By Katy Magruder – BWCF Project Manager
Here’s the deal. I love to bike but seem to make excuses as to why I don’t do more of it. Mostly I am afraid to ride on roads like Colonial Dr, 17-92, and 436.
It all boils down to fear – a fear of riding where street design is aimed at moving cars, not people.
Fortunately, devoted cycling enthusiasts, Keri Caffrey and Mighk Wilson, have developed a program that teaches cyclists how to cope with the existing road infrastructure and how to share the road with drivers on roads of all shapes and sizes. The overall message of the Cycling Savvy program is safety, and to remain safe on the road, a cyclist must be VISIBLE to drivers.
Cycling Savvy instructors show potential conflict situations through a number of animations and simulated examples in a classroom setting. Each situation is followed up with video footage of the instructors avoiding the conflict.
On day-two, Cycling Savvy instructors lead a ride including some of the most intimidating obstacles for cyclists: intersections, merge lanes, and on street parking. Prepped with knowledge of driving behavior and how to navigate conflict situations from the classroom portion, the ride flows smoothly and safely.
I no longer have excuses when considering biking to work – because I have been properly prepared and trained. The Cycling Savvy course proves to be a wonderful tool for gaining confidence on a bike, learning the rules of the road, predicting driver behavior, and all together remaining VISIBLE.
