Who is the course for?

We have been running our Learn to Ride courses for children since 2015. In 2025 we decided to adapt the course to teach adults to learn to ride a bike for the first time, but the course is also to help those who lack confidence in their cycling, for whatever reason.

So if you have never ridden a bike before or maybe never even sat on a bike before, the course is for you and we guarantee to get you cycling confidently on your own.

Or maybe you have cycled before but haven't been on a bike in ages. Perhaps you had a crash that knocked your confidence, or maybe you haven't owned a bike since childhood and you're not sure you can do it anymore. The course is also for you. We'll help you regain any lost confidence and we'll add more on top!

Will people be watching?

One of the things we are very aware of is that adults can feel embarrassed by the fact that they aren't able to cycle. There is no reason why they should be, but it is definitely a common feeling. Perhaps it's one you share.

Depending on which venue you are considering, the course may be inside a large hall or it may be in an outside area but our teaching spaces are always on private land. We don't teach in parks or other public spaces. This means everyone at the course can just enjoy and focus on their learning and not worry about the general public interfering! No dogs running across your path; nor your neighbour taking a keen interest in what you're up to and sharing their expert advice!

At the courses we insist that it is just those learning to cycle who are at the venue for the lessons, along with the instructor. So you don't need to worry about having an audience of the other students' friends and family, however well meaning they may have been.

How do I learn?

We won't give away all our tips and training techniques here! But it might be reassuring to know that we start off without the pedals on the bike. The best way to learn is essentially the balance biking method - pushing the bike along without the pedals, using your feet on the ground. You will be able to sit on the bike and get both feet flat on the ground whenever you want to, so you don't need to worry about falling off. Just put your feet down and you'll be fine!

The other great thing about this technique is that everyone can progress. Even if you start off struggling a bit with your balance, you will be able to push yourself along in this way, and you will get better and better the more you get used to it. There is constant progress.

A good comparison (if you have learnt to drive a manual car) is clutch control. Learning clutch control for the first time can take many many repetitions of failing, stalling the engine. It can feel like you are making no progress and might never be able to master this thing that everyone else must have been able to master straight away.

With the pedals-off method of learning to balance there is constant improvement, with no equivalent to stalling and starting all over again.

We only introduce pedals when you are ready and have enough balance. More details at the course!

What if I don't have a bike?

We provide all bikes and helmets at the course. In fact even if you have already got a bike, we start everyone at the course on our bikes, because they are the ideal bikes to learn on and gain confidence. They are lightweight and have good riding position that helps with balance and control. Also, we have all sizes of bike to ensure you have the best fit.

It is important that you have a suitable bike to practise on after the course, when you have learnt or regained lost confidence. We can give you expert advice on bike buying at the end of the first session of the course.

What if I've never been on a bike before?

No problem. We don't require or expect those at the course to have any experience of bikes or cycling whatsoever. Complete beginners are very much welcome and we guarantee to get you cycling confidently on your own. More details of our guarantee here.

What if I can pretty much cycle already?

We often have people join the course who can pretty much cycle already but they lack confidence for a variety of reasons.

The course provides an ideal environment to regain confidence and also build on your cycling skills. As mentioned above, it is a perfect space to do all of that - the venues are separate from outside factors that may worry you with your cycling. Cars or other vehicles on the road, dog-walkers or runners in the park. The course venue allows you to concentrate on your cycling and not be concerned with anything else.

We also have the perfect bikes on which to build your confidence. They are lightweight and we will have the perfect size for you, whatever height you are.

Finally, depending on the course setup and the demands on the instructors from the other students, we are sometimes able to divide the group in the second or third sessions and take some students out on local roads if appropriate. In order to help with that step towards more cycling confidence.

Having said that, we do also run Bikeability courses for adults which are all about cycling on roads. Depending on your confidence with your cycling, this may be a more appropriate course for you. More details of that here.