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　　As the saying goes, once you’ve learnt to ride a bike, you’ll never forget．The next step is to feel confident; our quick guide below will help, but a bit of training can be invaluable．When you’re confident about what you’re doing, you get a lot more pleasure out of it．

　　Although you can get started with remarkably little in the way of knowledge, equipment and skills, you’ll find a little of each will be extremely helpful．Search around on this　website and you’ll pick up a lot quickly．If you already have a bike and it’s been lying around for a few years, you need to make sure it is still safe to ride．Start with the following checks：

　　Both brakes work well．

　　Both tires are pumped up．

　　The saddle is at the correct height(as a rough guide, when sitting on the saddle your heel should rest on the pedal with your knee very slightly bent)．

　　The handle bars are tightened so they do not move when pressure is applied from the top．

　　The gears(齿轮)work smoothly．

　　If you are unsure you should take it to your nearest bike shop for a quick service．

　　Once you have a bike, the next thing is to ride it safely and that means with confidence．There are a few principles though that will help when you start out．

　　Off road routes and trails are a good way to increase your bike handling skills, especially if you have not ridden a bike for a few years, so find your nearest national cycle network route, former railway cycle path, local park which allows cycling．If you are specifically looking to learn the finer skills of mountain biking, then a mountain bike training course could well help you on your way, whether you’re a complete beginner, or someone with more experience．

　　Once you have gained confidence in cycling, you may want to venture(冒险)further and this normally means that you will need to cycle on the road, see our SKILLS OF THE ROAD page for more information．