are bored ... Then, pedal in a straight line for about 20 yards & practice slowing & stopping ... Again, Repeat until you are confident that you have mastered THAT speed and/or are bored. Remember: GLOVES + a HELMET should be worn, BTW.[/INDENT]

That's a fantastic suggestion. With daily practise, you can easily turn yourself into a professional cyclist. Well, practise makes a man perfect. 😄

Chavez said:

No doubt. <3 wks probably won't get you up to fanatic husband's level, but with 4 people they can also alternate one person taking it easy and hanging back with you while the others go out and hammer (if they'd like).

One month or 4 weeks is needed but I think she needs more time to reach her husband's level. Turning yourself into a professional takes time.

Dave Cutter said:

You're so lucky! You have a built-in support group and expert trainers. Ask your husband to show you how and where to cycle safely in your area. And pay the 17 year old kids to ride with you a few times. Don't worry... you will progress much quicker than you think. Have fun!

I agree about the support group. When we taught my niece and nephew how to ride the bike, it took them just 10 minutes. It is not an exaggeration but maybe their confidence have helped since we were all there. Besides, we were on vacation in a beach resort and they were the ones who were so eager to learn. So maybe you have to psych yourself to be excited in learning how to ride. That would be a big help.

Umang Kumar said:

Hello Friends,

1. Firstly don't bother with the pedals yet - that's right leave them alone.
2. Lower the seat until you can easily touch the ground, ideally you want to get your feet flat on the ground.
3. Now find somewhere without any vehicles, possibly an empty parking lot or somewhere safe like that. If you can, find one that has a mild slope.
4. Then just start pushing yourself along with your feet. Try using the brakes so you get able to stop, also start doing some gentle turns. When you get to be confident with this, use the slope to coast downhill. As you go downhill, gradually lift your feet and coast along.

Thanks and Regards,
Umang Kumar

I think these are good tips. This honestly reminds me of how my dad taught me to ride a bike when I was younger. When it was time to really get going, he would have me pedal while he was holding the seat and then he would let me go. I did great the first time until I looked back behind me and realized he wasn't there anymore and of course crashed. Just don't feel like you have to be up to their speed, you know? go at your pace and be safe. It's been a while since you posted this so I hope you had fun!

The traditional method of learning to bicycle was to find a supporter and let them strain their back while running along side you holding up-right and pushing until crashed or final did it under your own power and coordination. Contemporary bicycle learning advocate anothe method for teaching bicycling that isolates some of the separate skills needed to bike ride and therefore to learn the basics quickly. Because It doesn't force you to master every skill (balance, pedaling, steering, etc.) at once. Then you at least will learn to ride across a straightforward road without strains in no time.

Some tips:

• Select a bike where the seat can be lowered enough so you can be seated and have both feet flat on the ground. Lower the seat to the point that can put your feet on the ground. Remove any training wheels. You can also remove the pedals.
  

• Find a grassy field with a gentle downhill of 30 yards or so, that then flattens out or goes uphill slightly. Ideally the grass is short enough that it doesn't create too much drag on the wheels, but still can provide a soft landing in case of a fall.. A hard surface learning area can also be used, but it should have only a very slight slope - almost flat.
  

• Strap a helmet. Tuck in shoelaces. Long pants (rubber banded, strapped or tucked into the socks) and gloves can add additional protection if it is warranted. Go about 15 yards up the hill.
  

• Lift feet about an inch off the ground and coast down the hill or scoot along. The objective here is to get a feel for balancing on the bike. Allow yourself to feel the balance.
  

• Repeat until you feel comfortable coasting and don't put feet down to stop.
  

Learning how to ride a bike isn't really that hard. The hard part is doing it competitively. The main thing you have to practice is repetition. If you don't have any fear to overcome then you can learn how to ride a bike within days or even hours. Just hop on and give it a shot. Would be advisable to half someone hold the bike in your first tries to help you keep balanced until you get the hang of it.

SIT ON BIKE.
DO NOT FALL.
IF FALL, BALANCE.
IF NOT FALL, CONTINUE TO STEP PUT FEET ON PEDALS.
MAYBE ONE PEDAL.
USE FOOT NOT ON SINGULAR PEDAL TO NOT FALL.
NOT FALL NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AGAIN, IF FALL, BALANCE.
AFTER BALANCE, PUSH PEDAL TOWARDS THE FRONT TIRE.
DO NOT PUSH PEDAL BACK IF YOU HAVE BRAKES ON PEDAL.
DONT PUSH ALSO IF YOU HAVE NO BRAKES THIS DOES NOTHING.
CONTINUE TO PUSH OTHER PEDAL WITH OTHER FOOT WHILE ALSO PUSHING OTHER PEDAL WITH OTHER FOOT
DO NOT FALL!!!
IF FALL, BALANCE.
IF NOT FALL, CONTINUE PUSH PEDAL WITH FEET UNTIL ACHIEVE DESTINATION
DO NOT GO VERY FAR, YOU HAVE TO RIDE BACK
EAT CARBOHYDRATES
GET LEAN
ALSO DO NOT WEAR PANTS THAT GET STUCK IN THE CHAIN
WATCH YOUR SHOELACES
DO NOT FALL

It's really easy. Try buying those helpful wheels,and practice with them. After a while try taking them out one by one and see how you handle. I don't know how to explain very well, but you will feel when you get it. If can learn it, you can too!