Grown-Up But Can't Ride A Bike? Chicago Has A Program For You

(CBS) -- If you've never ditched  the training wheels,  the city of Chicago has a new program to teach you how to ride.

Starting Monday, the Chicago Department of Transportation will offer free bicycle riding classes for adults.

Participants in the two-hour long classes, which run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., will receive a free helmet, courtesy of Blue Cross Blue Shield. The classes are also open to children if space is available (children under 16 will be required to provide their own bike, as Divvy does not allow riders under 16).

During July and early August, the classes will take place at the Garfield Workforce Center, 10 S. Kedzie and during August, classes will be held at Kennedy King College, 710 W. 65th St. In addition to the schedule and details posted here, the Learn to Ride program is also being promoted by Slow Roll Chicago and other community partners.

Participants are expected to RSVP for the classes.

"There are a lot of adults who maybe have not ridden a bike in a number of years, and there are even adults who have never learned to ride a bike," says Transportation Department spokesperson Mike Claffey.

Since the city of Chicago  is becoming increasingly bike-friendly, with the growth of Divvy Bikes and with 108 miles of new protected bike lanes and 290  lanes overall, the demand is there to make sure everyone knows how to ride and the lessons only make sense.

"That's the direction that city is moving in," Claffey says.  "We want to be the most bike-friendly city in the country. That's where we're headed."