Smart Cycling / Don't fight traffic. Ride with it.

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“Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles”

John Forester, “Effective Cycling”

Whether sharing the road with motorized traffic makes you nervous, or you just want to brush up on your skills, the Smart Cycling course will give you renewed confidence on the road. This day-long course will give you the tools you need to stay safe on our busy roads and streets. This lively mix of both classroom learning and on-the-bike activities is fun as well as educational.

Classroom

  • Crashes: Why they occur, who is at fault, and what you can do to reduce them
  • Layers of Protection: Active measures you can take to protect yourself on the road
  • Principles of Traffic Law: Your rights and responsibilities on the road
  • First Come – First Served
  • Riding on the Right
  • Yielding when crossing traffic or changing lanes
  • Speed, Lane, and Intersection positioning
  • Gear Selection and Pedaling Cadence: Riding efficiently, in theory

On Your Bike

  • You and Your Bike: bike selection and fit, helmet fit, cycling gear
  • ABC Quick Check: Stop small problems from becoming big ones
  • Gear Selection and Pedaling Cadence: Riding efficiently, in practice
  • Riding Conditions: Group riding, riding at night and in the rain
  • Skills Drills: Bike Handling
  • Starting and Stopping
  • Maintaining a straight line and shifting
  • Scanning and signaling
  • Avoidance Weave
  • Skills Drills: Crash Avoidance
  • Quick Stop
  • Rock Dodge
  • Instant turn
  • Putting it all together: a short group road ride to demonstrate what you’ve learned, with after-ride feedback


 

At the end of the class, you can test yourself by taking an optional quiz, and you will have the opportunity to evaluate both the course and the instructor.

The class is fun, instructional, and helps you become a more confident, competent cyclist!

There is an optional multiple-choice exam of 30 questions designed to test your knowledge of what you have learned during the class and from the course material provided before the class. Please note that if you intend to go on to certain other L.A.B. courses, Traffic Skills 101 may be a pre-requisite. And if you plan to go on to become a League Cycling Instructor yourself, the exam is not optional and you must pass it with a score of at least 85%.

To see the structure of a typical class, click here.