Roll call: League Cycling Instructors and or students

[bikinchris]

I am curious about this. Please reply if you are:
1. A League Cycling Instructor or an equivalent person from another organization
2. Someone who has completed a course from one of the above organizations and has earned a certificate of completion.

[bikinchris]

Hmmm. I thought so.

Guys, what you don't know can get you killed.

[CNY rider]

I took the League safety course.
I never got around to taking the instructor course.

I thought the safety course was interesting but as someone who has ridden seriously (and safely) for 20 years, I didn't find out any new earth shattering information.
I honestly doubt most dedicated cyclists would learn something that would alter the course of their life.

What is it you think everyone is missing out on that will get them killed?

[tumbler]

Guys, what you don't know can get you killed.

:confused: Please share this info so we can remain alive.

[bikinchris]

Well 9 hours of instruction and practice in a post online? That's not very easy. Honestly, nothing online can approach a good League Cycling Instructor. It would be like learning tennis or martial arts online. The feedback needed is just not there.
But suffice to say, learning lane position and intersection positioning, riding techniques for every weather condition, accident types and countermeasures, accident avoidance maneuvers and handling drills makes riding more fun and far safer.
You can learn all of these things on your own, but it might involve getting hit a few times to learn what really works and what doesn't. or you could learn about all the things car drivers are likely to do to cause crashes as well as the things cyclists do to cause crashes OR the things they do to reduce or avoid crashes. The course goes over all of the most common causes of crashes caused by either the bicyclist or the auto driver and how to identify they are about to happen and what to do about it.


Question about collisions from the rear: Collisions of a car hitting a cyclist from the rear are actually not common. The vast majority of those kinds of collisions happen at night, with riders who have no lights and the rider is wearing dark clothing. Where is the most likely (daylight) place where rear collisions happen? Hint: it's the only time where League Instructors say to get over to the edge of the lane for your safety.
Answer in a future post.

[bikinchris]

One of the things we do with students is show them some of the things they are going to learn in the course by having them take the online classwork on this website:

http://bikeed.org/

You know, the dull stuff.

[bikinchris]

I took the League safety course.
I never got around to taking the instructor course.

I thought the safety course was interesting but as someone who has ridden seriously (and safely) for 20 years, I didn't find out any new earth shattering information.
I honestly doubt most dedicated cyclists would learn something that would alter the course of their life.

What is it you think everyone is missing out on that will get them killed?

I have seen people who have been riding for 40 years as well as racing who have learned things they found very useful. Many racers enjoy practicing the quick turn in the parking lot drills and I know people who have avoided being crushed by using the quick turn. The great thing is experienced riders can learn some of the finer points and go much deeper than rank beginners.

[dumbod]

Well 9 hours of instruction and practice in a post online? That's not very easy. Honestly, nothing online can approach a good League Cycling Instructor. It would be like learning tennis or martial arts online. The feedback needed is just not there.
But suffice to say, learning lane position and intersection positioning, riding techniques for every weather condition, accident types and countermeasures, accident avoidance maneuvers and handling drills makes riding more fun and far safer.
You can learn all of these things on your own, but it might involve getting hit a few times to learn what really works and what doesn't. or you could learn about all the things car drivers are likely to do to cause crashes as well as the things cyclists do to cause crashes OR the things they do to reduce or avoid crashes. The course goes over all of the most common causes of crashes caused by either the bicyclist or the auto driver and how to identify they are about to happen and what to do about it.


Question about collisions from the rear: Collisions of a car hitting a cyclist from the rear are actually not common. The vast majority of those kinds of collisions happen at night, with riders who have no lights and the rider is wearing dark clothing. Where is the most likely (daylight) place where rear collisions happen? Hint: it's the only time where League Instructors say to get over to the edge of the lane for your safety.
Answer in a future post.

I'm confused.

Is this post a request for information or an infomercial for League Cycling courses? It's OK with me if you believe everybody should take one of their courses and you want to advocate that here but, IMHO, you should be a little more upfront about it, particularly if you're a certified instructor.

[makoti]

Question about collisions from the rear: Collisions of a car hitting a cyclist from the rear are actually not common. The vast majority of those kinds of collisions happen at night, with riders who have no lights and the rider is wearing dark clothing.

I really wish the guy who ran me over from behind, at 11am, on a sunny day, while I was 4 feet into a 6ft shoulder & wearing neon colors had read those stats. I'd still have my Colnago.
Perhaps the class is a good idea, maybe even a great one, but as long as drivers act like what they are doing is not potentially dangerous & doesn't require their complete attention, you're only protecting yourself from those who do. Short of not riding, you can't prepare for the inattentive idiot. You can do everything exactly right & still get hit. I know. Twice.

[fiamme red]

Question about collisions from the rear: Collisions of a car hitting a cyclist from the rear are actually not common. The vast majority of those kinds of collisions happen at night, with riders who have no lights and the rider is wearing dark clothing. Where is the most likely (daylight) place where rear collisions happen? Hint: it's the only time where League Instructors say to get over to the edge of the lane for your safety.
Answer in a future post.If you're talking about the League of American Bicyclists, they're great advocates of cyclist segregation in "protected" bike lanes. According to their study (http://bikeleague.org/content/new-report-every-bicyclist-counts), 40% of fatal crashes with a reported collision type were "hit from behind" incidents. (See John Allen's blog for a rebuttal: http://john-s-allen.com/blog/?p=6874.)

[bikinchris]

I'm confused.

Is this post a request for information or an infomercial for League Cycling courses? It's OK with me if you believe everybody should take one of their courses and you want to advocate that here but, IMHO, you should be a little more upfront about it, particularly if you're a certified instructor.

Of course I am an instructor. No we don't do it for the money. No one is getting rich being a League Cycling Instructor. But we do get a very good feeling when we see the students understand and get more pleasure out of riding.

I really wish the guy who ran me over from behind, at 11am, on a sunny day, while I was 4 feet into a 6ft shoulder & wearing neon colors had read those stats. I'd still have my Colnago.
Perhaps the class is a good idea, maybe even a great one, but as long as drivers act like what they are doing is not potentially dangerous & doesn't require their complete attention, you're only protecting yourself from those who do. Short of not riding, you can't prepare for the inattentive idiot. You can do everything exactly right & still get hit. I know. Twice.

Those who don't pay attention to the road are becoming an ever more vexing problem. That still doesn't make it the most common form of car-bike crash. Over 90% of all car bike crashes happen at intersections.

I find it odd that no one has tried to answer the question:

Under which road condition is it important to stay as far right as possible?

[zap]

League training one day during a 6 week Police Patrol training program. I learned nothing but useful for others in the program with limited cycling experience.

[zap]

Of course I am an instructor. No we don't do it for the money. No one is getting rich being a League Cycling Instructor. But we do get a very good feeling when we see the students understand and get more pleasure out of riding.


No one in the League gets rich..........years ago I was asked if I would be interested in running the League.

[bikinchris]

I find it odd that no one has tried to answer the question:

Under which road condition is it important to stay as far right as possible?

I guess no one here knows the answer.

[Bob Ross]

I guess no one here knows the answer.

Or cares.

[tumbler]

Sometimes we know the answer, but choose not to engage.

I know nothing about League Cycling Classes and wouldn't mind learning about them, but your approach to this so far isn't helping things.

[Michael Maddox]

I must assume the "League" is LAB, formerly the League of American Wheelmen?

Like many groups, it's become another board of directors/lobbyist circle j***. Have fun with that. I'll go ride.

http://www.labreform.org

[ptourkin]

Or cares.


Thank you. This is the only cycling forum I've ever been on that hasn't had endless threads hijacked by the Forester/League/Effective Cycling/Vehicular Cycling automatons. Let's keep it that way. Although some of their tactics are useful, their strategy of bombing discussions in a way that only annoys the rest of us is perplexing. I suspect that many of them have the no shades of grey problem common in black/white, on the spectrum (not meant to disparage) transportationphiles.

[ptourkin]

Well 9 hours of instruction and practice in a post online? That's not very easy. Honestly, nothing online can approach a good League Cycling Instructor. It would be like learning tennis or martial arts online. The feedback needed is just not there.
But suffice to say, learning lane position and intersection positioning, riding techniques for every weather condition, accident types and countermeasures, accident avoidance maneuvers and handling drills makes riding more fun and far safer.
You can learn all of these things on your own, but it might involve getting hit a few times to learn what really works and what doesn't. or you could learn about all the things car drivers are likely to do to cause crashes as well as the things cyclists do to cause crashes OR the things they do to reduce or avoid crashes. The course goes over all of the most common causes of crashes caused by either the bicyclist or the auto driver and how to identify they are about to happen and what to do about it.


Question about collisions from the rear: Collisions of a car hitting a cyclist from the rear are actually not common. The vast majority of those kinds of collisions happen at night, with riders who have no lights and the rider is wearing dark clothing. Where is the most likely (daylight) place where rear collisions happen? Hint: it's the only time where League Instructors say to get over to the edge of the lane for your safety.
Answer in a future post.

Chris, I have years of experience in internet arguing. I didn't even take a class. However, I have watched you League members take every possible opportunity to lecture experienced cyclists - see San Diegan Serge on Bikesnob - he decided to teach Nelson Vails how to ride in traffic.

Don't follow their lead. It doesn't work. If we have a question, we'll ask.

[bikinchris]

In that case, I respectfully disengage this discussion. If the Mods can delete it, then let be so.

[zap]

I guess no one here knows the answer.

"Under which road condition is it important to stay as far right as possible?"

I'm not going to guess under which road condition you think as I can think of a good number.

I'm very willing to learn as my life is at stake dealing with the motoring public. But I think I have more to offer others and when I'm on the road with a group, I offer my advice/steady leadership.

:beer: