League of American Bicyclists (LAB)

Bike Ed Course offered by Montgomery Bicycle Club
May 27, 29, 31

In May '08, the Montgomery Bicycle Club will sponsor the League of American Bicyclists Bike Ed Course at New England Financial, 2740 Central Parkway (behind Home Depot on the Eastern Bypass) and the Prattville First Baptist Church.  Depending on class size, sessions may be held in Prattville in lieu of New England Financial.  The course will be taught by league certified instructor, cross country bicycle tour leader, and local bicycle enthusiast Mike Munk.  The class consists of 3-4 sessions to be held on May 27 and 29 from 6:00-9:00.  Outdoor session on Saturday 31 May from 9:00-2:00. The course fee is $10 for MBC members and $20 for non-members (includes course materials and a year’s membership to the bike club for non-members) and is a must for beginning to intermediate cyclists and highly recommended for any skill level.  The class consists of approximately 8 hours of classroom instruction/discussion on safety, basic mechanical techniques, traffic situations, emergency procedures, tire changing procedures, and hazard avoidance and 5 hours of bike handling practice drills on the bike.

Whether it was your mom, dad, big brother, big sister, or your school teacher who taught you to ride a bike, they probably just taught you the skills needed to stay upright and probably how to stop or turn a corner without falling on your face.  In addition, most instruction stressed that you should ride facing traffic, something that's not only one of the most dangerous things a cyclist can do, but is also against the law.  Beyond that, their instruction also probably fell short when it came to teaching you how to mingle with traffic, how to trigger a traffic light, or how to negotiate a left turn with dedicated narrow or wide lanes (how can you do any of that riding against traffic?).  If you were like me, you were left to your own survival skills or you decided to not venture out into traffic situations for fear of being hit.  Actually, this is a valid fear if you don’t have the knowledge and confidence to venture beyond the sidewalk.  This class will teach you not to fear everything, but to fear the things that are worth fearing and how to respect and handle them.  The class will examine and discuss the most dangerous traffic situations and how to recognize them and act appropriately before they become emergency situations.

According to statistics provided by the League of American Bicyclists, the number one cause of car/bicycle accidents is cycling on the left side of the road facing traffic...the way parents and outdated safety classes taught people to ride.  In addition, over 90% of all car/bike accidents are caused by “crossing or turning” motions around intersections and many of those are caused by erratic actions by the cyclist.  This class will teach you how to recognize these hazards and how to manage them successfully with confidence.  It will also teach you how to ride predictably and become part of the traffic pattern rather than being a traffic hazard.  We will discuss and practice how to handle the bicycle in emergency situations and how best to avoid an imminent crash.  You’ll learn how to negotiate with traffic for your spot in the flow and how to get through complicated intersections with ease.  And finally, class discussions will cover how to fix the most common mechanical problems riders encounter on the road. 

If like to ride a bicycle and you haven’t taken this course, you need to sign up ASAP.  It is well worth your time the price of admission and the things you’ll learn will make you a better cyclist whether you want to compete, ride for fitness, or you just like to ride around your neighborhood.  For more info or sign up, contact Mike Munk at 365-8034 or email at mmunk@bamacyclist.com.  Class size is limited so sign up today!