[net.bicycle] Teaching someone to ride a bicycle

karlton@decwrl.UUCP (Philip Karlton) (07/15/85)

The best technique I have ever used to teach someone how to ride I gleaned
from some bicycle book in my distant past.

Remove the pedals and put the seat all the way down. Let the person learn how
to balance and steer without having to fear falling over. Motive power is
applied by just pushing back on the ground with the feet. It is not too hard
to actually get up to a respectable speed. Then all you have to do is add the
pedals. After a day, you show how much easier it is to pedal with the seat at
an appropriate height.

This technique is a little trickier when the bike does not have hand brakes.
My experience says that little kids (the one that tend not to be able to
squeeze hand brakes and are stuck with coaster brakes), don't get up enough
momentum that stopping by dragging shoes won't work.

Good luck.
Phil Karlton
{decvax, allegra, ucbvax, ihnp4}!decwrl!karlton