Yeah, an empty parking lot. You might think a field of grass would be better, but in my experience the unevenness of the ground makes it harder to learn more than the softness boosts confidence.
Your falls when learning in the parking lot will be a lot more stumbling and dropping the wheel than anything serious. The wrist guards are especially important because most people’s reflex when falling is to catch themselves with their hands, and that can be a problem even at low speeds without guards. You will also bang your ankles on the pedals, which is painful but not seriously damaging.
First, work on just controlling the wheel with one foot while standing on the ground with the other. Roll it back and forth, get a bit of a feel for how it moves.
You’re going to want to try and hold onto something when you first try to get both feet on the wheel. In my opinion, this is a dead end and doesn’t really help.
Get out away from obstacles and work on stepping your second foot up. The movement you should be going for is a single smooth unhurried step while leaning slightly forward, don’t try to rush. This part can take a while and can tire you out more than you’d expect. It’s okay to let the wheel fall (that’s part of why a cheaper, lighter secondhand wheel is ideal for learning), and it’s okay to take breaks. Getting frustrated doesn’t improve balance or smoothness.
When you manage to get both feet on the pedals, keep your knees bent slightly, your back straight, and your eyes up. Especially at first your balance, and the wheel responding to your balance, will tend to go where you’re looking. Look at the ground, you’ll go to the ground. Look forward, you’ll go forward.
Yeah, an empty parking lot. You might think a field of grass would be better, but in my experience the unevenness of the ground makes it harder to learn more than the softness boosts confidence.
Your falls when learning in the parking lot will be a lot more stumbling and dropping the wheel than anything serious. The wrist guards are especially important because most people’s reflex when falling is to catch themselves with their hands, and that can be a problem even at low speeds without guards. You will also bang your ankles on the pedals, which is painful but not seriously damaging.
First, work on just controlling the wheel with one foot while standing on the ground with the other. Roll it back and forth, get a bit of a feel for how it moves.
You’re going to want to try and hold onto something when you first try to get both feet on the wheel. In my opinion, this is a dead end and doesn’t really help.
Get out away from obstacles and work on stepping your second foot up. The movement you should be going for is a single smooth unhurried step while leaning slightly forward, don’t try to rush. This part can take a while and can tire you out more than you’d expect. It’s okay to let the wheel fall (that’s part of why a cheaper, lighter secondhand wheel is ideal for learning), and it’s okay to take breaks. Getting frustrated doesn’t improve balance or smoothness.
When you manage to get both feet on the pedals, keep your knees bent slightly, your back straight, and your eyes up. Especially at first your balance, and the wheel responding to your balance, will tend to go where you’re looking. Look at the ground, you’ll go to the ground. Look forward, you’ll go forward.