BikePGH’s 2022 League Cycling Instructor Cohort

Over the weekend of March 4, BikePGH hosted a League of American Bicyclists (LAB) League Cycling Instructor (LCI) Seminar. Twelve candidates were trained and certified to teach bicycle safety and skills to others.

What is a League Cycling Instructor?

League Cycling Instructors are certified to teach the League of American Bicyclists Smart Cycling curriculum to help people feel more secure riding a bike, to create a mindset that bikes should be treated as a vehicle, and to ensure bicyclists know how to ride safely and legally. The LCI training seminar focuses on teaching and demonstration techniques used with future students both on the road and in the classroom. The seminar’s emphasis is on how to teach bicycle safety and skills so as to provide increased comfort and confidence for new and returning bicyclists of all ages. LCIs are ideally suited to teach cycling best practices and confidently lead group rides.

The League Cycling Instructor (LCI) Seminar

With the goal of training our own staff as well as educators and ride leaders from partner organizations and the general public, BikePGH hosted its first LCI Training Seminar in a number of years. This year’s cohort of twelve instructors represented BikePGH as well as GO Bike Buffalo, Pittsburgh Major Taylor Cycling Club, Black Girls Do Bike: Durham, The Wheel Mill, The Pitt Bike Cave, and Bike ECS, and was led by the esteemed League Cycling Coach, Neil Walker. After two years of remote and hybrid work due to the pandemic, being able to host so many advocates in person at our office was a great achievement brought about in no small part to safe and widely available vaccination. We were also blessed with an early March miracle, warm and sunny conditions for all of our outdoor activities.

Presentations and Parking Lot Drills

The intensive twenty-hour seminar focused on mastering and teaching the concepts and skills of safe vehicular cycling. Each candidate presented and evaluated each other’s presentations on topics from The League’s Smart Cycling curriculum. Topics included principles of traffic law, signaling and lane positioning, gear and accessories for all-weather riding, proper helmet fit and usage, and many others. Every candidate also learned to set-up and teach The League’s Parking Lot Drills. The Parking Lot Drills teach basic riding skills as well as hazard avoidance maneuvers in a controlled environment. 

LCI Candidates Test Their Ride Leading Skills in Traffic 

Our Saturday session also featured what Coach Neil referred to as “playing in traffic” where groups of cyclists negotiated a busy Lawrenceville intersection from different directions, and a night visibility demonstration comparing the effectiveness of various lights and reflectors. The culmination of the three-day seminar was the road test where the LCI candidates rode in two groups demonstrating effective ride leading skills such as: navigation, communication, pacing, and lane positioning. Throughout this rigorous seminar our LCI candidates demonstrated a wealth of knowledge, experience, creativity, and skill as educators and ride leaders and we can’t wait to see all the great work they will do in Pittsburgh and beyond! 

Thanks to all our candidates as well as our League coach Neil Walker and assisting LCI’s: Fred Zelt, Diana Hildebrand, and Robin Woods!