How to teach a 27 year old how to cycle

Crimsonforce

I'm a big cyclist but my brother never learnt how to cycle. Long story but never did it.

He wants to try and I really want to help him and show him who to do it.
He has all the issues of being embaressed , people slagging him..etc but I want him to persevere . He is a sensitive old soul....

I have two bikes, a racing and a hybrid and was thinking of giving him the hybrid..

What's the best way to teach him? What could I buy to stabilise his first rides
Where can I teach him that's clear of people walking, I live near clontarf..

Thanks for any help

dragratchet

head down to somewhere like ucd on a weekend.. not a huge amount of traffic about and plenty of well maintained roads

mr lee

tandem

DirkVoodoo

I'd agree with that, somewhere reasonably quiet would be good. Free of traffic, but from the first pedal stroke you should be making him aware of traffic and how to act when cycling around it: be assertive, how to use hand signals, stopping at red lights and positioning at junctions, lights and how visible a bike is from a driver's perspective, etc.

Obviously you need to teach him how to just ride the bike and remain balanced first, but you still need to make sure he is prepared when he inevitably has to cycle on busier roads and my belief is that this should be done from the beginning.

yawhat!

Crimsonforce

yawhat! wrote: »

If you have nothing to contribute that FO to troll another forum

dragratchet

industrial estates on a sunday am would be good too. learned to drive in them as a yung-fla. plenty of junctions and lights to work on road positioning etc

Outkast_IRE

I would start somewhere that is obviously not a road or else incredibly quiet.

secondly If possible go somewhere with a downhill gradient and get him used to sitting on it and rolling/ using the brakes lightly and getting a feel for balancing and making slight turns etc.

Mycroft H

Somewhere there is grass. He's going to fall no matter what. When he's stopped falling then think about the road.

van_beano

There's a dedicated cycle track in Corkagh Park just off the N7 (Junction 2 I think), after Newlands Cross. The fees aren't applicable to just a normal cycle around, I've been there a few times and it's been quiet.

http://www.cyclingireland.ie/page/about/corkagh-pk

StickyIcky

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I would start somewhere that is obviously not a road or else incredibly quiet.

secondly If possible go somewhere with a downhill gradient and get him used to sitting on it and rolling/ using the brakes lightly and getting a feel for balancing and making slight turns etc.

Take the peddles off the bike.

Find a grassy slope and have him sit on the seat with feet on the ground, the lift his feet up and coast down. Repeat 10 times or as needed. This teaches balance first.

Then attached the peddles. Have him coast down now with his feet on the peddles 10 times or as needed. This teaches balance and feet on the peddles.

The have him coast down the hill with feet on peddles and towards the bottom of the hill try and rotate the peddles. Repeat.

Then have him start on a flat and peddle start see if he can get himself started. Still just in a straight line.
Repeat

Now do the same but ask him to try turning too.
Repeat.

After an hour maybe you can move to somewhere with concrete or pavement or something.

The trick here is introducing only one new thing at a time. It's the best way to teach an adult how to ride a bike I've ever come across.

No Pants

What Outkast and StickyIcky have said already. That's how I learned, but I was only three back then. A slight downhill gradient, in a park or somewhere off road to get him used to the idea that the forward motion keeps the bike upright. Once he has that, pedaling to continue that forward motion should be easier.

Before that though, I would get him used to the brakes and how he probably only needs one or two fingers used gently to come to a stop most of the time. Kids and adults can sometimes come off a bike or give themselves a scare by grabbing handfuls of brake when it's not necessary.

HivemindXX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP3DNPDKxOM

This video is really good and features an adult learning. It's basically the same advice Outkast gave above only in video form.

Crimsonforce

Thanks for the input very informative

smacl

Check out quozi's log for some top notch recent 1st hand experience of learning to cycle as an adult.

serendip

HivemindXX wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP3DNPDKxOM

This video is really good and features an adult learning. It's basically the same advice Outkast gave above only in video form.

Great video!

maxamillius

I would agree with maybe removing the pedals so he can first just Coast along and learn steering and balance,it would be very similar to a child's balance bike!

There's a good chance that any one that slags him can't actually cycle a bike themselves,anyone who cycles would be happy to see someone else learning

FirstinLastout

I guess that the previous advice is decent enough but I really wouldn’t bother removing the pedals.
Effectively you’re creating a Balance Bike and while these are great for the average 3 year old to learn on is this not a bit overkill for a 27 year old?
Just place feet on the pedals once rolling but not to pedal until the balance bit is nailed then it’s case of start pedalling.
The difference between teaching a 3 year old & a 27 year old is that one is an adult and should be capable of following instruction & reason whilst the other is a 3 year old.
Good luck with it OP!

sawdoubters

put training wheels on the bike

quozl

sawdoubters wrote: »

put training wheels on the bike

I guess you're joking but just in case - that's a terrible idea.