Read the excerpt from the common sense of bicycling: bicycling for ladies.

to learn to balance, have the saddle raised as high as possible, so that the ball of the foot just touches the pedal at its lowest. practise wheeling in this way, with an instructor, or alone on a smooth surface where you are sure to be undisturbed.

based on this excerpt, which is the most crucial step in a list of procedures for balancing on a bicycle?