Registration now open for CyclingSavvy October workshop
October 4
Truth & Techniques of Traffic Cycling (classroom session), 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, in the conference room of Great Rivers Greenway, 6174A Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112
October 6
Train Your Bike (bike handling session), 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, on the playground of Captain Elementary School, 6345 Northwood Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105
Tour of Mid-County will begin after lunch Saturday, Oct. 6 (completion of other two sessions is required to take this one).
Use this form to sign up
You can go anywhere by bike. We’ll show you how.
CyclingSavvy is a traffic cycling course developed in Florida, and steadily spreading nationwide. The course teaches the principles of Mindful Bicycling:
- empowerment to act as confident, equal road users;
- strategies for safe, stress-free integrated cycling;
- tools to read and problem-solve any traffic situation or road configuration.
The course is offered in three 3-hour components: a bike-handling session, a classroom session and an on-road tour. The classroom and bike-handling sessions may be taken individually, the road tour requires the other two as a prerequisite.
The object of the course is not to turn people into road warriors. Being a confident, competent cyclist has nothing to do with speed or bravado. You don’t need either of those things to have access to the entire transportation grid.
Even most confident cyclists prefer to use quiet routes when feasible. In many cases, it is only an intimidating intersection or short stretch of busy road which hinders a cyclist’s preferred route. This course is designed to show students simple strategies to eliminate such barriers, and ride with ease and confidence in places they might never have thought possible.
Here are details about the St. Louis CyclingSavvy October Workshop:
The William A. Kerr Foundation is sponsoring Part 1 of CyclingSavvy at no charge for all adults. Parts 2 and 3 will each be limited to 10 participants. As part of its efforts to promote the new Gateway Bike Plan, Great Rivers Greenway is providing scholarship funding for these participants.
Part 1: Truth & Techniques of Traffic Cycling
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, October 4
Great Rivers Greenway conference room
6174A Delmar Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63112 (map)
Learn the truth and techniques of traffic cycling. Through guided discussion with videos and animations, this classroom-based session familiarizes students with bicycle-specific laws, traffic dynamics and problem-solving strategies. Students discover that bicycle drivers are equal road users, with the right, ability and responsibility to control their space on public roadways.
Sponsored by the William A. Kerr Foundation, this session is free to all who are of driving age, but registration is required.
Part 2: Train Your Bike
8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, October 6
Parking lot of Captain Elementary School
6345 Northwood Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105 (map)
This session is conducted in a parking lot. It consists of a set of progressive drills designed to increase students’ control and comfort handling their bikes in various situations. Drills include:
- Starting, stopping & balance
- Understanding gearing
- Slow balance drill (Snail Race)
- Acceleration drill (drag race)
- Straight-line riding
- Turning: Cone weave
- Turning: Follow the leader
- Turning: Rock dodge
- Turning: High-speed cornering
- Turning: Snap turn
- Quick stop
In three short fun hours, you will learn to command your bike with precision and confidence.
As part of its kickoff of the Gateway Bike Plan, Great Rivers Greenway is matching the registration fee for all participants. A $30 value, this session is available as a stand-alone class for $15. Register here!
Part 3: Tour of Mid-County
To participate in the Tour of Mid-County, students must have completed both “Truth & Techniques of Traffic Cycling” and “Train Your Bike” (the classroom and parking lot sessions). The Tour of Mid-County is about 10 miles long, and will proceed at a pace of 10-12 miles/hour.
Saturday, October 6, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. After “Train Your Bike,” participants will have lunch across the street from the Captain School at Kaldi’s. The Tour of Mid-County will begin after lunch. At the end of the Tour, participants will bike as a group back to Kaldi’s and the Captain School playground.
This session is an experiential tour of St. Louis roads. The course includes some of the most intimidating road features (including intersections, interchanges and merges) a cyclist might find in his or her travels. Students travel as a group, stopping to survey and discuss each exercise location. After observing the feature, discussing the traffic dynamics and the best strategy for safe and easy passage, the students ride through individually and regroup at a nearby location.
This session is designed to give you the confidence and skills to handle any situation you might encounter while riding your bicycle in the metropolitan St. Louis area.
Great Rivers Greenway is matching the registration fee for all participants. Students who have taken the classroom and parking lot sessions may register for the Tour of Mid-County for $15.
Registration available here.
THANK YOU to our sponsors!
Clayton School District
Great Rivers Greenway
William A. Kerr Foundation
