Riding a bicycle: help learning and returning adults by W. Preston Tyree

If you think of what bicycling offers children, you begin to understand why it’s also valuable for older adults. When instructors for the League of American Bicyclists teach Smart Cycling® classes, we frequently ask people about their first experiences with a bicycle. When students come up with one word that describes their early experiences, it is usually "freedom." But the list generally has lots of great words like: independence, adventure, friends, fun and money.

Bicycling is all of those things—and more even—for mature cyclists. Going to the local coffee shop to meet with friends provides exercise, camaraderie and a chance to catch up with what is going on in the neighborhood. Older cyclists can use a bicycle to shop for groceries, visit the library, ride in the park with their grandchildren and even visit the doctor.