17
Learning to Ride
After adjusting the Micro-Cycle to your personal seat position, balance point and learning the warning system as described in the previous
chapter, you are ready to learn to ride. The Micro-Cycle uses your natural instincts to balance, accelerate, decelerate, and steer. This section
will help you get started.
ENLISTING A HELPER
To practice riding, find a paved, level, unobstructed area, such as an empty parking lot. Enlist a helper to steady the Micro-Cycle by holding
onto the handle at the rear of the seat and walking with you as you get comfortable balancing, just like your parents did when you learned to
ride a bicycle. Be sure you can comfortably place both feet flat on the ground while sitting on the Micro-Cycle.
CHARGED UP AND READY TO GO
Before powering up the Micro-Cycle, check the following:
• The batteries are fully charged, and the battery connectors are clicked in place.
• The tire pressure is between 35 and 40 pounds. The higher the tire pressure, the easier the Micro-Cycle is to ride.
POWERED UP & IN BALANCE
Accelerating
Follow these steps to accelerate.
Helpful Hint: For greater control and confidence, keep your feet just touching the ground while you’re learning. Be careful not to let your feet
catch on anything as it may throw you off balance and cause you to lose control of the Micro-Cycle.
• Step 1:
Make sure the Micro-Cycle is in balance, in low speed training mode (see tail light fast blink rate), and on level ground.
• Step 2:
With the foot pegs folded up, sit on the seat and place your feet down on the ground. With your friend holding the back of the seat,
shift your weight forward by rocking your pelvis. Stay upright with a straight back. The Micro-Cycle will roll forward. It’s OK to drag your
feet while you’re getting used to the Micro-Cycle’s feel.
CAUTION
Take it slow and easy. Ride forward 10 feet and stop by leaning back.
• Step 3:
As you gain confidence, rock farther forward to increase your speed. Keep your weight over the center of the wheel. If you go faster
that 5 MPH the handlebars will gently come up to slow you down. This is the way the RYNO will communicate to you. As you increase in
speed settings this feedback will be what lets you know you have reached to edge of the speed setting. Do not try to resist the gentle rise
of the handlebars as you approach the speed limit of the bike.
WARNING
Do not lean over the handlebars as this will put you in danger of falling outside the balance window.
• Step 4:
To gradually stop or slow down, lean backwards. To slow down more quickly, use the stop-assist lever (covered in the following
section “Slowing and stopping”).
• Repeat steps 2 through 4 until you’re comfortable with the Micro-Cycle’s balance.
• When you’re comfortable riding with your feet down, practice riding with your feet resting on the foot pegs. Make sure your friend is
holding onto the rear of the seat.
• We have found that people learn to ride more quickly the faster they are able to stand up on the foot pegs. This provides an intuitive
shortcut into the performance aspect of accelerating and stopping as well as turning. Make sure that the first time you try this someone
you trust is holding the handle behind the seat as they run next to you.
