Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A Life-Changing Experience at 54: Lance at Virtuous Cycle Is Simply the Best I completed the NYC Marathon in 2025 and found myself asking: what’s next? The answer surprised me. I wanted to finally learn to ride a bicycle. At 54. Something I had never once been able to do. This wasn’t just a casual goal. I wanted to earn a motorcycle endorsement on my license, partly inspired by years of traveling through cities like Copenhagen, where cycling is woven into daily life, and watching others glide effortlessly past while I stood on the sidewalk, envious. I had ridden an automatic Vespa-style scooter for years, but a real bicycle? Never. And at my size and age, I had long assumed that ship had sailed. Finding the right instruction as an adult beginner was harder than I expected. A local bike shop was visibly puzzled by someone who had never ridden. The referrals I received weren’t the right fit: one instructor focused on competitive race times, another taught primarily children, and a third required me to bring my own bicycle before I even knew what kind I needed. I was stuck before I had even started. Then I found Virtuous Cycle. Lance’s intake form alone was enough to convince me. The questions were thoughtful and structured, clearly designed by someone who has worked with all kinds of learners. He brings his own bicycle to every lesson. I signed up without hesitation. Lance is a trainer par excellence. He doesn’t teach on weekends because open, calm spaces are essential for learning. He doesn’t stack lessons back to back because the body and mind need time to absorb new skills. These reflect a philosophy that puts the student’s success above everything else. Our four lessons were expertly structured: Lesson 1: No riding at all. Lance focused on fundamentals: mounting, dismounting, and body positioning. When I got lost on my way to our meeting point, he rode out to find me. Not a word of frustration. Just kindness. Lesson 2: Once he was confident I could mount and dismount safely, he taught me to ride. The progression felt natural because of the careful foundation he had built. Lesson 3: Independent starts, refining balance, and building a full toolkit of skills. Lesson 4: Everything came together. Longer distances, inclines, potholes, and understanding gears. At the end of that fourth lesson, Lance cleared me to ride on my own. I can barely describe what that moment felt like. What truly distinguishes Lance is what happened after our lessons ended. When I mentioned riding with my sister over Memorial Day weekend, he asked for a photo of her bike, walked me through a pre-ride safety check, and advised me not to ride her high-performance road bike just yet. That attentiveness, on a holiday weekend after our work was complete, is rare and speaks to someone who genuinely cares about your safety and long-term success. Is it expensive? Perhaps on the surface. But expert, personalized instruction that teaches you to ride confidently and safely, without injuries or bad habits, is priceless. If you are an adult who has always wanted to ride, whether you think you are too old, too out of shape, or too far behind, please reach out to Lance. I am living proof it is never too late. Thank you, Lance. Truly.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Lance was an excellent teacher. He’s incredibly communicative and always sent emails confirming lessons, payments, and helpful pre-lesson tips and exercises. During every lesson, I felt like I had his full attention, and his enthusiasm made me even more motivated to learn. This was absolutely worth every penny. You can tell he genuinely cares about each of his students and tailors lessons to their individual goals and skill levels. By lesson three, I was already riding on clipless pedals, and I feel so much more confident as a rider now. Highly recommend!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Lance is an excellent instructor for those students who are willing to put in the time and to trust the process. He is patient and uses a thoughtful and careful method to build up skills and confidence so that adult first timers can learn to ride. Very glad I took his class and would highly recommend.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I initially signed up for a series of four lessons with Lance -- the idea that one day I’d be able to ride a bike seemed utterly implausible, so I didn’t want to commit to more, but at the same time I knew there was no chance I’d pick it up in an hour or two. Long story short, I ended up doing seven or eight (I lost count, they were that fun!) lessons in total. I am still in a state of mild disbelief that the outcome of those lessons is a version of myself that can confidently navigate on a bicycle -- a total novice, yet nonetheless capable. I am so excited for a future of experiencing, practicing, and improving this ability. Lance’s approach is somewhat magical in that the results and the progress really have a way of sneaking up on you. We began our first lesson with a discussion on proprioception, and I admit I wasn’t exactly brimming with self-confidence on top of the nerves I was feeling before we even got started. Very slowly, and very steadily, we built up a foundation of basic movements and rhythms that compounded into more complex abilities. I won’t ever forget the incomparable sensation of gliding down that gentle incline at the park for the first time, dangling my feet an inch or two above the ground without needing to put them down for stability. I didn’t even recognize myself! I knew at that point that Lance was onto something, and that with time and consistent effort I’d end up achieving my bike-riding goals, so I scheduled a few more lessons to further solidify the knowledge (which I’m very glad I did, and recommend others do if they’re able). Once a skill felt comfortable, Lance had a way of turning up the heat just the right amount to keep pushing me to learn more and expand my repertoire as a new bike rider. I’m tempted to continue meeting up with Lance even now to hone my skills further, chat about this and that, and hang out on the bike. Anyone reading this review has taken a courageous first step toward unlocking a part of life they may have written themselves off entirely from ever being able to enjoy. I urge you to listen to that voice inside of you and go for it! I couldn’t recommend working with Lance more in the pursuit of turning this limitation or anxiety on its head into an exhilarating (if still scary -- it’ll be a while before I can grab a Citibike and dodge deliverymen downtown without a second thought) new world. Thanks, Lance, for your generosity, warmth, thoroughness, attentiveness, patience, kindness, and above all else, intelligent and thoughtful teachings! Five stars :)Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Lance is an extraordinary teacher in every respect! He is truly an expert when it comes to teaching adults how to ride a bike. He has a deep understanding of the fears, misgivings, and challenges his students face, and he has developed an incredibly accessible, systematic, and effective approach to helping them overcome these obstacles. I had given up any hope of learning to ride a bike many years ago—I found it terrifying and had concluded it just wasn’t something I would ever be able to do. However, I felt compelled to give it another shot since several of my kids kept asking why I wouldn’t join them on bike rides (and the other one refused to learn, pointing to my not riding as evidence that he didn’t need to either.) I was very skeptical that I’d actually learn, but I felt I had to give it one last try. Thanks to Lance, my skepticism started to fade by the end of my first lesson. I was (and still am) shocked that soon afterward I was actually riding a bike on my own. I’m still in the early stages of riding, but I’m confident I can do it—and I’m so excited to soon be going on bike rides with family and friends. I strongly encourage anyone who can’t ride to give it a shot, no matter how fearful you might be or how certain you are that you can’t do it. Lance is an expert, and you owe it to yourself to overcome your fears and enjoy everything that riding a bike has to offer.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Learning to ride a bike as an adult can be intimidating, but working with Lance turned it into one of the most joyful and empowering experiences of my life. His incredible personality, patience, and passion for teaching kept me motivated and excited to keep pushing myself each week. The series was perfectly structured—every lesson built thoughtfully on the last, making new skills feel natural and achievable. Lance struck the perfect balance between being encouraging and giving helpful, constructive feedback. Between sessions, he’d send beautifully crafted emails full of stories, tips, videos, photos, and even fun quizzes to keep me learning off the bike. It made the experience feel so personal and immersive. I’m truly grateful for the laughs, the guidance, and the confidence I’ve gained—not just in biking, but in myself. Thanks to Lance, I can now proudly say: I know how to ride a bike!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Lance did an amazing job of breaking down our lessons into key areas I should focus on in order to improve my development of getting on a bike and riding. In order to tackle my anxiety, I took a series of 4 lessons and Lance was generous enough to extend 1 of my lessons with no extra charge. Lance even went above and beyond and provided me materials to read up on, on the days we didn’t have our lessons, just so I can keep what we learned fresh in my mind. I truly can’t wait to get a bike of my own and start riding. Do yourself a favor and reach out to Lance, you won’t regret it!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I found Lance (Virtuous Bicycle) when I was looking for someone to teach my 13 year old daughter to ride a bike. For various reasons we were late starting this process and she didn't want to end up in a class with a group of 6 year olds. Lance is simply wonderful and by lesson two she was riding a bike and by lesson three she was comfortable doing so. He asks for lots of info up front so he understands the issues/concerns before even meeting. And you have to trust the process - each step taken on its own doesn't seem like much but they build on each other. He is patience and kind and listened carefully to all my daughter's questions and answered everything. She felt very comfortable throughout the process despite some initial hesitation. It was amazing to see how quickly she progressed and how happy she was by the end of her lessons. I would recommend Lance without hesitation to anybody looking to learn to ride a bike at any age!Load moreVerified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
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