LAB BikeEd program -- comments?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Matt O'Toole said:

What does everyone think of the LAB's BikeEd program? I'm looking for opinions
about the quality of BikeEd program itself -- would you use this material for
your own bike club's education and outreach?

I took one of LAB's bike saftey classes. It was offered
free by my city. There was a half-day classroom session
and a full day on-the-bike session. I thought the
classroom session was useful, especially for new riders.
The on-the-bike session was very slow because the
student-to-teacher ratio was very high.

Matt O'Toole said:

What does everyone think of the LAB's BikeEd program? I'm looking for opinions
about the quality of BikeEd program itself -- would you use this material for
your own bike club's education and outreach?

The material is pretty good. This course was offered free in my city. By
attending the course, you do not get access to all the materials. The
material that was presented had videos and it was pretty good. Only a
tenth of that made it to a booklet, that was given to us.

The class is pretty good for giving the confidence about riding in
traffic. Value addition comes in from the experience of the instructor
and his assitants and also fellow participants.

+ravi

Matt O'Toole said:

What does everyone think of the LAB's BikeEd program? I'm looking for opinions
about the quality of BikeEd program itself -- would you use this material for
your own bike club's education and outreach?

I am *not* looking for opinions about the LAB in general, or its leadership.
It's a separate issue. I've heard it all, and I don't care. So please spare
me.

Are you asking because you want a certified LCI to come to your town
(or be developed there), because you want your club to get trained
somehow, because you want to be the one offering training to your club,
or what?

Background solid. If you get a visiting instructor, there are some to
avoid. Materials good (you have probably heard the story I am thinking
of). Only game in town, why re-invent the wheel?

HTH

--Karen D.
certified in 1980; I'm one of the good ones

Matt O'Toole said:

What does everyone think of the LAB's BikeEd program? I'm looking for opinions
about the quality of BikeEd program itself -- would you use this material for
your own bike club's education and outreach?

I'm an LCI, so there may be some bias.

The feedback on the courses I've taught has been universally positive.
In fact, I can recall only two very minor suggestions for improvement.

Personally, I think the worst aspect is this: The Road 1 course is too
short, and thus stops at a skill level that's a little too low.
Forester's original concept was that the course should make one an
"Effective Cyclist" according to his definition - that is, a person who
could use his bike for essentially anything he wanted.

The current Road 1 doesn't give practice in things like dealing with
heavy traffic on four lanes, managing freeway on/off ramps, details of
commuting by bike, etc. But this was a marketing decision. The League
officials felt that short courses could be marketed better than long
ones.

Anyway, up to their limit, I'd say the courses are good. Provided
you've got a good instructor, that is. I certainly know of no better
alternative in the US.

- Frank Krygowski

Veloise said:

Matt O'Toole wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What does everyone think of the LAB's BikeEd program? I'm looking
for opinions about the quality of BikeEd program itself -- would you
use this material for your own bike club's education and outreach?

Quoted message said:

Are you asking because you want a certified LCI to come to your town
(or be developed there), because you want your club to get trained
somehow, because you want to be the one offering training to your
club, or what?

Our club is interested in offering this kind of education as part of our
advocacy and outreach program. As the advocacy chairman, I'm trying to help get
it going.

Quoted message said:

Background solid. If you get a visiting instructor, there are some to
avoid. Materials good (you have probably heard the story I am thinking
of).

Quoted message said:

Only game in town, why re-invent the wheel?

Exactly.

Quoted message said:

HTH

Yup, thanks.

Matt O.

Quoted message said:

Matt O'Toole wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What does everyone think of the LAB's BikeEd program? I'm looking
for opinions about the quality of BikeEd program itself -- would you
use this material for your own bike club's education and outreach?

Quoted message said:

I'm an LCI, so there may be some bias.

Quoted message said:

The feedback on the courses I've taught has been universally positive.
In fact, I can recall only two very minor suggestions for improvement.

Quoted message said:

Personally, I think the worst aspect is this: The Road 1 course is
too short, and thus stops at a skill level that's a little too low.
Forester's original concept was that the course should make one an
"Effective Cyclist" according to his definition - that is, a person
who could use his bike for essentially anything he wanted.

Quoted message said:

The current Road 1 doesn't give practice in things like dealing with
heavy traffic on four lanes, managing freeway on/off ramps, details of
commuting by bike, etc. But this was a marketing decision. The
League officials felt that short courses could be marketed better
than long ones.

Quoted message said:

Anyway, up to their limit, I'd say the courses are good. Provided
you've got a good instructor, that is. I certainly know of no better
alternative in the US.

Great, thanks. I know you're a long time instructor and and educator, so I
value your opinion.

Matt O.

Matt O'Toole said:

Quoted message said:

Matt O'Toole wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What does everyone think of the LAB's BikeEd program? I'm looking
for opinions about the quality of BikeEd program itself -- would you
use this material for your own bike club's education and outreach?

Quoted message said:

I'm an LCI, so there may be some bias.

Quoted message said:

The feedback on the courses I've taught has been universally positive.
In fact, I can recall only two very minor suggestions for improvement.

Quoted message said:

Personally, I think the worst aspect is this: The Road 1 course is
too short, and thus stops at a skill level that's a little too low.
Forester's original concept was that the course should make one an
"Effective Cyclist" according to his definition - that is, a person
who could use his bike for essentially anything he wanted.

Quoted message said:

The current Road 1 doesn't give practice in things like dealing with
heavy traffic on four lanes, managing freeway on/off ramps, details of
commuting by bike, etc. But this was a marketing decision. The
League officials felt that short courses could be marketed better
than long ones.

Quoted message said:

Anyway, up to their limit, I'd say the courses are good. Provided
you've got a good instructor, that is. I certainly know of no better
alternative in the US.

Great, thanks. I know you're a long time instructor and and educator, so I
value your opinion.

Matt O.

I took the Can-Bike II course, the Canadian adaptation of the LAW
BikeEd II course I believe, several years ago.Overall I was quite
impressed although personally I did not learn much.

I had already read Forster's Effective Cycling and Bicycle
Transportation along with much else and had been commuting by bike on
and off for 20 years before the course.

I took it because I was on the Board of an bicycling advocacy group and
felt that I should have a good idea of what we were doing when we
offered the course.

However my impression was that most of the students learned quite a
bit, both in the classroom and on the road. We had a couple of police
officers in the course and I think they learned the most. In fact, I
think that they barely had the cycling experience to be in the course
but they survived and left with a much better appreciation of cycling
and much better traffic skills

A definate fiend had planned the final ride in a complicated route
around down-town Ottawa with merge lanes, a semi-traffic circle,
one-way streets and I 'm not sure what else.

Overall well worthwhile.

John Kane