Monthly Archive for October, 2011
By Bill Chancellor and Mike Hacker
Below is a description of a method used by Bill Chancellor of Davis and Mike Hacker of Los Altos to teach uninitiated learners to ride a bicycle.
Learning to ride a bicycle is a rite of passage that’s etched into most of our childhood memories. Unfortunately, these memories often include skinned knees, run-ins with unforgiving trees, and an out-of-shape parent running alongside nearing cardiac arrest.
However, there’s a technique for teaching bicycle-riding skills to first-time learners that can make for more pleasant memories — the no-falls method.
This method is based on the principle that a bicycle is kept upright mostly by the rider continually steering to keep the wheel-ground-contact-line always under the rider. It’s the consummate balancing act, requiring forward motion and steering adjustments by the rider in response to bicycle tilt. Continue reading ‘No-Falls Method for Learning How to Ride a Bicycle’