Magpiezoe Registered User
Posts: 2
(3/18/03 2:39 pm) Reply
Balance problem. Hello, Here I go trying to learn to ride a bike again. I had to stop trying due to winter. I still can't ride a bike! I feel so stupid and frustrated. My problem is that when I push down on the pedals, the side that I am pushing down on tips the bike to that side. How to I keep from tipping?
I was watching a young boy, who looked like he just learned how to ride the other day. I noticed that he pushed off with one foot to get himself started, then his handle bars wiggled back and forth and away he went. I tried the same thing, but I still tipped to the side of the foot that was on the pedal. I just couldn't seem to wiggle the handle bars fast enough.
I'm still trying to work with the 24" boy's Huffy Stone Mountain II bike. That brings up another question...It has a lot of different speeds on it. There are numbers 1-3 on the left handle and numbers 1-6 on the right handle. What should the numbers be set at. I'm lost and really want to ride a bike so bad.
40oldmom
Unregistered User
(3/31/03 11:29 pm) Reply
I did it in 3 sessions!
I am 38 and just had a knee surgery last year. I had this thought to learn to bike since the surgery. Before turning into 35, I was a very indoor type.
I am saying all this just want to point out, it is not hard at all!
It took me only 3 sessions of 30 minutes in the evening. I had nobody to teach me or be at my side, no books to read.....otherwise, I think it would be easier.
The 3rd evening when I was sitting on the bike with my two feet touching ground, I discovered a fact and as soon as I was practicing it, Voila, I was immediately able to cycle forward. It is almost as quick as a click, :-)
I found whenever I was about to lose balance and fall to one side, I should turn the front hand bar to that side too. Of course, immediately after that, I need to turn the hand bar back to the other side so I regain balance. Imagine the hand bar as the wheel in your car that it can turn 360 degrees. Your turn /rotate the hand bar to balance and to point your riding direction. Of course meantime you should be coasting. If you can handle your hand bar (practice that, it should not take you too long), you will be balanced for more than just 3-4 seconds. You will be confidant to start pedaling.
Magpiezoe Registered User
Posts: 3
(4/4/03 4:29 pm) Reply
Re: I did it in 3 sessions!
Hello, Thanks for the info. I just find it so frustrating to get so close to riding. Your post gives me hope. I am doing much better than I did last year. I can coast and turn while I coast. I just got to get those pedals going. I also need to get that handle bar bit that you mentioned down. My reflexes are so slow! So, If I fall to the right, I turn my handle bar to the right too? Thanks.
I reckon riding a bike is one of those things which is dead easy if you've done it as a child and not so easy once you have enough reason in your head to start worrying about falling off (a bit like swimming was for me only with drowning in its case). For some people it will be a bit easier than others but most people probably only need to get past the mental block of it before they find the balance and general mechanics of cycling come to them.
As far as the gearing goes, the little dial on the left side (numbered from one to three) controls the position of your chain on the chainwheel (which is the set of three fairly big cogs near your right pedal). Having the left dial at one would mean the chain is running on the smallest of these cogs, two would put it on the middel cog and three (as I'm sure you've worked out) puts it on the largest of these three.
You also mentioned about a little dial with numbers one to six on it, at the right side of the handlebars. These refer to the smaller cogs at the centre of your back wheel (aka the cassette). The numbering of these is much the same as with the left one. Six will be your highest gear (with the chain running on the smallest cog in this case) and one will be your lowest gear (with the chain running on the largest cog).
Forgive me if I'm not explaining this well but here goes my attempt...
It's kind of down to how much bigger the front cog is than the back as to how high the gear you are in is. For example, if you're in your biggest cog at the pedal and the smallest at the back wheel (which would be three at the left and six at the right), then you'll be in your highest gear and it will (of course) be very difficult to get your bike moving. However, if you are running with the bike reading one on both dials, you'll be in the lowest gear possible and have to do loads of pedalling to get it to move at all (very much easier than the high gears for going uphill).
I would recommend you start moving in a gear of around two on the left dial and four or five on the right dial but you'll soon find for yourself what is comfortable for you and what you like. I hope this has been of some use to you. Should you need any more help please have a look at my profile and e-mail me or get in touch somehow.
You're doing a lot better than I did when I got my first bike for years (about a year and a half ago). I had my bike for a few months before I even noticed there was a dial on the left side and had been pedalling round like a duck completely ignorant of how my bike worked.
Re: I did it in 3 sessions!
Hi, I was interested in asking you for a bit of advice. I have been able to balance myself riding down a hill, but when I try to ride uphill or turn left or right, I just cannot control the bike. I fear the gears are stuck, becomes while I pedal, I can only only push down on one and have difficulty pulling down the other. This is a 26 inch mountain bike and I am like 5"3, and has different gears. thanks!
Magpiezoe
Unregistered User
(4/18/03 3:56 pm) Reply
Thanks everyone! Hello Irish Chris, You're cute...Oops, I'm married. Anyhow, thanks for the great info. Guess what! I finally found my balance. I think it happened because I had a dream that I could ride a bike and remembered what it felt like in the dream. Talk about crazy. The next day, after the dream, I got on the bike and rode it from the top of my long driveway to the bottom with no problems. I was so shocked that I thought I was still dreaming, so kept repeating it until my butt got sore. Now, the bottom line is that I can finally ride a bike up or down a hill in a straight line, provided I keep the gears on the lightest or near lightest setting. I've even figured out the brakes. Now all I have to do is to figure out how to turn, steer the bike, and stop blushing from embarrassment for not having the oportunity to learn as a child. It felt so good to have the wind in my face and feel free. Thanks so much for all the support on this board!
Re: Thanks everyone!MagpieZoe, firstly thanks for the compliment but it's certainly not one I deserve. More importantly, I'm glad to hear you got everything sorted out and can now cycle your way to bottom pain (that's when you know you're doing well).
Shivamani, could you post a few more details about the gearing problem or get in touch with me please and I'll do my utmost to be of help to you.
bwieland Registered User
Posts: 13
(4/26/03 10:48 pm) Reply
Balancing Problems
If your still having problems with balance, please visit my website and let me know what you think. www.bwieland.com
Registered User
Posts: 20
(4/28/03 11:13 am) Reply
I'm not alone.
It's good to see I'm not the only person who shamelessly advertises his or her web site.
Magpiezoe Registered User
Posts: 6
(5/2/03 12:53 pm) Reply
Guess what? Hello, I finally found my balance. I'm not sure how I did it, but I did it! Now, I can ride up and down a hill without any problems. I can't use the break and I can even ride in a higher gear now. I thought I'd never learn to ride, so I'm still in shock. Irish, you've really helped out. Even my hubby was shocked, especially since I kept refusing to let anyone steady the bike for me. (It made me nervous when someone would hold on the the bike seat.) I even made a right turn...Unfortunately, I was so shocked that I made the turn, I teetored. I'm such a dope. At least now, I know sooner or later I'll be making perfect turns. I just need more practice. Thanks all for your wonderful help in conquering the evil green dragon mountain bike and turning it into a quarter horse.
Re: Guess what?Zoe (sorry if I've made an incorrect assumption in guessing that's your name), I'm surprised I was any help at all but very pleasantly so.
I can understand why you wouldn't want anyone else holding onto the bike when you're trying to get the grasp balance. I think it would concern me more than if I was just going alone too.
You'll be making more and more turns in no time. It sounds like you have pretty much covered all the rudimentary cycling bits and pieces and you can look forward to some enjoyable cycling soon. You'll be amazed how quickly you are cycling more and more distance than you would initially imagine.
Please keep us up to date with how things are coming along for you.
bwieland Registered User
Posts: 14
(6/2/03 2:24 pm) Reply
Balancing Problems...........
If you have balancing problems, this just might help. Please visit "www.bwieland.com" or "www.multi-fit.bwieland.com" let me know what you think.
Magpiezoe Registered User
Posts: 7
(6/5/03 7:56 pm) Reply
Oops! Hello, I didn't realize that this post was still traveling. I'm very pleased to say,"I can ride a bike...woohoo! I finally got the hang of it last month. I'm even making turns...wide ones, but they're turns. I am so grateful for everyones help. You all have helped me a lot here with the suggestions and the encouragement. Now, that I've learned how to ride a bike at 40...What should I do when I turn 50? Thanks so much again. This is a great board!
Magpiezoe Registered User
Posts: 8
(6/12/03 7:34 pm) Reply
Abseil?
Hello again, What's abseil? You've got some really good ideas. I'm thinking about learning how to swim might be next on my list. I'm thinking of registering my son for swim classes first. I missed out on the infant swim lessons for him, since I can't swim a stroke and hubby wouldn't take him. Thanks for all the help. I'm so happy. I biked with my son last night to relieve stress, and it worked. I rode really fast and made sharp turns. I just can't believe I thought that bike was too heavy at one time and that I had all that trouble balancing. Thank you, thank you, thank you! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Abseil?
Abseiling is when you use specialised equipment to traverse down the side of a rock face, mountain, building etc. You see a lot of it in the likes of James Bond films, where Bond will 'abseil' from the top of a tall building (ie. attaches a rope to the top of the building and jumps from the roof) to get into some secret floor somewhere. I think he does something like this in Diamonds Are Forever but I could be mistaken. He might just go up to the penthouse on the top of a lift.
Anyway, I hope you know what I mean now, despite my pathetic attempt at an explanation.
As far as swimming goes, I learned to swim near the end of last year and it's worthwhile. It opens up options to you such as taking up canoeing and not being so scared of falling out of your canoe etc. I found trying to learn to swim highly frustrating but it's worth the effort. I still can't really swim as I don't practice anywhere near enough but I shall catch on eventually. I can swim about a length or two without having to stop and that's a lot better than I used to be. If I'm doing the backstroke, I can swim for ages (veering off in random directions and having to stop and float at points) but I'm trying to get more used to the front crawl.
Good luck if you decide to learn to swim.
nickgash Registered User
Posts: 2
(6/30/03 2:01 pm) Reply
activities
wow...i kind of take all of this stuff for granted...until now i was sort of under the impression that everyone learned how to swim or ride a bike when they were kids. i guess i should thank my parents for buying me a bike and stuff.
as a side note, kayaking is really fun. especially kayaking down river...current does most of the work for you and steering is really the only thing you have to do.
none
My wife is learning at age 39, and she has gotten up twice now (once last summer, and once today) on my son's bmx bike. She has a comfort bike but I had her try the smaller one for starters.
Step on the topmost pedal and push it down hard and fast. Find a big empty parking lot to practice on and do it alone, with no pressure. But remember this - when you start moving forward, and you know you're beginning to ride, it's go/no-go, and you have to ADD speed to start riding. Don't be afraid, just go faster. You can always put your feet down, but you won't need to. Good luck; don't quit.
I Learned To Bike At 17 -- 3 Sessions!
Last September 15 I had managed to ride a bike -- it's so great -- I have used the mountain bike of my friend. In the first two I am still struggling to balance on the bike.
I did not attempt to bike in the past because of injury fears etc. But one time, in my friend's motorcycle shop they have the bicycle and I tried it. That's the first time I attempted to bike.
Now I can bike indefinitely on any places -- even on slopes!
![0]](http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/alien.gif)
Hello, Here I go trying to learn to ride a bike again. I had to stop trying due to winter. I still can't ride a bike! I feel so stupid and frustrated. My problem is that when I push down on the pedals, the side that I am pushing down on tips the bike to that side. How to I keep from tipping?
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Now, I can ride up and down a hill without any problems. I can't use the break and I can even ride in a higher gear now. I thought I'd never learn to ride, so I'm still in shock. Irish, you've really helped out. Even my hubby was shocked, especially since I kept refusing to let anyone steady the bike for me. (It made me nervous when someone would hold on the the bike seat.) I even made a right turn...Unfortunately, I was so shocked that I made the turn, I teetored. 
I'm very pleased to say,"I can ride a bike...woohoo! 
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