A significant minority of the British population have yet to discover how to balance a two-wheeler.
According to the National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, in 1990, 10% of adult men and 33% of adult women didn't know how to do it.
The cliché is true. Riding a bike is easy. Anything you can do is easy, but this doesn't mean that there aren't some difficulties involved in doing it for the first time.
Reading is easy, you look at the patterns on the paper - or on the screen - and the ideas come into your head; but telling someone who has never found out how to read "reading is easy" doesn't necessarily help them.
How easy it is to do something, and the problem of discovering how to do that same thing are separate issues.
The LSC's most popular service has been our instruction for complete beginners. We've introduced hundreds of riders from a wide variety of ages and backgrounds to the pleasure of two-wheel travel. The first important threshold is getting a bike moving from rest without physical support. Once you can do this reliably you can practice on your own.
An initial beginners course lasts up to two hours with instruction on a one-to-one basis. Students will progress at different speeds depending on their confidence, fitness and co-ordination but more than 90% of riders discover how to stop, start and make basic manoeuvres in this first session.
The first session contains an element of theory so subsequent sessions take less time.
After these basics have been established it is possible for the novice rider to practice on their own in a quiet, level location near their home, although if they wish to progress more quickly the LSC can provide further basic instruction.
The cost of this training is £35 for the first 2 hour session.
Subsequent sessions - if required - cost £25.
These fees include the use of our bicycles for the training session.
Training is by appointment, and can be arranged at any time during daylight hours.
This training takes place from our base at 147 Amhurst Road, London E8 2AW.
Once a rider has mastered the skills of stopping and starting predictably, can make controlled turns, look backwards over their shoulder while going ahead and give one-handed traffic-signals they are ready to begin riding on the roadway. This is the moment when we recommend further instruction, which is best given on quiet roads close to the student's home. In this way they can look at local hazards and work out routes for practising alone.
More information from 020 7249 3779
or email patrick@londonschoolofcycling.co.uk
patrick field t/a the London School of Cycling