Riding Lessons

PRIVATE BICYCLE LESSONS

Bicycle Solutions offers four general levels of bicycle instruction. We also can tailor lessons for your specific goals or requirements.

INSTRUCTION LEVELS

1 - Learn To Ride At Any Age (off-street): Balancing,  safe and confident starting, stopping, turning and shifting. Some of our instructors can provide a bicycle or you can bring your own . We have carefully researched the best and safest places to learn in the Bay Area and have taught as young as 2 and as old as 82 (although 4-6 is typically the sweet spot to learn to ride a two-wheeler). Please be sure to review Expectations below when considering what duration lesson to consider.

2 - Bicycle Handling Skills (off-street): After you have learned to ride (or as a "skills refresher") in a paved area with few or no motor vehicles, we make sure you can properly start and stop, scan, signal with your hands, and change lanes before you go on the road to negotiate with other traffic. One-hour lessons are usually sufficient for this; just one, or as many as you'd like to feel more secure as a cyclist.

3 - Ride-Along Coaching (on-street): "Smart Street Cycling" for safe and confident riding anywhere you need to go. We can meet you at your home, work, school, or elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area and show you how to safely navigate wherever you want to go on your bicycle. Ride-Along sessions can vary from one to three hours in duration, depending on your goals, route, location, etc.

4 - E-Bike Coaching (off-street & on-street): "Smart Street Cycling" for e-Bikers. We teach instruction levels 2 & 3 together with a focus on what e-bikers need to know including safe charging, the different types of e-bikes, the laws that apply to e-bikes, and best e-bike practices so you stay safe. Note that we do not provide e-bikes, you will need to bring your own. E-bike instruction needs some extra time to manage the range of topics; a 90-minute class is a recommended minimum.

EXPECTATIONS

Everyone learns at a different pace. For new cyclists, very few might succeed in one hour, others may need six hours or more, while for most, two to four hours may do the trick. Most new young learners find one hour to be the maximum effective lesson duration, while most middle schoolers through adults can keep going for two hours and sometimes longer. Motivation and a positive, growth mindset - in students and parents/guardians - are critical. Tasty snacks help, too!

GROUPS & CLASSES

We also deliver group classes and organized rides for schools, businesses, organizations, and governments on many bicycling subjects including our four Instruction Levels above, Bicycle Commuting, Hauling Anything by Bike, Long Distance Bicycle Touring, Riding at Night, Riding in all Weather conditions, Family Biking, Group/Club best practices, and more. For group classes, rides, and other special projects, contact us at lessons@bicyclesolutions.com.