by Jean Marie Linhart
After several club members expressed interest in taking a safety course this past fall (2003), I arranged to have Preston Tyree come out from Austin to teach Road 1 a 9 hour safety course course that is part of the League of American Bicyclists Bike Ed Program. We had a course in January of 2004. I've subsequently obtained a certification from the League so that I can teach Road 1 myself. I'm waiting to arrange my maiden course! :)
Road 1 has two components. The first is about 4 hours of classroom material. This part does not require a bike. We go over bicycle basics such as how to choose a bicycle, parts of the bicycle, and safety checks. Then we cover vehicular cycling principles such as how to position yourself in a lane, where to stop at a stop light or sign, and how to make a left turn across multiple lanes of traffic. Statistics on accidents are available too. The second part of Road 1 is the fun stuff: out on the bicycle! We teach safety maneuvers such as looking behind without swerving, quick stops, instant turns, and rock dodges. We practice cycling in traffic, crossing railroad tracks, making left turns and right turns, and cycling with a group. There is a written test at the end, and you are also graded on your riding skills as observed in the on bike session of the course. Don't forget to do an ABC quick check at the beginning of the riding section -- you are graded on that too!
Preston is a gifted teacher and bicycling advocate; we are lucky he was willing to drive out to College Station to teach. His first trip out was in November of 2002 to teach Road 1, only then he got a classroom full of experienced racers (and Ph.D.s) who were emitting a smell of already knowing everything (except for me). This was my introduction to cycling safety courses, although I'd read about the League's Bike Ed program on the web and had already decided that if I could become an LCI that I'd try to do so. It was good to watch Preston manage our group. He got the local experts talking and merely directed the discussion in the direction he wanted it to go, interjecting valuable tidbits as needed. He ended up teaching a hybrid course between Road 1 and Road 2.
Unfortunately, it chose that weekend to rain like the devil, and we ended up doing quite a few drills outdoors in the wet. One lesson from the class was no fixed gear bikes at safety class -- fixed gear makes it impossible to do a quick stop safely! Another lesson was to find some type of open space underneath a cover so you can practice safety maneuvers out of the rain.
The second class was both easier and more challenging, and I learned a lot watching Preston take this one on as well. There was no attitude of knowing everything (except for me, but I knew my role was as an assistant), however, there was a greater chasm of knowledge between the more experienced riders and some novices. The sign of a good teacher is to manage to serve the needs of both at once. We all worked together to learn something.
I wish we could encourage anyone who uses a bicycle regularly to take Road 1. There are lots of problems I'd like to see remedied in the general bicycling population like lack of helmet usage, wrong way riding, stop sign scofflaws, and no lights at night. These are common problems with the collegiate bicycling population that make regular club riders want to scream. The course has more to offer than that, though! Regular club riders learn quite a bit from the detailed focus on vehicular cycling principles, the important ones being what drivers expect and how to communicate with other vehicle drivers. You learn that looking behind you is not just a way to see what is behind you but also a communication tool to other motorists and how to use it. You learn how to position yourself for safety at stop lights. A thousand misleadingly small points like this make you a safer, more courteous vehicle operator when you are on the streets with your bike.
It was hard to bring a teacher in from Austin for a class -- you never know with certainty how many people will show at the class, and many people don't like to commit until the last minute. I have to admit this last time I was afraid Preston was going to drive out here and I wouldn't have even 5 students for him. We had 8, and Preston ended up donating the three extra course fees to the Family Support Network, who lent us classroom space.
I went off to the League Cycling Instructor certification seminar when it was offered in Austin in February of 2004 to become an LCI. I'm always interested in having fun on my bike and learning something new, and I'd be a teacher in the local area. The LCI training seminar is not offered regularly in the state, although there are usually a half dozen seminars (or more) offered nationally over the course of a year. The League of American Bicyclists keeps an updated list of BikeEd courses including LCI certification seminars on its website.
If you are interested in becoming a League Cycling Instructor, you must first take Road 1 and pass it. Then you can sign up for a certification seminar. You will be given reference materials and a pre-seminar exam due about 2 weeks before your seminar starts, this is to motivate you to hit the books and be fully adept with bicycling knowledge before the course. During the course, the focus was not at all on in-depth knowledge, but rather on good methods for conveying that knowledge to students. We each made a 15 minute presentation on a Road 1 topic. Mine was gears, shifting and derailleur adjustments. We each taught several of the basic safety skills such as quick stops, instant turns, rock dodges and looking behind without swerving the bicycle. We spent time out riding in traffic and practicing skills for riding in traffic. We spent time outside at night testing lights and reflective materials. It was a full (and tiring) weekend, starting at 5:30 pm on Friday, and ending around 3 pm on Sunday. I also did about 6-10 hours of preparatory work, and the cost was $175 plus travel expenses.
If you want to take Road 1 we can work together to find some other students and I'll have a go at teaching my first course. There is a time commitment of 10-12 hours, and a cost of $65 per student ($50 with BVC, LAB or TBC membership).
I've made initial contact with the Parks and Rec departments in Bryan and College Station, but I've not had time or motivation to really follow up on that just now. My short term hope is to have about 2 Road 1 courses offered in the area, through the Parks departments or otherwise per year.
Preston Tyree sent 3 pictures he took from the Road 1 course in College Station. Here they are:
The Road 1 class. From left to right, Jean Marie Linhart (organizer and assistant), Jonathan Coopersmith, Scott from Pearland, Nico Spronk, George Boykin, Kris Hardy, Regina Hokanson, Angela Hardy, and Dorothy from Burton. Notice how clothing affects visibility in this picture. We run the gamut from dark and nondescript to Regina's "Look at Me" vest. What do you think is most optimal for safety?
Jean Marie's about to demonstrate the technique for a rock dodge. You turn your handlebars quickly to one side then straighten them, so your front tire avoids the obstacle, but your momentum and bicycle continue straight.
Jean Marie about to demonstrate an instant turn.
Fred Meredith, the LCI certification seminar instructor, made sure we got a class picture of the Austin seminar. He had an REI store employee take the photo, since he's off to the right (blue helmet, yellow shirt, reflective vest).
The 2004 Austin LCI certification class was held at REI in Austin. Back row L to R: Stanton Truxillo, Preston Tyree, Gilbert Martinez, Aaron Ayotte, MarC (not Mark) R. Miller, Steve Coyle (LCI #1153), Fred Meredith. Front Row L to R: Laura King behind in yellow, Beth Clancy in white in front, Jeff Thorne, Sarah Lightfoot from San Francisco, Nancy Meredith, Jean Marie Linhart
