Can't ride a bicycle ?

07Lapierre

On today FM at the moment their asking the question, Can you ride a bicycle?.

I find it hard to imagine not being able to ride a bicycle. It got me thinking though, when did everyone learn to ride a bike?

I got my first bike when i was 3. I couldn't wait to get rid of the stabalisers (sometimes i wish i still had them! ).

I couldn't imagine like without cycling.

zil

07Lapierre wrote: »

On today FM at the moment their asking the question, Can you ride a bicycle?.

I find it hard to imagine not being able to ride a bicycle. It got me thinking though, when did everyone learn to ride a bike?

I got my first bike when i was 3. I couldn't wait to get rid of the stabalisers (sometimes i wish i still had them! ).

I couldn't imagine like without cycling.

I learnt to ride in my back yard with my dad a raleigh bmx and a set of stabilisers.

I do know someone who never learnt to ride a bike. Personally I believe it's because they were too rich to have to bother :P

Brendog

Its just a stage of childhood. I'm sure everyone who can afford one has been taught how to cycle. You'd be very restricted with transport if you couldn't cycle, I personally know I probably wouldn't have even bothered going to school because the walk was so long. Theres no way I was going to get up an hour earlier to walk!!! haha

Hungrycol

I have really bad recollection of my pre teens. Don't have a scooby how I learned or who taught me how to ride a bike. In fact I can't remember anything pre my Grifter days.

Grifter
BMX (Mag Burner)
Dawes Lightening
Raleigh Quasar
Raleigh Campagnolo Gran Sport
Cannondale Saeco CAAD5
Cannondale Six13

ThisRegard

On one of these, a Raleigh Boxer


I remember the first time I went without stabilisers, my dad took them off for me and was pushing me up and down the road to get me used to it. After one time I remembered thinking, "Hang on a minute, we seem to be going further than usual" so I turned around and my dad was standing down the road looking at me. I of course them immediately proceeded to focus on the nearest kerb, hit it and fall off.

Bluefoam

When I was a kid I couldn't remember a time when I didn't ride a bike. There was one kid on the road who didn't learn to cycle until he was 11 - I just couldn't understand how he hadn't learned at that stage - everyone on the road had been milling around on bikes for years at that stage. How did I fail to notice this guy wasn't cycling too?

As a mature adult I can now fully understand his plight and even feel some level of compassion for what must have been an alienating experience - **** no, I can't...

tomasrojo

Unfortunately, I know quite a few people who never learned to cycle as children. Their parents were convinced it was too dangerous.

The number of these unfortunates has probably soared since the eighties.

manwithaplan

I am suspicious of the hackneyed image of the proud father releasing the saddle as he pushes his precious child along on their first bike. A tear almost comes to his eye as junior manages to stay upright and cycle away into a bright, new, independent future.

My kids just learned hacking around in the back garden. Along with my friends, I learned out on the local streets, without any parental involvement (other than the investment in the bike). My first bike was a Raleigh Roadrunner. It was green. By the time we were 9ish, we were cycling our kiddie bikes from home in Harolds Cross out to Rathfarnham and pushing them up Pine Forest hill, for the thrill of the descent. My eldest daughter is eight. She has only just been allowed go to the local shop for the paper (on foot). It was another world.

Coronal

tomasrojo wrote: »

Unfortunately, I know quite a few people who never learned to cycle as children. Their parents were convinced it was too dangerous.

The number of these unfortunates has probably soared since the eighties.

I would be one of those unfortunates. I only learned how to cycle and got my first bike two years ago (I'm 22). Learning how to cycle in Dublin city center is a steep learning curve!

bubble_wrap

lol - i find this hard to believe, those damn computer consoles!!

ThisRegard

manwithaplan wrote: »

I am suspicious of the hackneyed image of the proud father releasing the saddle as he pushes his precious child along on their first bike. A tear almost comes to his eye as junior manages to stay upright and cycle away into a bright, new, independent future.

Eh, why ? That's how it happened. Don't take you father/son issues out on me

Captain Havoc

I learned when I was 3 or four. Had all raleighs through school: Boxer (but with a single downtube), Grifter, Mirauder, Activator and Max (I'm sure there's one or two I can't remember).

smacl

My first bike was a triumph 20 foldaway, got some time in primary school, but I so wanted a chopper. In my mid 40s now, I got on a bike for the first time in over 20 years just before Christmas, and cycled the Wicklow 100 last week. I guess it's true what they say about riding a bike, can't believe I left it so long though. West Cork and the healy pass next week, yee har!

My youngest (7) has a hand me down BMX that she pretty much lives on, and my elder girl (11) has a cheap and cheerful yoke that she loves but weighs a ton. What type of bike would you buy for a kid these days, and what would you expect to spend? I'd love my older girl to come cycling up the sally gap over the next couple of years, and maybe even join in a W100 in the near future. (Apologies if this is slightly off topic).

petethedrummer

manwithaplan wrote: »

I am suspicious of the hackneyed image of the proud father releasing the saddle as he pushes his precious child along on their first bike.

That's how I learned.

tomasrojo

Me too, but it was my mother pushing me. I remember it vividly. It was a great moment.

PandyAndy

I was around 3, learned without stabilisers Me and my friend took turns seeing who could go furthest in a straight line and eventually learned that way. When I was 6-7 my younger sister got a bike with stabilisers, when I tried that I kept falling :rolleyes:

tomasrojo

Coronal wrote: »

I would be one of those unfortunates. I only learned how to cycle and got my first bike two years ago (I'm 22). Learning how to cycle in Dublin city center is a steep learning curve!

How did you set about learning? I have an adult relative who'd be interested in learning from scratch. Nervous type though. Probably from a childhood where she was told everything was too dangerous to do.

petethedrummer

Been a few threads about it. Taking off the pedals and walking the bike around seems the best way to start. And do it on grass.

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055630685&highlight=learning+ride+bike

Coronal

I actually learned in the rifle range in college which has about 20m of straight space :P One foot on a pedal, the other pushing along on the ground. Lots of grabbing things when about to fall over

Eventually, you get going fast enough to get the other foot onto the pedal and can try turning them. It'd probably be much easier on a down slope, but without the advantage of nearby handholds when falling, which are very reassuring, especially for somebody who's nervous (like I was!).

Once you get the pedals going, that's it really; the rest is turning and braking, which is quite easy. Loops of college taught me that, then it was out on the road!

manwithaplan

ThisRegard wrote: »

Eh, why ? That's how it happened. Don't take you father/son issues out on me

I didn't know I had been neglected until now. And I am passing it on to my own children. A family summit is called for.

Moflojo

I learned on a tiny red bike with white tyres and handlebar grips when I was two or three years old. I was never happy with my own bike though, I always wanted the newer, and substantially larger, bikes that my older brother had. My first ever spud fall occurred when I 'borrowed' his massive new mountain bike and tried to make my escape out our driveway onto the road. It was only when I was seated on the saddle and rolling ominously towards the road that I realised that my feet could not reach both pedals at the same time. I ran out of momentum just as my front wheel got onto the road, I viciously swiveled the handlebars in a vain attempt to maintain my balance and then fell over sideways as a car screeched to a halt right next to me.

Ah the memories...

lyders

So weird, I don't have a clue how or when I learned to ride a bike. I remember getting my first 'decent' bike for christmas one year, must have been around 7 I guess. I would assume my Dad taught me when I was much younger though, I must ask!

My current housemate is 34 and can't ride a bike, I will have to teach her this summer!!

Bluefoam

I started on a Raleigh Elf - purple bike with yellow mud guards, white solid rubber tyres with a flat face - also had a coaster brake.

Next was a blue Raleigh that looked like it should have been in the film 'Stand By Me' also with a coaster brake.

Both those bikes were hand me downs...

My next bike was a Raleigh Super Burner BMX - it had gold wax paint that I peeled off (over a couple of years) until the bike was entirely chrome - I must have had that bike since I was 8 & was able to strip it down and rebuild it with a single multitool that all kids had at the time...

Later in my teens I had a couple of disgraceful mountainbikes - a Peugeot & one of the very first Apollos (BSO) what a piece of **** - these bikes were probably the reason I lost interest in bikes into my late teens & 20's.

I worked in town for a couple of years & bought a second hand hardtail MTB for going to meetings - I had the opportunity to take it up to Glen of The Downs one weekend & within a week was the proud owner of a full sus.

I recently got a 'knockin around' bike, for trips for the paper, meeting people for coffee, going into town on the weekend etc...

Malari

I remember all my bikes. Well, not that I could actually name the make and model but I remember what they all looked like. Probably because I spent every dry day in the summer throughout my childhood sitting on a bike.

I can't imagine not being able to ride a bike, but I know a few adults who can't, just never wanted to learn or had the opportunity. I can't imagine not knowing how to drive either, but I'm the only sibling in my family who can.

I learned the usual way - dad finally letting go of the back of the saddle when the stabilisers came off, despite me chanting "don't-let-go! don't-let-go! don't-let-go"

Caroline_ie

I remember a Red Peugeot Town bike when I was 6. It was beautiful. I don't think I have any photo of it though. I learnt how to cycle without the stabilisers on a downhill slope ... dad was too lazy to push I guess.

petethedrummer

Malari wrote: »

I learned the usual way - dad finally letting go of the back of the saddle when the stabilisers came off, despite me chanting "don't-let-go! don't-let-go! don't-let-go"

"I won't, I'm still holding on" then you turn around to check. He isn't, and you fall off. Ah memories. Sniff.

Gavin

petethedrummer wrote: »

"I won't, I'm still holding on" then you turn around to check. He isn't, and you fall off. Ah memories. Sniff.

hahah exactly that. Except with my mother. I still remember it very clearly. I shot off and went flying around the estate. Didn't get off the bike for ages.

I don't know what bike it was, a yellow raleigh grifter type of thing

Bluefoam

I didn't have the luxury of time to wait for my parents to teach me. My big brother was riding his bike & if he was riding I bike, I had to be riding a bike too!

ThisRegard

That's how it was with my two younger brothers, they'd take or I'd give them my bike and they learned that way with me giving them a hand.

hubba

My brother taught me. He was 6, I was 4. He told me there were 'goodies and baddies' inside me and that the baddies wanted me to fall off and the goodies wanted me to ride and to think of that when pedalling. Quite impressive psychology for a 6 year old. And it worked!

Canis Lupus

My first bike was a fixed gear jobbie with solid rubber tires No idea it's name. I do remember being pushed by my dad and I remember better when I taught myself to cycle no hands.

I have a girl-friend who can't cycle. I find the concept surreal. She's incredibly nervous however so I can't see how I'll get her to try it.

IM0

I was about 7 or 8, my friends dad was showing him, he asked did I want to learn and so I did then. Lucky as I would have been waiting a looooong time for my dad father to do it

CramCycle

Canis Lupus wrote: »

My first bike was a fixed gear jobbie with solid rubber tires No idea it's name. I do remember being pushed by my dad and I remember better when I taught myself to cycle no hands.

My second bike was one of those solid tyre type fixies for kids.

Learned to cycle on a light blue raleigh when I was 4. Had stabilisers, after a few months my dad realised that the cheap stabilisers had bent from my fat ass leaning on them all the time and they weren't touching the ground. He removed them promptly, got 6 yards from the shed before I shouldered the ground with force. Then I got so ignorant that I promptly new how to ride my bike (still haven't mastered it though).

cdaly_

smacl wrote: »

My youngest (7) has a hand me down BMX that she pretty much lives on, and my elder girl (11) has a cheap and cheerful yoke that she loves but weighs a ton. What type of bike would you buy for a kid these days, and what would you expect to spend? I'd love my older girl to come cycling up the sally gap over the next couple of years, and maybe even join in a W100 in the near future. (Apologies if this is slightly off topic).

A search for Isla Bikes throws up a few threads. Have a read...

corblimey

I don't remember learning to ride, but I remember my first bike, a hand-me-down Raleigh Chipper that I broke in several bits within a month of getting when I clattered into a wall at high speed.

_sparkie_

how did i learn to cycle?

by falling over a lot! it was actually jealousy that cause me to start cycling. i remember having stabilizers for ages but never wanted to take them off because i kept falling over. then a younger kid started hanging around the area and he could ride a bike with stabilizers, i had to be better then him at everything because i was older. so that is really how i learned to cycle.

tomasrojo

I'm assuming that when people say they learned on a fixed-gear bicycle when they were children, they mean single-speed? I'd be intrigued to learn of any children who are learning on fixed-gear!

Piste

I learned really late, I had a trike when I was 2, a little pink bike with a white wicker basket with a plastic flower for a few years, then some sort of purple bike. I think it was on this bike that I learned to cycle without stabilisers, I was pretty old, like 9 or 10 when I first began to cycle without stabilisers. I learned down in the local park with- you guessed it- my dad pushing me along.

IM0

tomasrojo wrote: »

I'm assuming that when people say they learned on a fixed-gear bicycle when they were children, they mean single-speed? I'd be intrigued to learn of any children who are learning on fixed-gear!

that thread has been done :rolleyes: - it happens, do a search

souter

manwithaplan wrote: »

I am suspicious of the hackneyed image of the proud father releasing the saddle as he pushes his precious child along on their first bike. A tear almost comes to his eye as junior manages to stay upright and cycle away into a bright, new, independent future.

Yup, happened that way for me (apart from it being my mother).

So was looking forward to enjoying the experience with my eldest and released him in the park, waiting for the inevitable pick him up, dust down and encourage him to try again.
Except that wasnt in his game plan, he sailed off into the distance, starting the first of several laps with me shouting "come back!".

He'd spent so long hacking about with his stabilisers they were bent at 45 degrees each side and he'd learn't unconsciously.

ednwireland

petethedrummer wrote: »

"I won't, I'm still holding on" then you turn around to check. He isn't, and you fall off. Ah memories. Sniff.

exactly, still have the dirt embedded in my elbow 40 years later

first three bikes were off the dump then got a red bsa javelin, then a cheap raleigh italian racer, and the 3 i have now

cython

tomasrojo wrote: »

I'm assuming that when people say they learned on a fixed-gear bicycle when they were children, they mean single-speed? I'd be intrigued to learn of any children who are learning on fixed-gear!

Pretty sure I ended up learning that way, at least I seem to recall going down hills and having to brake because my feet couldn't keep up with the pedals' spinning, and had slipped off them!