Welcome

Congratulations and welcome to the course.
The 5 minute video below covers the process we will be using. The following pages will guide you through preparing for your instruction.

Here are some additional important aspects.

Breathing
We know from modern neuroscience and intuitively that there is a connection between our breath and our mood.
Consider for a moment, How do you breathe when you are feeling anger? How do you breathe when you want to calm yourself down?

When learning something new, we will learn faster if we can maintain a state of calm and alert attention. We can do this by focusing on our breath, specifically by lengthening our exhale and noticing our physical sensations.

We might pay attention to our hands feeling warm as we grip the handlebars. We might pay attention to our breath as we sit on the bike. Each time we breathe deeply, we are calming ourselves through activating our Parasympathetic Nervous System. Nobody learns well when they are overwhelmed in “fight or flight” survival mode. That is when the thinking part of our brain shuts down, and the older, reptilian “survival” brain takes over. Saying hurtful words in a heated argument, road rage, or wanting to run away saved our ancestors from predators and still might come in handy, but when attempting to learn to ride a bike in a safe place, going into a flight-or-flight response is not productive. Nobody learns well when they are in fight-or-flight mode. That is what we are trying to avoid. Much of the mechanism of trauma has been attributed to feeling “overwhelmed” without a sense of control. We are working to keep our participants in their “learning zone” where they are relaxed by still focused. Many people refer to this place of optimal functioning as the “Window of Tolerance.”

Growth Mindset
Yes, learning to ride can be difficult, but if the rider focuses on the learning process more than the end result they will usually be riding within 2-5 hours. In this way, learning to ride is the perfect way to practice a “growth mindset.” Here is an explanation from Carol Dweck who coined the term.
“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” ( Dweck, 2015)
When I am doing a lesson, I will often say to the rider, “We are going to practice learning today. Yes, there is a bike here, and you are practicing how you move with it, but we are really practicing how we learn new things. Are you ready to learn something new? “

This reduces some of the participant’s self-conscious negative judgment about their progress and helps to reset expectations. A big part of learning to ride has to do with repeating a set of movements (practicing walking the bike until the rider can glide on their own) until the rider’s body neurologically understands which actions relate to controlled falling vs. falling. Every lean on a bicycle is the start of a fall to one side. And, if the rider turns their handlebars into the direction that they are leaning, they bring the bicycle back upright.

This is the foundation for one of the drills in the video. The drill helps the rider to notice the lean and then respond by turning the handlebar in the same direction. When the bike leans to the left, turn the handlebar to the left. After enough repetition, the movement becomes automatic or “chunked” and when the rider can do this on the left and right sides, while pushing themselves forward with their feet, they are gliding. Individuals who already have balance and awareness skills from other activities (like riding a scooter, rollerblading, or hockey) can transfer these skills over. Some riders will learn quickly, some will take longer. In the end, it doesn’t matter if it took 10 minutes or 10 hours. That is focusing on the outcome vs the process.

Trauma
Many people stopped short of riding and many parents, caregivers, or friends walked away from the effort discouraged. The method used in this course is different than how many adults learned to ride. The older method of holding onto the rider until the can balance on their own can work, but it not as intuitive, effective, or as empowering as the learn to glide method in this course. We now understand that trauma has to do with feeling overwhelmed and not experiencing a sense of control in a situation. Taking water, play and rest breaks every 20 minutes helps riders integrate information and renew their focus. And, it is common for younger participants to “melt down” about 40 minutes into a learn to ride session. I think this is how children release unneeded tension. After talking a play or snack break they can return to practicing. Tip: It can help motivate children to have peers or slightly older children who are already biking present or invoke their presence with photos or other means. “I can’t wait to text your cousin a picture of you practicing today. Let’s see how much you can figure out.”

When riders are in charge of practicing at their own pace they are less likely to be overwhelmed. They tend to develop confidence and skills faster. If you are tempted to try to speed up the learning process, try taking a deep breath and focus on the process instead of the outcome. There is an “awkward middle” in the process when it seems like it is taking way too long. Then, after the individual parts of riding a bike are learned they integrate quickly.

With that being said, later in the process, it can sometimes be helpful to give riders a small assist with gaining speed. It is easier to balance a bike when moving. Sometimes riders will need just a little bit more speed to get their feet on the pedals. In this situation, placing the pads of 1 to 2 fingers at their upper back and giving a gentle boost forward, after first asking permission will make it easier for them to maintain their momentum while attempting to get both feet on the pedals and start pedaling.

To prepare for learning to glide, you will need:

1. A bike that allows the rider to sit on the seat and have a slight bend in their knees. This means the bike is a little smaller than the bike the child might normally ride. It is definitely not the bike you hope they will “grow into.” That means you might need to borrow one from someone else, purchase a used one and sell it later, or buy one and then pass it on later. If you don’t already have a bike for them to use, here is a post about choosing a bike for your child that may be helpful.
   
2. A smooth paved area to practice that is flat or has a slight slope. Basketball courts, tennis courts, parks, or closed off parking lots work well. I like playgrounds because there are usually bathrooms and play structures for play breaks in between the riding practice.
   
3. Gear, snacks, and layers. Bring a helmet, gloves, closed-toed shoes, clothing layers, snacks, water, sunscreen, and the other items you normally would on an outing. It can help to have some band-aids. Do I recommend that you use elbow, knee, and wrist pads? Because riders start at lower speeds and can put their feet down themselves to stop, there are fewer crashes than when children are accelerated beyond their level of control. Crashes do happen though and pads can inspire confidence in a hesitant child. I would recommend some kind of gloves to protect their hands if you have them. And, bring some band-aids, they inspire confidence. If you really want them to wear their helmet, then bring one for yourself. If you can fit on their bike, already know how to ride and the bike is strong enough, you can model gliding on their bike. If not it can help to have your own bike to model the movements.
   
4. Yet another opportunity to model a Growth Mindset and face discomfort yourself. Teaching someone to ride can be its own exciting emotional rollercoaster. While the children are testing their growth mindset, many of us adults are facing fear as well.