If you didn't learn to ride a bike as a child

[bigbluebus]

Why was that? My question sprung to mind when watching BBC Breakfast's piece on the Children in Need Rickshaw challenge this morning where the young lady riding the rickshaw today said she'd never ridden a bike.

I've come across 2 friends/acquaintances in my life who have admitted they can't ride a bike but I didn't question the reason why. So if this is you, disabilities aside, why do you think you never learned to ride a bike?

Parents couldn’t afford it, so never had one as a child. Had the occasional ride on a friend’s bike, but not enough to get the hang of it. Decided to go for a moped when I hadn’t passed my driving test. Was overtaken by a pedal cyclist and decided two wheels was not for me.

I did learn to ride a bike as a child, though it was a fairly painful, long drawn out process (as was swimming) due to a total lack of coordination. I’m hugely grateful my parents persisted with it, as the same issues mean I’ve never been able to pass a driving test (despite MANY attempts), and if I couldn’t ride a bike my life wouldn’t function at all - I wouldn’t even be able to get to work!

Hard to recall, but I guess I must have never asked for a bike and my (single) Mum didn't push me to learn to ride one, although she can ride a bike herself. Probably a bit of laziness there as a PP said. No siblings to be influenced by either.

I did learn when I got to my early teens and can get from A to B ok now, so long as I've got a nice wide cycle track. You wouldn't catch me cycling on the road, and DH gives me the bloody horrors taking off through the woods on his mountain bike like it's nothing 😱

I had overprotective parents who deemed it too dangerous. We lived near two very busy roads and they didn't want me riding on them. I tried to learn as an adult and just couldn't do it (subsequently diagnosed with a balance disorder). I made sure DS learned very young and did cycling proficiency at school, and he's a confident and competent cyclist now.

My dad tried and tried but I was rubbish. I learned at about 30 using a sort of cycle playscheme for families based on a running track and now I cycle everywhere and encourage the kids to do so. I can't drive and think the road sense developed when cycling will help if I try again.

A lack of money for a bike. I can't swim either (though I'm working on that).

This is me!

I never learnt when young, had a pony and ride around North Yorkshire on him! My sister fell off the pony and lost her nerve, she had a bike and still cycles. I do have an adult trike, don't use it very often, prefer walking.

My parents couldn't afford one. I'm in my 60s and never ridden one

My mum has MS and couldn’t walk so couldn’t teach me, and my dad tried a bit but I didn’t get it straight away so he gave up!!

I taught myself as an adult - might easier than I anticipated when I was ready and wanted to learn.

My dad was supposed to teach me but said I would never get it and he gave up. I was always embarrassed about it, particularly when we did cycle proficiency at school. I learnt as an adult but don't feel confident and don't really cycle. Both my kids can cycle well

My husband didn’t learn to ride a bike as a child due to his parents being lazy. I asked his mum recently why she didn’t teach him, her response was there wasn’t enough hours of day light left by the time we got back from where we had been that day.

I always rode bikes as a child and young adult. My eldest can ride, as can my youngest, but the middlespawn can only just keep himself upright and functional on a trike.

I have mobility issues now, and have been looking into buying a second hand adult trike, as the local public transport is shocking.

I have a good friend who never learnt as a child. It was because she grew up in central London, her parents didn't feel the roads were safe enough and they had nowhere to store bikes.

Never learned to ride a bike or learnt to swim. I could never let myself go enough to balance/float. I was fine with stabilisers and I'm fine with a float or similar in the baths but I definitely need that additional support.

This is pretty much my answer too. You're not the only one!

Wasn't allowed one as a child.☹️

I actually did learn in my mid 50's but too late I fear as, despite being very slim/ fit and exercising twice per day, I could only manage a few minutes as my thighs were killing me.

Obviously something I should have done much, much earlier.

Slightly different, but I have a relative who fosters older teens and she often has to teach them how to ride a bike and/or swim which are essential life skills in her seaside town. They come from elsewhere and/or never had opportunties when younger for obvious reasons.

My hand-me down bike was damaged and my parents never fixed it. I was just perpetually blamed for leaving it outside near the dog- I was 5 and never had a fully functional bike after that.
My family weren't really interested in bikes and DM hadn't ridden in years. DB got the hang of it and was off riding around with his mates but no opportunities for a decent bike or anywhere to ride it were set up for me. Not until I was 11 and DM saw a nice pink one in a shop and asked me if I wanted it for Christmas and I declined thinking that there was no point because it would never get used beyond the back garden which was too small to learn in. I wasn't allowed out to play and DM wouldn't have bothered facilitating it so at that point it seemed like a waste of time to me.

No cycling profficiency at school.
I never got the hang of balancing on friends' bikes. (I also never got the hang of swimming through years of school lessons)

I finally learned at 19, bolstered by having learned to swim at 16. I had pay from my new student job, bought myself a bike and finally learned how to ride it on some quiet side streets. I didn't let going over the handlebars put me off 😂

I'm not great and am selective about where I cycle but I can get to certain places by bike or cycle for recreation.

DS is dyspraxic (he may not be the only one in the family...) and I have done a lot to get him cycling and swimming. He likes swimming. He's not keen on cycling, but at least he can and things like cycling badges at Scouts aren't a problem and he won't have to miss out for any reason other than his own free choice.

My stepmum has never learned to ride a bike. She was born and grew up in central London and just didn't have the space or inclination I don't think.

I am in my 40s and can't ride a bike.

The woman who birthed me never wanted a daughter and was deeply misogynistic.

She made sure my brothers had bikes and learned from a young age, she said girls don't need to ride a bike and that was that.

By the time I realised how weird it was I was too old to learn.

I honestly just never liked it. My parents bought me a lovely new bike when I was about 8 and prior to that I had my sisters old bike and I always had access to my own bike in later years but I found it difficult to try to balance and just didn't enjoy it enough to persevere. My parents were also the type that didn't help with this type of stuff you were meant to just head out into the street and teach yourself whereas I needed lots of help. It's something that bothers me now I'd love to be able to cycle.

50 years old and never ridden a bike. Youngest of 9 children and parents couldn't afford to buy me a bike. Always been embarrassed by it. Used to lie about the presents I got for Christmas and birthdays because I never got any 'big' gifts like the other children at school.

I never wanted a bike. I just wasn't (and am still not), interested in them at all.

@JadeSeahorse very similar here! I wasn't allowed one as a child, it was seen as too dangerous. Both my parents had grown up in Central London, so I can see how they thought that. I had lessons at 50, but haven't really bothered since.