Founded in 2010 by Bilenky Cycle Works, the Philly Bike Expo promotes “the fun, function, fitness and freedom to be found on two wheels.” The event fosters relationships between the cycling community and dedicated companies and organizations.
Bilenky hosts the event so we can all “admire the artisans whose craft enables us to ride two-wheeled art, to applaud the activists whose tireless efforts further our cycling infrastructure and to explore cycling as a fun and efficient transportation alternative.”
Concerned about Covid? There is information online about the Expo’s Covid Protocol. We are vaccinated, will be masked, and consider the risk acceptable.
Pam Murray’s bike, home from errands…
Street Smarts — and a raffle.
The recently published Bicycling Street Smarts, CyclingSavvy Edition will be available at the CyclingSavvy/CAT booth. Yes, autographed by the author! And we’ll be raffling off copies. The grand prize winner also gets a full scholarship to a CyclingSavvy course, online or in person.
We’re having workshops too!
Two of us are giving presentations on Sunday:
John and a friend rode Spruce Street.
Pamela Murray, The Bike Life, Sunday. 1:30 PM — Pam rides over 6,000 miles per year for transportation, fitness and recreation. She is a CyclingSavvy instructor and Bicycle Benefits Ambassador, and leads bike rides for vacation and camping.
John Allen, Riding Philly Streets, Sunday, 3 PM. Videos and discussion of tactics to meet the challenges of Philly riding. In and out of the bike lane! Getting a smile from a SEPTA bus driver!
Click to zoom in for details about the ride.
And a bike ride…
We are also organizing an unracer bike ride. It will leave at 7:30 AM on Saturday from the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial (just downriver from the Girard Bridge), and will arrive at the Convention Center in time for you to check in for the opening of the exhibit hall.
We hope to see you in The Cradle of Liberty!
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PBE-featured.png310594John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2021-10-28 17:56:592021-10-28 22:28:51Join Us at the Philly Bike Expo!
Welcome to the next in our series of beginner articles. In this one, I’ll introduce the topic of how to use your gears.
Most bicycles in the USA these days have the chain shifting across several sprockets. Many earlier bikes, and some current ones, have actual gears inside the wheel hub, “internal gears”. We’ll discuss both kinds.
Why do bicycles have multiple gears? Multiple gears can make your riding smoother and less tiring, especially if you live in a hilly area, as well as in extremely windy situations.
The point of gears is to keep your pedaling effort and speed (“cadence”) at a comfortable level. Pay attention to your effort. If you are pushing down too hard, you need to go down to a lower (easier) gear. If you are spinning uselessly, you need to go up to a higher (harder) gear. CyclingSavvy Instructor John Allen demonstrates.
Just as with a car, low (easy) gears are for starting and moving slowly, and higher (harder) gears are to keep your engine — your legs — from turning too fast as you speed up. But there are important differences compared to shifting gears in a car.
Your bike’s drivetrain: 1) front derailer, 2) crankset, 3) chainrings, 4) rear derailer, 5) cassette made up of individual sprockets
Two shifters: what’s that about?
Many bikes have two or three front sprockets (called chainrings) at the cranks (pedals), and several sprockets on the rear wheel, giving you two shifters to think about. It would be simple if you had, say, a 21-speed bike with just one shifter that went from 1 to 21. But unfortunately, it isn’t that simple.
The good news is, using two shifters in combination is not as hard as you might think. Let’s say you have 3 chainrings (front sprockets, left shifter), and 7 in the back (right shifter, remember that both “rear” and “right” start with R). Don’t think of them as having 21 steps in a sequence (because they’re not): think instead of having 3 overlapping ranges of 7 steps each. Each chainring gives you a different range, and the rear sprockets let you make smaller adjustments within the current range.
If you have 3 chainrings, think of the middle one as your “normal” range, where you will spend most of your time. Start and stop in this range, generally with the back sprockets at or near 1 (easiest). The smallest (inside) chainring shifts the whole range down to be easier, for when you are going up a steep hill or into a strong headwind. The largest (outside) chainring shifts the whole range to be harder, useful downhill or with a strong wind at your back.
If you only have 2 chainrings, which one is “normal” will depend on you and on the specific gearing. Experiment.
If you have just 1 chainring, the preceding 4 paragraphs don’t apply. :-)
You can feel how pedaling gets harder as you move a shifter one way, easier the other way.
Homing in on the range
One way or the other, once the range is right for the conditions, just shift your back sprockets as necessary. (Remember, rear = right shifter). Start from a stop at the easy end, or near it. As you gain speed, you will notice at some point that your pedaling is no longer delivering much power; then it’s time to shift up. This is usually all with the same front chainring.
The outermost of three chainrings (at the cranks) should be used only with the outer four or five rear sprockets, the inner chainring only with the two or three innermost rear sprockets. This essentially boils down to: avoid having the front in the easiest gear while the back is in relatively a hard gear, and vice-versa. Keep easy with easy, and hard with hard.
The middle chainring can be used with any unless the chain rubs against the outer chainring when used with the smallest rear sprockets. If there are only two chainrings, the outer one can be used with more of the rear sprockets.
Shifting gears strategy
Think “how do I shift to get to the gear I need to use,“ not “am I in 7th gear or 8th gear.” It would be complicated to keep track of the sequence from gear 1 to gear 21; also, many combinations are duplicates and near-duplicates, so it is pointless. Typically, a “21-speed” bicycle will have a working sequence of 10 to 12 different gears, and a wide enough range for any terrain and level of fitness, with small enough steps to be comfortable. Use the numbers on twist-grip shifters only as a guide — lower numbers, easier.
The basic sequence is to start in a low (easy) gear, and shift to a harder one when the pedals get to turning too fast. Keep pedaling lightly and shift down as you slow down. This will allow you to accelerate briskly from a stop or a low speed.
When accelerating from a stop, you may need to shift as often as once per second. This keeps your cadence in the sweet spot and accelerates you quickest. You have something in common with a big semitrailer truck — listen to it as it accelerates. The driver shifts through multiple gears, because the truck also has a narrow range of engine speed which optimizes power production.
Gear range wide enough?
Is your bicycle’s easiest gear easy enough? That depends on the terrain where you ride, and on your fitness. On most bicycles, it is possible to replace rear sprockets and widen the range. There is no shame in using an easy gear. It shows that you know how to take care of yourself.
No matter how many speeds your bicycle has in theory, you can use only one at a time! “21-speed” does make a nice advertising slogan, though, doesn’t it?
Derailer Complications
Most multi-gear bicycles in North America use derailers at the cranks and the rear wheel. Those mechanisms push (derail) the chain to one side or the other, from one sprocket or chainwheel to another. The derailer at the rear wheel has pulley wheels to take up slack in the chain produced by the different-sized sprockets. (Clever, right?)
A derailer system has some complications:
Shifting works only when the chain is moving forward! If you shift without pedaling, including when stopped, you will get a lot of grinding once you start pedaling, as the chain finds its way to the right spot. That is tough for the chain and sprockets, and embarrassing for you. If you did not shift down before stopping, the bicycle will be in a high gear and starting will be hard.
To shift smoothly as you slow down, keep spinning the pedals but without putting any force on them. When accelerating or holding speed, reduce force on the pedals momentarily as you shift.
You backpedal to step forward off the saddle when coming to a stop. (See our post about starting and stopping.) Finish shifting before you stop. If the chain and derailers are not aligned, the chain will jam as you backpedal. Test by backpedaling lightly. Sometimes you can adjust the shift levers even after stopping.
Internal Gears
Instead of a derailer, some bicycles have gears in the hub of the rear wheel, or sometimes at the cranks. Usually a shifter and cable connect to the internal mechanism; some two-speed hubs shift by backpedaling. 3-speed internal-gear hubs were very popular in the mid-20th century. Now 7 and 8-speed internal-gear hubs are common, and some have even more speeds.
An internal-gear hub shifts best when the chain is not moving, just the opposite of a derailer system. Coast or backpedal slightly for a moment while you shift. You don’t need to worry about downshifting while slowing to a stop; you can do that after you stop. It’s one less thing to concern yourself with. The sprocket can be changed with internal gears, in case you find that the range is too easy or too hard (usually, too hard). More about internal-gear hubs.
Shifting gears – Summary
Now that you know how shifting works, keep the goal of consistent cadence in mind as you ride. If your bicycle has more than one chainring, remember that the easy range is for uphill or headwind, hard one for downhill or tailwind. Middle (if you have 3) is for all other conditions. Use the sprockets at the rear wheel to adjust within the range as necessary. Easier gears are also good for creeping along while maintaining control, and being ready to accelerate, for example if a red light turns green before you reach it.
The idea is to keep your feet turning at a constant rate. A follow-up article will help you feel in your legs what that rate needs to be.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/bike-drivetrain-01.jpg6821011John Brookinghttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Brooking2021-08-26 14:45:512022-03-13 22:41:38Shifting Gears to Accelerate Quickly
As the weather warms, thoughts turn to bicycling. CyclingSavvy spring courses are happening. Classroom sessions are being held online — which has proved to be, all in all, an advantage: people don’t have to travel, and can join from anywhere. Instructors and students can hang around longer at the end of a session.
On-bike sessions with Covid precautions are ramping up too. Here’s what we have as of now.
Savvy Cycling Now April Series
Instructors John Allen and Pamela Murray are hosting a Savvy Cycling Now online series on two Wednesday evenings, April 21 and 28. This will cover the same material as the “Truth & Techniques of Traffic Cycling” classroom session of our regular 3-part course, and qualifies students to proceed to the Train Your Bike in-person session anywhere, anytime and with any instructor. Students in this round will qualify for the Boston course described below, if space is available; we’ll arrange more sessions as needed. On-bike sessions will be discounted if you take Savvy Cycling Now to qualify for them.
Here’s a video clip from an August 11 2020 session of Savvy Cycling Now:
“Truth & Techniques of Traffic Cycling” contains a lot of information and ideas. They are easy to digest in a series of one-hour sessions, spread over four weeks. This format has proven itself.
St. Louis, April 21-25
Instructors Karen Karabell and Matthew Brown are running a full three-part course April 21-25. The classroom session is online and the on-bike sessions will be adapted with Covid precautions.
Boston area, May 14-15
Instructors John Allen, Bruce Lierman and John Brooking are runninga full three-part course May 14-15. As with the St. Louis course, the classroom session will be online. The in-person sessions will be in Waltham, 10 miles west of the Boston downtown area. Both on-bike sessions will be on the same day, May 15.
Ride Awesome! — CyclingSavvy’s premium online course — is … awesome. There’s truly nothing like it. During the pandemic, lifetime access to Ride Awesome! is half price. This is the best fifty bucks you’ll ever spend.
This too qualifies students to proceed to discounted on-bike sessions anywhere, anytime and with any instructor. With enough requests, we should be able to have on-bike sessions within driving distance for most U.S. participants. Let us know if you want to complete the course. Contact us
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Tour-Woodford.jpg540720John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2021-03-28 21:49:442021-04-09 17:40:36Springing Forward with Spring Courses
Several weeks ago I posted an article with dashcam video about roads with double yellow lines. I was driving the car, and slowed to follow a bicyclist at a blind curve on a two-lane rural highway. A large dump truck with a trailer appeared, coming from the opposite direction.
If I had held my speed and passed the bicyclist, I could not have merged left far enough to pass the bicyclist safely. Neither could the truck driver see me in time to make more room.
The location, in Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA
The bicyclist kept to the right as far as he could. He relied only on hope — and my good judgment — to avoid a close pass, or worse.
The video held a message for motorists: “What you don’t see can hurt you” — or hurt someone else (in this case, most likely the bicyclist).
Blind curves hold a message for bicyclists
To clarify this message, I later rode the same stretch on a bicycle with front and rear video cameras.
As this video shows, I mostly rode on the shoulder. Several cars and a pickup truck passed me — no problem. No oncoming traffic prevented safe passing clearance.
But as I approached the blind curve, the shoulder narrowed to almost nothing. A big truck or other large vehicle could be approaching ahead. Who knew? Who could know? Neither I nor the driver of the car approaching from behind me could see around that curve.
Here’s what I did — what I always do — to protect myself:
I checked in my rearview mirror and took a look over my shoulder. If vehicles had been closer behind, I would have have used a hand signal to negotiate my way into line.
This car was far enough back that I simply merged to lane-control position. Then I made a hand signal: “Slow.”
The driver slowed to follow me for a few seconds. Once I had rounded the curve and could see far enough ahead, I released to the right and give a friendly wave. The driver accelerated and passed me.
How control and release promotes safe passing
What did my actions achieve?
They indicated that I was aware of the driver’s vehicle behind me.
They indicated that I knew it was unsafe to pass. Maybe I knew something the driver didn’t know!
In case the driver was impatient, they made it clear that passing would have to wait until we could both see far enough ahead.
The car’s slowing confirmed to me that the driver was aware of me and acting safely.
And by releasing as soon as it was safe, I demonstrated courtesy. No motorist wants to be “stuck” behind a cyclist.
As it turned out, there was no large truck, or not even a small car, approaching from the front.
But that isn’t the point. One could have been.
Might the driver behind me have passed, unable to see far enough ahead, if I had hugged the right edge of the road? I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter, because I took active control of my safety in a potentially dangerous situation.
When my safety is at stake, I choose not to rely on others to do the right thing. As we say in CyclingSavvy courses, drivers get smarter when we lead the dance.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/shadow.jpg392703John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2020-11-27 11:55:092020-11-27 10:01:47“Control and Release” for safe passing
We can’t understand our present time — or plan for the future — unless we know how we got here. In a previous post, I described how I ride on Massachusetts Route 9. Now I’ll tell you what that makes me think about. Bear with me.
Backstory
One of the pleasures of riding in eastern Massachusetts is to discern the age and the history of roads from their meanderings, and by studying the buildings along them. Most rural roads here pre-date the advent of motor vehicles. That works well for bicyclists. Roads follow the contours of the land, except for notorious roads with “hill” in their name,
From the arrival of the first humans as glaciers retreated, until the arrival of settlers from Europe in the 1600s, there was only singletrack, trodden on foot.
Settlers introduced horses, oxen and wagons. Many old trails widened to doubletrack. The settlers located early town centers on hilltops for defense against Native Americans who did not like being driven from their lands. Settlers later built town centers in valleys with water power for mills. Local people would organize a “bee” — a day when they’d get together for road maintenance. Distances between towns were short, so farmers could manage a day trip by wagon to market and back.
I can infer all this as I ride my bicycle in the Eastern Massachusetts countryside. Some old roads still have stone mile markers from before the Revolution.
In the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin organized the postal service. Town-to-town roads, strung together, connected major population centers. Parts of U.S. Route 20, which passes a half mile from my home, are still called the Boston Post Road. It connected to New York and beyond.
From the Worcester Turnpike to Route 9
In the early 1800s, private companies established turnpikes with government authorization. These toll roads radiated out in several directions from Boston. The Worcester Turnpike heads west to — Worcester. The Turnpike was created in one political stroke, rather than its evolving like most roads. For this reason, it is quite straight, and for the most part, avoids town centers.
Turnpikes served budding intercity commerce, but they soon failed financially. They were expensive to construct. Unlike modern toll roads, the turnpikes had no access control. “Shunpikes” went around the tollgates.
By the mid-1800s, railroads linked cities. The turnpikes couldn’t compete. Many did continue to exist, under government management and free for users.
The eastern half of the Worcester Turnpike survived; the western half deteriorated. In 1903, the entire Worcester Turnpike revived, hosting a light rail line. Trolley cars stopped running in 1932 as increasing use of motor vehicles drained demand. Some political shenanigans occurred, too, as Joe Orfant, expert on Route 9, has told me. He has written a fascinating detailed history.
Trolley on the Worcester Turnpike in Brookline (Brookline Historical Society archive)
“The Finest Motor Road in the World”
You’ve probably read about struggles to improve roads toward the end of the 1800s, involving in no small part bicyclists and the bicycle industry. But hardly any roads outside urban areas were paved before the 1920s.
In 1933, benefiting from Depression stimulus funding, the Worcester Turnpike was designated as a segment of Massachusetts Route 9, and extensively rebuilt. At the time of this construction it was heralded as “the finest motor road in the world.” It relieved the congestion on Route 20, which meandered through town centers.
Route 9’s two roadways separated by a median identify it as a precursor of the German Autobahns and New York-area parkways, constructed in the mid- to late 1930s; the Pennsylvania Turnpike (1942); and limited-access highways everywhere.
Even though much of Route 9 seems interstate-like today, designation of the Worcester Turnpike segment as a limited-access highway has never been possible.
Today’s transportation engineers would not create this sort of roadway through a densely populated area. But by necessity Route 9 is “grandfathered,” because it is lined with businesses and residences. and offers the only access to numerous side streets.
Reaching most destinations on the opposite side requires continuing to the next interchange and doubling back. Space-saving interchanges require drivers to slow before exiting and stop for through traffic before entering. Many of these interchanges still exist, largely unchanged.
Interchange of Cedar Street and Route 9, Wellesley, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Route 9 and Bicyclists
The Worcester Turnpike segment of Massachusetts Route 9 is not quiet or pleasant for bicycling. Until recent years, though, it has been serviceable for bicyclists of an average adult skill level. Route 9’s wide shoulders are easy riding. Its slow-and-stop intersections are tame.
But parts of Route 9 have been modified, one by one, to accommodate increases in motor traffic. From early on, many minor cross streets were interrupted. This works well for bicyclists who don’t need to cross the highway, and poorly for those who do.
And when the Massachusetts Highway Department builds or reconstructs an interchange with a limited-access highway, it tends to add limited-access highway features to the intersecting road. Such it the case with the Route 95 interchange.
Full cloverleaf, original design of Route 9-Interstate 95 interchange
From the time of its construction in the early 1950s until recent years, the interchange with Interstate 95 was a full cloverleaf, as shown in the satellite image above. Route 9 had two weave areas where traffic slowing for an off ramp crossed traffic accelerating from an on ramp. These weaves were underneath the Route 95 overpass.
Traffic slowing down mixing with traffic speeding up inside an underpass on a high-speed highway is not a great concept.
Redesign of the Route 9/I-95 Interchange
Revised design in the mid-2010s eliminated the weaves, introducing instead a couple of signal-controlled left turns. This “partial cloverleaf” design includes reduced vegetation, which improves sight distances.
Revised design of Route 9/Interstate 95 interchange
What does all this mean for bicyclists?
I’ve already described the specifics of a trip which required me to ride through the interchange. Granted, the present configuration is better than the earlier full cloverleaf. As I showed in my previous post, I was able to negotiate it using lane control and a CyclingSavvy bag of tricks.
Bicyclists could use sidewalks. These meet the letter of the law for the Americans with Disabilities Act, though not exactly the spirit of the law. How would you like to negotiate a wheelchair crammed in next to high-speed travel lanes through an underpass? In winter, sidewalk users often must clamber over mounds of plowed snow. Distances are long for walking.
Opportunity is Possible in an Auto-Centric Landscape
In an ideal world, pedestrians and slower, local, wheeled traffic — people on foot, bicycles, e-bikes — would not to have to use Route 9 at all. But this traffic would have to cross Route 95 somewhere.
Including a separate underpass or overpass while reconstructing the interchange would have added little extra cost to the project. It didn’t happen, no thanks to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division.
But a single overpass and less than a mile of paths could connect the William Street office park, east of Route 95, to Cedar Street and several residential streets to the west, also opening up a riverfront park to residents and to workers. Route 95 crosses the Charles River on a bridge north of the interchange. A path on a boardwalk could run next to the river. Just sayin’.
Paths could provide alternative access and open up a riverfront park. Click to enlarge.
Worcester Turnpike, to Route 9, to the Big Picture
My story raises the larger question of sustainability of the transportation system and world economy. The die was cast in the mid-1800s as railroads bootstrapped the accessibility of coal — fossil fuel — for themselves, for industry, and for space heating, supplanting water power and wood.
Then petroleum made possible the motor vehicles which led to demand for motor roads. These among other technological developments allowed the world to support an increasing human population.
It’s easy to look at what succeeds in the present while neglecting thoughts for the future. It should have been obvious from the start that fossil fuel resources were finite. Grimly, climate change — caused by fossil fuel use — is catching up with us faster.
I almost regret saying this, but the present Covid-19 pandemic is showing us how bicycling becomes more popular in times of crisis. No matter how the future unfolds, people will ride bicycles. The more difficult conditions get, the more people will need them. For all of us, this is motivation to make bicycling better.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rt9featured.jpg5921053John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2020-10-02 11:55:112020-10-08 13:17:05Worcester Turnpike to Route 9 to…?
OK, folks, now I have ridden the route that takes me to two appointments along Massachusetts Route 9, through a gnarly interchange that I described in a previous post.
My route (right to left). Click on the image to enlarge it.
I think that I mostly got it right on the second try. I shot video, and now you can see how I did it.
You could do it on a sidewalk.
Yes, CyclingSavvy teaches safe pedestrian behavior, too! Even a novice bicyclist could use sidewalks to get through the Massachusetts Route 9/I-95 interchange.
Using the sidewalk, you’ll cross a couple of high-speed highway ramps. As you enter a crosswalk, either no traffic should be approaching, or a driver should come to a complete stop to allow you to cross, blocking other traffic. A blinking turn signal is a good indication that a driver will enter an on ramp; its absence is no guarantee that a driver will not.
But I did it in the road.
Using the roadway is faster, and savvy strategies make it work better.
Here’s how I prepared.
I drove through in a car, with a dashcam running. That showed me the basic layout of the intersection, but the experience is so unlike cycling that it didn’t help much.
I next studied the route using Google Maps — as described in my previous post — and rode through a first time on my bicycle. The traffic lights were all green, and I just kept moving. I took notes mentally, and shot video.
Google satellite view of part of my route, right to left. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Why go to the trouble?
Was it worth going to this kind of trouble? Yes, so I could write this post, and so I could test savvy cycling strategies against the toughest challenge I could find within easy riding distance of my home.
Before I rode through a second time and reviewed my video, I wasn’t even sure that I would be comfortable riding here myself.
I am not running a contest to find the worst possible riding conditions.
Rather, I am demonstrating that the process to tame a troublesome route segment can work for very unfriendly road configurations.
Your time is well spent if it frees you to ride a bicycle more. After you’ve figured out one or two situations, others get easier and easier to sort out.
Strategies For A Busy Highway
The video below shows the strategies I used. Below the video, I’ll describe the strategies.
The first stretch on a frontage road is easy. It’s 20 feet wide, a good example of where it makes complete sense to keep right so motorists can pass.
Frontage road leading to Route 9
Then things get interesting. Unless you just happen to arrive at the end of a platoon of Route 9 traffic, you do well to to turn right into William Street and make a U-turn, as I did. I waited, at first behind a pickup truck, then I pulled forward and waited alone.
Waiting for the platoon to pass on William Street
By waiting, I could time my entry onto Route 9 and use traffic platooning to get an empty roadway most of the way to an off-ramp, the first major challenge of the ride.
Last vehicle in the platoon, just ahead
On my way past the off-ramp, I rode in the left tire track, signaling that I intended to go straight and allowing a really big truck behind me to enter the ramp with zero conflict.
Truck entering off-ramp from Route 9
I continued past a traffic light, then pulled off onto the shoulder, where I could check for traffic coming from an on-ramp. I waited until the traffic light that I just rode through turned red to block through traffic.
If ramp traffic were heavier, I might have had to negotiate with an entering motorist to slow or stop, and then pass me on the left. But like me, entering motorists would have no main-line traffic to deal with, except for, well, me. Motorists could use the two empty lanes to my left.
Looking back at the on ramp to Route 9
Thanks to my preparation in the previous step, I next rode through a long underpass on a completely empty roadway. This suited me because drivers exiting the ramp have a somewhat restricted sight line.
Looking back into a completely empty underpass
I got nearly to the next traffic light before it turned green. You may notice that the cars waiting at the light are from the platoon that passed while I was pulled over. Waiting for them to pass didn’t lose me any time. Had I not stopped, I would have waited at this red light. This traffic light blocks traffic entering from the right, and so I had clear passage on a green light.
Signalized on ramp at next traffic light
Plain-Vanilla Lane Control
From this point forward until past the interchange, I used plain-vanilla CyclingSavvy lane control, riding in the rightmost through lane.
One rogue motorcyclist split the lane between me and the SUV to my left. This is legal in some states, but not in Massachusetts. Avoiding collisions with other road users of this ilk is one more reason to be predictable, though it would also be nice to see some law enforcement.
I kept a steady, straight line of travel, and Wild Man sped onward to crash somewhere else.
The rogue motorcyclist
With lane control in a through lane on this high-speed highway, I was relying on motorists to change lanes and avoid me. They did.
Car merging to pass me
Rear-end collisions are rare, and motorists are unlikely to be driving distractedly when they know that they have to pay attention. But it can happen. My tools to avoid a driver who might rear-end me are glances into my rear-view mirror and if necessary, to swerve out of the way — though possibly into other trouble.
Another Trick Up My Sleeve
There’s another option in this segment: to use the right-turn lane and make a U-turn, as I did earlier at William Street, then turn right on a green light. This can help you ride without other traffic on the short shoulderless section of Route 9 that follows. (If I may editorialize, that segment of Route 9 hardly shows lip service to pedestrian safety. The sidewalks west from there look as though they haven’t been paved or cleared of overgrowth in 50 years.)
Little detour to turn right on green onto Route 9
I do think it’s good that I demonstrated the plain vanilla approach. If the video didn’t cover that, it would offer incomplete advice. On the other hand, with that last U-turn and right on green, it is possible to ride all the way through this interchange, on the roadway, without once mixing with high-speed motor traffic. But that isn’t possible everywhere.
After passing the shoulderless section, I rode a wide, paved shoulder the rest of the way to my destination.
Did you ever imagine that fast traffic might offer a safety advantage? On this busy highway, it does. Any driver who would turn right would have to slow way down, offering ample warning of a right-hook risk.
Riding on the shoulder west of the interchange
This part of the video got so uneventful that I have inserted a map of the ride, and titles, over parts of it.
No love affair with Massachusetts Route 9!
The creation of this post does NOT mean that I like riding a bicycle on Route 9.
I do notlike the interchange, whose present configuration dates from 2016.
Nor do I like the stretch of Route 9 designed in the 1930s, despite the shoulder that makes for an easy, if noisy, bicycle ride.
The crowning problem with both of these segments is that there is no other way in or out of office parks, residences and residential streets along Route 9, by any means of transportation.
As I remark in the video, there’s also no way to cross Route 9 for stretches of a half mile or more. As a result, Route 9 has created car dependency far in excess of anything usual in Boston suburbs.
Criticism is fair only along with explanations and suggestions. I have published another post, about the history of Route 9, to discuss the opportunities lost, and explore possibilities to improve matters.
I’m also planning to post a video of a a ride on the same route when traffic is heavier, in rush hour. I expect that the ride will be easier, because the traffic will be slower.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Route-9-fallback-2-e1598566416756.jpg395702John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2020-08-28 12:55:332021-04-09 17:41:55I Rode a Bicycle on Massachusetts Route 9
At CyclingSavvy we teach communication with other road users. But there’s a part of the course called “Train Your Bike.”
Cute catchphrase? Well, sort of. You are actually training yourself, but “training the bike” is how it feels. We want you to feel at one with your bike.
Many riders never learn to be one with their bike when they are starting and stopping.
It sounds so basic. Why spend time on it? How could people possibly screw up starting and stopping enough for that to be a problem?
Well, they can and it is.
Lowering the stress level
CyclingSavvy founder Keri Caffrey once had a student who was a super-experienced athlete. The student had completed a half-Ironman triathlon. But for her, starting and stopping were near-crashing events. She wobbled scarily at slow speed — and slow speed is part and parcel of every start and stop. Keri’s instruction lowered that student’s stress level enormously.
You don’t have to be a serious triathlete to need this instruction. Look around at other cyclists, and you’ll see:
People don’t stop at stop lights because their stop/start skills are so poor. (Double that when an unskilled rider gets a pedal-binding system.)
If someone does stop, it’s disturbing to watch, and so are the first 30 feet after restarting.
Just as you come to a stop sign, there is a gap in the cross traffic. Is it long enough? That might depend on your being ready for a quick restart.
Category IV (novice) mass-start road race starts are scary. People don’t accelerate smoothly away from the starting line.
The solution is right here!
This can be fixed. Easily. But you have to know how.
If you follow all the steps in sequence, every start is smooth. Every stop is smooth. None of these steps is difficult. None requires fancy bike-handling skill. But you have to know them and understand them.
This is exactly what we teach in Train Your Bike.
It looks so easy. Because when you start and stop the best way, it’s a non-event.
To start, you lift a pedal to the power position while straddling the bike, with your butt in front of the saddle. Stand on the one pedal, lift your butt up and slide it rearward. Put your other foot on the other pedal and continue pedaling.
To stop, use the brakes to stop the bike, slide your butt forward off the saddle and put your weight on one foot. Lean the bicycle toward the other foot — so it is outboard of the pedal. Put that foot on the ground just as the bike stops. You use that foot and your hands to hold the bike while it’s stopped. And you use the other foot to lift a pedal into the power position for your next start.
Putting a foot down for a landing
We love teaching starting and stopping — and other skills — because we love to see both novices and experienced riders discover entirely different and better ways to do things on their bikes.
Try practicing this skill. Watch the video a few times. Then follow up with practice, so the sequence unfolds smoothly. It takes practice, as the saying goes, to get to Carnegie Hall.
Should bicyclists be riding now? Should bicyclists wear face masks now to avoid the risk of catching the COVID-19 disease?
Common sense suggests that masks help, but the US Centers for Disease Control until recently downplayed them. With masks in short supply, the highest priority has been to ensure first responders and medical professionals have protection.
Judgments like that are about the Greater Good. They aren’t just about saving you in particular. They are based on epidemiological risk assessments from one point of view or another.
Good Health and the Greater Good
I like to think that I advocate for the Greater Good, but I do better at that if I am in good health. I might take that idea farther than some people. By 1978, bicycle helmets were becoming common, and like many people I wore one. But I was unique in wearing an industrial respirator mask when riding in the city.
The author riding with helmet and mask in 1978 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo by Anita Brewer-Siljeholm
Cities were smelly in 1978. Most cars did not have catalytic converters. Brake shoes were made of asbestos, and they shed asbestos fibers into the air. But my respirator worked great. Car exhaust had a heavy, oily smell back then, but it came through the mask odorless. Acrid diesel-bus exhaust exited the mask’s activated charcoal filters smelling like a fresh slice of whole-wheat toast.
If I hadn’t been wearing a respirator mask while cycling in the late 70s, the damage to my lungs and body would have been as significant as if I smoked cigarettes. Then, things got better. As pollution control on cars improved, I used the respirator less. It deteriorated in storage, and eventually I threw it away.
Now we have a different problem.
The pandemic has created a new and different problem. CyclingSavvy outdoor sessions have been postponed or canceled. Bicycle clubs have suspended their group ride programs. Should I ride at all? Wear a mask?
There is no absolute social distancing. The widely cited 6-foot rule reflects a balance of risk against what people will tolerate. The good news is that you don’t get infected by just one individual virus spore. Exhaustive research on the AIDS virus has established that there is a threshold level of contamination below which it does not take hold in a person. With the virus that causes COVID-19, the principle is the same, though the amount is not yet known. Individual susceptibility varies, and a higher dose appears to result in worse symptoms. Wearing a mask does lower the risk of catching the disease, or transmitting it.
Are Masks Practical?
I happen to have a few N95 masks left over from sanding and painting projects (opened box, not accepted for donation). I have shaved my beard — for the first time in 50 years — to make the masks work better.
My wife and I reserve the masks for shopping trips. We use them only once every several days, so they have time to decontaminate themselves. (Viruses die outside of the host animal’s body.) Three or four masks between us will probably hold out until supply improves. I wear eye-protection goggles over my eyeglasses. We also happen to have a couple of surgical masks.
My experience:
An N95 mask proved practical only for short bicycle trips, especially in cold weather, because I couldn’t lift it off my face to blow my nose.
A surgical mask is not practical for me when cycling in cool weather, because it doesn’t seal, and fogs my glasses. Lifting this mask is possible, though, without unbuckling the helmet.
There are too many kinds of improvised cloth masks for me to come to a single conclusion. A bandana that hangs down and can be lifted up is probably going to allow blowing the nose.
An industrial respirator mask is practical, though it could become uncomfortable on a long ride. The degree of protection it provides depends on the type of filters.
Any mask will somewhat impair breathing.
Should Bicyclists Wear Face Masks For Shopping Trips?
While I have access to a car, I prefer to shop by bicycle. The bicycle is more convenient when I am bringing home a small load. Cycling to the store alone generally carries far less risk of infection than riding public transportation. But when shopping, I have to interact with people, and sometimes go into a store.
Should bicyclists wear face masks for this kind of trip? Yes, at least when going into the store, but also if having to ride under crowded conditions.
For shopping trips, I wear gardening gloves with rubber fingers and palms. I carry a small bottle with disinfectant solution, and disinfectant wipes. I disinfect the shopping-cart handle before gripping it. I also disinfect my gloves, then my hands after I leave the store. When I get home I disinfect them again after removing the mask, goggles and helmet.
The reusable shopping bag in the picture below does not go into the store. Stores in Massachusetts don’t accept them any more, as they might carry infection. I use the bag after I’m done shopping, to increase the carrying capacity of my bicycle.
The author, April 2020, in full kit for a shopping trip. Photo by Jacob Allen
When I get home, I lay out items that I bought in the driveway to disinfect them, or pour food out into clean containers. Apartment dwellers have to disinfect indoors. There’s plenty of good information online about how to disinfect foods, and yourself after handling them. Here’s one example.
Should Bicyclists Wear Face Masks For Recreational Riding?
Should you wear a face mask while riding? Or not? Or just hang up the bicycle? Strategies are different if you’re riding solo or with someone else.
Each person’s circumstances are unique. In my case, it’s only a mile from my home to semi-rural outer suburbs. Traffic on roads there is very light now, and I’ll go on solo rides without wearing a mask.
Urban and suburban traffic is also light, though a friend — a high-mileage recreational road rider — has had to dodge many newbie wrong-way riders. (This is one more reason to stay away from riding on the edge of the road.)
Another friend who is a strong advocate for shared-use paths avoids them now, because they are crowded, largely with people who don’t know how to be safe on them.
In some places, notably New York State, masks are now required for everyone where social distancing is impossible. Spain and Italy have banned recreational cycling, allowing cycling only for some kinds of essential trips. That seems excessive to me, at least where I live, considering the low risk of contagion on lightly-used rural roads.
If You Ride With Another Person
The 6-foot rule doesn’t apply to bicyclists riding together, because bicyclists are moving, and the risk depends on which way the wind is blowing. One recommendation was to maintain 35-foot spacing, and greater at higher speeds. The front rider uses hand signals to indicate turns; the rear rider repeats them to confirm. Checking for confirmation is easier if the front rider uses a rear-view mirror.
Crash Risk
I do think about the risk of a crash that would require care in an already overburdened hospital. It could happen, but my last crash that required a doctor’s attention was in 1984, to no small extent because of the kind of skills that CyclingSavvy teaches. There is a balance to achieve.
April 2020: The author headed out on a recreational ride, no mask. Photo: Jacob Allen
I’ve been riding on the nearly empty semi-rural roads — without a mask, to stay in shape and avoid going stir-crazy. But you have to make up your own mind about this.
Even if you have hung the bicycle up for the duration, the time will come when you dust it off and ride again. This is a useful way to while away the time until then.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/john-allen-with-mask-2020-featured.jpg231248John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2020-04-18 10:00:422020-04-19 23:23:43Should I Be Riding Now?
John will premiere “Riding the Eakins Oval” to a live audience at this weekend’s Philly Bike Expo. He and CyclingSavvy Instructor Pamela Murray are leading a one-hour seminar, Bicycling In Traffic Is A Dance You Lead, at 10:30 AM Saturday, Nov. 2.
At 3 PM Sunday, Nov. 3, Pam will give a seminar on How to Create a Biking Revolution. If you’re at the Expo, go. Pam is a charismatic dynamo, and walks the talk.
Here’s a link to the weekend’s complete seminar schedule.
Don’t forget to visit the CyclingSavvy/Coalition for Appropriate Transportation booth (number 2009) at the Expo. At the booth, you’ll be able to “drive” an HPV through a busy intersection and see how to avoid the hazards (yes, it’s 100 percent safe).
The Philly Bike Expo is celebrating its 10th year. This remarkable bicycling event brings together under one enormous roof outstanding vendors from throughout the country, including dealers, distributors, advocacy organizations, and specialty frame makers.
If you can go, don’t miss it! I wish I could be there. Sadly I must settle for a cameo appearance in John’s video ;-)
So many ways to bike on Philly’s Eakins Oval.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-31-at-5.36.36-PM.png10261274Karen Karabellhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngKaren Karabell2019-11-01 11:00:202019-11-01 10:24:25Eakins Oval, How Do I Bike Thee? Let Me Count The Ways
…about bike lanes in Philadelphia, I showed how I rode on Spruce Street, a narrow one-way street in Center City with a bike lane.
When my safety required it, I merged out of the bike lane — for example, whenever I might be at risk from a right-turning motor vehicle. At those times, it was safest to be in line with motor vehicles, where the driver behind me could see me.
Such Assertiveness May Seem Strange and Forbidding
It’s indeed counterintuitive to practice “driver behavior,” and take your place in the queue with motor vehicles. Yes, they are big, and heavy, and they can go fast. But these vehicles also are controlled by drivers. You use head turns and hand signals to communicate with drivers, and move into line when one has made room for you. That driver’s vehicle is protecting you from all the other ones behind!
Putting “driver behavior” into practice on Spruce Street was easy, as traffic there is mostly slow. I had no trouble just falling into line with vehicles waiting at a traffic light.
A First-Timer’s Mistakes
If you think that CyclingSavvy Instructors always do everything right, watch today’s video. This was my first ride ever on Spruce Street. I wouldn’t do everything quite the same way a second time.
There were a couple of times when I didn’t move far enough OUT of the bike lane. I was in line with motor traffic, but I stayed in the right tire track — on the passenger side of cars — so that bicyclists in the bike lane would show in my video.
Right Tire Track Distracted Me From My Safety
That distracted me from an option which would have made my ride go better. As I reviewed raw footage, it dawned on me that most of the streets which cross Spruce Street are one-way. Some are one way right-to-left, others left-to-right.
I could take advantage of this!
Avoiding Unnecessary Delay at Intersections
Look at the incidents at one-way left-to-right cross streets. In one of these, a motorist ahead of me pulled over to the right curb just past the intersection. In the other, a motorist behind me turned right. Neither used turn signals. The driver who merged right delayed me, and I delayed the one who turned right.
Things would have gone more smoothly if I had been riding farther to the left. That is my usual practice where traffic can turn right, but it is even more emphatically correct where traffic can’t turn left.
I still won’t pull all the way over to the left, out of line with the motor traffic: even if a motorist is unlikely to turn the wrong way into a one-way street, one could still merge over to the left curb, like the one who merged over to the right curb in my video. It’s safest to wait in line.
Just For Fun
I’ve included a third incident where the mistake was made years earlier, in the design department of an automobile manufacturer halfway around the world.
In this segment, the driver did use a turn signal, but it was so far around on the other side of the car, I couldn’t see it.
This driver was yielding right-of-way to me when I should have yielded to him. To avoid a “no, you go first” situation, I went ahead. If I’d known that the driver wanted to turn right and would have to follow me, I would have been more assertively polite. Why would I want motorists behind me if they don’t have to be? I don’t!
The first two incidents illustrate why I never assume motorists will use their turn signals. The third incident brought home to me that I sometimes can’t assume that they are not using turn signals.
Savvy Cyclists Learn From Their Mistakes
While I kept safe, the encounters I’ve described could have gone more smoothly. Every ride can be a learning experience, and the next ride can go better.
More to Come
I have one more post about Spruce Street on the way. So far I’ve done my best to avoid discussing politics and religion.
But in my final Spruce Street post, churches are involved. In that post I’m going to let loose!
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-09-30-at-1.39.50-PM.jpeg744873John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2019-10-04 09:00:202020-07-21 23:26:25A Philadelphia Bike Lane Learning Experience
The full CyclingSavvy Course INCLUDES Truth & Techniques (classroom session), Train Your Bike (bike handling) session, and our signature on-road experience — Tour of Waltham.
Truth & Techniques (classroom session) and Train Your Bike (bike handling) are included in this 3-part workshop. Completion of these two sessions is required before taking the Tour session, and you may sign up for individual sessions — see their listings to do that.
Train Your Bike – Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 9 AM – Noon at MacArthur School
…Lunch break…Pizzi Farms deli and ice-cream stand is just across the street.
Tour of Waltham – Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 1 PM – 4:30 PM from MacArthur School
The Tour of Waltham is an experiential tour of our city’s roads. The course includes some of the most intimidating road features (intersections, interchanges, merges, etc.) a cyclist might find in his/her travels. The 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.
Train Your Bike (bike handling) and Truth & Techniques (classroom session) are included in this 3-part workshop. Completion of these two sessions is required before taking the Tour session.
The ticket below gives the time for the first (classroom) session, but it is for the full three-part course, including the Tour of Waltham session.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/20170806_141756.jpg7201280John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2018-11-22 13:21:382020-02-13 20:58:06Three Part Course: Waltham MA – May 2020
The full CyclingSavvy Course INCLUDES Truth & Techniques (classroom session), Train Your Bike (bike handling) session, and our signature on-road experience — Tour of Waltham.
Truth & Techniques (classroom session) and Train Your Bike (bike handling) are included in this 3-part workshop. Completion of these two sessions is required before taking the Tour session, and you may sign up for individual sessions — see their listings to do that.
Train Your Bike – Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 9 AM – Noon at MacArthur School
…Lunch break…Pizzi Farms deli and ice-cream stand is just across the street.
Tour of Waltham – Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 1 PM – 4:30 PM from MacArthur School
The Tour of Waltham is an experiential tour of our city’s roads. The course includes some of the most intimidating road features (intersections, interchanges, merges, etc.) a cyclist might find in his/her travels. The 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.
Train Your Bike (bike handling) and Truth & Techniques (classroom session) are included in this 3-part workshop. Completion of these two sessions is required before taking the Tour session.
The ticket below gives the time for the first (classroom) session, but it is for the full three-part course, including the Tour of Waltham session.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/20170806_141756.jpg7201280John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2018-11-22 13:21:382020-10-26 16:09:52Three Part Course: Waltham MA – May 2020
May 14, 2021
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6:30 PM
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May 15, 2021
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4:30 PM EDT
Maximize your cycling experience!
The full CyclingSavvy Course INCLUDES Truth & Techniques (classroom session), Train Your Bike (bike handling) session, and our signature on-road experience — Tour of Waltham.
Truth & Techniques (classroom session on Zoom) and Train Your Bike (bike handling, outdoor session) are included in this 3-part workshop. Completion of these two sessions is required before taking the Tour session.
Truth & Techniques – Friday, May 14, 2020, 6:30-9:30 PM Zoom meeting online (Signup information to be provided). Earlier online sessions, in person or online, and the self-teaching Mastery Course may be substituted.
Train Your Bike – Saturday, May 15, 2020 at 9 AM – Noon at MacArthur School
…Lunch break…Pizzi Farms deli and ice-cream stand is just across the street.
Tour of Waltham – Saturday, May 15, 2020 at 1 PM – 4:30 PM from MacArthur School. You must have taken the two other sessions to proceed to this session.
The Tour of Waltham is an experiential tour of our city’s roads. The course includes some of the most intimidating road features (intersections, interchanges, merges, etc.) a cyclist might find in his/her travels. The 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.
The ticket below gives the time for the virtual classroom session, but it is for the full three-part course, including the Tour of Waltham session.
Savvy Cycling Now features four virtual and interactive off-bike sessions. The series is designed to set the framework for everything you need to know to make your riding easy, wherever you choose to ride.
Two Two-Hour Zoom Sessions. Join From Anywhere.
Both are at 7:30 PM EDTWednesday, April 21, 2021: Our rational and sensible traffic system, and how you on your bicycle are a natural part of it. Bicycle safety: What really causes crashes, and how to avoid crashing.
Wednesday, April 28, 2021: Successful Bicycling. This sessions on successful bicycling will show you:
⇒ Best practices for managing your space when you ride. You’ll discover the unexpected, transformative control you can have over your on-road safety.
⇒ How to recognize common traps that invite cyclists to do something risky.
⇒ How to ride a bicycle with ease through intimidating roadway configurations.
Sessions Limited to 25 Participants, With Two Instructors
This is designed so that all participants can participate as they desire. While one instructor delivers the presentation, the other will monitor the Chat window, ensure participant’s questions are answered, and diplomatically interject and interrupt the presenting instructor as needed.
Included in Your Registration
Within 48 hours, registrants will receive via email a video replay of that week’s session. So even if you can’t attend a session in the series, you’ll have the opportunity to get caught up before the next session.
Winter 2018, Charlotte, NC: Instructor Pamela Murray shows how dooring can happen.
The Savvy Cycling Now sessions qualify you for the opportunity to bypass the classroom portion of CyclingSavvy workshops and proceed directly to the on-bike sessions.
Because of Covid, most on-bike sessions are suspended (but check our ride listings — some are being run with social distancing). Instructors are available, though, to help you safely experience savvy cycling. Contact us for the name of an instructor near you.
If you’re on Facebook, you’ll receive an invitation to join CyclingSavvy Graduates Chat. a safe and civil forum for sharing your questions, strategies, success stories, and challenges with your fellow Savvy Cyclists.
Ticket purchase includes video replay of both sessions.
Videos are unlisted and for participant review only. Videos may not be altered, shared or reproduced. Purchase of a ticket implies understanding of and cooperation with these conditions.
To Participate
Buy your ticket below. Your instructor will email you the Zoom registration link.
CyclingSavvy is all about strategies.
As a participant, you’ll receive a full toolkit of strategies to make your bicycling easy, whether you’re practicing “driver,” “edge,” or “pedestrian” behavior. After the series, you’ll know best practices for keeping yourself safe when using any of these behaviors.
Doing is believing!
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, in-person courses are suspended in many locations. Check here for updates to on-bike sessions. In the meantime, contact us for the name of an instructor who can help you safely experience the epiphany of savvy cycling.
I’m a pretty experienced cyclist and a defensive driving instructor, and I got a lot of value and new information from the sessions I attended. My husband and 10-year-old daughter got a lot of it, too. Hope to hear more from Savvy Cycling, this was really great!
Alicia Every, Seattle
Savvy Cycling Now
is a program of the nonprofit American Bicycling Education Association. ABEA’s mission is make a difference in people’s lives by empowering them to use their bikes to go anywhere they want, safely and confidently.
Money-Back Guarantee & Scholarship Fund
All ABEA courses come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. ABEA never turns away anyone who wants to take advantage of its programs. For more information or to request a scholarship, contact us.
More Testimonials
The Cycling Savvy online course was a game changer for me and Savvy Cycling Now complemented it perfectly. I can’t recommend these courses enough for adult cyclists to increase safety and build confidence on their rides.
Arnold “Andy” Anderson, retired vehicular homicide detective
Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey
Thanks for the class. The graphics are outstanding and the videos clear.
Bruce Dughi, Castro Valley, CA
Thanks for putting together Savvy Cycling Now. I really, really found it useful. I think someone commented at the end that these are the things most people don’t learn when they learn how to ride a bike as kids — my thought exactly! Another participant told me she was struck by the concept of platoons. I was struck by the idea of communicating with drivers by looking over my shoulder. And that there are times when it is best to be in one tire track or another. I could go on and on.
Lisa Soldat, Minneapolis
I can tell the goal of the CyclingSavvy system is to keep everyone safe and to help individuals choose what is the right riding style for them after fully understanding the risks and benefits involved in each. You are presenting fabulous information in a clear, concise way with helpful visual resources.
I dream of ideal bikeways everywhere, but want to encourage riding before we get them.
Irene, Massachusetts
Before CyclingSavvy, I had learned about bicycling from my peers — which is sort of like learning about sex from your high-school classmates.
4 people are attending Savvy Cycling Now, April 2021 Series
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CS-logo_featurelong-color-transparent.png233592John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.pngJohn Allen2020-10-26 17:28:062022-05-12 13:53:00Savvy Cycling Now, April 2021 Series