We tried teaching our 6-year old how to ride her bike a few times after watching YouTube videos, but she would get too scared of falling and stop after a few minutes. John is an amazing teacher. He is incredibly patient, calm but firm, and breaks everything down into simple steps. Because our daughter is so cautious, I thought she would need more than 2 lessons, but by the end of 2 hours (we scheduled 2 separate hour-long lessons), she was riding her bike with an enormous smile on her face. We'll go back for a third lesson in a few weeks to help with her confidence, learn some safety tips, and maybe start using the gear shifts. We were a little hesitant because lessons are not cheap, but lessons with John were worth every penny. I wish we had done it last summer! read more

I am eternally grateful that I found John with bicycle solutions! I am 32 and never learned how to ride a bike as a child. Any friends (and my boyfriend) who tried to teach me were unsuccessful and I had a lot of nerves and self talk that did not allow me to learn. John is incredibly patient and kind however and knows so many different ways and strategies to get you going. I learned successfully to glide in my first lesson; to pedal during my second lesson and during my third learned a lot more skills to be able to practice on my own. If you are considering learning; this is the way to go. Thank you! read more

jianhan is amazing. He was super patient, easy going, and very relaxed throughout the entire lesson. He had a bike ready for my son to use, although we had bought our own as well. Before starting, he went over bike preparation/readiness, rider safety, and helmet usage. Prior to the lesson, my young son couldn't really ride a balance bike, much less a bike with pedals. Jianhan spent a lot of time just teaching him how to balance on the bike and then when my son was ready, began adding in the pedals. By the end of the lesson, my son was riding very nicely on his own. At night, he rode around our neighborhood and showed off to other family members. Could I have taught my son myself? Of course. But it would have involved much more time, more yelling, and probably a lot more crying (I'm a terrible bike-riding teacher- my older kids can verify). Instead, Jianhan made the experience absolutely wonderful! I am so looking forward to riding bikes with my son for the rest of the summer. read more

I have got two children, a 10 year-old boy and a 15 year-old girl. Both had never had any previous experience with bicycles. Today, they just finished their second private lesson with Tim. For me, what happened was almost a miracle. They were pedaling before half the time of the second lesson. Tim is extremely kind, competent, and professional. I cannot thank him more for that, and I highly recommend the services of bicycle solutions to anyone in the same situation we were before. read more

If there were more stars, we would give them. Caroline taught our 7 year old son, who is neurodivergent and requires patience and clear explanations and demonstrations. She was so kind (with him and with us, since we were a little nervous) and positive and enthusiastic and calm and showed him very simply how to use the bike first as a balance bike (after quickly taking off the training wheels and pedals). After he worked on gliding for a little while, he asked if he could try with pedals, and she put them back on and, miracle of miracles, started riding, after about 30 minutes. Honestly, we were shocked. We had been expecting (and would have been perfectly happy to do) many lessons before he learned. We would have been happy to keep working with Caroline, she was really wonderful. It was a real feeling of success for everyone. We recommend her and Bicycle Solutions, they were really terrific. read more

I have worked with Bicycle Solutions twice. In less than 2 hours John had my boys riding. He is able to break down the process and explain it in ways they understand. With a second class, he gave my older son tips to make him more confident - we are now ready to ride! The smiles on the faces were amazing. Thanks!!! read more

John and Bicycle Solutions absolutely rock! We've tried for several years to teach our daughter how to ride a bike. It took John a less than 2 hours after teaching her the basics of balance and safety then she just put it all together and soared. We're so excited. John is amazing! Thanks, Bicycle Solutions! read more

I promised myself I would learn to ride a bike before I turned 30. I am 31 now and until a few hours ago, could not ride a bike. I will spare you the childhood history and the anxiousness I felt leading up to my lesson (what if I still can't ride a bike??? Everyone on yelp learned!) and give you a brief summary of my experience: 1 - Signing up for a lesson: easy to do online and John responds to emails extremely quickly. His system is also set up to send a few reminders about when your lesson will be (not an annoying amount, just enough to not forget). Hardest part is probably the internal struggle you have with yourself. 2 - What to bring: If you don't have one, buy a helmet. Ladies, I recommend Bern, they are the cutest ones I could find...cute for a helmet anyway. Also, bring water and wear sunglasses if sunny. Obviously wear tennis shoes. John will provide a bike based on your height. 3 - The location: I met John in the parking lot of Alemany Farmers' market - a big lot with a slight incline to help your momentum. I was lucky enough to have motorcyclists, skateboarders, and a group of firemen watch me - but I really didn't care because I was extremely proud of myself for just showing up. Plus. there was always a ton of room so don't worry about crowding. 4 - The lesson: John will give you a basic intro to bikes and based on your experience and his evaluation of your first few attempts to glide (more on that later), he will customize his lesson. For me, it was a 3-phase class - first, I learned to glide without any pedals in order to balance on a bike (this was definitely the most difficult part for me). Second, I glided with only 1 pedal to get a feel for the pressure I would need to put on the pedal and to continue working on braking, slowing down, balancing, etc. Third, I rode with 2 pedals, practiced turning and coasting. I don't know how, but I was able to pedal without falling on the first try. I almost wanted to cry I was so happy. 4 - John might be the most patient person ever because even I was getting annoyed with myself during the lesson (see phase 1), but he was nothing but encouraging the whole time. He was also detailed about how to position your body on the bike and did a really good job demonstrating on the bike and providing analogies to help me translate skills I already had into riding the bike. I really can't say enough about how amazing it feels to finally be able to ride a bike. I honestly tried maybe 2x in life so if I can do it, anyone can. I felt safe the whole time because John was knowledgeable and made me feel comfortable (he will adjust the bike several times to ensure your ride is as easy as it can be). When the lesson was over, he gave me even more info on where to go from here - places to practice, videos to watch, safety classes to take, bike shops to buy a bike, etc. The freedom and relief I felt once I learned was worth about 5,000% more than the 2 hours and money spent on the lesson. I am probably going to take another lesson! read more

We live in the East Bay, and we were looking for somebody to help us teach our daughter how to ride a bike. We tried ourselves, it was not a good experience, she was very reluctant to try again. We called at 8:30 AM, and by 10 AM on a Sunday we were meeting Anthony for our lesson in Alameda. We spent two hours with him, and by the end of it, she was up and riding on the bicycle. It was a really great experience. We now have a great base to work off of. I'm going to find out if my older son wants to learn how to ride as well. I highly recommend this company, and it was the best money we could've spent. read more

John made himself available on short notice to get my 8-year old ready for a vacation. His methods and patience paid off. She was riding confidently and most importantly, was begging us to go biking on vacation. Highly recommend. read more

John is a magician on wheels! He taught both our son and daughter to ride within their first sessions and is thorough, patient, and kind-hearted. read more

John is an absolutely awesome individual and a perfect instructor! He is patient, kind & is very knowledgable! I felt at ease right away. I had to relearn how to ride a bike after not riding one for after about 30 years. I wasn't doing well at all trying to teach myself how to ride again. I was falling down even. Without him, I know I would have given up! He met me at an empty college parking lot & I rode there. He started by first taking off the pedals, then puts one back on & then the other. Because I was at ease with him, I was able to follow each step & ride with ease once the pedals were both on. I plan on taking another lesson so that I can become confident riding on the street & bike paths. I'm so happy I can ride a bike again! read more

I had an amazing time learning how to ride with John!! He is such a great instructor - patient, kind, thorough, and incredibly knowledgeable! I was a little intimidated coming to class thinking it would be hard and that I wouldn't be able to pick the skill up. However, within 30 mins John had me gliding and pedaling on my own. Instead of being intimidating, the class ended up being pure FUN! If you have always wanted to learn how to ride a bike but felt it might be too late, give John a call - he will turn you into a bicycle pro in under 2 hours so you can go on bicycle adventures!! read more

I promised to create a yelp account should I learn to ride a bike - because after years of frustrating, painful failures - I was certain I would not make it. Well, the words bike whisperer come to mind. Not only did I learn, but I had so much fun and confidence by the end of my lesson that i rented a bike the next day to ride through GGP. I am not a "natural" at anything, especially athletics, so believe me when i say that I truly believe John can teach ANYONE how to ride a bike. What he does is a gift to those of us who never learned. He is a really good teacher, professional, supportive, and gets legitimately excited as you progress in your lesson! As a bonus, he took a video of me (at my request) and followed through with sending it on the same day so i could share the proof with my family. Considering that my life will be so much more complete now, I really don't know how to thank him, except to buy lessons for friends and give him this stellar review. His rates are great for a private lesson. Even if it seems pricey to you, please know that what you get out of it is priceless. read more

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Bicycle Solutions! I had a 2-hour private lesson with Carolyn after many years of putting it off, and she soon had me on a bike enjoying a new (and moving!) perspective! What I enjoyed most about Carolyn's coaching style is that she teaches great riding techniques as well as how to stay positive and curious about the experience in order to keep learning new things that can be applied to improve one's ride. If you're considering signing up, DO IT! read more

We can't say enough great things about John. Our 9yr old wasn't able to practice consistently so his interest waned. After about 10 minutes with John, he was up riding and now can't wait to get on his bike. Here are his comments, "I wish I could give John 100 stars". read more

As a person who has never tried to ride the bike before I was a little bit shy about just jumping on one and give it a go regardless of what my knees would think. Therefore I have searched over the internet for adult bicycle courses and I had run into Bicycle Solutions on Yelp; the reviews were really giving a good image of the classes and I decided to give it a try. All the reviews that say "Great!" are true. John does not only have good pedagogical skills but also a great sense of observation. To start with the beginning - he is very calm and is giving you the trust that you need to build to start using the bike. All the details that you need are presented and if you think you have anything to ask more he is there for you. Even though you might think that this is just theoretical stuff - it is really useful and helps you get on the bike and use like you want it. Coming to the actual riding the bike, John is extremely helpful not only in telling you what and how to do it but also he is paying attention to all the necessary details - he gradually adjusted the training bike so that all that I have accomplished through the class could be better applied - this is also useful as you are starting to know the bike and also what will suit you when you will be owning your own bike. It took us - John and me - 1 hour and 15 minutes to have me ride the bike at a level that would encourage me to practice more in a more confident manner (and I had started from scratch) Great experience! read more

We hired john to teach our twin six year old grandsons how to ride. Until then, they had been scared and were unwilling to try. He made the environment so safe and positive for the boys that they learned to glide well after two sesions. His instructions were exactly what the boys needed to hear and a few weeks later, they are pedalling on their bikes. Hie is the best instructor! read more

A friend recommended John to me for teaching my 12 year old son to ride. Within 30 minutes, my boy was happily sailing around and his first comment after the lesson was "That was fun!" John was patient, knew easy ways to present the needed information, starting from how to get on a bike and building from there. He also spent time on safety, looking at fit of my son's bike and advice for where to go to advance from here. Absolutely worth every penny. read more

Last year we were able to teach one of our twin daughters how to ride, but our other (more stubborn) one simply would not follow our directions. So this year, with dreams of weekend family bike rides in our heads, we decided to call John. He was professional, patient and informative, and our daughter instantly took to him. WITHIN 45 MINUTES she was gleefully pedaling away screaming "I did it!" as the top of her lungs. When I asked her afterwards how it felt, she said "it was like flying!" If you or anyone you know wants to learn how to ride a bike, call John. He is amazing! read more

Anthony was the best teacher ever for my son! We tried several times to teach him but he was afraid and if he wobbled or fell would get frustrated and not want to try anymore. Anthony was so patient and had such a logical step by step approach that not only gave my son the 'feel' of riding a bike without the risk of falling but also slowly built his confidence. By lesson 2 he was riding on his own! Best of all he was so proud of himself!! read more

This is the second class I've taken from John. On both occasions, I received more needful information than I expected. He has great experience. This time, the course was part lecture/video and part hands-on. We brought our bikes into the classroom and he and his team were able to answer questions specific to our bikes and our situations. Don't miss. read more

I had been putting of learning how to ride for years but with John I was able to learn within an hour! He is an incredible and patient teacher who offers advice as you learn how to balance and pedal. He even let me practice in the parking lot for an hour after! I 100% recommend his lessons for any adult learning to ride and having fears about balancing (his without pedals technique is incredibly helpful)! Will take his urban cycling classes when I'm ready to hit the streets! read more

I had tried before to learn how to ride a bike but always struggled. I was low on confidence that I would eventually learn. John coached me very well by taking me through several steps to increase my confidence and technique. Within 15 minutes, I could glide without pedals. Within an hour, I could ride with two pedals. By the end of the lesson, I was able to get on the bike, get off the bike, start, ride, coast, turn, control my speed and more. I wholeheartedly recommend his services. I am now capable of riding a bike. read more

I took 90 minutes class with John, I finished the class and I was able to speak "bike" fluently! He was patient, and give me the instruction that I needed. At the end of the class John also dropped me to the nearest bart station. Highly recommended! Thanks John! read more

I was pleasantly surprised by Bicycle Solutions and by my teacher, Anthony. Initially, my dad and I were skeptical because of the location and my prior bad experiences with learning to ride as a kid. I had a lesson with him yesterday and was actually off with the bike in under half an hour! Anthony is not only amazing at explaining things and answering questions, he is also warm, patient, and attentive. He is also more than willing to give advice and encouragement at every step along the way and even throws in some interesting trivia occasionally. Overall, taking this class was the best $150 I ever spent. I can't wait to go biking more often! read more

In addition to everything you can read in the other comments about Bicycle Solutions being the best solution around for adult learners, I wanted to add that John was terrific with our 12yo daughter. She had worked hard in the past to master bike skills but always stopped short (in frustration) in the past - even with the benefit of hours of family help and another professional coach. John was patient, calm, methodical and confidence-inspiring. Within 50 minutes, she was biking in a straight line and stopping on her own. Within 90 minutes, she was turning and stopping at will with ease and a smile on her face. I am giving John the highest recommendation because he is hands down an excellent teacher who is worth a try even if you've tried other classes or coaches in the past that haven't clicked. read more

I met with John on April 15th at Escondido Elementary School in Palo Alto. I had a little bit of experience on a bicycle and could get started (shakily) and ride around a little bit. One thing you realize after working with someone like John is that there's a lot of things that people learned intuitively as children and really aren't aware of what they're doing as adults. He gave me a few techniques for getting on and off the bike, starting, stopping and turning. Practicing these drills has given me a lot more confidence and I was able to go on a 7 mile bike ride on the Monterey rec trail last weekend. I'm still a little awkward and shaky, but he definitely propelled my ability forward. If you're frustrated with your progress, I'm very confident he can unlock the next level for you! Thanks John! read more

I had a lesson this morning with Tim Oey, and it was worth every penny! Tim is a fantastic instructor. At the beginning, I was uncertain that I would be able to bike by the end of the lesson, but sure enough, with his methodology, I was able to do it! I came away from the lesson SO excited to be able to finally do something I've been wanting to do my whole life. Tim is also super friendly, kind, and encouraging. I highly recommend Tim and Bicycle Solutions. read more

I'm an adult who has not been on a bicycle for nearly 30 years. I started looking for private instruction to learn to ride, and came across John's info online. I happened to mention this to a friend of mine, and my friend had wonderful things to say about an urban riding class that John taught. My friend said that he uses the skills John taught him every time he's on his bike. So, I signed up for my lesson. I was very nervous and scared of falling, but John's coaching made the learning experience fun and easy. His progressive approach taught me how to ride in phases, progressing to successive phases only when I was ready. He taught me the proper form for starting, stopping, turning, etc., which really helped with my stability. I didn't fall even once! John also provided great advice for the right type of bike for my needs and I'm now shopping for my first bike in nearly 30 years! I couldn't be more excited with my new found abilities! I highly encourage anyone wanting to learn new riding skills (whether beginner or more advanced) to give John's coaching a try. It really is worth every penny and you'll be so happy you did! read more

It's been a lifelong dream to learn how to ride a bike. An ex tried to teach me using his skateboard to guide me. I tried to teach myself in Thailand in the driveway of the hotel we were staying at. Everyone bikes around everywhere there. It seemed so natural, so easy. I tried for hours, but I just couldn't get it to balance. The woman told me I had no balance. Fast forward two years later. Summer in SF. I go for a run in Golden Gate Park and am overcome with jealousy for the bikers who glide past. I go online, find John. Just had a two hour lesson, but I was pedaling within an hour. All it involved was breaking down the process. Biking is hard initially because you're learning how to doing things at once. Activate your core, stand straight, start, stop, balance, pedal. The way John breaks it down it's a transition so organic you can barely believe it. I'm still in a bit I'd a daze. I did it, and I didn't fall once. Actually, I fell, but not while biking. I fell while walking the bike too fast to the top of the lot so I could bike again. I cannot recommend John enough. I'm a teacher too, of a different kind, and I can say without a doubt that he has the best qualities that a teacher can have: patience, perception, an ability to diagnose what you're doing wrong and a tried and tested pedagogy. I don't think I've ever spent a better $120 in my life. read more

This comment is an adult who never learn how to ride, and is short (around 5 ft tall) like me. It is very difficult to find a bike to learn with my height. John is definitely your bicycle solutions. First of all, John is a great teacher - knowledgeable, patience, encouraging and be able to observe, explain and correct your problems. He is very good at breaking down step-by-step for you to understand and learn, master one skill at a time. The best thing that John can offer, besides teaching, he can really be able to adjust your bike (for learning positing) to finally riding position according to your size and when you are in learning stage. This is extremely critical for people with my height with bike adjustment and body proportion issue.. John provided bike for the lesson. Since I just got my brand new bike, I prefer using mine, and also I know the right adjustment for my bike is critical for me to learn and practice afterwards. I'll definitely recommend John. read more

It was totally amazing! John is so professional in teaching. He taught every detail carefully in the beginning and let you try by yourself step by step. Now as I can bike I found a whole new world in front of me! Thank you, John! read more

I have had many people try to teach me how to ride a bike to no avail. A friend of mine, took lessons from John and she was very happy with his instructions. Alas, John was on vacation and my lesson was with Anthony who did a great job teaching me. By end the of the first hour, Anthony had me riding around the parking lot. The next hour we were practicing turns, using the brakes, and the gears (which I couldn't remember to do). The 2 hour lesson was money well spent and I was no longer holding onto the bike handles with a death grip. He taught me handle signals and where to purchase a brand new or 2nd hand bike. Anthony was patient and very good instructor. read more

Not having read all the glowing reviews, this might be repetitive. I'm 75, and have ridden bikes for recreation in different cities through the years. Two years ago I bought an electric bike, but still had too much fear of hills and traffic to use it much. But I missed the 'high' of biking, and on recommendation of Karen at New Wheel, called John. What a great investment of time and money! He has all the necessary information plus excellent coaching skills. In a two-hour session I learned so much about navigating in traffic, and about bike lanes, that my confidence has risen 90%, and I'm about to go out for a ride right now. read more

John is an amazing instructor, he not only has unlimited patience and encouraging words, but a step-by-step technique that makes the impossible dream of learning to ride a bicycle at any age, a reality. John is definitely the Zen master of bicycling :) read more

I'm about to turn 52 next month and have never been on a bike in my life. I found out about Bicycle Solutions through a class I took 2 weeks ago in Golden Gate Park that John was teaching for adults. I decided to take private lessons and after just 2 lessons can now ride a bike!! Talk about a life changer! John's an excellent teacher and really cool to be around. I urge any child or adult that's struggling to learn to work with him ASAP. I'm so glad I did! John's the best! read more

My 2 sons - 10 and 6 years old - had not learned to ride bikes without training wheels mainly because mom does not know to bike and dad does not have the patience, so neither of us were of much help in teaching them. The kids kept asking to go biking. So I started searching the internet for bicycling classes and found the rave reviews about John and Bicycle Solutions. I am happy to say that every single praise/comment is well-deserved. First off, we purchased a couple of good bikes (trek) for the boys. Then I booked classes for both of them to learn from John. It was very easy to schedule the lessons online. We went over to the Palo Alto school location with helmet and bike. John had a couple of kid-sized bikes of his own too, just in case we did not have ours. He had all the necessary tools to adjust the bikes to fit the kids exactly. He was very patient and skilled at getting them to learn and within an hour to 90 minutes had both my kids riding their bikes confidently! I could not believe my eyes that my 2 kids went from scared of riding to riding happily in such a short time and with zero falls or boo-boos! My kids are delighted and proud of themselves. John encouraged me to sign up for lessons for myself as well. I am not sure how soon I will do it, but I am giving it a serious thought. Call John if you want to learn to ride a bike at any age! read more

This was the very best $90 I have ever spent. And, given what $90 typically gets you in this day and age, my guess is that it's the best $90 I will ever spend! (Caveat: I think the price is going up a bit soon. No matter; every penny is worth it!) read more

Diane, who works with John at Bicycle Solutions, taught our son aged 5-1/2 to ride a bike in 45 minutes. He started the lesson with difficulty climbing onto the bicycle and ended the lesson showing off his newfound skills -- spinning around the empty parking lot with great control over the bike and plenty of confidence. Diane was fantastic -- she is good with kids, clear, and friendly. She communicated clearly via email about setting up the lesson and answered all my questions in advance about cancellation policy, etc. She was also fast to respond and we scheduled the lesson at relatively short notice. She shared some great tips about helmet safety that are probably worth their weight in gold (and let's face it a child's safety is priceless). Overall I was very satisfied and highly recommend her to others. Thanks, Diane! read more