Try using your balance foot to “skate” and build up momentum. This will give you a
little more time to get your free foot on the pedal. Try this exercise a few times until you
get the hang of it.
Another exercise is to sit on the bike with the kickstand up and
balance against a wall or a bench. If you have a friend nearby, you
could also have them balance you.
In this position you can practice moving your foot from the ground
to the pedal. You can also pedal backwards to get a feel for the
motion of the bike. While you’re doing this, focus on sitting back
in the seat while relaxing your arms and shoulders onthe
handlebars.
Do you find the steering to be twitchy and difficult to balance?
If so, you’re over-steering the bike. Quite literally, you need to sit back in the seat and
relax your upper body, especially your arms and shoulders. Pretend you’re sitting in your
car seat and your arms are draped over the steering wheel. Riding a BiGHA is almost the
same.
Customizing your bike
Once you get the hang of things, you can start fine tuning your bike. Start by
determining whether or not the handlebars are aligned with the wheel. They may be a
couple of centimeters off balance. If so, get off the bike, sandwich the front wheel
between your legs and turn the handlebars until you find the desired position.
Here are some other adjustments to consider:
Steering Mast Pivot:
Your steering mast is mounted on a pivot. This makes the bike adjust to the length of
your arms, and also helps it fold for storage or shipping.
To adjust for arm reach, simply push or pull the handlebars away from your body. The
handlebars should be easy to move, but not so easy that they move just from the weight
of your arms.
If you need to change the tension required to make this adjustment, get your 5mm Allen
wrench out and follow the directions listed below:
1. Start by locating the pivot at the base of the steering mast.
There is a screw on either side.
The screw on the drive side of the bike (the side on which
the chain is located) comes pre-tightened. The screw on
the non-drive side is the one you’ll be adjusting.
