|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
In message , AnyBody43
writes (Header change - sorry - and crosspost) I agree with the idea that there is something different about bad light. For many years I was a lead skier in whatever group I was with EXCEPT in bad light. Then I trailed around at the back. It was very weird. Yeah, you can't see the shape of the surface you're sliding over, it just looks white. Goggles bring out what contrast there is. I don't have any idea what the difference was but suddeny bad light was no longer a problem. I think perhaps that it is a bit like learnig to ride a bicycle, suddenly you can do it whereas a few minutes before you couldn't. I expect you're right about skiing in flat light, but there's obviously something I don't know about learning to ride a bicycle. I have an adult friend who'd like to ride but is deterred by the learning stage, especially the possibility of falls. How should he go about learning to ride in a few minutes? -- Sue ]) |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
Sue wrote:
I have an adult friend who'd like to ride but is deterred by the learning stage, especially the possibility of falls. How should he go about learning to ride in a few minutes? Get a bike, put the saddle down low, remove the pedals, place at the top of a gentle hill. Sit on bike, coast down hill. Once steering and braking have been mastered, refit pedals and try pedalling. -- Guy === WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting. http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
"Sue" wrote in message ... In message , AnyBody43 writes (Header change - sorry - and crosspost) Snip I have an adult friend who'd like to ride but is deterred by the learning stage, especially the possibility of falls. How should he go about learning to ride in a few minutes? -- Sue ]) Take the pedals off the bike, lower the seat so his feet easily reach the ground and ride it like a dandy bike, walking it along and then raising the feet and coasting when confident. Add pedals and raise seat as confidence increases. Cheers Graham |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
"Graham Bowers" wrote in message ...
"Sue" wrote in message ... In message , AnyBody43 writes (Header change - sorry - and crosspost) Snip I have an adult friend who'd like to ride but is deterred by the learning stage, especially the possibility of falls. How should he go about learning to ride in a few minutes? -- Sue ]) Take the pedals off the bike, lower the seat so his feet easily reach the ground and ride it like a dandy bike, walking it along and then raising the feet and coasting when confident. Add pedals and raise seat as confidence increases. Cheers Graham THere is a difference between balancing on a bike while sitting still and while pushing the pedals. You can get stabalisers for a bike, they are designed for kids bikes but should work on any bike with fairly small wheels. Stabalisers are extra wheels that go to the side of the rear wheel (attached to the rear wheel hub), they should be set so that they are just of the ground when the bike is vertical so they stop the bike toppling over if balance is lost (similar to a tricycle) as confidence increases the wheels are raised so that they only come into effect if the bike tips more and more until they never touch the ground and the rider can happily ride without them. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
Graham Bowers wrote:
-- Take the pedals off the bike, lower the seat so his feet easily reach the ground and ride it like a dandy bike, walking it along and then raising the feet and coasting when confident. Add pedals and raise seat as confidence increases. Borrow some kids scooters, go to local park, splif up and mess around. -- Andy Morris AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK Love this: Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/ |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
Carl_M wrote:
THere is a difference between balancing on a bike while sitting still and while pushing the pedals. Not a major one. The subconsious part of the brain responsible for steering and balancing (the most alien, difficult and important things for a non cyclist to master) is still doing the same thing - it's just that more actively is added on top. Pedalling is much easier if you don't have to worry so much about balancing because you've already learnt it. In any case, you don't have to go straight from straddling with low saddle & no pedals to riding entirely properly. Saddle can be gradually raised and more pedal strokes done between freewheeling, etc. The gentle downwards gradient will help a great deal. I doubt stabilisers will be necessary and they'd be a lot of trouble to find and fit and would add to the embarrassment. Despite grass being softer to land on, it's relatively difficult to ride on. Bike will practically roll along by itself on road or pavement - which is what you want. Your friend won't fall if saddle is very low to start with, Sue - and won't fall once able to pedal properly. ~PB |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
I wrote:
Carl_M wrote: THere is a difference between balancing on a bike while sitting still and while pushing the pedals. Not a major one. The subconsious part of the brain responsible for steering and balancing (the most alien, difficult and important things for a non cyclist to master) is still doing the same thing - it's just that more actively ^^^^^^ activity is added on top. ~PB |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
Carl_M wrote:
THere is a difference between balancing on a bike while sitting still and while pushing the pedals. You can get stabalisers for a bike, they are designed for kids bikes but should work on any bike with fairly small wheels. With an adult they will not work well and even with children they are much worse than the taking the pedals off method. Children with stabilisers start by riding three wheeled with the bike leaned over on one stabiliser or maybe bouncing alternately between stabiliser wheels. Over time they learn to dispense with that third wheel dependency. With adults the weight is much higher than with a child and the centre of gravity is much higher so the forces on the stabiliser wheels are much higher than they were designed for and they are too far inboard for the stability you need. You may get away with it depending on the weight and height of the adult but its not a good idea. Tony |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 03:03:21 -0000, "Pete Biggs"
wrote: I doubt stabilisers will be necessary and they'd be a lot of trouble to find and fit and would add to the embarrassment. Besdies, stabilisers become a crutch that is hard to throw away. When they are close to the ground the learner tends to ride along on one stabiliser and so is not learning proper balancing and cornering tecnique. When they are high from the ground they kick in suddenly and can be unsettling. Learning without stabilisers is generally much quicker and more effective than with. The low saddle, pedals off method is best. Method 2, which is to have someone trot behind holding the saddle and letting go when they feel the learner is balancing is not as effective, but is still orders of magnitude better than stabilisers. -- Dave... |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Learning to ride a bicycle
In message , John Hearns
writes On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 12:28:49 +0000, Sue wrote: Depends what area you are in, but Greenwich Cyclists are organising free cycle training for beginners on 16th November. This takes place beside the Woolwich Leisure Centre, on a big flat area beside the Thames. http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk/Events03/nov03.html Unfortunately we live in Reading. Thanks everyone - there's a cycleway in Palmer Park on a gentle slope, with grass either side to slow him down if necessary. I look forward to seeing him wobble inexorably towards the nearest tree... -- Sue ];( |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
National Bicycle Greenway Riders Welcomed by Sausalito | Cycle America | General | 0 | June 7th 04 07:44 PM |
Learning to ride on a Coker (Day 5-26 Feb) | Jayne ZA | Unicycling | 5 | February 28th 04 06:25 AM |
Hollywood, Music, Record Holders Gun for Chicago | Cycle America/Nat. Bicycle Greenway | Recumbent Biking | 0 | January 26th 04 04:11 PM |
Those bicycle builders big mistake! | Garrison Hilliard | General | 30 | December 23rd 03 06:03 AM |