"Suddenly she realised she was riding all on her own. Her face lit up."
Up until May 2025, Joan Robertson had never been on a bike. Her family all cycle but she had never felt the urge until a recent family holiday, when she watched them on their bikes, and, for the first time, thought to herself: I want to do that.
Aged seventy, she took the leap.
She learned about adult cycle training at her local provider A Wee Pedal with instructor, Leanne.
In advance of the class, Joan had shared that she was recovering from cancer and might not have the energy to last for a full session, but Leanne reassured her this private lesson was all about her – no pressure and she could rest at any stage.
Leanne arranged the class on a quiet path on her local park and explained to how to sit on the bike “like Mary Poppins: upright, elegant, and in control”. It clicked instantly.
After just five minutes, the team could see Joan had the determination and spark that would take her all the way, and every time they offered a break she’d wave it off, saying “nope, I’m good, let’s keep going!”
After an hour, Joan was nearly riding solo. Leanne’s hands were just gently tapping Joan’s sides as she ran beside her, then suddenly, Joan realised she was riding all on her own. Her face lit up.
“Yes, Joan!” Leanne cheered, “you are riding!”
Joan kept going – smooth starts, calm stops, uphill, downhill – all with perfect posture and a huge smile. You could’ve heard the whoops and cheers and high fives across Edinburgh!
As Leanne said afterwards, Joan is a reminder that it’s never too late to learn something new: she’s proof that the adventure is just beginning.
I had the most amazing time and truly loved every minute of it. I thought I’d have a go and thanks to your expert guidance, encouragement and cheerleading I can now ride a bike! To anyone reading this thinking they might be too unfit, too old, too nervous: YOU’RE NOT! It just proves you never know what you can do until you try, and find the right support team. I’m still buzzing: thank you A Wee Pedal, and Cycling Scotland for funding my class – what an amazing gift!
Since 2020, A Wee Pedal has taught over 1,200 people how to ride a bike. The charity, based in Edinburgh, provides bikes, helmets and instructors to get people on their bikes and, through support from Cycling Scotland, total beginners have been able to learn for free how to ride a bike. As instructor, Leanne, a former PE teacher says, “watching someone go from “I can't” to "look at me go!" is honestly the best part of the job."
Joan is a reminder that it's never too late to learn something new
This blog is a reduced version provided by A Wee Cycle. Read the full story.
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