Backwards Bicycle Video
What This Covers
This video is a hands-on thought experiment in neuroplasticity, cognitive bias, and the gap between knowledge and understanding. Destin Sandlin explores how deeply ingrained motor skills are, and how difficult they are to unlearn.
Why Clients Watch This
To illustrate how belief systems and habits are neurologically hardwired
To demonstrate the challenge of unlearning old paradigms, especially in financial thinking
To show that understanding requires rewiring, not just more knowledge
Key Insights by Timestamp
(00:00–01:14) – The Setup
Destin recalls learning to ride a bike as a child.
A welder challenges him to try riding a modified bike: turn left, the wheel goes right.
He can’t do it. His brain rejects the change.
(01:14–02:24) – Knowledge ≠ Understanding
Destin discovers a key truth: “I had knowledge, but not understanding.”
Motor functions like riding a bike are controlled by deeply embedded neurological algorithms.
Most people overestimate their ability to adapt to change.
(02:24–03:44) – Unlearning Takes Time
After 8 months of daily practice, Destin re-learns how to ride the backwards bike.
Progress is fragile. Minor distractions send him back to old habits.
(04:00–04:42) – Children Learn Faster
Destin’s young son learns in 2 weeks what took him 8 months, proving higher neural plasticity in children.
(04:58–05:53) – Reverting Is Hard Too
When Destin returns to a regular bike, he can’t ride it at first.
After 20 minutes of struggle, his brain suddenly reverts back to the original skillset.
(06:15–06:57) – The 3 Big Lessons
Welders are sometimes smarter than engineers.
Knowledge does not equal understanding.
Truth is truth, regardless of your perception or bias.
Why This Matters in Financial Coaching
This story is a metaphor for working with clients to retrain their thinking about money, debt, control, and traditional financial advice. Just like the backwards bike, their instincts may be wrong, even dangerous, until they unlearn and rebuild new mental models.