Adult bike classes help Americans learn to ride later in life

Adults who never learned to ride are finding classes from Manhattan to Philadelphia, where a skill many people picked up before middle school is being taught as a practical way to move through a city. YouGov data cited by CBS News found that about 13% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 34 do not know how to ride a bike.

In those classes, the students are often people who tried as children, gave up and did not return, or adults who were never taught in the first place. For many of them, the barrier is not interest but access: embarrassment, the cost of lessons and the prospect of learning near traffic can make a bicycle feel out of reach until a structured class lowers the stakes.

Bike New York meets that need with free Bike Skills 101: Learn to Ride-Adults classes in New York City. The lessons give beginners a low-barrier entry point in a place where a bicycle can serve as a commuting tool, a way to run errands and a more flexible alternative to cars and transit.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia offers a similar model, with classes and beginner rides at several locations for youth and adults. Its Learn to Ride classes at Lloyd Hall are for adults and mature teens, a setup that gives late learners a place to practice without the pressure that can come with trying to teach themselves.

The push is not limited to the Northeast. PeopleForBikes said a new adult education series was set to launch in Bentonville, Arkansas, on April 4, 2022, showing that interest in adult learn-to-ride instruction extends well beyond coastal cities. CBS has also highlighted New York City programs helping first-time adult bikers “take life by the handlebars,” part of a broader effort to make cycling more accessible, less intimidating and more inclusive for people who missed the childhood milestone but still want the mobility, confidence and health benefits that come with riding.