Learn to Bike in 120 Minutes

REQUIREMENTS:
1. A playground of 100 yards by 50 yards or larger. The playground has to have a frequently mowed lawn without sandy patches. There must be an asphalt (or concrete) sidewalk and a small hillock with a gentle slope of 5 to 10 degrees.
2. A girl's or a woman's bike with hand brake(s). For persons (male or female) of 5' 2" or shorter a girl's bike is optimal and for taller persons a woman's bike is recommended.
3. A bike helmet.

PREPARATIONS:
Learn all traffic rules. Set the height of the seat so that you can touch the ground firmly with the balls of your feet while sitting on the bike. Put on your helmet.

LESSON 1A - Stationary drill A (2 Minutes):
- Place the bike on the sidewalk. Sit on the bike.
- Plant your feet firmly on the ground and wide apart.
- Squeeze the hand brake(s) tightly so the bike will not move.
- Lean to your right and support your entire body weight with your right foot. Then lean to your left and support your body with your left foot.
- Repeat the lean-right lean-left movements for about 2 minutes.

LESSON 1B - Stationary drill B (3 Minutes):
- Lean to your right and simultaneously turn the handle bar slightly to the right as if you are making a gentle right turn. Lean to your left and simultaneously turn the handle bar slightly to the left.
- Repeat the lean-and-turn movements for about 3 minutes.

LESSON 2A - Walking (2 Minutes):
- Release the hand brakes. Keep your hands on the handle bar.
- Walk with the bike under you for about 2 minutes. The bike should travel forward with each of your step.

LESSON 2B - Glide-Walking (8 Minutes):
- Add a little push of your feet at the end of each step. The bike should be propelled forward a little further than during Lesson 2A. This will be referred to as "glide-walking".
- Glide-walk your bike for about 8 minutes.

LESSON 3 - Rolling (30 Minutes):
- Take your bike up the slope of the hillock by about 5 feet (NOT up a height of 5 feet).
- With the hand brake(s) tightly squeezed, point the bike downhill. Get on the seat of the bike. Plant your feet firmly on the ground and wide apart. This is easier with the help of a friend (but is not essential).
- Release the hand brake(s) and simultaneously lift your feet slightly off the ground. The bike should roll down the slope. The bike will soon slow and come to a complete stop by itself on level ground. Before the bike comes to a complete stop, lean to your RIGHT and put your RIGHT foot on the ground. (Always lean right on stopping in North America.)
- Roll down a slope of 10 feet and let the bike slow and stop by itself.
- Roll down a slope of 15 feet. As soon as the bike reaches level ground and still moving quite fast, touch the pedals with your feet for a split second. Then quickly take your feet away and keep them wide apart. Do NOT pedal yet.
- Keep on rolling and touching the pedals until 30 minutes is fully used up.
LESSON 4 - Turning (15 Minutes):
- Roll down a slope of 15 feet. While the bike is on level ground and still moving quite fast, PRESS DOWN YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER and quickly turn the handle slightly to the right. The bike will make a gentle right turn and will soon go straight again.
Press down your left shoulder and quickly turn the handle slightly to the left. Your bike should have traveled along a wavy line.
- Keep rolling and traveling along wavy lines for 15 minutes.

LESSON 5 - Pedaling (15 Minutes):
- Roll down a slope of 15 feet. While the bike is on level ground and still moving quite fast, start pedaling vigorously so as to keep the bike moving AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Stay on the lawn.
- If you want to slow and stop, stop pedaling and keep your feet wide apart. Do NOT use the brake(s) yet.

INTERMISSION (OPTIONAL)
- Take a rest and drink some water.

LESSON 6 - Pedaling Without Rolling (15 Minutes):
- If the sidewalk is not perfectly horizontal, take the bike to the HIGHER end of the sidewalk.
- Glide-walk the bike. When and ONLY WHEN the bike picks up speed, start pedaling.
- Stay on the sidewalk for about 200 feet.
- Make a gentle turn onto the lawn. Pedal on the lawn towards the higher end of the sidewalk. Go onto the sidewalk. You should have just completed a loop.
- Repeat from the lower end of the sidewalk.

LESSON 7 - Slowing and Stopping (30 Minutes):
- Take your bike to a street with little or no traffic.
- Place your bike 3 to 4 feet from and parallel to the right curb.
- Glide-walk your bike. When the bike picks up speed, start pedaling.
- After traveling straight for about 50 feet, gently squeeze your right brake once and QUICKLY release.
- Repeat squeeze-release the right brake a few times until your bike slows down.
- Before the bike comes to a complete stop, squeeze the brake(s) firmly, lean to your right and put your right foot down on the ground.
- Repeat traveling straight, slowing and stopping.
- Then, practice right turns and finally left turns. Be sure that there is no moving vehicle close by when you make left turns.
- Obey all traffic rules.

Suggested Reading: "Learn to Swim in 30 Minutes" on Google.