How to support a nervous cyclist to ride
We all know that cycling makes you happier and healthier. But for anyone who hasn’t been on a bike for a long time, taking the first step can be a daunting prospect.
If you know someone who wants to cycle more but they’re a bit nervous, unsure or feeling wobbly, then we’ve got the advice you need to help get them going. And if you’re the wobbly cyclist, you can adapt the tips given here to suit you.
The first thing to do is to establish why the nervous cyclist wants to ride more. Do they want to cycle to work? To the shops? Do they want to join a club and go on long leisure rides? Or maybe it’s some combination of these reasons and more. Use this to tailor your training.
If they’re looking for a supportive group to ride with, consider suggesting a Community Cycle Club. These clubs bring together people from all walks of life to ride for fun, fitness, or social connection. With over 120 diverse clubs across England and Scotland, there’s likely one near them. These clubs can provide structured yet informal support to build confidence and keep new riders engaged.
Get the right bike
This is essential. A bike that’s the wrong size, uncomfortable to ride or just plain unsuitable will immediately put off a nervous cyclist.
Go with them to a local bike shop to discuss their needs with the experts. They’ll be able to try out different cycles to find one that works best for them.
A hybrid is probably going to be the best option. These allow for an upright position, flat handlebar, wider tyres and lend themselves to all sorts of types cycling. But do get advice.
It’s a good idea to try a bike out before parting with any cash. The bike shop might agree to a longer-term loan. Local councils and organisations also run loan schemes, so find out what’s available in your area. For example, Pedal My Wheels runs Try Before You Bike in London.
Borrowing from friends is another option, but this is best if you’ve got plenty of friends with different types of bike.
If your friend has a bike but it has been gathering dust, The Big Bike Revival can help. This initiative has been running for ten years, offering free events, workshops and training sessions to help adults fix their bikes, learn maintenance skills and gain confidence.
Your nervous cyclist might have specific concerns – balance issues or lack of fitness, for example, or a fear of hills. All these worries can be laid to rest with the right bike.
An e-bike will take the sting out of hills and address concerns around fitness or not being able to complete a ride. A trike can help those with balance issues, while other non-standard cycles can help people with disabilities.
These cycles aren’t cheap, so again, loaning them out for a period is a good idea. An internet search should reveal what’s available in your area. Cycling UK offers free loans of non-standard cycles in Greater Manchester and Inverness through our Inclusive Cycling Experience programme. Wheels4Me London offers free loans of non-standard cycles in London.
Tina thought she’d never return to cycling after an accident and hip replacement. However, with free try-out sessions and tailored training with Cycling UK’s Connecting Communities programme, she explored different e-cycle options and found one that met her needs.
“The first e-bike I tried had a lightweight step-through frame. It was such a relief to know that I could do it – I could get on a bike and cycle,” she says.
Cycling UK’s Making cycling e-asier programme also offers free loans and taster sessions of e-cycles.
For the wobbly cyclist who already has a bike hidden away in the shed, get it serviced at a bike shop before letting them head out on it.
A quick note about kit
You don’t need any special clothing! Let your nervous cyclist know to just wear something they feel comfortable in and can move around easily. A t-shirt and leggings or shorts are ideal.
Encouragement not criticism
Your wobbly cyclist will need you to accompany them and give them instruction. It’s important to be encouraging. You’ll also need to be patient with them – they might take a bit of time to get used to cycling again. Make sure you give positive feedback and offer lots of reassurance.
It’s best to avoid negative instructions like ‘Don’t brake too hard’ or ‘Don’t skid’. These will only mean they get stuck on thinking about braking too hard or skidding and possibly falling off. Instead tell them what you want them to do: ‘Pull on the brakes gently and slowly increase pressure until you stop’ or ‘Ride in a straight line at a slow pace’.
You could even try visualisation. This has been shown to work, with elite athletes riding a course in their minds the day before a race finding they perform better. Ask your learner to visualise themselves successfully cycling through the park, concentrating on how it makes them feel.
Master the basics – somewhere safe
If it’s been a long time since the person has cycled, or they’re especially nervous, then running through the basics will help. Go somewhere quiet, away from traffic. A park, field or empty car park are all options – choose somewhere that’s easily accessible for the learner.
Freshta, who learnt to ride a bike after reaching out to the Inverclyde Bothy, part of Connecting Communities, started her cycling journey at a local park. She now understands the essentials of safe cycling and comments: “Riding my bike makes me smile all the time.”
Balance bikes were something of a revolution in teaching a child to ride and the same principles can apply to an adult learner. Lower the seat so that they can put their feet flat on the ground and remove the pedals.
They can now scoot along using their feet and legs to propel themselves. Get them to pick their feet up to practice balancing. They can practice steering and braking too. Keep going until they feel comfortable doing this.
Then put the pedals back on so they can practice pedalling. At this point it’s best to keep the seat low – that can be raised when they feel more confident.
Get them to ride around the park a few laps, stopping, starting, turning corners, dismounting and mounting again. They’ll need to master signalling too, so incorporate this into your basic training.
If they have issues with cycling in a straight line, an empty car park is a good place to go. Get them to ride along the white lines of the spaces as closely as possible.
Move onto quiet roads
With the basics under their belt, you’re now ready to move onto quiet roads. Choose ones that are as free of traffic as possible. Work out a suitable route in advance – apps like Strava are useful this – and share it with the nervous cyclist. If they’re really worried, walk it with them first. Familiarity will help calm those nerves.
Before you set off on your bikes, get them a copy of the Highway Code and make sure they read it. All cyclists should be aware of road traffic rules.
Explain road positioning and the importance of not hugging the curb. They should ride about 1m out from the curb. This makes them more visible to other road users and means they’ve got room to manoeuvre if someone gets too close. Ride behind them so that you can keep an eye on them – but keep in mind that you can ride two abreast if that feels safer.
Ukrainian refugee Elina is another participant in Cycling UK’s Connecting Communities adult cycle training. She says: “I knew I needed help with certain things – signalling, road positioning, and getting used to riding on the left side.” Her one-to-one sessions have given her confidence on the road.
Start small – your first rides should be short, slow and close to home. Circular routes are good as they mean you can do several laps, building up slowly, while never getting too far from home. Plan in a café stop and other breaks so they don’t get tired and, importantly, so that it remains fun.
Gradually build up distance and speed – but stick to your learner’s pace. Ask them if they feel comfortable and if they’re ready to move onto the next stage. Don’t assume they’ll just tell you! This means you can set realistic goals that stretch the learner but don’t demoralise them.
As their confidence grows, you can move onto busier roads, if the learner is comfortable with this. One tip for being seen in traffic is to make eye contact with drivers – this is especially useful when stopped at junctions.
If they’re looking for additional support, a Community Cycle Club can be a great way to practice road cycling in a safe and structured environment with experienced riders. The group setting provides encouragement and the chance to meet like-minded people who may have started from a similar point.
Keep it interesting
As the nervous rider gains more confidence, you can plan longer rides and different routes. Find out what sort of riding they’re interested in and try to incorporate that into the rides. Again, though, have the routes worked out in advance and share them.
Adding in some scenic destinations with plenty of stops and rest breaks will keep things interesting and keep your learner’s motivation up. However, you should also keep the learner’s goals in mind – go back to their why. If they mainly want to cycle to the shops or to work, incorporate some rides that do just that.
The more someone cycles, the more their confidence will grow, so keeping them motivated and showing them how this cycle training will help them achieve their goals will encourage them to keep riding.
Training courses
If your wobbly cyclist is particularly nervous or has never ridden a bike before, they might benefit from some formal training. Local councils or cycling organisations often offer adult cycle training. JoyRiders and Cycle Sisters, for example, offer free training to women in London and beyond.
Nationally, adult cycle training is offered by Bikeability in England, Bikeability Wales and Cycling Scotland. Transport for London has free online training where cyclists can brush up on their skills.
One thing that puts nervous cyclists off, especially when it comes to riding alone, is the fear of a puncture or mechanical and not being able to fix it. A course in basic cycle maintenance will help – check out local bike shops to see what’s available and offer to go with them.
The Big Bike Revival offers free cycle training sessions across England to help new or returning cyclists gain confidence on their bikes. These sessions cover bike handling, road safety and even minor maintenance skills.
Emphasise the positive
Even the most dedicated cyclist will sometimes struggle to get out on their bike. This is even more so for nervous riders. If your learner isn’t keen to ride, first, be kind. Maybe today you could take a day off – go to a local café instead and chat about how far they’ve come.
Remind them of their why – recalling what they plan to get out of riding more will give them motivation to keep going. But also emphasise all benefits of cycling.
It’s great for mental and physical health and fitness. It provides access to nature, with all the health benefits that brings too. It improves wellbeing – bringing a sense of freedom and adventure, as well as achievement when you manage that long ride for the first time.
As Freshta says: “It’s a great way to exercise, and a fantastic activity. Being outside in the fresh air and feeling the wind in my hair gives me a feeling of freedom.”
