Bicycling can be an excellent way to get in some exercise, reduce carbon emissions and save money on gas. But it may be challenging if you’re short to learn to ride.
Beginning by selecting an area with little traffic and finding a bike suitable to your size. Plant one foot on the ground.
Get the Right Bike
An affordable option, used bikes can provide you with an economical means of getting around. When looking for one to purchase, make sure it fits you properly: be able to comfortably swing your leg over its frame and sit without lifting off of the ground; reach handlebars easily while sitting; if in doubt about its fit take it in for professional review.
If you’re shopping for a bike, “youth bikes” might be just the thing for you. They’re designed with smaller riders in mind and feature adjustable frames so the reach can be increased or decreased as needed. A professional can also assist in finding one with just the right saddle height so your ride doesn’t leave you too high or low on it.
Once you’ve selected an appropriately fitting bicycle, it’s time to practice riding it. Find a safe, flat place – such as a low-traffic side street or path – where feet remain on the ground; straddle the bike while keeping legs straight and centered before slowly lifting one foot off of the ground before gradually lifting both simultaneously; keep in mind that more feet off of the ground means greater difficulty maintaining balance.
Try turning by anticipating the move and easing off on pedals to coast into it. As soon as you feel more comfortable steering, gradually add speed. Practice makes perfect – eventually it will come.
If you’re still having difficulty, bike schools offer one-on-one and group classes. These instructors will teach the fundamentals of riding safely and maintaining your bicycle; selecting appropriate gear; group rides; how to navigate roads safely; as well as group riding in general. You could also join an REI Cycling Club where fellow cyclists gather; this way you can meet like-minded individuals while finding local rides – but be wary when riding on roads as drivers might not see you until it is nearly too late! Just be wary when crossing roads as cars might not notice you until it’s almost too late!
Get the Right Seat
Short people may find it challenging to learn to ride bikes, but with the proper steps you can master riding on your own without difficulty. To make sure the seat height suits your body properly and will prevent discomfort or injuries to yourself and other riders. When setting up the right height seat position is key – most formulas provide guidance here but ultimately your knees should bend slightly at the bottom of each pedal stroke when pedaling should begin so as not to push against handlebars which could cause injury and cause further discomfort.
Adjusting saddle height is easy: just stand next to your bike with someone placing their foot on the ground in front of you, lean your bike on its side so that it balances against its frame, then adjust so your hip should be level with the top of the seat – loosen the bolts under it as necessary and slide it forward until your feet can comfortably reach all parts.
Once your seat has reached the appropriate height, you can practice placing both feet down on pedals and shifting weight onto one leg while maintaining balance on your bicycle. While doing this, try keeping your eyes focused straight ahead while minimizing distractions – having someone hold onto your lower back may even help prevent you from falling off!
Make sure that there is sufficient room to step over the bike and sit with both feet on the ground before beginning your ride. If you are too short, stepping on to the top tube could prove too much of a hazard alone! A little trial-and-error may help you figure out how best to swing your legs over it in time and place both feet onto its pedals simultaneously.
Get the Right Pedals
Adults often lack the experience needed to ride bikes as children and may feel intimidated to give it a try, yet everyone can quickly learn one of the healthiest, most environmentally-friendly and enjoyable forms of self-transportation around. By applying appropriate technique and being prepared for possible falls during learning curves – one may discover one of their greatest pleasures yet!
As you begin riding a bicycle for the first time, try practicing on grass or smooth gravel rather than pavement to ease the fall injuries caused by sidewalks or streets. When you’re comfortable pedaling and balancing on this surface, practice on grass or smooth gravel rather than sidewalks to gain the experience needed to ride forward then coast for longer stretches before coasting backwards and turning right or left gradually increasing figure eight turns; eventually try turning in larger figure eights gradually increasing size as time goes on; brake use while coasting is also very important as not using brakes might result in crashes into handlebars which could end in serious collisions caused by inability of stopping itself – remember how important this step will be when coasting forwarding is also key – once mastered then start riding forward and then coasting before beginning to master riding forward-coasting backward and stopping yourself by using brakes when coasting can lead to disastrous consequences: avoid such accidents as this!
If you are short, lowering the bicycle seat might be necessary in order to comfortably straddle the bike without banging your knees against its frame. As a general guideline, adjust it so it sits flush with any protrusion in your hipbone; also ensure your feet can reach pedals easily – with 70 to 90 rpm cadence being an ideal setting.
An easy way to test whether or not your foot-pedal connection works correctly is to stand next to your bike and click your right foot into and out of a pedal 30-40 times; do the same with left foot. This will give an indication of how easy or difficult it is for both legs to engage or disengage pedals and whether cleats are aligned correctly.
If it is difficult for you to pedal your bicycle, consult a professional mechanic who can adjust the cleats and check for any other issues that might make pedaling harder than necessary. Or reach out for some assistance from friends with experience as riders or contact local cycling instructors for guidance and tips before hitting the road for yourself! Practice several neighborhood test loops until you feel comfortable riding independently!
Get the Right Brakes
Sit on the seat with one foot flat on the ground and one pedal in its high position (to reduce momentum), before slowly squeezing both sets of brakes to get used to them and learn their feel – keeping in mind that front brakes control front wheel while rear brakes control back wheel.
Once you feel confident with gliding and stopping, consider riding down a small hill. This will increase the challenge by forcing you to slow down using brakes and adjust your balance technique as necessary. As an extra challenge, gently squeeze brakes when gliding down hills – this will teach you how to slow without losing control or hitting handlebars!
Work on turning, starting with wide turns before gradually decreasing them to make tighter turns and even do figure eights and other shapes. Once comfortable with turning, attempt figure eights for extra practice!
An ideal place for practicing the process of mounting and dismounting your bike safely is a low-traffic side street, path, or parking lot. Once on the bike, straddle it by leaning it one way while switching feet before stepping up on to both pedals — taking care not to hit anything behind you with your foot when doing so – stepping slowly off as needed until your technique improves and you can do this smoothly and effortlessly.
If your bike is too small for you to ride safely, consider raising its handlebar height or installing a stem with a higher angle to raise them up as part of a safety solution. Doing this may take more time and adjustment when riding at first but will allow for greater comfort and help prevent injury in the long run.
Before embarking on your cycling trip, it’s essential that you understand how to use the brakes and other controls on the bike. In addition, be familiar with local bike laws and road rules. Finally, wear protective equipment like a helmet with padding just in case an incident should arise during which you fall off!
Read also: How to Change a Bicycle Saddle
