Cycling is becoming more and more popular, so more and more people with little practice want to get on and drive off. Adults can also learn to ride a bike in special courses.

Monika Kraus used to find climbing particularly difficult. Now the 61-year-old gets her bike going in a pretty routine manner. She takes a course for adults with little to no exercise in cycling.

The Marburg native first practiced on a scooter to train momentum and balance. Cycling instructor Christine Rhodes reports that there is a steadily increasing demand from people of all ages who are cycling for the first time in years or for the first time at all.

Low-threshold exercises outside of the big city traffic

Far away from the roaring traffic of the Main metropolis, the course participants first practice on the spacious, flat and tarred area of ​​the old airfield in Frankfurt-Bonames. You drive in a line behind the trainer and curve around green and red cones. It is important that the exercises are designed in such a way that there is no fear at all. "So we start going downhill at the bottom of the mountain, not at the top," says Rhodes.

Many of the six participants report that they did not have a bicycle as a child. Either there was a lack of money or the parents were worried about safety. Masoumeh Tüllner-Hejri, who came from Iran, was even forbidden. Now she is very happy to be able to get started on her own bike soon, says the 58-year-old.

Arming for the road - including a "wow" feeling

During the course she learned, among other things, how to safely climb and descend, drive up and down hills and deal with unforeseen situations. In addition, the participants receive information on how they can continue practicing afterwards, as teacher Rhodes reports.

The 58-year-old from Hadamar gives the courses on behalf of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC). 20 hours spread over several days are practiced. Towards the end it goes away from the airfield onto the street.

Monika Kraus says she is glad that she dared to do it despite her concerns. She remembers the moment when she first felt a cool wind on her skin: "That was a real wow feeling," says the 61-year-old.

The number of road fatalities among cyclists is increasing

There are also bike courses from other providers. There are also courses that are geared towards special bikes such as pedelecs, e-bikes or mountain bikes. Cyclists are still among the most vulnerable road users.

The number of road deaths has tended to fall in recent years, and the corona pandemic brought an all-time low. But two-wheelers can benefit the least from the trend, as an evaluation by the Federal Statistical Office has shown. While the share of car occupants in road deaths has fallen significantly since 1991 from 60 to 43 percent, the number of cyclists doubled from 8 to 16 percent.

ADFC calls for measures for more safety in the saddle

When it comes to road safety, there is "still a lot to do in Hesse," says ADFC state manager Norbert Sanden. The association requires, among other things, structurally separate cycle paths with a good surface, intersections and junctions that are safer for cyclists and pedestrians, the use of turning assistants in trucks and the consistent towing of wrong-way parking and speed reductions, which also have to be checked.

Big overview: for whom the e-bike is suitable - and for whom not

Comfortable seat: how do I adjust my bicycle saddle correctly?

ADAC is testing ten models: How well do cheap bicycle helmets protect?

Sanden demands that a traffic safety concept has been drawn up under the direction of the Hessian Ministry of Transport and must be implemented. Together with other associations, the ADFC has also prepared a popular initiative for a traffic turnaround in Hesse, which is to be presented on September 1st. Numerous points were devoted to the topic of security.

Sources used:

News agency dpa