As an adult to learn to ride a bike

I was 25 years old and I did not know how to ride a bike. Going to learn from 18 years, and decide it was harder and harder every year. I imagined how would look dumb: adult guy who goes worse and the child is constantly falling. Easier to score. Especially in the world a lot of people do not know how to skate.

On the Internet there was a sea of ​​articles, teaching adults to ride a bicycle. But they did not help to overcome fear and oppression, and therefore did not solve my problem.

Now I am 27 years old. I quietly passing on the bike a couple of hours.

I like to ride along the promenade on Saturday morning, before the slide accelerated and braked at the slope. These skills come with practice. Cope with and helped me start the following steps.

Step 1. Define the benefits

In theory, everything is easy. I was angry when friends would say, "Do not worry, just sit down and Pedal". I did not work, he could not even move. I was afraid to sit on the bike: and suddenly lost his balance and fall?

And indeed he fell. Keep the balance even a couple of meters was difficult.

But when I focused on the benefits of biking, things got easier. I wrote out the benefits of cycling and chased them in the head on his way to every workout. It has helped me to deal with fear and shame. I imagined how dissect the city on a bicycle, park at the cafe, all have time. I thought how nice to keep yourself in shape, learn something new and prove myself that I can. It worked with me.

The desire was stronger than fear.

During practice I tried to take care of their body and concrete actions: to put the foot on the pedal, hold the steering wheel, straighten your back, to monitor the road. The fourth exercise fear retreated: the brain was not up to it.

Step 2. Find teachers

Most difficult for me was to sit on the bike and start. I'm afraid that will not have time to put your foot on the pedal and embedding into a tree.

I knew nothing about the speed, brakes, blocks, did not know how to handle it alone. So I asked for help from a friend who cycled for many years. He went with me to the gym and explained the basic things. He patiently drove me to the bike as a child, walked alongside, advise what to do with his hands and feet. I was angry, obscene language, but on the third training was able to drive without the aid of 50 meters. Thanks to the advice of a friend I remember the basic movements.

Do not call in reckless mentors and novices.

The first does not have the patience, and the second - experience. Select a person who does not mind to try yourself in the role of coach: those comrades rarely leave the horizon, leaving you alone with the bike, and more attuned to mess with you.

If you feel that the request of other strains, better look for another teacher. It was easy to find a coach: all my friends to know that I do not know how to ride a bike and offered their help. So when I decided it was only one call.

Step 3. I select place

I exercise on the eve of tormented thoughts about what people think of me as condescending to be looking at me. I realized that I could go two ways: to score on the opinion of outsiders or not to get in their way, until you learn. I stopped on the second.

For workouts I chose the most deserted place, where as little as possible the eye will see my shame, and I do not Narva on the other cyclists and nobody sobyu.

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

If you are just starting out, look for parks and small woods with paths. They may be far from home, but most likely, you will first train no more than two times a week - for a new skill you can tolerate.

Step 4. Decide to rent or buy

I did not have a bike. Accordingly, there were two options: to buy or rent. He assessed the benefits and risks of both.

I chose to hire the service: it was cheaper and more convenient for me. Next to the forest, where he learned to ride, just one of them I worked.

Step 5. Secure protection

On a bicycle you can bump into the column, knock or fall of another novice. Therefore, there rules of the road for cyclists. There is described in detail how to avoid an accident, how to behave on the road, to warn about the turn, and so on.

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

1. Wear bright clothing with reflective strips to be more visible on the road.
2. Wear tight clothes, so as not to cling to the rotating part of the bicycle and external obstacles.
3. Choose shoes with a firm sole and coarse tread, so as not to slip on the pedals.
4. Wear a helmet: it will protect your head in a fall.
5. Wear safety glasses: they will save your eyes from dirt and insects. Better special bicycle glasses. Conventional glass when hit stones may break and damage your eyes.
6. Wear knee and elbow pads to protect joints from injury.

But then, they are instructions that nobody takes seriously.

During the first month of training wheel rubbed my hands to blisters. They were sick and healed slowly - something more fun, when at work a lot of typing. In a few months, I somehow went over the bike, skinned hands and sprained tendon in the wrist. Others say it could have been worse and I was lucky. I had to take a break in training: tendon healed in three weeks.

Towards a new workout routine, I bought a fitness gloves for 300 rubles - stopped to rub his hands, holding the steering wheel firmly, there was less reason to fall.

Before a helmet and knee pads is not reached, but this year just buy: health is more expensive. I had the tendon to think about it and to score that think all racers on mountain bikes.

Step 5. constantly practice

First I went bad, no more than 100 meters without stopping. Because of this, angry and looking for a reason to skip exercise: laziness to go far, then other things. As a result, in the first month with the bike, I spent only three hours.

I did not realize that it employs a principle common to the development of any skill: you can learn if you constantly practice.

Once he forced himself to train for at least two hours a week, saw progress. The first two weeks went on a level road, to get used to the bike, to deal with the speed and brake, learn to control wheel. After that, descents and ascents were given much more easily. A month later I was famously climbed the steep slope.

I continue to learn: with every training learn something new, I fix skills, ask questions comrades and looking for information on the Internet.

Check list

1. Do not be afraid and think about the pros.
2. Find a patient teacher.
3. Choose a quiet lonely place.
4. Take a bicycle next to him.
5. Constantly practice.
6. Wear a helmet, knee pads and remember to protect them.