Yes, I Know.
Growing Up you have almost forgotten the basic steps of how to ride a bicycle but now it’s high time to get fit and for this, you need to learn how to ride a cycle again in adulthood.
Hey Wait, Don’t Worry it’s not a very hard task it’s as easy as it was in our childhood.
Here in this step-by-step guide, we have drafted some easy tips and tricks to learn how to ride a bicycle again and even for the person who is learning to ride a bicycle for the first time.
For the process to be more accessible I have divided the guide into multiple Parts so that you can quickly learn to ride a bicycle.
Contents
Find a Comfortable Bike
Either you are learning how to ride a bicycle for the first time or you are just revising the whole process the first and foremost thing which you will need is a good and comfortable bicycle.
You can borrow a bicycle for learning from someone. In most of friends and neighborhood play an important role but if you don’t have a friend with a bicycle you can also prefer a bike-sharing system in your particular location.
There are many companies that provide bicycles on a rental basis with a certain fixed amount of fee.
Though most of the common bicycles available in the market are comfortable for learning purposes, I would recommend considering bikes with straight flat handlebars with upright riding position support.
A cycle that is fitted with wider tires is more likely to be perfect for learning as they are easier to balance and control even when you are on an uneven path. Most hybrid bikes are fitted with flat handlebars and wider tires which makes them the perfect bicycles and can be considered Good beginner-friendly bikes.
Another subgroup of hybrid bikes commonly known as city bikes is also comfortable to learn bicycles because of their bigger saddle, high suspension, and average middleweight tires. Even city bikes have elevated Handlebars which makes it easier for a beginner to learn to bicycle easily.
As the name suggests these types of bikes are most popular in urban areas and thus are easily accessible. You can also refer to this article for detailed knowledge about hybrid bikes.
Wear Protective Gear and comfy clothes
Once you get the bicycle another thing you must be worried about is safety while learning to ride a bicycle, as in most possible cases you are likely to fall once or more when you learn how to ride a bicycle.
These protective gear will protect you from any injury and minimize the damage to your body. Protective gears like knee pads and elbow pads play a major role to protect joints against scrapes.
But the most important protective gear which you must carry when you learn how to ride a bicycle is a good Helmet as it protects the head during accidents which is one of the worst injuries places in the human body.
There are varieties of Helmets available in the market like commuter Helmets, Road Helmets, and Mountain helmets depending upon the use case. As a beginner in learning a cycle a normal commuter helmet is enough for you but make sure it fits you well neither too tight nor too loose. You can also adjust the straps of the helmet to make it fits right on your head and not fall off during the ride.
Also, I would suggest wearing loose clothes like shorts and a T-shirt so that it would be more comfortable to paddle and enhance your learning experience.
Find a Spot to Practice
Now you are all ready with your cycle and protective equipment but to practice learning a cycle its essential for you to find an appropriate spot for you to learn how to cycle.
The ideal place to learn to ride a bicycle is a flat and smooth surface with little or no traffic.
If the spot is smooth gravel and a little grassy then it will be a perfect place to show your cycling skills.
Consider not choosing a slope or uneven path if you are a beginner and it’s your first time on the saddle.
Adjust the Saddle Height
Correct Saddle height is very important when you are learning how to ride a bicycle. There are various ways to adjust and find the best saddle height for you. Here in this guide, I will tell you one of the easiest and most popular methods to adjust the saddle height and ride a bicycle comfortably.
Put your heel in the middle of the pedal, which should be at a 6 o’clock position. Your correct saddle height is one where you can reach the pedal in this position without having to roll your hips.
Though finding the right saddle height for yourself is a trial and error process so you have to keep making adjustments so that you can achieve the best saddle height and feel comfortable while sitting for a long-term ride.
When you learn to ride a bicycle for the first time I would suggest you keep the saddle height a little lower so that you can land your feet on the ground which will allow you to maintain balance and you can also put your feet faster easily when you have to stop suddenly while riding.
I have also written a Complete guide on how to find your saddle height easily.
Test the brakes
Brakes will be your best friend when you will learn how to ride a bicycle as they will help you in all the possible cases when you get imbalanced or feel unsafe. Make sure to check the brake’s reaction prior to learning to cycle and get a feel for their reaction.
For this just get off the bicycle and walk forward with your bike and apply the brake. This will give you a rough idea of how much strength you will need to put on brakes and how fast the bike reacts after applying brakes.
Once done make your memory connection for the exact location of the brake just in case you need to stop urgently.
Plan Your Path
It’s time to Plan the Path of your practice on the spot you have selected in the previous step. I will recommend you to start with a smaller path like 200- 300 meters so that you can get the exact idea of the location and also maintain balance on the saddle.
Select a path with fewer pit holes and less significant bumps so that you should not face difficulties while learning to cycle. Would advise you to practice cycling on a driveway, smooth gravel, or sidewalk with little or almost less traffic to avoid accidents and injuries.
The best place to learn to ride a bicycle according to me is on the short stretch of a Park trail near you as they are less crowded.
Try your First pedal for a short distance
Now as everything is Planned and all the safety measures have been taken, your next step should be learning how to pedal. Adjust yourself comfortably on the saddle and cycle between your legs with one foot on the ground and another on the pedal.
Now push the leg on the pedal towards the front and lift off the foot from the ground and start pedaling with both feet. Starting to pedal is one of the scariest things to do so here are some tips you should follow to make pedaling easier,
- If someone is around ask him/her to balance the bike from the back if you are a complete beginner in the learning cycle.
- Be quick while lifting your foot off the ground and pushing the foot on the pedal and the quicker you will put your feet forward the less time you will get to lose your balance.
- Look straight on the path you selected as you feel looking down on the movement of the wheel but avoid and keep looking straight. Looking straight will allow controlling the direction of the handlebar in better ways.
- Pay attention to the handlebar along with focusing on your feet and make sure the handlebar is pointed towards the path you have selected for your movement.
- Once you tackle off keep peddling continuously in rhythm. Neither pedal too fast nor pedal too slow as by doing this you might lose balance. Keep your pedal pace moderate for better performance.
Stop to a Halt and repeat
Get off the bike once you reached your final destination by applying a little brake. Put one foot on the ground while stopping so that you should not lose balance. I would suggest going for the right foot. Now Repeat the process of pedaling two to three times for a shorter distance.
Practice for an Extra Mile
Once you feel comfortable riding shorter distances it’s time to ride a bicycle for long distances. Try some turns and unplanned Paths. For example, you can for a bicycle ride around your Block, some curved roads so that you can expertise in turns.
Once you get your hands on turns and longer distances you can also try to go over small bumps and some other kind of uneven surfaces in your area so that you can be rigid on riding a cycle anywhere.
I would suggest you ride a cycle in traffic areas only when you feel comfortable and have at least some confidence to have complete control of the bike, even if your area is bike-friendly.
Conclusion
Hope you find this article helpful and try to learn to ride a bicycle on your own gradually and enjoy it. If you find this article on learning a bicycle helpful do share it with your learner friends and family members so that they can also learn bicycle and start their fitness journey and lead to a cleaner environment.