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Bicycling - For Fitness, Fun and Personal Transportation
Bicycling is a great low-stress aerobic activity you can enjoy for a lifetime ...
if you do it right!
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Controlling a narrow lane in downtown Ferguson, MO
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Two primary courses are offered, plus a 6 hour refresher course, to suit your time, commitment, and experience:
* Traffic Skills 101, the League of American Bicyclists foundation course, is 9 hours minimum and covers everything you need to know about on-road bicycling - the safest cycling choice for commuting and recreation.
Classroom presentation precedes parking lot practice and cycling on local streets, working up from residential to more trafficked roads.
* BIKERight allocates more time to on-bike practice and is spread over three 6 hour sessions:
Session 1: Classroom and bike check for fit and mechanical condition and preliminary on-road
exercises on quiet street or parking lot.
Session 2: On-bike, starting with 1 to 1-1/2 h on the parking lot [riding in a straight line/scanning behind/hazard avoidance techniques]. Street ride, starting on low-trafficked streets and working up with me leading and students rotating into #2 position behind.
Session 3: On-bike, starting in parking lot [hazard avoidance exercises]. Street ride same route as before but with me in #2 position and students rotating into #1 position to receive one-on-one coaching.
I've been teaching adults and older children since 1997 and have gradually improved my
instructional methods and materials over that time. It takes at least 15-18 hours to cover the material thoroughly although a one-day course is also offered. I can handle a large classroom class if space permits but when it comes to the on-bike sessions class size is limited to 4 to 5 students per instructor, so each student enrolling will get plenty of personal attention.
Fees: TS 101 $40; BIKERight $80. $10 discount for each additional family member.
6 hour 1-day refresher $30. Student Notebook $12 [33 pages] Classes by arrangement.
Location: Classroom session in my home; on-bike instruction on local roads.
For more information: Please contact
Martin Pion, League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor
6 Manor Lane
Ferguson, MO 63135.
Tel: 314/524-8029 fax 524-8129
mpion@swbell.net
.pdf flyer download
"Five Layers of Safety" was developed in a cycling context by Dan Gutierrez and Brian deSousa, both from southern California. The below was written by Mighk Wilson of Orlando, FL, and Khalil Spencer of Los Alamos, NM. Khalil's comments in the last two paragraphs are written in the context of his job: He works in the chemistry division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Layer 1: Control Your Bicycle (Don't fall or collide with others)
Skillful control of your bike greatly lessens the chance of falling down or colliding with others. Do this and you cut out about half of your injury risk. To ride in groups, a cyclist must have good bike handling skills.
Layer 2: Follow the Rules (Don't cause traffic accidents)
Follow traffic laws, obey signs and signals (including stop signs), use headlights and taillights at night, and use the correct lanes for turns and through movements. About half of cyclist/motorist crashes are caused by cyclists who violate the basic rules of the road (motorists are responsible for many of the others). Combine layers 1 and 2 reduce your injury risk by up to 75 percent.
Layer 3: Lane Positioning (Discourage other driver's mistakes)
Knowing when to use the full lane or to share a lane is something few cyclists fully understand. Your position in a lane is the best way to make yourself conspicuous, to tell drivers what you are doing, and to discourage them from making unsafe movements. Many of these effective lane positioning principles have been forgotten by the modern cycling community, so they may be contrary to what you've been taught. Combine layers 1, 2 and 3 and you cut out about 99 percent of all potential crashes.
Layer 4: Hazard Avoidance and Situational Awareness (Avoid the other driver's mistakes)
There are evasive action drills and situational awareness skills you should develop that can help you avoid other people's mistakes, avoid physical hazards, and dodge obstacles. Reading traffic and staying alert to other driver's intentions give you time to calculate a response. For example, is the oncoming driver slowing as he approaches an intersection, possibly telegraphing to you his intent to turn? Knowing how to stop and turn quickly helps you avoid other operator's mistakes that aren't discouraged by lane positioning. These skills are generally not instinctive and must be taught, such as in Traffic Skills 101.
An example of an emergency turn (and the correct cyclist position) is shown here:
http://www.massbike.org/police/mpg/rightturn.mpg
Layer 5: Passive Safety/Injury Reduction (Protection when all else fails)
This is actually the least effective layer. Helmets and gloves, like seat belts and air bags, protect your most vulnerable body parts as a last resort in case of the very rare failure of layers 1 through 4, but they do nothing to help you avoid crashes. Helmets are PPE meant to protect the brain from the extremely rapid decelerations caused by an impact and do so by crushing a controllably deformable layer such as styrofoam. Even the best bike helmets are compromises to protection, weight, comfort, and cooling and will not protect against all foreseeable impacts. Furthermore, they have to be fitted correctly.
Let me add something from a lab perspective. Depending on a helmet for cycling safety is a little like nuclear facility workers using their air purifying respirator as their only line of defense from an uptake, ignoring engineering and administrative controls, worker training, and safe work practices. The nuclear facility worker's "layers 1 through 4" similarly come first and the PPE is the last resort. But while your safety envelope (layers 1-4) ensures you will probably never need your PPE, it is awfully critical to have it there when everything else goes wrong.
To me, this discussion is not entirely academic. As a graduate student, I had just purchased a 10 speed and being a relative novice to cycling, began riding to work. Within weeks, I was cut off in traffic and launched over the top of a Volkswagen whose operator was making a U turn while not yielding to surrounding traffic, including me. Analyzing what happened, my road position was not optimal, possibly resulting in the motorist not being aware of me (layer 3). I was not trained to make an evasive maneuver and had limited bicycle handling skills (layers 1 and 4) and had not anticipated an emergency response to the driver's action (layer 4). Finally, I was not wearing a helmet (layer 5). I suffered a severe concussion and spent much of an entire year recovering enough to resume my graduate studies. If any of these layers had been successfully implemented, the crash might not have happened or if it had, might have had far less serious an outcome.
Even in these days of cutbacks in driver's education, motorists have to pass a test to get a license, so there is some knowledge of the rules of the road, in theory, before the keys go in the ignition. Cyclists owe it to themselves to hone bike skills. In addition to basic handling skills -- stopping, steering, signalling -- they need to understand the following:
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles.
When you ride in the right lane, in the same direction of traffic, use hand signals and wear bright colored clothing, other road users understand what you are doing. You are predictable and visible. Up on the sidewalk, motorists don't expect you, aren't looking for you, and can't predict how you will act at intersections. Pick up a copy of Street Smarts free from bike shops, or buy a copy of Effective Cycling, or check the class listings on this page. Start riding at times with little traffic, on quiet residential streets to get a comfort level.
Under the law, you are controlling a vehicle. You owe it to yourself become expert at it!
St. Louis Health and Fitness Mentoring
From the website: "I'm a retired engineer with an avid interest in health and fitness activities. I enjoy spending time outdoors either walking or cycling, and I'm offering to share my enthusiasm and knowledge related to health and fitness activities with others if it will help them develop improved health and fitness habits."
The services are free and offered in Creve Coeur Park. A wide variety of services are available including general fitness, hydration, basics of heart rate monitor training, improved riding techniques, and extending distance and endurance for either cycling or walking. Check it out at stlfitnessmentor.com.
The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation supports certification of League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) in the area. The League of American Bicyclists LCI's offer different courses to suit the needs of any and every group. From civic groups to college level credits, LCI's can offer the following courses for adults and children: Road I, Road II, Commuting, Motorist Ed, Kids I and Kids II. Need something different? LCI's can offer shorter duration classes, on-bike skills, classroom instruction, bike rodeos and general safety consulting. League of American Bicyclists LCI's are insured for any material that they teach, in any setting. Courses are currently available. If you would like to set up a new course, anywhere around town just send a note to info@stlbikefed.org.
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The future is now. In the spirit of supporting local businesses, the Bike Fed has affiliated with local, independent bookseller Left Bank Books. Purchases made through our web site support bike advocacy and also help keep money in St. Louis. For the skinny on some great bike books, check out our recommendations below. To start shopping, visit Left Bank Books' website. |
Bicycle: Around the World by Linda Svendsun
In our car-crazed world, it is the bicycle that exemplifies many freedoms. Like a patriot, a bicycle is rugged, unhampered, athletic, straightforward, and independent. And, as an added bonus, it is a simple machine anyone can learn to maintain. For years photographer Linda Svendsen has captured images of bicycles from around the world providing glimpses of the machine in all its forms and uses combined. With over 200 images, Bicycle is a true celebration of one of the world's classic mode of transportation that will inspire you to leave the SUV at home and bike whenever and wherever you can. So what are you waiting for -- grab a copy and go for a spin!
Divorce Your Car, by Katie Alvord
Our romance with cars, begun with enthusiasm more than 100 years ago, has in fact become a very troubled entanglement. Today's relationship with the automobile inflicts upon us pollution, noise, congestion, sprawl, big expenses, injury, and even death. Yet we continue to live with cars at a continuing cost to ourselves and the environment. What can people do about this souring affair? -- Divorce your car! Re-meet your feet, board a bike, take a train, pull out of this dysfunctional relationship with the automobile! Divorcing your car can take many forms, from simply using it less to not owning one at all. This practical guide shows how divorcing a car can be fun, healthy, money-saving, and helpful to the planet in the process.
Effective Cycling, 6th Edition, by John Forester
The core of John Forester's concept of Effective Cycling is that bicyclists fare best when they act, and are treated in return, as drivers of vehicles, with the same rights and responsibilities that motorists have.In this new edition of his classic introductory work, Forester reasserts this idea in terms of practice and education as well as theory while also addressing--among much else--the two major forces that have shaped bicycling since the early 1980s: the proliferation of high-quality equipment and the seriously insufficient progress on the social, political, and psychological fronts.The book is filled with details, strategies, and tips that will be useful both to occasional cyclists and to those who enjoy cycling as a way of life--all drawn from the author's many years of experience as a cyclist, a Cycling Transportation Engineer, and the founder of the Effective Cycling Program.
The Bicycle Touring Manual: Using the Bicycle for Touring and Camping
Time to take to the woods!
Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips by Dave Glowacz
Filled with practical tips that any adult bike owner can use instantly, this book includes advice on everything from how to handle a sore butt and choose accessories to how to avoid helmet hair and mount a bike while wearing a miniskirt. This updated edition contains new and revised information about current bike types, locks, and recent products such as the strap-on magnet that lets bikers change traffic lights to green. An updated supplier directory and list of bicycling resources, such as web sites and advocacy groups, are also included. Illustrated with step-by-step instructions on every page, this book is especially helpful for riders living in the urban jungle.
The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
In every social movement, there is a tipping point, an event, action or catalyst that propels the agenda from the fringe to the mainstream. This celebrated New York Times bestseller -- now poised to reach an even wider audience in paperback -- is a book that is changing the way Americans think about selling products and disseminating ideas.
Bicycle Racing in the Modern Era: 25 Years of Velonews
For 25 years the writers and editors of VeloNews have pursued cycling excellence with unparalleled passion. During this time, great champions (Merckx, Hinault, and LeMond) have come and gone and others have risen to take their place (Indurain, Jalabert, and Armstrong). Mountain biking has expanded the world of bicycle racing into arenas that even Jules Verne never imagined. Relive cycling's finest hours from the VeloNews archives or experience them for the very first time.
Bicycle Across America
Bicycle Across America chronicles five trans-American tours, provides route notes and maps, offers suggestions on what to see and expect along the way -- and features a special section on how to prepare for long-distance adventures.
Bicycle Transportation - 2nd Edition: A Handbook for Cycling Transportation Engineers
This new edition of John Forester's handbook for transportation policymakers and bicycling advocates has been completely rewritten to reflect changes of the last decade. It includes new chapters on European bikeway engineering, city planning, integration with mass transit and long-distance carriers, 'traffic calming, ' and the art of encouraging private-sector support for bicycle commuting.
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