Learning to ride a bike at any age can be a challenge but with practice and consistency it can be achieved!
Cycling is an amazing form of transport and physical activity. Cycling can have a positive impact on your physical and mental health whilst also being a cost efficient way to travel. Not to mention the environmental benefits as decreasing time spent driving will reduce your carbon footprint.
When you think of learning to ride a bike, your mind probably goes straight to a young child with stabilisers with an enthusiastic adult holding onto the saddle shouting words of encouragement. However, a survey by IPSOS across 28 countries found that 37% of adults said they didn’t know how to ride a bike. Learning a new skill doesn’t have an age restriction and we should be encouraging anyone of any age and background to learn to ride a bike if they didn’t have the opportunity as a child.
Learning to ride a bike can be a skill that can change your life as it opens up a new way to get active and travel but taking those first steps towards learning are crucial. Ensuring you can cycle safely is important and this means buying a well fitted helmet and also getting a bike that fits you perfectly meaning you feel more comfortable on the bike and can control it. Being too big or small for your bike can shift where your centre of gravity is and can also make manoeuvring the handlebars difficult which could hinder the learning process.
There are many helpful guides and videos online for the technical part of learning to ride a bike but the best way to ensure you feel safe and guided is to have someone who is confident about riding a bike there to assist.
This May will see the return of RideLondon-Essex. The 2022 event saw over 20,000 participants take part in the Sunday event, with professional ladies taking on the roads in the Friday and Saturday events. Ford RideLondon-Essex holds a 60 or 100 mile loop, and is a great challenge which takes a lot of training and determination especially if this is someone’s first cycling event which for many it was!
Ford RideLondon is an amazing opportunity for cyclists to experience traffic free roads and also the exciting social element of a group ride like no other! The event is a great source of inspiration for anyone looking to learn how to ride or bike and get more involved with cycling.
Cycling can be a great tool to better health, decreasing the chance of heart disease, increasing fitness levels and increasing important positive hormone levels that will decrease depression and anxiety. So, if you haven’t had the chance to learn to ride a bike use this as your encouragement and guide to get pedalling!
For help on how to ride a try one of these videos:
How to ride a bike from scratch by GCN
How to ride a bicycle by YouTube:
How to ride a bike by CyclingUK:
