Learn to start and stop a bike: 5 steps to set off without wobbling, unclip in time and stop safely. Includes the shoulder check and helmet facts.
The honest answer: starting and stopping are the two moments when a bike is at its wobbliest. With speed it nearly keeps itself upright, but standing still or at walking pace you have to correct every sway with the handlebars. Bicycles are harder to control at low speed because their dynamics become unstable there [1]. That is exactly why the embarrassing tip-overs happen at the traffic light and not on the country road.
A study from Delft examined this with 18 older and 14 younger cyclists. The result: if something competes for your attention, for example a shoulder check while riding, the sideways rolling motion of the bike increases [1]. That is not weakness, it is physics. So you are not learning to "balance better" but to order the critical seconds so that you never do two things at once.
Starting is a fixed sequence, not a feeling: first look, then pedal stroke, then speed.
An honest note: I did not find a measurement study comparing exactly this sequence. The order below is standard practice from driving schools and clubs. Realistically, a few practice sessions on an empty car park are enough until it runs automatically (experience value). With clipless pedals, plan for more time.
Shift into an easy to medium gear while you are still rolling out, never only once you stand still. Put the pedal of your stronger foot at the front top, about "two o'clock". With the crank in that position, the first stroke from standstill has a lot of leverage and you do not waste half a crank turn.
Milestone (practice): 5 starts in a row without having to adjust the crank first.
Before you set off from the kerb, look behind you and clearly show your intention. German traffic law requires that when starting you behave so that no one is endangered, and that you announce your intention in good time and clearly [2]. On a bike that means: shoulder check, and if in doubt a hand signal.
Press hard on the front pedal, push yourself forward and sit on the saddle. The second foot only looks for the other pedal once the bike is rolling. Look far ahead, not at the front wheel: you steer where you look. Ride the first three or four metres deliberately straight, because with every metre of speed the bike becomes more stable [1].
Milestone (practice): 10 starts in a row where the bike does not weave in the first 5 metres.
Take speed off early and brake with both brakes evenly. The pedals are level and the cranks stay still. With clipless pedals you unclip while still rolling, not only when you come to a stop.
Slide forward off the saddle, put the foot on the side towards the pavement on the ground and tilt the bike slightly to that side. The other foot stays on the pedal so you are already in position for the next start.
Milestone (practice): 10 stops at a marked line where you stand without wobbling and without bracing against the handlebars.
Crashes on a road bike mostly end at skin and joints: in a systematic review of road cycling injuries, abrasions, lacerations and bruises made up 40 to 60 percent of all injuries [3]. The collarbone was the most common fracture, and the upper limbs were affected more often than the lower [3]. So you usually land on your shoulder and hand.
For helmets the numbers are clearer. A meta-analysis of 40 studies with more than 64,000 injured cyclists found that helmet wearers had odds of 0.49 for a head injury in a crash compared with riders without a helmet [4]. Roughly, that is half the likelihood. For serious head injuries the value was 0.31 [4], about a third.
This guide explains and motivates, it does not replace supervised training. If you are unsure, practise on an empty area with an experienced person next to you.
Do a "traffic light drill": roll towards a line, unclip, stop and start again after two seconds, ten times in a row, alternating between your right and left standing leg. The drill takes five minutes and trains exactly what counts at a real junction: getting moving again from standstill without panic. If you master both sides, you can put your foot on the safe side at any kerb.
Take speed off in good time, brake with both brakes, unclip while still rolling if you use clipless pedals, slide forward off the saddle and put one foot on the ground. The foot belongs on the side you lean towards, usually the pavement side. This is a practice standard; you rehearse the order best on a free area.
The pedal of your stronger foot should be at the front top, about two o'clock. That way the first stroke from standstill gives you power and speed straight away, without turning the crank back. This is experience value, not a study finding.
Yes. German traffic law requires that when starting from the edge of the road you endanger no one and announce your intention in good time and clearly [2]. A bike has no indicator, so in practice that means a shoulder check and a hand signal.
At low speed a bicycle is harder to control because its dynamics are unstable [1]. Every extra task such as looking around amplifies the rolling motion. With a little speed, a calm gaze ahead and an easy gear it becomes stable immediately.
Hand Signals and Shoulder Check on a Bike: Show Turns and Hazards Safely