WHO'S WORLD OF FANTASY WILL YOU DIVE INTO NEXT?

Question: does it mean that if one fails to learn how to ride in a few minutes (as stipulated in last week’s article) that there’s a problem with them?

No, not at all!

Again, does it imply that if one’s friend learns how to ride before them in the first session, that cycling is not their “thing”?

Listen! No, it does not!

Here’s why:

Learning to ride a bike is a process, just in case that was missed last week. And being a process, there’s a beginning, middle and end, and just like no two blades of grass are of the same height, no two processes will be of the same duration!

What I’d like you to take home today is that when riding a bike (or when exercising), the focus is on you as an individual: how are you feeling? Are you having fun? Is the workout making you feel good about yourself? Physical activity is the one place where you can get loose and express yourself as you probably wouldn’t do in the workplace.

Thus, the pace depends on you! And however long you take to learn how to ride should not be a cause of worry if you are enjoying yourself.

That said, there are some factors that may slow down the process:

A past traumatic experience on a bicycle for example. Imagine you tried learning how to ride previously, and in the process you fell and hurt yourself. This factor mainly affects children, who then view cycling as an evil and will either never get back on a bike or will never ride without stabilisers.

Phobia is also another factor that may hinder the learning process. This one mainly affects adults who have a great fear of falling or of getting dirty. Such people will tend to ride only when there is someone physically supporting them, say by holding the saddle.

Third, coercion by authority may make one hate the activity, and only do it just to please the authoritative figure such as the parent.

Finally, interference by (well-meaning) parties during the learning process. At the academy, we advise parents against distracting the Learn to Ride session to enable the child to complete the process on their own. Forcefully taking the session from the instructor (without good reason) could make the child doubt the progress made so far, and thus lose confidence landing back in square one.

These factors mainly affect one’s psychology hindering their (rate of) progress. Good news is that they are curable 😌

1. Take your time. For children, when they are exposed to an environment where they see their peers riding, they will slowly get over their trauma and start riding (maybe even better than the rest!😉)
2. Relax. Instead of thinking about your phobias and what COULD happen, think about how fluffy the clouds are on that day or about how the moon changes shape. Basically, distract your over-thinking mind and relax… You’ll be surprised by the results😉
3. This tactic actually worked during such a session: let the learner know that once they get on the bike, they leave all their burdens behind and enter into a whole other zone where they (and only they) matter. Coercion can make one doubt their self-image, especially if it comes from a parent.
4. Trust in the coach. They know what they are doing. Interference will not make the child learn any faster! Not to mention that the method of instruction will probably leave them worse than when they started.

Bottom line is that physical activity is an opportunity for one to express themselves, and one’s rate of progress will depend on them.

As a learner, relax. Breathe. Loosen up. The session is about you. Trust yourself. You’ve got this!

As a coach, I believe in you! So why not believe in yourself?

(DISCLAIMER: This is a fully opined article, so feel free to agree or disagree in the comments below).

In case you would like to engage our services, please contact me on +254 707 047 249, or email: duobearingsafrica@gmail.com

Also, in case you have a child who’s looking for a productive engagement over the weekend, the Two Rivers Cycling Academy is the place to be. Please see poster for more information.