One of my goals and dreams is to teach adult women to ride a bike. Not everyone learns to ride as a kid, and here in Portland it’s pretty much bike-central. So I’ve begun to teach adult women to ride, and then to go on and obtain a bike of their own.

It usually takes two sessions to learn to ride – for women who have never been on a bike. The first session is spent just getting used to the bike, and balancing. I take the pedals off a bike that is a suitable size, and let the woman sit on the seat and push the bike with her feet. It’s like an adult version of a “Skuut,” which is a balance bike for toddlers. We do this “Skuuting” in a vacant parking lot, around an empty track, or on a Bike Boulevard (a city street that is dedicated to cycling, so has very few cars).

At the second session, we adjust the seat a bit higher, and get the woman on a bike with pedals. Finding the right size bike is imperative – so that she can feel confident. It usually takes only a few tries to get her riding.

Recently, I taught a 39-year-old woman to ride. After pedaling the length of a very long parking lot for the first time, she was in tears. That’s how joyful it is!

I also want to be sure that each woman can have a bike of her own. If she can afford to buy a new bike, I direct her to a local bike shop that is woman-owned, where she can feel comfortable and not be intimidated by all the choices. If she can’t afford a new bike, we work with The Community Cycling Center, where she can purchase a good used bike for a very reasonable price. And of course, we make sure she wears a helmet!