5 Common Myths That May Be Blocking You From Learning to Ride A Bicycle

Feb 6, 2026; updated Mar 3 - by Jianhan Wang

If you've ever thought "I'm just not able to learn" — this is for you. 

After teaching 180+ adults to ride, I have heard many reasons people believe they cannot learn. Most of them are not true. Here are the five most common myths. And why you're likely closer to riding than you think.

1. You have to fall to learn.

Many of us learned with falls and scrapes. And thus we thought they were just part of learning. I did so as well until I discovered and improved upon a different learning process.

By setting your bike up correctly and focusing on one skill at a time, you can always catch yourself with your feet. Nearly all, if not all, of the 180+ adults I've taught learned to ride without a single fall.

Falls are not part of learning. They are a sign the process needs fixing — not you.

2. It will take weeks and many hours of practice because you "learn slowly."

If learning has felt frustrating or unpredictable, it's probably because you were trying to master multiple skills at once — without realizing it. That is why I fell with the ‘traditional’ method.

When you isolate one skill with one clear measure of progress, you progress faster than you'd expect. All of the adults I have worked with learned to balance and pedal in 45 minutes to about 5 hours of practice. Many said it was faster than they expected… and fun!

3. Since you are an adult, it’s too late. You are too far behind or too old to learn.

You are not as alone as you think. A YouGov survey found that 6% of U.S. adults don't know how to ride a bike. I have taught people in their 60s to ride for the very first time.

You do not need to be an Olympic cyclist. You just need to get going — and it's never too late to start.

4. You are just not built for it.

After enough tries that don't go well, it's easy to think riding just isn't for you. 

A bike can't even stand up on its own when it's still. And yet, lots of people ride without thinking much about it.

If you can do the following, you can learn and ride:

1. Use all your limbs and senses (sight, hearing, and touch).
2. Stand on one foot for 5 or more seconds at a time.
3. Walk a half mile in under 10 minutes (3+ mph average).
4. Lift a bike up from the ground to upright.

With the right steps, learning to ride is not about talent. It becomes a matter of time.

5. You need to be fit first.

Being in shape does help, but not as much as you think.

I was able to ride when I was overweight. You have probably seen others who are overweight ride as well.

If you can walk a half mile in 10 minutes and stand on one foot for 5 seconds at a time, your fitness level will not stop you from learning and riding.

You are likely more ready to start than you think.

You're closer than you think.

Every one of these myths has stopped people from learning and going on their dream rides — and every one of these myths is most likely false for you.

If you want a step-by-step process that has helped 180+ adults learn to ride — most faster than they originally thought — check out Zero to Pedaling.

Not ready to enroll yet? Grab the free preparation workbook — a practical guide to setting up safer, more effective practice sessions than doing it alone, based on 8+ years of teaching adults just like you.