NYC programs help first-time adult bikers take life by the handlebars
NEW YORK -- The expression "it's as easy as riding a bike," isn't very comforting when you've never learned to do the very activity being referenced -- one considered so basic, it should come entirely from muscle memory.
For a growing number of Americans, that's simply not the case. According to a 2015 YouGov survey, eight percent of adults in the U.S. don't know how to ride a bike. That's up two percent from the same survey conducted in 2013.
Why didn't they learn when they were children? The reasons vary.
"It seems that there's a small window during which it's acceptable to learn to ride," said Lance Jacobs, founder of Virtuous Bicycle, a company that offers private lessons for New Yorkers.
Jacobs said the learning window is typically between the ages of 4 and 6, and after that kids are less likely to be comfortable being seen with their parents. He calls this the "parent battleground" period.
He said many of his students grew up in the 1980's and 90's, an era of "helicopter parents, the Nintendo, and the VCR."
Virtuous Bicycle is not the only option for adult beginners in NYC. Bike New York is a nonprofit that began offering complimentary lessons to children and adults in 2007.
"When it's free, why not?" joked Yancy Coby, an instructor for Bike New York. Coby teaches group learn-to-ride classes for adults, which are offered in various locations across the city.
Cousins Lauren Lee and Kary Wu signed up for a Bike NY class together, and said they are glad they did.
"It was always something I wanted to do, learn how to ride a bike," Wu said. She particularly liked the convenience of the learn-to-ride class. "Everything here is provided for you, so all you have to do is show up."
And the lessons work. That's what the instructors insisted, at least. "I get 70 percent riding on the first lesson," Jacobs said. "I get another 25 percent on the second lesson."
Lee and Wu said fear was the biggest obstacle they had to overcome in order to learn to ride. "You have to kind of just shrug off the fear part and just...go for it," Wu said.
Success stories are the best part of the job for Jacobs. He said he often sees a student successfully complete a ride from one end of the practice field to another, and take a moment to soak in their achievement.
"They're so on the verge of tears of joy because for 35 years, they've hid this dark secret that they didn't know how to ride," Jacobs explained. "And now, without even knowing exactly how it happened, they broke through to the other side."
"They're so happy, and it's so rewarding -- and I'm so happy to have created another bike rider."