The YMCA at Virginia Tech is offering the Bikeleague’s Road 1 and League Certified Instructor (LCI) training courses in Blacksburg, with an eye toward creating a pool of local instructors. Road 1 is a prerequisite for the LCI training course, so both are being offered. The Road 1 course will take place Friday evening and all day Saturday, Oct. 17-18, and the LCI training session the weekend of Nov. 7-9, Friday evening through Sunday. Details and registration are available at the VT YMCA website.
To help potential instructor trainees clear the cost hurdle, the New River Valley Bicycle Association is offering $100 reimbursements to the first 7 of its members who complete the LCI training and licensing, and promise to teach at least one BikeEd course a year for the next 2 years.
For further information, please contact Aliana Havrilla from the VT YMCA, or Beth Lohman from the NRVBA.
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The New River Bicycle Association (NRVBA) and the YMCA at Virginia Tech held the League of American Bicyclist’s Road 1 course this weekend (10/17-10/18), and the course was a success!
Despite the fact that most of the participants considered themselves experienced cyclists (10+ years of individual experience), all gained a new level of confidence in their riding skills. The course focused quite a bit on lane positioning (e.g., how to approach and proceed through complicated intersections that have multiple lanes and turn options), riding in narrow lanes with parked cars, and defensive cycling skills for that unfortunate circumstance when a vehicle cuts across your path.
We also had less experienced cyclists in the class, who brought different perspectives to the discussions on bike handling or riding in traffic. These new riders gained a level of confidence to ride in traffic where before they were afraid to ride on busy streets.
The participant diversity added tremendous value to the class – especially for those who plan on obtaining the League Certified Instructor (LCI) license to teach the Road 1 class in the future.
I encourage everyone to consider taking the Road 1 course, regardless of your level experience, when the course is offered in the future through the YMCA’s Open U Program (www.vtymca.org).
As an experienced cyclist, I found the Road 1 course very informative and the actual cycling drills and skill practice very helpful. If you are a cyclist, and you have a chance to take this course, take it…you will learn lots, and become a better cyclist.
As a person that cycles for recreation and when I need to get from point A to B (short distances), I found the Road 1 course very empowering. Consider me one of those people that think that the bike lane is where I should be and when it goes away I am nervous…let alone riding in the middle of the lane during heavy traffic. I have a new confidence in my place on the road and know that my behavior will keep me much safer than before the course!
I definitely consider myself a seasoned bicyclist, but my participation in the Road 1 class gave me a very strong sense of empowerment and confidence when it comes to cycling in traffic. I feel safer and more confident of my position on the road. I’d like to thank Bicycling Barbara for taking the time to travel to Blacksburg and impart her substantial wisdom. I’m looking forward to the League Certified Instructor course being taught in November and strongly recommend the Road 1 course to all bicyclists. Look for it to be offered through the Blacksburg YMCA Open U Program (www.vtymca.org)!