Road One is the official name given by the League of
American Bicyclists to CAT’s bike safety instruction for adult cyclists who
want to learn to ride a bicycle in traffic.
Road One is always taught by a League
Cycling Instructor (LCI), insured by American
Specialty.
Road One course content includes everything taught in the Basic Bike Safety
class: fitting the helmet, why we wear
a helmet, what a helmet doesn’t do, bike types, the right bike for you, fitting
your bike, identifying essential parts, performing a quick safety check,
practicing basic skills in a traffic free environment, and learning emergency
procedures.
Basic
Skills include, starting, stopping, turning, swerving, and scanning.
Emergency
procedures include panic stops, sudden turns, rock/glass dodging and scanning
at speed.
In
addition, Road One teaches cyclists to act as
vehicle operators.
Road One reviews traffic law, an understanding of which is necessary to operate
any vehicle safely on our roadways, including the concepts of first come first
served; traffic keeps to the right in this country; all vehicle operators must
obey all signs and signals; faster traffic passes on the left, traffic from a
slower road must yield to traffic from a faster road, and instruction on proper
placement in an intersection to use left turn, through and right turn lanes.
Road One continues with instruction on those aspects of riding a bike in traffic
that are unique to the bicycle because the bicycle is smaller, narrower and
usually slower than most motorized vehicles on the road. This instruction includes being visible and
predictable; using the right most lane going in your direction; and proper
positioning in the lane. In addition, some rudimentary mechanical
instruction takes place in Road One, such as
teaching how to fix a flat tire, explaining derailleur and gears, and
discussion of bicycle accessories like a pump, reflectors and tool kit.
Road One content is taught under many different names and programs at CAT
including, Ride Safely Anywhere, Moms on Bikes (MOB); Bike-to-Work Days, and
Bike Safety on the Trail.
Road One is 9-hour course. The charge
is $50/family for Road One (whatever the name)
to encourage people to bring family members along. An anonymous foundation provided training bikes so people can
come in and take Road One before they buy
a new bike.
No one may continue with the Road One course if he or she can not pass the scanning test. Only cyclists who pass the scan test may be taught to safely ride in traffic.
CAT offers Road One every Saturday at the Bethlehem Bicycle Cooperative (BBC). For the current schedule and directions please see CAT’s Bicycle Safety Classes.
Road One is also available by appointment at the BBC or off-site for birthday parties, schools, day-care, after-school programs, scout troops, church groups or any other places, cyclists, or potential cyclists may congregate. Road One instruction requires no more than a 5:1 ratio of students to instructors. Sometimes instructors will volunteer, and we have grant money to pay additional instructors where necessary, but the first instructor should be paid by the sponsor or host of the Road One course. The fee for one instructor for 9 hours is $450. Please call 610-954-5744 or email bbc@car-free.org for more information.
61 adults received Road One instruction from CAT coordinated LCIs in 2005.
Experienced cyclists may take the Road One Assessment or Testing without taking the Road One 9-hour course.