How to ride a bike?

How to ride a bike? “It is as easy as riding a bike!” This phrase is thrown around often and doesn’t make sense in many ways because when you first start learning to ride a bike, it is far from easy and quite challenging for many. 

In this article, we will explain how to ride a bike by discussing each stage in detail. We will give you the tools and confidence to get on the bike and start conquering those routes and trails!

The importance of riding a bike

There’s never been a better time to learn how to ride a bike. With over one billion bikes in the world and it becoming a more and more popular form of transport daily, learning how to ride a bike is vital.

You can use a bike in so many ways. They are not just great for getting to and from work but also for staying fit, tackling personal challenges, socializing, and even going on bikepacking or bike touring. There’s nothing quite like riding a bike, and with so many different bikes to choose from, you can explore anywhere. 

Statistics show that around 6% of American adults don’t know how to ride a bicycle because they have never had the confidence or opportunity to learn. It’s incredible how many people don’t know and just don’t feel the need to learn when they could be really missing out.

Can you forget how to ride a bike?

It’s not rare that over time your cycling technique can get a little rusty. You never really forget, sometimes it just takes a bit of practice to get back to it feeling normal and natural.

Choosing the right bike and equipment

The first thing you will need to ride a bike is the bike itself and some equipment. When it comes to finding the correct bike, here’s what we recommend to make sure you have the correct bike for you when how to learn to ride a bike.

• The correct size of bike for your height and the wheel size.
• The seat is adjusted to the correct position (Hip height to start).
• The right type of bike for the terrain you plan on riding on.
• Working fully correctly and in good condition.
• It is not a bike you will worry about dropping and scratching too much.
• For younger riders, consider stabilizers to start.

It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the bike and how it works. Understand the brakes and how the gears work to ensure that when you start riding, you will know how to stop. We recommend some equipment as well when starting to ride a bike.

• Helmet to protect your head in a fall.
• Gloves to stop you from hurting your hands.
• A tool kit with a multi-tool and all the goods to repair a puncture.
• First aid kit in case of a fall.
• Proper clothing for winter and summer.

Now, it looks like you are ready to start learning how to ride a bike. Another great help will be having someone along with you and finding a safe place to learn to ride without any cars around, such as a park. The best option is to start by riding in a group, together it was always easier and safer.

How to ride a bike

Now, for the exciting part, we will tell you how to ride a bicycle next. Although the process might seem long, there is much more than just pedaling regarding how to learn to ride a bike. This is the same route I recommend for how to teach a child to ride a bike or how to ride a bike without training wheels.

How long does it take to teach someone to ride a bike?

Some people take to it incredibly quickly and can start riding within a couple of hours, others might take a couple of days. Riding confidently will take a lot of practice but it will be a lot of fun.

Stage one: Learn hand signals

Learning the hand signals is important before getting on the bike. These signals tell other road users exactly what you are going to do while out riding. They are a must, but they will take some practice after you have learned to ride. 

There are many other cycling hand signals designed for riding in groups, which we recommend learning, but at the start, these will be enough to keep you safe. 

Stage two: Mounting and balancing 

The next step of how to learn how to ride a bike, we will start by working on mounting and balancing the bike. Here, you will want to practice getting on and off the bike. You might have a step-through, or you might need to practice throwing your leg over. 

Once on the bike, you need to learn how to balance. There’s a big misconception that when sitting on the seat, you should be able to have your feet flat on the floor, but this isn’t the case. You generally, on most bikes, will only be able to touch your toes or just be able to lean on one side. It would help if you practiced getting comfortable here. 

Stage three: Pushing off and pedaling

Next, we come to pushing off. You will want to practice pushing yourself off from the spot and moving around a meter forward. You will need to have the primary foot on the pedal, which should be in the 12 - 3 o'clock position, and the secondary foot pushing off the floor. 

When you push off with the secondary foot, push on the pedal of the primary foot, and it will drive you forward, giving you momentum and extra balance. Using this momentum, you need to lift the secondary foot onto the other and also drive into that.

Then, using both feet to power into the pedals will help you speed up, increasing your speed, which will give you extra balance and help keep you upright without needing to put your feet on the floor. 

Stage four: Steering and braking

Once you have got the pedaling under control you now are going to learn how to control the bike. Let’s get started with steering. If you want to turn left quite simply turn the bars to the left, right to the right. This is the way you will work at typically slower speeds. 

At high speeds, you might find yourself having to counter-steer. This is where you slightly turn in the opposite direction to where you want to go, then lean into the corner. This will come naturally in time but it’s good to understand the logic. 

As far as braking goes, you will have two brakes: one on the front and one on the rear. If you only use the front, you risk going over the bars on sharp braking, and if you only use the rear, you risk the back skidding out. Use both and learn to know where to apply power and how much. 

Regarding how to ride a road bike you might need some more practice as the gears and brakes are different to a mountain bike and can be harder to use as you have multiple positions. At buycycle there are lots of different bikes to learn on and some types you might never have heard of.

Stage five: Practice, practice, practice!

Then, the final stage of how to learn how to ride a bike is to practice. The best way to become a better cyclist is by just riding regularly. The more you get used to the feeling and find the correct motion, the more it will start to feel very natural.

Step six: Progress your cycling further

Finally, if you want to progress further and now feel like you have a fair amount of confidence, then here’s more you can learn, which will improve your experience on the bike and also help other road users. Here’s our checklist!

Once you have mastered these skills, you will want to continue practicing, and before you know it, the phrase “It’s as simple as riding a bike!” will start making sense. How to learn to ride a bike takes a few miles, but those miles will bring you to the most beautiful cycling destinations.

A little extra help

If you do find yourself struggling and need some extra help, there are many different options available to continue how to learn how to ride a bike. It’s not rare for people to need extra support, and quite often, it is adults more than children.

There are many companies that offer professional cycle training on how to teach someone to ride a bike. They not only go to schools but also offer day classes where you can learn with the support of professional instructors and special equipment.

To find these, the best way is to Google search “How to ride a bicycle” and then the area you live in. You will find many training centers that will help you progress and learn with an instructor who is specialized in how to teach an adult to ride a bike.

When is the best time to learn to ride a bike?

Many places recommend that children be between 3 and 6 years old when learning to ride a bike, but many factors affect this, such as the child's ability and skill level when balancing.

For adults, there’s no time like right now. Learning to ride a bike as soon as possible will get you out enjoying the wonders of cycling straight away, and for many, it becomes a regular hobby.

Luckily, buycycle website offers some amazing bikes which are going to be perfect for learning how to cycle and worth checking out.