Metro Offers Free Urban Bicycle Safe-riding Classes in Pasadena

Metro is partnering with local non-profit bike organizations to hold free bicycle safe-riding classes in Pasadena and the rest of Los Angeles County through the end of September.

The program started in May and has trained hundreds of participants in the county who went through two- to four-hour weekend classes learning basic to intermediate cycling skills. In some county locations, courses for bicycling instructors can be scheduled depending on the need.

In Pasadena, three-hour intermediate commuting classes will be conducted on Saturday, August 16th, and most Saturdays and Sundays thereafter until the last weekend of September.

Taught by local League-Certified Cycling Instructors (LCIs), the course will incorporate elements of the Smart Cycling: Traffic Skills 101 curriculum established by the League of American Bicyclists. The courses are divided into one hour of classroom instruction, one hour of parking lot skills, and one hour of on-street bicycle ride running about four to six miles within the community.

Aside from Saturday’s class, the Intermediate Commuting bike classes will be offered at the Flintridge Center on August 22nd and 23rd, and on September 5, 6, 19, 20, 26 and 27th. Class hours are from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Classes will be held at the Flintridge Center on 236 West Mountain Street in Pasadena.

During the classroom phase, participants will learn about Rules of the Road incorporating the California Vehicle Code, basic bicycle safety, bikeway classification, reading maps and planning safe routes of travel.

Participants will receive materials relevant to the topics discussed in the course, including helmets, lights, and Smart Cycling manuals.

Each participant must be at least 16 years old and shall sign a waiver prior to taking the class. Sixteen to 17-year-old teens must have a parent or guardian sign. Each participant must also bring a bicycle in order to participate.

In the final community ride phase, participants will be led on a predetermined route to practice techniques and strategies covered in the first two sessions in real conditions.

Upon completion of the class, each participant will receive a free bicycle helmet and a set of bicycle lights.

The bicycle safe-riding classes are made possible by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Participants must register online at www.eventbrite.com/e/need-to-know-bike-safety-class-pasadena-series-tickets-17821913824?aff=erellivorg.