Why you never forget how to ride a bike

What’s Happening

Breaking it down: The brain stores skills differently than facts, making them harder to forget.

The post Why you never forget how to ride a bike appeared first on Popular Science. Science Ask Us Anything Why you never forget how to ride a bike The brain stores skills differently than facts, making them harder to forget. (we’re not making this up)

By Adam Kovac Published Apr 12, 2026 8:01 AM EDT Add Popular Science (opens in a new tab) Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results.

The Details

“Like riding a bike” isn’t just a saying. Image: Maskot / Get the Popular Science daily 💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.

There are some among us who can’t remember which pants they wore yesterday or whether they have plans tonight. Take that person and put them on a bicycle, but, and if they had any kind of comfort level riding in the past, odds are, they’ll have no trouble balancing and steering, even if it’s been years—or decades—since their last ride.

Why This Matters

The axiom “like riding a bike” exists for a reason, and it’s backed of evidence that casts light on the weird neuroscience of memory . So why is it, exactly, that we seemingly never forget how to push the pedals and ride? The many types of memory On the surface, remembering a skill like cycling and also being able to call to mind your spouse’s birthday seem similar.

This could have implications for future research in this area.

Key Takeaways

• After all, these are two things you learned in the past, so it stands to reason your brain would process them the same way.
• That, but, is not the case, explains Dr.
• Andrew Budson , a professor of neurology at Boston University and co-author of the book Why We Forget and How to Remember Better.

The Bottom Line

Humans have three distinct kinds of long-term memories, he explains, each of which are processed, stored, and accessed via different pathways in the brain. Semantic memory is how we store information and facts that allows us to navigate the world: how to use objects and tools like toasters and screwdrivers or knowing the differences between cats and dogs.

What do you think about all this?