Dr. Paula Watson is a sports psychologist at Made Up To Move in Liverpool and she suggests that before we can even begin to do any sport or physical activity we need to have three things in place. 

She said: “We need to feel capable of doing it, we need to be motivated to do it and we need to have the opportunity to do it.” 

There are two facets to the capability aspect Dr. Watson refers to: physical and mental. In cycling, you need to physically learn the mechanics of cycling, how to pedal, how to steer etc. But it’s the mental aspect that’s trickier to overcome. 

“It can be quite individual in terms of that perceived capability,” Dr Watson said. “​​If somebody believes they’ve never learned anything since they were a child, they're going to feel less confident at being able to go out and do something new.

“We can be much more scared of failing, than changing. So the best way to avoid failing is to not try in the first place.” 

Two more factors that make things harder for adults are motivation and finding the opportunity to learn. Most people aren’t often put into situations where they have to ride a bike. And even if they do find the motivation, if they don’t live in the right area it can be hard to get started.

Fortunately, I live in Manchester, and over the past few years cycling has been a big push for the city. Manchester was named European Capital of Cycling in 2024 and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has invested in around a 1000 pay-as-you-ride “Bee” bikes. 

TfGM also runs free bike lessons for people who live in the area. These range from beginner sessions to group rides and bike maintenance courses to help people get active and travel via two wheels instead of four.

Against my better judgement, I decided to book one at the inconspicuous Media City piazza in Salford.

The day arrived and I was unbelievably nervous. I was trying to make excuses to get out of it - old habits die hard, I suppose. A strip of pavement in the shadow of the shiny ITV news building was the location for the lesson. I was hoping for some soft, reassuring grass. No such luck. 

The instructors arrived on time, but I avoided going over to ask if they were there to teach hapless people like myself how to ride a bike. Thankfully, they were very kind and assured me they’d get me riding within 15 minutes.

In reality, it took less than two. 

After a quick induction on how a bicycle operates, it was on to the moment. The ride off into the sunset moment.

I began pedaling, with the instructor holding my shoulders to keep me riding straight.

Before I knew it, he was away. I was finally riding a bike. 

For 25 years I’d told myself that there was this thing that I categorically could not do. I’d built up to be this shameful, impossible thing, and it was resolved in a couple of minutes.

Who’d have thought that all I needed to do to ride a bike was actually try? I wasn’t scared of the bike. I was scared of people’s reactions, of looking stupid. Over the next 45 minutes I slowly built my confidence up. There were a few crashes and moments of panic, but nobody pointed, nobody laughed, nobody cared, except me. 

Dr. Watson suggests that this fear of embarrassment is one of the biggest factors she sees in her clients that stops them from exercising or trying to start a new sport. 

She said: “They often try to predict what will happen, like: ‘Oh, why are they looking at me? Are they going to laugh at me? What is an adult doing trying to learn how to ride a bike?’ But we evaluate what evidence is there to support that?

“Often they realise that everybody is totally more concerned with what they're doing themselves.” 

I’ll likely need a few more lessons before I’m ready to tackle the roads of Manchester. I’ll likely crash, fall over, and look a bit daft. But I’ll do it.

Turns out learning to ride a bike as an adult is as easy as…, err, well you know the rest.