learning to ride a bike

philip hall said:

my partner cannot ride a bike. she says she has no balance, it does not
matter what i say on the subject she will not take notice.
does anybody know of a course she could go on to get confidence to learn, or
any idea's.

If she doesn't want to bike don't make her bike.
You could get her a trike instead; no balance required. They're fairly
expensive though, starting at $1300. (www.wizwheelz.com) But they're fun!

I would second the advice to not force if she really doesn't want to.

But . . . if she can *stand* and *walk* she has all the sense of
balance she needs. Though there might be some other problem involved,
for instance, some bad experience she had, maybe years ago, that sort
of jams the circuits of her nervous system when she finds herself in
that same situation again.

Suggestions:

* Try a tandem. She might discover likes bicycling that way (or not .
.. . ) and no balance required.

* Learn to ride a scooter (the foot-propelled type, like kids ride).
Same type of balancing required as on a bicycle but you always have the
sense that you can just step off. (That is how my son learned to ride
a bike.)

* On a bicycle, remove the pedals and lower the seat until she can sit
on the seat & have both feet flat on the ground. Then find something
like a flat parking lot where she can push herself around on this
pedal-less flat-foot bicycle and experiment with moving and balancing
with no fear of falling, no worry about how to get started pedalling,
and no worry about brakes. (This is also a great way to teach kids how
to balance on a bike--I think it's in the rec.bicycles FAQ.)

Quoted message said:

* Try a tandem. She might discover likes bicycling that way (or not .
. . ) and no balance required.

I'll 2nd the tandem suggestion, as that would let you bike together and
converse at the same time. And you can probably even rent one somewhere
to try it out.

Mr. Hall,

I do not know of a course, but may I suggest some of the following:

1, Encouragement, as stated elsewhere, if your partner can walk, she can
ride a bike.

2. Equipment, I don't like the tandem idea, but instead suggest that you
allow your partner to pick and decide the type of bike she wants, no matter
what you think. A new adult rider will of mastered not only the skill of
riding but the pleasure of owning a bike they picked out and will come to
know the advantage of trading up, when they are ready.

3. Teachers. Find some kids to ride with. This may sound silly, but children
are often more helpful and less judgmental than most adults and love to help
others.

4. Riding together. Don't ride with your partner until you are asked to. You
may be the bicyclist in your family, and you will stay that way until your
partner has the confidence to ride. Which brings me to my final point.

5 Encouragement. You can't give enough of it, and when you do, remind your
partner that they are always better than the last time they rode their bike.

Good luck!
"philip hall" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

my partner cannot ride a bike. she says she has no balance, it does not
matter what i say on the subject she will not take notice.
does anybody know of a course she could go on to get confidence to learn,
or any idea's.

Does she want to ride? Some of the men I ride with have wives who simply
are not interested. When we try to persuade or cajole, they show
resistance--even resentment. I am convinced that of they went for even one
ride, they would be hooked, but if persuasion works backwards, what is left?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Leo Lichtman said:

Does she want to ride? Some of the men I ride with have wives who simply
are not interested. When we try to persuade or cajole, they show
resistance--even resentment.

You can say that again. That whiny phrase: "Aw, come on"
can be a pretty good indicator of selfishness.

Quoted message said:

I am convinced that of they went for even one
ride, they would be hooked, but if persuasion works backwards, what is left?

(Using hypothetical "her"/"him", "she"/"he" in the following.)

What's left is: showing interest in /her/ interests,
even if they don't really do anything for him.
Then she might be more inclined to show interest
in his interests. And of course, mutual interests
are left as well.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Tom Keats said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Leo Lichtman said:

Does she want to ride? Some of the men I ride with have wives who simply
are not interested. When we try to persuade or cajole, they show
resistance--even resentment.

You can say that again. That whiny phrase: "Aw, come on"
can be a pretty good indicator of selfishness.

Quoted message said:

I am convinced that of they went for even one
ride, they would be hooked, but if persuasion works backwards, what is left?

(Using hypothetical "her"/"him", "she"/"he" in the following.)

What's left is: showing interest in /her/ interests,
even if they don't really do anything for him.
Then she might be more inclined to show interest
in his interests. And of course, mutual interests
are left as well.

It's so much easier just to date/marry someone who loves cycling.

The following is from Sheldon Brown's website:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/teachride.html

The Undersized Bike Approach:

The ideal bike for learning to ride, whether for a child or a deprived
adult, is a bike that is "too small" for efficient riding. For learning
purposes, the rider should be able to sit on the saddle with both feet
flat on the ground and the knees slightly bent. The bike can then be
used as a hobby horse or scooter, with the feet always ready to stop a
fall. It may even be useful to remove the pedals at first, so that the
feet can swing freely. Ideally, a bike for this approach should have at
least one hand brake, so that the child can stop while using both feet
for balance. A good place to practice is on a grassy field, perhaps
with a slight downgrade.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult for parents to justify the expense
of a smaller bike that will be outgrown shortly, so there is a constant
temptation to buy a bike that is a bit too large on the theory that the
child will "grow into" it.

Scooters:

A scooter can provide an excellent alternative way to learn balance,
and is probably a better alternative to training wheels, especially for
a child who has been depending on training wheels too long. A scooter
separates the steering/balancing function from the pedaling function,
so the child can concentrate on learning to balance without the
distraction of pedals.
An additional advantage of a scooter is that it is less scary than a
bicycle. One foot is on the ground much of the time, while the other is
only a few inches above the ground with no obstruction to a "bail-out".

Any child who can steer a tricycle can operate a scooter at some level
of proficiency. To start with, one foot can maintain nearly constant
contact with terra firma. As skill is acquired, the pushing foot
gradually spends less and less time on the ground, until the basic
skill of balancing on two wheels has been mastered.

"philip hall" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

my partner cannot ride a bike. she says she has no balance, it does not
matter what i say on the subject she will not take notice.
does anybody know of a course she could go on to get confidence to learn,
or any idea's.

She may not be interested in learning to ride. Period. Startling though this
may sound, there are some poor deluded souls out there who have no interest
in cycling. Strange, I know... but...

If she is interested but scared, it may be you are not the right person to
teach her.

It may be she cannot balance on a bike properly, some people can't - how
about a three-wheeler. I recommend a recumbent trike - mine is *excellent
fun*

The suggestions others have made about a tandem.... may not be the solution.
I love my bikes, I love my recumbent trike, but I've never been so terrified
as when on a tandem with my DH... once, never again (unless it's a recumbent
tandem trike - *serious fun*)

Cheers, helen s

Art Harris said:

The following is from Sheldon Brown's website:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/teachride.html

The Undersized Bike Approach:

The ideal bike for learning to ride, whether for a child or a deprived
adult, is a bike that is "too small" for efficient riding. For learning
purposes, the rider should be able to sit on the saddle with both feet
flat on the ground and the knees slightly bent. The bike can then be
used as a hobby horse or scooter, with the feet always ready to stop a
fall. It may even be useful to remove the pedals at first, so that the
feet can swing freely. Ideally, a bike for this approach should have at
least one hand brake, so that the child can stop while using both feet
for balance. A good place to practice is on a grassy field, perhaps
with a slight downgrade.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult for parents to justify the expense
of a smaller bike that will be outgrown shortly, so there is a constant
temptation to buy a bike that is a bit too large on the theory that the
child will "grow into" it.

Scooters:

A scooter can provide an excellent alternative way to learn balance,
and is probably a better alternative to training wheels, especially for
a child who has been depending on training wheels too long. A scooter
separates the steering/balancing function from the pedaling function,
so the child can concentrate on learning to balance without the
distraction of pedals.
An additional advantage of a scooter is that it is less scary than a
bicycle. One foot is on the ground much of the time, while the other is
only a few inches above the ground with no obstruction to a "bail-out".

Any child who can steer a tricycle can operate a scooter at some level
of proficiency. To start with, one foot can maintain nearly constant
contact with terra firma. As skill is acquired, the pushing foot
gradually spends less and less time on the ground, until the basic
skill of balancing on two wheels has been mastered.

I taught both a 4 year old and a five year old that way, then my 3 year
old grandson, and it worked great except that when they did learn they
were little daredevils and would not listen to anything other than
taking their bikes away. Lack of falling made them lack the appreciation
of what a fall could feel like, especially if a car got involved.
Pros and cons.
Bill

wafflycat said:

"philip hall" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

my partner cannot ride a bike. she says she has no balance, it does
not matter what i say on the subject she will not take notice.
does anybody know of a course she could go on to get confidence to
learn, or any idea's.

She may not be interested in learning to ride. Period. Startling though
this may sound, there are some poor deluded souls out there who have no
interest in cycling. Strange, I know... but...

If she is interested but scared, it may be you are not the right person
to teach her.

It may be she cannot balance on a bike properly, some people can't - how
about a three-wheeler. I recommend a recumbent trike - mine is
*excellent fun*

The suggestions others have made about a tandem.... may not be the
solution. I love my bikes, I love my recumbent trike, but I've never
been so terrified as when on a tandem with my DH... once, never again
(unless it's a recumbent tandem trike - *serious fun*)

Cheers, helen s

My wife will ride any motorcycle at any speed yet refuses to ride a
bike, since it is 'undignified' for her age. I ride and feel ten years
younger so to Hell with 'dignified' and cars.
Bill

"philip hall" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

my partner cannot ride a bike. she says she has no balance, it does not
matter what i say on the subject she will not take notice.
does anybody know of a course she could go on to get confidence to learn,
or any idea's.

You might want to try to ride a unicycle if you don't know how to do that.
Then maybe it's easier to get into her mindset. I have tried it once and I
couldn't balance it....

bjorn