This email includes important information to help you prepare for the Traffic Bicycling for Transportation Professionals class.
For the class you will need
- your own bicycle in good working order
- a helmet
- a water bottle
- a bike lock
- clothing comfortable for bicycling
Please read through the class textbook before class. The textbook for the class can be downloaded from this link.
It is highly recommended that you at least read pages 4-11 of the textbook before class. We will not have time to discuss those topics in detail during class but they are important for being prepared to ride. If you will are taking this class for credit for the LAB Traffic Skills 101 course in preparation to become an LCI, reading the textbook will help you pass the test at the end of the course. The class will include much additional information not in the textbook; a .pdf of the full class presentation will be made available after class.
Please fill out and sign out this linked class registration/waiver/questionnaire form and bring it to class. This will save time at the start of class.
Class will start promptly at 8:00 AM. Please be dressed in your bike clothes at the beginning of the class. The first on-bike session will take place at a parking lot near the classroom. You will have a few minutes to retrieve your bike from your car or nearby bike parking area between the first classroom session and the first on-bike session; however, please be sure it is in proper operating condition before class.
We will be riding to a local restaurant for lunch. Please bring a bike lock for securing your bicycle at the restaurant.
The following very short videos introduce several of the traffic bicycling concepts that we will be utilizing in class. Please take a moment to watch them before class so we can focus more of our class time on discussion and individual attention to all students when we ride.
Rules of Movement http://www.bikeleague.org/content/traffic-laws
(Note that we will cover NC traffic law specifically in class. For more information see our page on NC traffic laws.)
Intersection Positioning http://www.bikeleague.org/content/intersection-positioning
Lane Changing http://www.bikeleague.org/content/lane-changing-0
Where Should I Ride? http://www.bikeleague.org/content/where-should-i-ride
Lastly, below is a good video explaining how to fix a flat. The only thing we would add to the video is that it’s helpful to pump a small amount of air into the new tube to untwist it and give it some shape before putting it into the tire. If you would like to learn hands-on how to fix a flat, see an instructor after class and we will practice it together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm-SvNPFR4E
Traffic Bicycling for Transportation Professionals
Agenda
8:00-8:50 Classroom Session 1: Getting Started
- Introduction to objectives and concepts
- Bicycle equipment and fit
- Lighting and visibility
8:50-9:00 Break
9:00-11:10 On-Bike Session 1: Bike Handling (parking deck)
- ABC Quick Check
- Starting, stopping, shifting
- Looking back, signaling
- Emergency handling skills
11:10-11:20 Break
11:20-12:30 Classroom Session 2: Bicycle Driving Fundamentals
- Rules of the Road for Drivers
- Special Considerations for Bicyclists
12:30- 1:30 Ride to Lunch
1:30-2:45 On-Bike Session 2: On the Road (two-lane 25 mph roads)
2:45-3:00 Break
3:00-4:00 Classroom Session 3: Dealing with Challenges
- Crash data analysis, common crash types and causes
- Traffic hazards, surface hazards, obstacles
- Bike lanes and multi-use paths
- Traffic signal detectors
4:00 – 5:15 On-Bike Session 3: Traffic Cycling and On-Road Testing
(busier, faster and multi-lane roads, various lane widths, turn lanes)
5:15-5:30 Break
5:30-6:00 Classroom – Written Test, Graduation, Course Evaluations
