2009 Class Schedule

Around the country and in New York City, cycling is on the rise. And it’s definitely on people's minds--no matter how low the temperature dips. This winter we received a record number of inquiries from cyclists (and future cyclists) eager to sign up for the Bicycle Education Program’s spring and summer classes. We’re grateful for your patience and excited to open the floodgates! So, check your calendar and register today to:

• Learn to Ride, even as an adult
• Bring your children up to speed at Learn to Ride--Kids
• Improve your traffic cycling skills at Savvy Cyclist
• Figure out how to keep your machine humming at Bike Maintenance 101
  
• Discover tricks and tips to going by bicycle at Bike Commuting 101
  

Help Wanted: Volunteer Trainings and Opportunities

In this tough economic climate, one of the best and cheapest ways to treat yourself is by helping someone else. When you volunteer at a Learn to Ride event, you’re not just teaching balancing and pedaling, you’re helping a child become more self-confident and more physically active. You’re helping an adult gain a sense of independence and youthful joy. Join our corps of extraordinary volunteers for a truly rewarding cycling experience. Short volunteer sessions are available at Learn to Ride--Kids and Learn to Ride--Adults classes throughout the spring and summer in New York City.

First time volunteering at Learn to Ride? Attend a volunteer training to prepare yourself (information below). Already a seasoned Learn to Ride volunteer? Consider becoming a site captain! Just want info on the upcoming Volunteer Season Kick-off Meet and Greet? Contact Emilia Crotty.

Learn to Ride Volunteer Trainings
(Please RSVP)

• Tuesday, April 7, 6 p.m., Long Island City, Queens
  
• Wednesday, April 29, 6 p.m., Long Island City, Queens
  
• May date TBD, Bronx

Teachers, Take Note! Learn to Ride and Bike Driver's Ed Trainings

Bike New York’s Learn to Ride and Bike Driver’s Ed curricula are your guides to in-school, hands-on bicycle education programming. Geared toward teaching kids how to ride for the first time and helping them to improve their bike-handling and understand traffic principles, both the Learn to Ride and Bike Driver’s Ed training programs are entirely free of charge. Learn to Ride couldn’t be simpler, and with loaner bikes available to help you implement the Bike Driver’s Ed activities, what’s holding you back? Attend a training session near you and get your students rolling--safely and skillfully--by spring!

Learn to Ride trainings are free, 60 to 90-minute sessions.

Bike Driver’s Ed trainings are free, full-day sessions.

Please contact Rich Conroy for more information on these trainings.  

Bicycle Education Program on Tour: Upcoming Conference Appearances

Before our spring class season heats up, the Bicycle Education Program will hit the road to make appearances and offer training sessions at conferences in New York and New Jersey. Teachers and Parks & Recreation professionals, look for us at a these events, and be sure to check your conference schedule for our short sessions.

The Tour Continues: LCI Certification Seminar in Albany

Fancy yourself the savviest cyclist of them all? Consider becoming a League of American Bicyclists-certified Cycling Instructor (LCI) through Bike New York. In collaboration with the New York Bicycling Coalition, Bike New York will host a weekend-long certification seminar this year in Albany, New York, on May 30-31. Participants must first complete the League’s Road I course (available in Albany through the NYBC), then should visit the LAB website for more information and to register. Please contact Rich Conroy with questions. 

Job Opportunities

We’re hiring! With a surge of classes, training sessions, and summer camp partnerships quickly approaching, the Bicycle Education Program is looking for qualified part-time help. Specifically, we need a Bicycle Education Program Associate, who will be responsible for administrative duties and bike fleet logistics, and Bike New York Camp Instructors, who will work with existing summer camp programs in New York City to implement our Bike Driver’s Ed curriculum. These positions are seasonal and part-time. Job Descriptions and Application Info >

Where the Learn to Ride “Balance First” Method Originated
By Rich Conroy, Bicycle Education Program Director

Bike New York’s award-winning Learn to Ride program has garnered the attention of media, bike organizations, and parents nationwide and even as far away as Russia. Bike New York can't take credit for inventing this crash-free, low-stress method of learning to bike, though. That goes to Paco Mateus, a bike shop owner and manager in Queens, New York.

After coming to the United States from Colombia as a teenager in the early 1970s, Paco parlayed his mechanical skills into a career in a neighborhood bike shop. He was an outstanding mechanic who enjoyed riding the finest bicycles through beautiful areas, his favorite being the Delaware Water Gap. In 2000, I got my professional start in the world of cycling as a part-time sales person and mechanic at Queens Bicycles in Rego Park, and I learned a lot from Paco. Queens Bicycles hardly ever sold training wheels, because Paco would tell customers a special method he used with his nieces and nephews.

A few years later, as the founding manager of Bike New York's nascent Bicycle Education Program, I received a call from a frustrated parent asking if we had any programs to teach her teenage daughter how to ride. At that moment, I remembered all the times Paco had described his “no pedals” method of teaching kids to master balancing first, and I told the parent that we would schedule something soon. She attended that first event, and her daughter learned to ride a bike that day.

I don’t think Paco ever imagined the impact he would have. Thousands of kids and adults from New York and New Jersey have learned to ride bikes at scores of the events we now know as "Learn to Ride." Hundreds of PE teachers, Parks and Recreation professionals, and volunteers have been trained to use Paco’s “balance first” method to run their own programs. Sadly, Paco died late last year after a long battle with cancer. I’m confident, though, that his cycling legacy will continue to grow as many more cyclists learn to ride using the easy method he eagerly shared.

About Us

Bike New York's Bicycle Education Program encourages smart cycling by offering free, hands-on courses to cyclists of various abilities throughout the New York metropolitan region. The Bicycle Education Program also trains and certifies Cycling Instructors and Cycling Educators to offer League of American Bicyclists educational programs in their communities and schools.

The Bicycle Education Program is always looking for volunteers, whether long-term or one-time. Contact Emilia Crotty for details, and visit BikeNewYork.org/education to learn more about the program.