Teaching the "No-Falls" Method for Riding a Bicycle

With the learner seated on the bicycle, instruct the learner to turn the handle bars in the direction the bicycle is leaning -- to the right when the bicycle seems to be tilting to the right and to the left when the bicycle seems to be tilting to the left. Make it clear that the more the tilt, the more the turn needs to be.

Tilt the bicycle slowly to the right followed by tilting it slowly back to the upright position. Make sure the learner turns the handlebars in the direction of the tilt (to the right) and straightens out the handlebars as the bicycle becomes upright again.

Repeat the prior step, but this time to the left. Repeat the prior two steps several times, always telling the learner which way the bicycle will tilt.

Once the learner responds to tilts quickly (in about a half second), progress to tilting to the right (and then the left) in random amounts until the reaction time becomes similarly fast.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 several times, always telling the learner which way the bicycle will tilt. Take a 5-minute break between intervals.