TL;DR:
If you didn’t learn to ride as a child, starting now is totally doable. Begin with foundational balance and braking techniques, ease into pedaling, build confidence gradually—and don’t forget bike maintenance, safety gear, and even insurance as you grow
- Take the pressure off by starting with balance
- Master the brakes before mounting
- Know the rules, ride safely, and take care of your bike
If you didn't grow up riding a bike through your neighborhood streets, you might find cycling a bit daunting at first. However, it's just as easy for an adult to learn to ride as it is for a child. Find a quiet place to practice, such as an empty parking lot or a park where you won't have traffic to contend with. Some exercises, like learning to balance and getting on and off your bike, are easy to try out in your own yard. Follow these easy steps, and you'll be on your way to cycling success in no time.
Size it up
Getting the right-sized bike is crucial to your success in learning to ride. Don't just pick up a bike at a yard sale that looks like you could ride it; unlike a kid, you won't be growing. Investing in a bike that fits you just right is money well-spent.
Your height is a good indicator of what size bike you'll need. Unlike kids’ bikes that are measured by their wheel size, adult bikes are measured by standover height, which is the distance from the ground to the top of the top tube. Check out the helpful chart below.
If you’re this tall, you’ll need this size bike:
| Height | Frame size |
|---|---|
| 4’11” to 5’3” | 13 to 15 inches |
| 5’3” to 5’7” | 15 to 17 inches |
| 5’7” to 5’11” | 17 to 19 inches |
| 6’0” to 6’2” | 19 to 21 inches |
| 6’2” to 6’4” | 21 to 23 inches |
| 6’4” or taller | 23 inches or more |
Of course, everyone is built a little differently, so everyone has different requirements: some people have longer legs, and some have a longer torso. These measurements are essential to bike safety as they ensure you can safely mount and dismount.
Your standover height is determined by measuring your true inseam.
To measure your inseam you will need a hardcover book, tape measure and pencil. Once you have these handy, follow these steps:
- 1. Stand against a wall with shoes on
- 2. Straddle the book, spine up, as if you were sitting on a saddle
- 3. Mark where the spine of the book meets the wall with a pencil
- 4. Measure from the mark to the floor, this is your inseam
- 5. Repeat the measurement a couple times to make sure it’s accurate
A word of caution: don't use your pants inseam that is chronically inaccurate.
Key Takeaways
- You can learn to ride an adult bike just as easily as a kid—find a quiet spot like a park or empty lot to practice safely
- Make sure your bike fits—you need the right standover height to mount and balance confidently without worrying about growing out of it
- Measure your actual inseam (not pants length) using a book from groin to floor—it’s key for choosing the correct frame size
- Practice before riding—learn braking by walking the bike, remounting, balancing, and gliding to build coordination safely.
- Get familiar with rules of the road and basic maintenance, and always use a helmet along with lights or reflectors in poor visibility
Put the brakes on
Learning to brake properly is one of the most important ways to prevent falling off your bike, so begin before you even get on your bike. Take your bike for a walk and practice using the brakes until it becomes second nature and you're acquainted with which brake lever controls the rear brake and which controls the front. Expecting what your brakes will do will save precious seconds during your first rides when you're figuring out how to stop safely.
If your bike has a coaster brake, which stops the rear wheel when you pedal backwards, ensure that you have a feel for how it works by lifting the rear wheel off the ground, spinning the pedals forward and engaging the brake by spinning the pedals in reverse. This motion often feels counter-intuitive but it becomes second nature very quickly.
Mount up
Practice getting on and off your bike while you're applying the brakes so it doesn't roll. Sit on your bike with one of your feet touching the ground and the other one on the saddle, to get your body comfortable with the overall feeling. If you can put both feet flat on the ground while sitting in the saddle, your saddle is too low. While being able to put your feet on the ground might feel safer, it actually isn’t: this position reinforces bad technique and is likely to result in a crash and injury when you put both feet on the ground instead of relying on your brakes in an emergency situation.
Practice your balancing act
Learning to pedal, steer and brake at the same time can be a lot to coordinate. If you feel that the pedals are getting in the way, convert your bike into an adult balance bike by removing them with a wrench. Scoot the bike along with your feet to get used to balancing on two wheels as you learn to steer and brake on a level surface. Although pedal removal isn't absolutely mandatory, doing so prevents banged-up ankles and will stop you from trying to progress to the next step before you're ready.
Before your ride, glide
After you feel comfortable scooting along on your bike, push off and glide. See how far you can get before you need to put a foot down to correct your balance. To increase steering skills, set down plastic cones or other soft objects to practice navigating through. Once you've mastered gliding, steering and braking, you're ready to put your pedals back on your bike.
Right foot, left foot, breathe
Start with one foot on the ground, and place the other on a pedal that's in a two o'clock position to give you some leverage. Push off with the foot on the ground, and immediately press down firmly with the foot on the pedal. Lift your other foot off the ground, and alternate pressing with each foot as it reaches the two o'clock position. Your balancing and gliding practice will really pay off at this point. Pedaling ahead quickly rather than slowly makes it much easier to keep your balance.
Learn the rules of the road
Keep practicing your bicycle skills along park pathways until you're confident in your skills. Before using your bicycle as transportation around town, make sure you're familiar with laws, hand signals and riding safety tips that apply to specifically to bikes. Knowing where to safely ride your bike on a roadway, how to merge with vehicular traffic, and how to avoid getting "doored" when someone emerges from a parked car are crucial to your bicycling success and enjoyment.
Maintain your machine
Remember, there's more to riding your bike than balancing and pedaling. Learn to do basic bike maintenance yourself to make sure you don't have a mechanical breakdown on the road. Basics like properly inflating tires, checking for brake wear, and wiping down moving parts after a ride will go a long way to keep you safe on the road and your bike in top condition.
Protect yourself
Get used to wearing your bike helmet right from the start to protect your head, and always select the right cycling gear for the conditions you'll be riding in. If you plan on riding in areas that can get foggy or rainy, invest in extra lights and reflectors that will make you more visible to motorists. Finally, insure your bicycle against loss, damage, theft and liability to protect you financially should the unexpected happen.
Finally, it would be prudent to consider bicycle insurance to protect yourself from financial strain should the unexpected happen. Velosurance policy covers your bicycle against loss due to damage or theft and you for liability. The policy can even be customized to manage specific risks associated with your riding lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you find the right bike size as an adult?
- Adult bikes are measured by standover height, which is tied to your true inseam. To measure: stand against a wall with shoes on, straddle a hardcover book spine-up as if sitting on a saddle, mark where the spine meets the wall, then measure from that mark to the floor. Use that number to match the sizing chart, which runs from 13-15 inches for riders 4'11" to 5'3", up to 23 inches or more for riders 6'4" and taller. A word of caution: your pants inseam is chronically inaccurate.
- What is the best way to practice balance before pedaling?
- Convert your bike into an adult balance bike by removing the pedals with a wrench. Scoot along with your feet to get used to balancing on two wheels while you learn to steer and brake. Once you feel steady scooting, push off and glide to see how far you can travel before needing to put a foot down. Mastering gliding, steering, and braking before reattaching the pedals prevents banged-up ankles and stops you from trying to rush ahead before you are ready.
- What does a saddle that is too low mean for your safety?
- A correctly fitted saddle means you can just touch the ground on tiptoe, not flat-footed. The saddle being low enough to put both feet flat on the ground while seated actually reinforces bad technique and is likely to result in a crash: in an emergency, you will instinctively try to put your feet down instead of using the brakes.
- What basic maintenance should a new cyclist prioritize?
- Three habits cover the essentials: properly inflating your tires before every ride, checking for brake wear, and wiping down moving parts after a ride. These simple steps keep you safe on the road and your bike in top condition without requiring workshop skills.