Learn to Ride / Learn to Ride Further

Learn to Ride Course description

Has it been your life-long dream to learn how to ride a bike? Or do you know how to ride already, but you don’t feel confident with some of the basics like turning or starting/ stopping consistently? Today is your lucky day!

We offer two different types of one-on-one lessons: Learn to Ride and Learn to Ride Further. Both offer free bike and helmet usage for the duration of the class.

Learn to Ride:

• This class is ideal if you are starting as a brand new rider or haven’t ridden a bike for many years. In this lesson we will practice:
  • balancing
  • braking
  • pedaling
  • turning
• This lesson will take place in a coned-off area of the parking lot by Cascade headquarters in Magnuson Park, North Seattle.

Learn to Ride Further:

• This class is geared towards students who may already know how to ride, but who have trouble:
  • turning quickly
  • stopping/ starting consistently 
  • getting on and off a high seat 
  • shifting 
  • using turn signals 
• This class is also ideal if you would like to learn:
  • how to ride confidently on a trail
  • how to stay safe riding on a street
  • tricks to stay visible to other road users
• In this lesson we can either stay in a coned-off area of the parking lot or take a short bike ride around Magnuson Park on low-traffic streets. 

When you schedule your lesson, you will have the option to choose if your lesson is ‘Learn to Ride’ or ‘Learn to Ride Further’. Our lead instructor will then reach out to confirm your lesson time, if you would like to borrow a bike or helmet, and any specific things you would like to work on in your lesson. 

We recommend that you only book one lesson per weekend. This is a new physical skill and your body (and brain) will be ready for a rest after an hour. Outside practice is important for your progress so it is best to give yourself time to practice between lessons.
 

Am I too young/ too old?

There is no age limit to learning to ride a bicycle! We have had students in their 70’s learn to ride for the first time.

Our lessons are geared toward adults and youth 10 and older. See below for additional resources if the student is younger than 10.

What if I/ the student has adaptive needs?

If you or the student has a disability, our friends at Outdoors for All have a disability specific Learn to Ride program with a fleet of adaptive bikes. Please contact rentals@outdoorsforall.org to schedule a private lesson.

How to prepare:

No classes or previous knowledge of bicycle riding are needed for this instruction. We can provide you with a bike/helmet if you do not have your own. 

Take a look at our Learn to Ride videos. This is exactly what your lessons will look like. 

The best way to prepare for your lesson is to borrow a bike to practice balancing on. If you can touch both feet flat on the ground while sitting on the seat and it has working brakes, it is a great bike to practice on. Follow the lessons above to begin working on balancing to be more prepared for your first lesson. 

Class Size: One-on-one instruction

Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Youth attendance: class for ages 10 and older. See more information here 

Other classes you may be interested in: Fix-a-Flat, Maintenance for Every Rider, Essential Biking Knowledge, Basic Cycling Techniques; 

Additional Resources:

• Learn to Ride tips: L2R Handout 
• Learn to Ride videos 1, 2, 3
• Youth REI Bike class
• Adult REI Bike class
• Brian Watson- Bicycle Teacher- Bike class

Contacts: adultclasses@cascade.org

(edited 1/25/2024)