How to teach yourself to ride a bike or learning to ride a bike

Teach yourself to ride a bike in an open area that has no traffic. Start with a bike that is small enough for your feet to reach the ground when you are seated on the saddle. Take the bike to the top of a slight incline. If the bike has a gearshift, set it for a middle speed. Sit on the saddle with your feet on the ground. Lift both feet a few inches and let the bike roll down the incline, shifting your body slightly from side to side to keep your balance. Repeat several times, then rest.

Position the right pedal a bit forward of the top of its arc. With your left foot on the ground and your right foot on the right pedal, lean forward. Push off with your left foot, letting it trail behind as the bike goes forward. Push down on the right pedal. If you begin losing your balance, push the handlebars to turn the wheel in the direction you are falling so that the bike comes up under you. Repeat until you can keep your balance. Then do it again, but put your left foot on the left pedal after pushing off with it and start pedaling immediately.

Keep the balls of your feet on the pedals and maintain a steady rhythm. To turn, lean slightly in the direction you want to go and, if necessary, turn the handlebars. Begin with broad turns, then try sharper ones. Braking and shifting Your bicycle may have either caliper brakes, which are operated by levers on the handlebars, or coaster brakes, which are operated by foot. To stop with caliper brakes, squeeze both levers, but use less force on the one that controls the front brake (usually the left lever). To stop with coaster brakes, simply reverse the pedaling.

If your bike has gears, shift them to gain momentum going uphill or to help keep your pedaling rhythm on flat ground. If you are approaching a hill, shift into low gear before you start climbing. On a 3 speedbike, stop pedaling before shifting. On a 10-speed, ease up, but do not stop pedaling.