How do you learn to ride a bike as an adult?

Plenty of adults never learned to ride a bike: no bike as a child, a city flat with nowhere to practise, a bad first try that put them off. It is far more common than people admit, and adults learn quickly once the method is right.

The method is the one children now learn on balance bikes: sort out balance first, and leave the pedals for later.

Find the right place

You want a flat, smooth, quiet space with room to roll in a straight line: an empty car park on a Sunday, a closed playground, a park path early in the morning, a tennis court with permission. Avoid slopes and traffic, and ideally avoid an audience, though nobody who sees you will be anything but quietly encouraging.

A very gentle downhill can help later on, for longer glides, but it needs a flat run-out at the bottom.

Set up the bike

• A small bike. Smaller frames are easier to get on and off. Borrow or rent one rather than buying straight away.
• Saddle low. Low enough that you can sit with both feet flat on the ground and knees slightly bent.
• Pedals off, if possible. A bike shop can take them off in a minute, which turns your bike into a big balance bike. If not, just ignore them; they will tap your ankles a bit.
• Check the brakes. Know which lever is which and practise squeezing them while walking the bike along.

Wear comfortable shoes and, if you like, a helmet and gloves. Long trousers spare your shins.

Step 1: walk it, then scoot it

Sit on the saddle and walk the bike along with your feet. Then start pushing off with longer strides, like a scooter. Look ahead, not down at the front wheel. This is the most important habit: the bike goes where you look.

Step 2: glide

When the scooting feels natural, push off with both feet and lift them a little, gliding for a second or two before putting them down. Count your glides. Over a few sessions, two seconds becomes five becomes the length of the car park. Try gentle curves while gliding, steering with small movements.

Step 3: add the pedals

Once you can glide and steer comfortably, put the pedals back on and raise the saddle slightly, still so you can touch the ground with your toes.

To start, set one pedal at about two o'clock, push down on it as you lift the other foot onto its pedal, and look ahead. Your gliding skills take over. Practise starting and stopping until both feel boring.

Step 4: build it up

• Turns and circles, first wide, then tighter.
• Braking smoothly with both brakes.
• Looking over your shoulder while keeping a straight line.
• Riding slowly, which is harder than riding fast.

Then progress to quiet paths and, later, quiet streets. Our guide to feeling safer in traffic is for when you are ready for roads.

Get help if you want it

Many cycling organisations, councils and bike shops run adult learn-to-ride sessions, often in small groups where everyone is a beginner. Being taught by a calm stranger is often easier than by a partner shouting encouragement.

The emotional side matters too. Feeling clumsy at something children can do is uncomfortable. Our piece on being a beginner as an adult is about exactly that feeling.