Want to be a Better Biker?

Ever wondered how to fix a flat? How best to ride safely in traffic? What common mistakes do new bicyclists make?

Wonder no longer! Two area residents, Robert Fox and Gary Obery have teamed to offer Salem's first intensive effective cycling classes, Bicycle Traffic Skills 101. The League of American Bicyclists offers a curriculum for a full day introductory course on bicycling.

Robert and Gary are League Certified Instructors, having completed significant coursework. Robert (with tire) is Salem's longtime BTA Bicycle Safety Education instructor, and Gary (at whiteboard) is a longtime bike commuter and traffic
engineer.


A few of us took the course this past weekend. After the morning's classwork, we biked to a parking lot and practiced our emergency stopping skills, quick turns to evade a right-hook, rock dodging, and other skills many of us had learned informally, but had never actually practiced. We also discussed lane positioning at tricky intersections, and the best balance between being visible to cars and staying out of harm's way (values that often lead to the same decision, but not always).

The next Bicycle Traffic Skills 101 class will be Saturday, April 11th. Class runs 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. It costs $45 per person. Contact Robert Fox (refox1@comcast.net) or Gary Obery (oberyfamily@comcast.net) to reserve your place or for more information.