Bicycle riding lessons for children and adults. How to teach a child to ride a bicycle: basic rules, teaching methods and important nuances that will help your child master transport faster How to learn to ride a bicycle

Many people want learn to ride a bike and they forget that this requires special skills. If you have never ridden a bicycle (or scooter, moped, scooter, motorcycle, etc.), you will face difficulties, first of all, in that you will not be able to keep your balance and will constantly fall over on some side, not having traveled even ten meters. It doesn’t matter, the matter can be fixed, even the most ungifted students will learn the technique of driving a bicycle in a few days. However, if you learn incorrectly, the task can become too difficult, to the point where you lose all desire to learn and ride a bike.
In order to ride a bicycle, you need two conditions: a working bicycle and an asphalt road. My advice: immediately lower the saddle as low as possible, this position of the saddle is only necessary for training, when the necessary driving skills have been mastered, so that. The saddle must be lowered in order to avoid possible more serious consequences in case of falls, and also, we will almost eliminate or reduce the number of falls to a minimum. In the future, if you do fall, don’t be upset and don’t even think about quitting your studies, show me at least one child who didn’t fall while learning to walk? These are unknown to me, and yet everyone goes through this. It will be better if the asphalt surface is slightly flat, that is, there will be a slight descent. The road should not be congested with traffic.

How to learn to ride a bike?

At the top of your chosen road, mount your bike. Both legs should be fully on the pavement when you are in the saddle. It’s not for nothing that I advise you to choose a flat section of the road, because... you won't have to pedal, you can just roll off it. Learning to balance and pedal at the same time is much more difficult than doing both separately. Start lifting your feet off the asphalt, the bike will move, don’t worry, the movement will be slow and predictable. You drove a couple of tens of centimeters and your foot was back on the asphalt, did you stop? Congratulations, the first step is behind you! Keep repeating it, look ahead a few meters and lift your feet off the asphalt again. Isn’t it true that by the tenth time you’ve already driven a little further? When you find yourself at the bottom, walk up with your bike :), this will give you time to think about how best to maneuver the steering wheel to keep your balance and you will begin to appreciate the distance traveled
It is unlikely that such training will last long, most likely in a couple of hours, or in the evening today, the descent will be completed without your feet touching the ground. Don't let yourself accelerate too fast, if the speed increases and bothers you, use the brakes lightly, preferably the rear brake. At first, you should be careful with the front brake; if you press it, there is a chance of flying over the steering wheel.
Once you have learned to keep your balance and can navigate the descent without any problems, it’s time to move on to smooth asphalt. We take the starting position on the bike. At the same time, as soon as your legs are torn off on the asphalt, push them back, with the help of such a jerk, the bicycle will travel with you for several meters, repeat the push with your legs. If everything works out for you, that's great! This means it’s time to keep your balance (which we already know how to do) and pedal at the same time. Decide which pushing leg you have; to do this, remember which leg you put first on the stairs. Place the same foot on the pedal, the pedal should be on top. Press the pedal, the bike will start (don't forget about balance: D), now put your other foot on the pedal, you will have enough time, because... the bicycle moves by inertia when the first foot presses the pedal. Start pedaling forward. If something doesn't work out, wait to put your other foot on the pedal, just push one pedal and ride using inertia. Just a little bit left and now... both feet are already on the pedals, the bike is moving - most of the work is already behind us.

Learning to turn and turn on a bicycle

When the sense of balance is mastered and your legs get used to pedaling, you will be able to ride for a very long time, but sooner or later, you will need to turn or turn around. For training, we need a wide road, as wide as possible, but without cars. You can go to a free sports court, say, a basketball court. Get on your bike and ride forward, for starters, learn to just turn right or left. Do not make a sudden movement of the steering wheel, turn it just a little in the direction where you are going to turn, you need to feel it. When you learn to turn, you will learn to turn around, but remember, the less room there is to turn, the more difficult it will be to pass. Here you will have to practice, be especially careful when turning around, for beginners, this is where falls lurk.

All of the above is suitable for both teaching a child and an adult. Also, there are rumors that learning to balance is easier on a scooter. Unfortunately, I can’t say for sure whether this is true, because... I’ve never ridden one myself, but I learned to ride a bicycle using exactly the technique that I told you today. Thank you for your attention! Learn, ride. A bicycle is useful.

You can teach both adults and children to ride a bike. To do this, you just need to buy yourself an iron “horse” and adhere to certain rules. So, prepare to work hard and be willing to fail. At the very beginning of mastering a bicycle, you can ask your friends for it and find a suitable area. Gloves and a helmet will not be superfluous to protect yourself from the first injuries, which, alas, are inevitable. You should choose a flat area or roadway with a slight slope.

Preparing the bike

Initially, you need to “tailor” the bike to suit you. The seat must be installed so that you can practically straighten your legs while sitting in the lowest position of the pedal, but still be able to touch the ground. During the learning process, at a certain point you will understand that for convenience you do not need to completely place your feet on the ground, but rather just reach it with your toes.

Close attention should be paid to the brakes. When learning and at first, we advise you to use only the rear brake, since using the front brake requires some experience in cycling.

Without skill, a novice cyclist risks injury by using the front brake incorrectly.

Before landing, you should apply the rear brake to prevent it from moving away, and sit in the saddle with both feet touching the ground. This exercise must be repeated many times.

Learning to maintain balance

In order to learn how to ride as quickly as possible, you will need: proper riding and maintaining balance. A simple exercise will help you develop this skill. While sitting on a bicycle, you need to hold the handlebars and lift your feet off the ground for a few seconds.

You will notice that you will soon be able to feel your balance, maintain your balance longer and longer, and also understand whether the seat is adjusted correctly for you.

Start of movement

Once you gain confidence in your own abilities, as well as a feeling of comfort while sitting, you can start riding. First, try to learn to ride as if there were no pedals, that is, pushing yourself with your feet. For a more comfortable ride, it would be good to choose a section of road with a slope.

Remember an important principle: as long as you move, you won't fall. The faster you drive, the more stable your vehicle will be. Don't forget about the brakes, this will allow you to adjust the speed at any time. The most important thing is not to lose composure and act smoothly.

1. Steer boldly;
2. Choose the right direction;
3. Keep your eyes on the road;
4. Don't put your attention and gaze on your feet or pedals, otherwise you risk losing your horizon line, sense of the road and losing your balance.

When the need arises to change your own position on the bike, you just need to touch the ground with your feet.

If you feel like you're going to fall or just need to get off your bike, there is important rule: initially you need to slow down and prevent the movement from continuing, and only after that you can stand on the ground.

Otherwise, driving will certainly end in injury. It is necessary to practice the exercise “landing - movement - stopping - dismounting”.

Learning pedals

To start riding a bicycle, you need to become familiar with how the pedals work. Turning the pedals forward moves the wheel, and in the opposite direction it frees the wheel. While sitting on a bicycle, determine which foot is most comfortable to press on the pedal to start moving. This leg will be the "active" leg.

For convenience, before you start driving, you need to place the pedal under it so that it is at the top and in front.

1. While holding the brakes, your “active” foot should be on the pedal and your other foot touching the ground.
2. Then you should release the brake handle and, pressing the pedal, start coasting.
3. Keeping your balance, continue to ride in this manner for as long as possible.
4. The next stage of learning to ride is the ability to put both feet on the pedals.
5. Starting the movement with the “active” leg, you need to try to put the other leg on the pedal as quickly as possible.

Practicing this “pick up” is necessary in order to quickly master the basics of cycling. Having studied the previous exercises, you can now try to start riding and gain a little speed. At first, the distances will be very short, literally 3-4 m each, but this will guarantee that you will soon clearly understand the technique of maintaining balance and using the pedals.

Practicing turns

Every beginning cyclist needs to learn how to ride straight, i.e. keep the bike straight at all times. Due to its peculiarity, the bicycle changes its direction at the slightest tilt of the body. The movement can only be leveled by moving the body to the other side. The bicycle should become one with your body.

You can turn it in two ways - by tilting or using the steering wheel. The first option is used when driving on high speeds, and the second – on small ones.

After completing all stages of training, you can try to drive at least a hundred meters, slow down, turn around and arrive at the departure point. When this process goes through without a single hesitation or stop, you can consider that you have succeeded as a cyclist. Now all that remains is to hone your skills and gradually gain experience.

By following the above instructions, you can learn to ride a bicycle on your own in the shortest possible time. However, you should always remember safety precautions and protect yourself whenever possible. Damages and injuries to the limbs are acceptable, but the head must be protected by all available means. It is best to use a helmet to protect your head.

Denis Frolov

Communications specialist and co-founder of the “PR Things” project, which helps IT companies and startups build productive relationships with the press, users, clients and partners.

I was 25 years old and didn't know how to ride a bike. I’ve been planning to learn since I was 18, and every year it became more and more difficult to decide. I imagined how scary I would look: a grown guy who rides worse than a child and constantly falls. Easier to score. Moreover, there are a lot of people in the world who don’t know how to ride.

There were a ton of articles on the Internet teaching adults how to ride a bike. But they did not help overcome fear and embarrassment, which means they did not solve my problem.

Now I'm 27 years old. I can easily ride my bike for a couple of hours.

I like to ride along the embankment on a Saturday morning, accelerating before the hill and slowing down at the slope. These skills come with practice. The following steps helped me cope with myself and get started.

Step 1. Determine your benefits

In theory, everything is easy. I got angry when my friends said, “Don’t be afraid, just get in and pedal.” I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t even move. I was afraid to get on a bike: what if I lost my balance and fell?

And he really did fall. It was difficult to maintain balance even for a couple of meters.

But when I focused on the benefits of cycling, things got easier. I wrote down the benefits of cycling and ran them through my head on the way to each training session. It helped me fight fear and shame. I imagined myself riding around the city on a bicycle, parking at a cafe, and being on time everywhere. I thought how great it would be to keep myself in shape, learn new things and prove to myself that I could. It worked for me.

Desire turned out to be stronger than fear.

During practice, I tried to monitor my body and specific actions: put my foot on the pedal, hold the steering wheel, straighten my back, control the road. At the fourth training session, the fear receded: the brain had no time for it.

Step 2. Find a teacher

The hardest thing for me was getting on the bike and moving off. I was afraid that I wouldn’t have time to put my foot on the pedal and would crash into a tree.

I knew nothing about speed, brakes, pads, I didn’t understand how to cope alone. So I asked for help from a friend who had been riding a bike for many years. He went to training with me and explained the basics. He patiently carried me on a bicycle, like a child, walked next to me, and advised me on what to do with my arms and legs. I was angry and swore, but in the third training session I was able to drive 50 meters without help. Thanks to a friend's advice, I remembered the basic movements.

Don’t invite reckless people and beginners to be your mentors.

The first will not have enough patience, and the second will not have enough experience. Choose a person who doesn’t mind trying himself as a trainer: such comrades are less likely to ride off into the horizon, leaving you alone with the bike, and are more inclined to tinker with you.

If you feel that the request is annoying your friend, it is better to look for another teacher. It was easy for me to find a coach: all my friends knew that I couldn’t ride a bike and offered to help. Therefore, when I decided, one conversation was enough.

Step 3. Choose a location

On the eve of training, I was tormented by thoughts of what people would think of me, how condescendingly they would look at me. I realized that I could go two ways: ignore the opinions of strangers or not come into their sight until I learn. I settled on the second one.

For training, I chose the most deserted place where as few eyes as possible would see my shame, and I wouldn’t run into other cyclists and I wouldn’t hit anyone.

For the first three months I learned to ride in a forest park on the edge of the city: almost no one gets there, but there are bike paths.

If you're just starting out, pay attention to parks and small forests with paths. They may be far from home, but most likely, at first you will train no more than twice a week - you can be patient for the sake of a new skill.

Step 4. Decide whether to rent or buy

I didn't have my own bike. Accordingly, there were two options: buy or rent. Assessed the benefits and risks of both.

I chose a rental service: for me it turned out to be cheaper and more convenient. One of them was working near the forest where I learned to ride.

Step 5: Protect yourself

On a bicycle you can crash into a pole, knock over another beginner, or fall. That's why there are traffic rules for cyclists. It describes in detail how to avoid accidents, how to behave on the roads, warn about turns, and so on.

In addition, there are many useful tips, how cyclists can protect themselves and what to wear.

1. Wear brightly colored clothing with reflective stripes to be more visible on the road.
2. Wear tight-fitting clothing to avoid getting caught in rotating bicycle parts or external obstacles.
3. Choose shoes with hard soles and rough tread to prevent slipping on the pedals.
4. Wear a helmet: it will protect your head in case of falls.
5. Wear safety glasses: they will protect your eyes from dirt and insects. Better special cycling glasses. Ordinary glass ones can break and damage your eyes when hit by stones.
6. Wear knee and elbow pads to protect your joints from injury.

But that’s why they are instructions, because no one takes them seriously.

During the first month of training, the steering wheel rubbed my hands to the point of calluses. They were sick and healed slowly - that’s even more fun when you type a lot at work. A couple of months later, I somehow flew over a bike, skinned my hands and sprained a tendon in my wrist. A friend said that it could have been worse and I was lucky. I had to take a break from training: the tendon took three weeks to heal.

TO new workout I bought regular fitness gloves for 300 rubles - I stopped chafing my palms, held the handlebars more firmly, and had fewer reasons to fall.

I haven’t gotten around to a helmet and knee pads, but I’ll definitely buy them this year: health is more important. I had enough sinew to think about it and give up on what the cool mountain bike racers would think.

Step 5: Practice Constantly

At first I drove poorly, no more than 100 meters without stopping. Because of this, I got angry and looked for a reason to skip training: either too lazy to go far, or other things to do. As a result, in the first month I spent only three hours with the bike.

I didn’t immediately realize that the principle at work here is common to the development of any skill: you can learn it if you constantly practice.

As soon as I forced myself to train at least two hours a week, I noticed progress. For the first two weeks I rode on a flat road to get used to the bike, understand the speed and brakes, and learn how to control the steering wheel. After that, the descents and ascents were much easier. A month later I was already bravely climbing a steep slope.

I continue to learn: with every training session I learn something new, consolidate my skills, ask questions to my friends and search for information on the Internet.

Check list

1. Don't be afraid and think about the positives.
2. Find a patient teacher.
3. Choose a quiet, deserted place.
4. Rent a bike nearby.
5. Practice constantly.
6. Wear a helmet, knee pads and remember to protect yourself.

Material prepared by: Sherbul Irina Lipovskaya Yulia

"How to learn to ride a bicycle?" - a question that is asked not only by children, but also by some adults.

As children, many learned to ride a bike and successfully mastered this skill. However, those who missed this stage believe that it is much more difficult to learn at an older age.

In fact, this is not at all true, because for some, just a couple of days of independent training is enough to drive their two-wheeled friend well. In this article we will try to give some useful and effective tips regarding the learning process.

Equipment for a beginner cyclist

Remember that even professional cyclists fall sometimes, so to avoid injuries and bruises, it is important to carefully prepare your equipment and bike before starting training.

Equipment may include:

• Closed shoes. At the learning stage, forget about all kinds of sandals or shoes. For training you will need comfortable sports shoes.
• Sportswear. It is usually selected according to the season. Depending on the air temperature, this could be: shorts, sweatpants, a T-shirt or a trowel.
• Bicycle gloves. They will protect your hands in case of a fall, help you feel the steering wheel better, and also protect you from calluses.
• Special protection. Don't forget to wear knee pads, elbow pads and a helmet.
• Bicycle glasses. Getting dust, insects or strong wind into your eyes can lead to loss of control, a fall or, in the worst case, an accident, so we advise you not to neglect this accessory.

Note! Cycling glasses are different from regular sunglasses. They fit closer to the face and have a thinner frame made of durable material. Lenses are often made of unbreakable plastic. All this allows for reliable protection of the cyclist’s vision.

Having picked up all necessary equipment, you can proceed to setting up the bike.

Preparing the bike for training riding

Once the bike is set up, you can safely begin training.

Techniques for self-study

Mastering a bicycle for adults is a little more difficult than for children, since they already have fear that prevents them from starting to learn. To overcome this barrier, you need great desire, perseverance and regular training.

Here are some practical tips for learning to ride a bike on your own:

Make it a habit to always check your brakes before you ride. This will make riding safer.

After studying general recommendations You can proceed directly to driving. Basically, the entire learning process can be divided into 5 main stages: maintaining balance, pedaling, starting, stopping, turning.

In order to learn to hold balance, you need to find a road with a slight slope so that the bike can roll without pedaling. Then sit comfortably on the bike and lightly push with both legs. The bicycle will roll, and you will try to maintain your balance.

If you can’t do this right away, we recommend removing the pedals, sitting on the seat and pushing alternately with your left and right legs. It will look like running on a bicycle.

The second stage is pedaling. Perform the familiar push with both legs to start the bike moving down the hill, and then begin pedaling without much effort.

At this stage, concentration is required to maintain balance and pedal at the same time. If a beginner often falls and cannot hold the bike, you need to return to the first point.

Pulling away causes the most difficulties and falls. Here you need to apply the skills from the exercises you have already learned and apply a little strength and perseverance.

Make sure the pedal under your lead foot is in front. Place your foot on it and press firmly, using it as a step to lift yourself up and sit on the saddle. The force of the leg will be transferred to chain transmission and the bike will start moving.

Pay special attention stop. When learning, try to use the rear brakes more than the front brakes, because if you press the front brake too hard, you can fly over the handlebars.

After successfully mastering the skill of driving in a straight line and stopping, you need to learn turn. While driving, make gentle steering movements left and right, gradually increasing the amplitude until you turn completely. From the outside, the exercise resembles a snake.

After mastering the turn, you can confidently begin full-fledged skiing over short distances, gradually improving your skills.

And most importantly, don’t forget about protection! The helmet, knee pads and elbow pads should be yours best friends for the duration of training.

An important achievement in the life of every child (and also his bike-crazy parents) is riding independently, without side wheels or support. Let's try to avoid some pitfalls and find out what The best way teach your child to pedal.

Narrated by Isla Rowntree, founder of a successful British children's bicycle manufacturer.

Even before you put your child on a bike, it is worth giving him, says Rowntree.

The child learns to maintain balance and control without the difficulty of pedaling and lifting his feet off the ground.

Many children are taught to ride a bike with side wheels, but according to Rowntree, this is not the best way. “We do not recommend this method for most children. These stabilizers fix the bike in a strictly vertical position and the child does not learn to tilt the bike to maintain balance and control.”

1. Is the child ready?

Most children are able to master the skill between the ages of three and a half and four and a half years. If they are not ready, it is usually obvious that they will not be able to pedal fast enough to move.

When children see others riding bicycles, they get an idea of ​​how to push the pedals. Remember, a child has the innate ability to learn to walk and run, but not to pedal. If the time has not come yet, you should be patient and wait.

2. Choose a suitable site

It's important to choose a good place for the first lesson. It's tempting to start on grass for a softer fall, but this surface is stickier and requires more effort to move.

What you really need is a soft and flat rubberized surface made from the type of material used to cover children's and sports grounds. It will allow the child to feel the dynamics of movement. The ideal would be to have plenty of free space so that the child can turn and roll around without worrying about obstacles. Naturally, the place should be away from the traffic of cars and pedestrians.

3. Set up your bike

You bought the right size bike, right? You shouldn’t start with a big bike that you bought “to grow into.” Adjust the height of the saddle so that when sitting on it, the child reaches the toes of his feet to the ground. There will be a desire to simplify the task and lower the saddle so that you can put your foot completely on the ground. But this position makes pedaling more difficult; the knees rise too high while riding, making it difficult to steer and maintain balance.

4. Support your child in his first attempts.

It may feel right to hold the bike by the handlebars and saddle, but doing so makes it difficult to understand how the bike leans and reacts to the rider's weight.

It will be better to stand behind you, squeeze the rear wheel between your legs at the beginning and support your child's armpits with your hands as you move. This way he will have full control of the bike, and you will not directly influence the control and will be able to catch it if it falls. And it will be easier on your back too.

5. Gradually release (but be prepared to catch)

As your child feels more confident, you can gradually let him go, but be prepared to catch him by the armpits if necessary.

When you run behind him, you can guide his body and help him understand how the bike reacts to leans, show him how to turn and turn.

When children are ready to learn to ride a bike, they will be able to balance and pedal fast enough to move independently, usually in one half-hour lesson.

6. No support

Once you have mastered maintaining balance and pedaling, you can show how to start moving on your own.

Move the pedal to the side more strong legs to the two o'clock position and let your child place their foot on the pedal. Explain that you need to press the pedal firmly with your foot and at the same time slightly push off the ground with your other foot. It will take a few tries before he gets the hang of it.

7. Learning to slow down

It’s easier to introduce your child to the principle of how brakes work when he’s not in the saddle - ask him to drive the bike nearby, apply the brakes and see what happens. At first, children press the handles sharply and firmly. Tell me that you need to press more smoothly.

Once this is mastered, get on the bike and give it a few tries. Children usually quickly figure out how to brake correctly, but may forget to put their foot out - be prepared to catch!

Gradually, the child will be able to travel without your presence.

8. Try again

It takes practice to master a skill. But remember that every child is different and when they are ready to ride a bike varies.

Be careful and try to prevent your child from having a traumatic experience. No matter how much you want him to join your trips. With any luck, he will love practicing his new skill and the freedom it brings.

Yes! And don't forget about protection! This is especially important early on; A helmet is required, and cycling gloves will help avoid skinned palms. Long pants and long sleeve tank tops are preferable to bare elbows and knees and will protect against minor abrasions. Boots or sneakers are better than sandals.

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