 Personal
coaching: Learn
to Ride a Bike — At Any Age
You're
never too old to learn to bicycle!
Proven
method, patient coach
If you never learned to ride a bicycle, this one-on-one
coaching will get you pedaling and shifting successfully.
I have taught over 40 adults and teens ranging in age
from 12 to 61.
I
offer this service by appointment in San Francisco and
in other locations (including the S.F. Peninsula, South
Bay, and greater Los Angeles areas) depending on my
travel schedule. The fee is $60/hour; learning typically
takes no more than two and a half hours.
How
it works
Your
private lesson is held on a playground or parking lot
with no cars or other bicyclists to worry about. I can
provide a bicycle for you to learn on, or you can bring
your own – I'll check that it fits you and is safe
to ride. All you need is your own bike helmet.
We'll
begin with the pedals removed and the seat lowered so
you can put both feet on the ground. You'll first learn"gliding"
by walking the bike while sitting on it, taking longer
and longer steps as your body discovers what it's like
to balance and steer. I'll show you how to stop smoothly
without falling.
When
you can coast in a straight line and make easy turns
and safe stops, I'll reinstall the pedals and show you
how to start up smoothly and confidently. If needed,
a few minutes with the bike mounted on a training stand
will let you experience pedaling before you try it while
balancing and steering.
When
you've mastered starting, riding confidently for several
minutes, and stopping, you'll learn the "why, how,
and when" of shifting so you can pedal comfortably
and efficiently on longer rides.
What's
next?
Once you've learned to balance, stop, steer, start,
and shift, you'll be ready to continue practicing on
your own before going on rides with your family, friends,
or a local bike club. You'll also be ready to attend
a Street Skills class to learn the essentials of safe and legal
bicycle driving.
A
great gift...
For several of my "first time cyclist" graduates,
the lesson was a birthday or anniversary present from
someone special.
Do you wish your daughter, son, or sweetie could enjoy
bicycling like you do? Give a gift that unlocks a world
of fun... learning how to ride!
For
more information...
...contact
John
Ciccarelli.
Download
1-page
flyer 
10/14/07
back
to top
 Street
Skills For Cyclists
Street
Skills covers the content of the "Road One"
class in the League of American Bicyclists "BikeEd"
program.
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•
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The
essential bicycle driver education class for adults
and driving-age teens.
|
|
| •
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Safely
operate a bicycle in a variety of situations, including
several hours of on-bike practice.
|
| •
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Gain
confidence knowing you are riding legally and safely.
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| • |
Student
manual included. |
| •
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Recommended
for adults and children ages 16 and up (13 up if
accompanied by parent/guardian and approved in advance
by instructor) |
| SESSIONS |
FORMAT |
SELECTED TOPICS |
|
"Classroom
days"
Typically
two weekday evenings of 2.5 hours each
|
Classroom
or conference room
Slideshow,
video clips, lecture and discussion
|
Bicyclists
and the Law
Crashes
and how to deter them
Visibility:
seeing and being seen, day and night
Riding
safely between intersections on all types of streets,
whether or not there are bike lanes
Riding
safely through intersections and interchanges,
including four ways to make left turns
Making
traffic lights turn green
Bicycles
on local and regional transit
Riding
in the rain
|
|
"On-bike
day"
5
to 6 hours, typically on a Saturday
|
On-bike,
off-street
Schoolyard
or closed parking lot
|
Bicycle
safety check
(basic fit, tires, brakes, cables, shifters)
Safe
and effective braking; stopping safely as quickly
as possible
Gears
and smooth shifting
Fixing
a flat
Practice
and testing of crash avoidance techniques (shoulder
check, rock dodge, quick stop, quick turn)
Multiple-choice
written test
|
|
On-bike,
on-street
|
Group
"teaching ride" and small-group road test
on local, collector and selected arterial streets |
New
Student Orientation Seminar
ATTENTION
college orientation, transportation, and safety managers:
Put
your campus bicycle program on a safe and sound footing
even before Fall classes begin. Our New Student Orientation
Seminar gives your incoming undergraduate and graduate
students the knowledge they need to bike legally, safely,
and confidently around campus and to nearby destinations.
This is vital information for all students, but especially
those arriving from places where utility cycling is
uncommon or from countries whose bicycling laws and
culture differ significantly from the U.S.
Our
image-rich presentation features demonstrations by the
instructor, and can be tailored for class lengths of
one to two hours and class sizes ranging from conference
rooms to large lecture halls. Contact us for information
on customizing the seminar for your campus.
Topics
- Cyclists'
legal rights and responsibilities, including traffic
rules and equipment requirements
- How
to choose a safe line of travel between and through
intersections
- Inexpensive
ways to outfit a bicycle for safe and visible travel
after dark
- How
to lock a bike securely to the types of bike racks
found on and around your campus
- What
to remember when buying a bike
- Options
for safely carrying backpacks, groceries, and other
cargo
- Bike-on-bus
and bike-on-rail transit options (where available)
- Local
bike shops and cycling resources
Presenter
John
Ciccarelli, is a League
Cycling Instructor (LCI) with over 10 years experience
designing and delivering street cycling
classes. He was Stanford
University's first Bicycle Program Manager from
1995 through 1998.
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