Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!decwrl!karlton From: karlton@decwrl.UUCP (Philip Karlton) Newsgroups: net.bicycle Subject: Teaching someone to ride a bicycle Message-ID: <3114@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Mon, 15-Jul-85 13:24:34 EDT Article-I.D.: decwrl.3114 Posted: Mon Jul 15 13:24:34 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 06:41:10 EDT Organization: DEC Western Software Lab, Palo Alto, CA Lines: 18 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