you never forget how to ride a bike

[roundnround]

This is true for basic balance,however, other nuances of handling a bike need brushing up on.After 50 years I just didn't jump on and start riding like I was 14 again(probably never will). Turning(especially turning around 360),braking etc need a little tweeking. For some reason my cowboy mount came back a little better then dismounting(a little clumsy on that). I'm sure the more one rides the smoother it gets.

 

[RonSwanson]

Very true.

I think the old saying refers more to the act of simply balancing the bike on two wheels. It's something that can seem so difficult at the time but becomes an ingrained habit once your finally learn.

 

[roundnround]

I remember my dad taught me to ride a two wheeler in 5 minutes. We lived near Riverside Park in NYC. He took me to the park on a nice spring day and and set me up on a little grassy hill about 10 feet up.He said "when I push you off don't stop pedaling even at the bottom". so I started down the hill with him yelling "Keep pedaling.Keep pedaling". I got onto the pavement and kept going and going. The balance just seemed to come automatically after that.

 

[mpre53]

Very true that handling skills can rust. I find that even now, after a winter of riding my touring bike, it takes me a few miles to adjust to the quicker handling of a race-geo bike.

 

[JSWin]

This is something you always have if you try it. Mostly we're braver at 14 years old. I think most should be able to actually be better at it if you keep going with it.

 

[likeascroll]

Oh yes the more practice you have, the better you'll get. It just takes a little bit of time. But it's still there, you still have the knowledge under your belt so it'll come back to you.

 

[Damien Lee]

I guess one's response time is gradually diminished with age. When we're younger, we tend to respond quicker to pretty much everything. Riding and controlling a bike is no different. But the good news is that once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget. Even if you haven't cycled in years, you should be able to pick up from where you left off.

 

[Susimi]

I kind of like how once you learn something like riding a bike you never forget it even if you don't ride after a long while. The wonders of the human brain.

My dad is attempting to get back into cycling and although he is very rusty he has not forgotten the basics. It was quite impressive seeing him mount up and ride after all these years.

 

[pwarbi]

Bike riding is basically all about balance and once you've mastered that,,then it's something that you never lose.

In a way its a bit like swimming, and that's another skill that people usually learn in childhood that stays with them all through their lives.

 

[Zhen25]

Well it is true that you never forget how to ride a bike. It's about learning to balance again. Going back on a bike after 16 years roved this to me.

 

[pwarbi]

I'm guessing that after 16 years it might well have taken a bit of time to get used to it again, but I'm sure all the basics you still remembered?

Can I ask why you didn't ride for 16 years by the way, just out of interest? I've ridden on and off for a number of years but the longest break I took was about 6 months!

 

[Susimi]

Bike riding is basically all about balance and once you've mastered that,,then it's something that you never lose.

In a way its a bit like swimming, and that's another skill that people usually learn in childhood that stays with them all through their lives.

I wonder if age makes a difference in the matter. Putting all other aspects like fear aside and the like, how would a 10 year old compare to a 20 or even 30 year old. Would they all be able to master it realitively quickly or would age play a factor?

 

[mayasupernova]

I don't think it is possible to 'forget to ride a bike'. My mum has not ridden a bike from her childhood and only recetly took to it again. She had a bit of a trouble to get on the bike cause she got some kilograms more than she needs , but eventually, once she was on the bike, off she went!
But, you are probably right about the skills you need to have to operate the bike like turning and brakes.

 

[moneyman]

That is actually totally true. No matter how long you spend without riding a bike you still are able to do it. I learnt the skill when I was six years old and it seriously took some trial and error but it got me a wonderful feeling.

 

[artyarson]

I'd learned how to ride a bike when I was 8. I wasn't a regular rider. I did it at 9, 10, 11, 12. Then I stopped. I went back to it when I was like 16-17. And I didn't lose any skill. That's it!

 

[jhuskey]

I am to the point in life that I may forget where I left my bike.

 

[Uawadall]

When I take time too much time off, my speed and endurance doesn't diminish that much, but my handling skills get rusty. One of my brothers who I ride with is kind of the opposite.He could easily ride no handed and has always had great bike handling, but his endurance suffers more with days off. Part of it is some people are naturals at it and the rest off us have to stay on top of it.

 

[sunshiney]

I've never straight up forgotten how to ride a bike (except for a couple very drunk occasions) but I've noticed that after taking a break from mountain biking I was definitely a little rusty coming back. The main issue for me was stamina...a couple climbs that I had never struggled with before I suddenly found myself pushing my bike halfway up. After a couple weeks back and a few good rides though everything usually evens out, in my experience.

 

[BikeBikeBikeBike]

Muscle memory is a fantastic thing.
Friend of mine just moved back to my area, and after about 8 years off the bike.
He got this nice little dirt-jumper (p3 i think) and after about 1 week he was back!
I even watched him land his first super-clean 360 at the jumps last week!