Becoming a CyclingSavvy Instructor

CyclingSavvy offers the best cycling instructor certification program in the United States. The course consists of two parts:

  • Online course, designed to ensure candidates understand and embrace savvy cycling concepts; and
  • Intense and rewarding in-person three-day weekend.

Steps to becoming a CyclingSavvy Instructor:

  1. Take a basic CyclingSavvy Course.
  2. Receive a positive assessment from your instructors.
  3. Enroll in Part 1 of the training.
  4. Take the CyclingSavvy Instructor pre-qualification exam.
  5. Sign up for Part 2 — three-day CyclingSavvy Instructor Training.
  6. Attend and pass the training.

Instructor Training

Part 1: Home Study: The training process begins with the application and enrollment in the 60-day Part 1: Online Training. As part of completion of this course, candidates will take a pre-qualification exam. The exam is made up of knowledge tests for each lesson module and 4 comprehensive exercises. The tests are designed to evaluate the candidate’s understanding of the study material and the CyclingSavvy course principles. The exercises are a test of communication skills and CyclingSavvy-style problem solving. Part 1 of the training takes most candidates 20-30 hours to complete. Upon successful completion of the test modules, a candidate will be eligible to enroll in Part 2.

Part 2: Three-day CyclingSavvy Instructor Training: Enrolled registrants will receive teaching assignments for a classroom section and a bike handling lesson to prepare. They will be given access to online course manuals, presentation materials and tutorial videos.

The three-day training covers presentation skills, class management, formula and techniques for creating a CyclingSavvy Road Tour and on-road group leadership skills.

Instructor Support

IMG_2662At their training workshop, CyclingSavvy instructors receive a kit which includes:

  • A binder with their  Candidate Guide — slide-by-slide talk points and note pages
  • A bound drill booklet
  • A string backpack which includes cones and beanbags for on-bike sessions.
  • A CyclingSavvy instructor polo shirt

CyclingSavvy instructors have access to ongoing support through this instructor website. This includes tutorials, marketing resources and webinars. The American Bicycling Education Association (ABEA) also provides regular updates to presentation materials (new animations, high res videos, new content slides).

Liability insurance is provided with a CSI’s ABEA annual fee (covers instructors in the US and Canada). See annual fee below.

Instructor Course Costs

Part 1: $75

Part 2: $500 ($425 with early-bird registration)

Annual Fee

Annual professional support fee (covers insurance and instructor support): $50

Maintaining CSI Certification

In order to maintain your CSI certification you must:

  1. Conduct Courses: Be actively involved in teaching at least one CyclingSavvy Course per year.
  2. Author at least one CS educational or motivational article per year for the CyclingSavvy website or the instructor site, or help generate demonstration videos.
  3. Attend or review recordings of any webinars offered by CyclingSavvy.
  4. Pay the annual fee.

Process Overview

Instructor Qualification

This program is not affiliated with the League of American Bicyclists. Instructor qualifications are not transferable, nor is it necessary for one to be a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) to become a CyclingSavvy Instructor (CSI).

To be eligible to become a CyclingSavvy Instructor (CSI), a candidate must take the basic CyclingSavvy course. This should be completed a minimum of two months before a CSI training. Upon expressing an interest in becoming an instructor, candidates are assessed by their basic course instructors. Favorably assessed candidates will receive a reading list and set of pre-qualification questions and exercises to demonstrate their understanding of CS concepts and ability to communicate.

Candidate Assessment

The assessment seeks feedback on the following:

1) Open-minded and willing to learn and participate in the CyclingSavvy class. (A CSI believes s/he always has more to learn… we learn from each other, from our students, from our successes and our mistakes, we constantly refine and improve ourselves as cyclists and as teachers.)

2) Understands and embraces the teaching methodology of CyclingSavvy (removing belief barriers and freeing students from the limitations of far-right mentality).

3) Understands and embraces the traffic cycling techniques we teach (lane control, strategic road positioning, making lane changes early, active communication, control & release, etc.).

4) Has good situational awareness. (Pays attention and doesn’t engage in distracting behavior).

5) Shows enthusiasm for empowering and celebrating the success of others. (A principle of our program is that we set people up for success. We don’t test people or pressure them to perform. We work to ensure their success, and most importantly, that they have a good experience in the class.)

6) Demonstrates the ability to follow directions. (To give directions, you need to be able to follow directions.)

7) Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly. (This is an essential skill. CSIs are responsible for sending students into complex road features and traffic conditions; they must be able to communicate instructions clearly and succinctly. Much of the CSI training involves developing and refining strategic communication of concepts and instructions.)

Essential Characteristics of a CSI

  • CSIs must have an unequivocal belief in the full equality of a bicycle driver in the transportation system. The fundamental principle of this course is that we must change beliefs to change behavior.
  • CSIs must demonstrate proficiency at problem-solving and handling themselves assertively on the roadway.
  • CSIs must have patience, presence and a passion for teaching. A CSI has the opportunity to change the lives of students by freeing them from damaging beliefs and teaching them the skills that allow them to thrive as bicycle drivers in a car-centric world. This carries a great reward, but it also takes patience, mindfulness and the ability to recognize and observe a student’s emotions and behavior on the road.
  • CSIs must have good time management skills (show up early and be ready to teach promptly on time) and demonstrate the ability to manage class time so sessions end at the advertised time. The valuable thing students give us is their time — not their money.  
  • CSIs are the first — and possibly only — contact students, members of the public, government officials, etc. may ever have with the CyclingSavvy and ABEA brands. Our expectation is that CSIs portray our brands in a positive, professional manner. Instances of unprofessional conduct may result in suspension or revocation of CSI status. 

CyclingSavvy is a program of the American Bicycling Education Association. Our mission is to provide programs and resources for the education of bicyclists as drivers of vehicles, and bicycling-related education for traffic engineers, transportation planners, law enforcement professionals, educators, and the general public.

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