Penny learned to ride when she was 65. She's one of many adults embracing bikes later in life

When Penny Scardifield was having problems with her knee, her doctor suggested she start cycling. The only problem? She'd never learned to ride a bike.

Penny was the eldest of four children, and she was never given a bicycle as a child.

"[There was] only one boy and he got the bike … girls got scooters," she says.

So, at 65, Penny decided it was time to finally learn. She started practising on hired bikes at Sydney's Centennial Park.

"It was a bit daunting," says Penny, who lives in Kirribilli in Sydney's north.

"For ages I didn't look at the surroundings. I was fixated on the path ahead and twigs and branches in the way and kids and dogs and people crossing, cars coming into the park."

She took some lessons, and after a while she gained more confidence. For her 70th birthday, her children gave her an electric bike.

"Nothing stops me now trying a new area because I know I can manage it," says Penny, who is now 72.

Why people are learning to ride later in life

As cycling grows in popularity both for fitness and as a sustainable transport option, more people are embracing it later in life.

George Mihelakis is a former courier who runs classes for beginners and rusty riders at BikeWise in Sydney. He teaches about five people a week, most of whom are women.

"It's about trying something different, just adding a life skill," he says.

The biggest difference between adults and kids learning to ride, he says, is that kids are fearless.

"If they fall down, they get up and they go again. So, kids don't have that problem of worrying."

Ben Carr, co-founder of cargo e-bike hire company Lug+Carrie, says many of their clients are adults returning to cycling, particularly parents looking for another way to do local short trips.

Ben says how the first couple of rides go is crucial.

"If your first few rides are not successful ones, and if they're not fun … chances are you're not going to get back on the bike."

Marta's replacing car trips with a bike

Like Penny, Marta Francisco never learned to ride a bike as a child.

"I was just an obnoxious child that decided not to read Harry Potter or ride a bike," she says.

For Marta's 30th birthday, her husband gave her a bike and she learned to ride, often cycling to work.

Since the birth of her son Daniel 18 months ago, the urban designer has embraced cycling as a mode of transport.

"We just realised that you add a bunch of trips to your day that you didn't have before," she says.

To cope with Daniel and the extra stuff children require, she rented an electric cargo bike, which comes with a child seat and storage.

Not only did it mean they didn't need to buy a second car, she says they now hardly use their car.

Apart from the environmental and financial benefits, Marta says cycling to and from their Clovelly home in Sydney's eastern suburbs is much more enjoyable for both of them — even though she's had some unpleasant experiences.

"It's our little adventure. He engages with the world around us when he's sitting behind me," she says.

"I still get screamed at sometimes. It is really scary, so I think we need to go through that journey of reminding ourselves that [people come] first before cars," she says.

Finch had lessons after buying an e-bike

Finch Spiteri, 59, stopped cycling regularly in the 1990s after having children. Recently, she decided to purchase an e-bike.

Sydney's cycling infrastructure may have improved since then, but the extended break had left her feeling nervous about getting out on the road.

"When you have children, you do not cycle anymore, you push a pram," she says.

"It was more about confidence and feeling safe on the road."

She enrolled in some lessons with George Mihelakis, who helped her navigate the streets around her home in Bondi Junction. She found she had a lot to learn.

"Things like when I grew up, you always kept to your left or, you know, you tried to hug the side of the road," she says.

"And [the instructor] was saying, 'No, don't do that because a car door will take you out.'"

She has since been venturing further and further on her e-bike, and fixing up her old bike which she plans to use for a camping holiday.

After 20 years off the bike, Sherre's embracing the 'awe and wonder' of cycling

"Awe and wonder" are the two words Sherre DeLys, 65, keeps coming back to when talking about returning to cycling about three months ago.

The last time she rode a bike regularly was when she was living in Belgium in 2001, where cycling was common.

Encouraged by Sydney's efforts to become a more bike-friendly city with more separated lanes, she decided to give it another go.

"It's everything I hoped for and much more," says Sherre, who lives in Randwick in Sydney's east.

What she hadn't realised was what a joyful experience cycling would be.

"If I drive through a suburb, I don't notice much," she says.

"But if I'm cycling around, I'm really seeing people. They smile as you pass, maybe say a word."