== Bike-Walk Alliance of NH ==

LAB "Traffic Skills 101" courses scheduled for 2012

Learn how to be a safer cyclist

May 2012 update:

Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire will once again be helping to sponsor the popular Traffic Skills 101 classes. For 2012, two classes are planned to be offered in April and June. The first TS-101 class for April 28th and 29th at the Trek shop in Portsmouth, NH (Trek Portsmouth, 775 Lafayette Road) was cancelled. The second class is offered June 23rd and 24th in Concord, NH (Safety & Health Council, 57 Regional Drive). A third class will likely be offered in August in Portsmouth sponsored by Bike Coalition of Maine (BCM) or jointly by BCM and BWA-NH.

These classes teach you how to ride safely, confidently and legally in traffic. If you would like to know more about reducing your risk of negative interactions with other road users, or gain a better understanding of traffic laws as they apply to cyclists, this class is for you! Learn how and why it is safer to "drive your bike like a car", how to navigate safely through intersections and roundabouts, and how to perform essential maneuvers like the quick-stop, instant turn, and other hazard-avoidance techniques.

Each class takes two days to complete. The first day is instruction/demonstration and the second day is practical application. A downloadable poster is available to help spread the word!

Concord:
Saturday, June 23rd, 9:00am to 4:00pm
Sunday, June 24th, 9:00am-4:00pm


TS-101 Details:

Taught by local League of American Bicyclist (LAB) certified instructors who are also seasoned cyclists, this approximately 12-hour class scheduled over two days, is composed of in-class and on-the-bike sessions so definitely BYOB (Bring Your Own Bike). This class is also a prerequisite for anyone considering becoming a League of American Bicyclist (LAB) certified "League Cycling Instructor" (LCI). For more information on the LAB LCI program, visit www.bikeleague.org/resources/teach/.

The course fee of $75.00 covers both days, all handout materials, course book, snacks, and certificate of completion. Members of BCM, BWA-NH, SABR, CNHBC, LAB, or MassBike are allowed a $10.00 discount. Email your completed registration form to the appropriate coordinator if not "snail mailed" with your paper check. Make check payable to "BWA-NH" then mail to the coordinator or pay on-line via the "Join Now" page on this BWA-NH web site -- just enter code "TS-101-P" for the Portsmouth class or "TS-101-C" for Concord as your "Customer ID".

TS-101 Pre-Registration Deadlines:

April Portsmouth class cancelled.

June 18 for the June 23-24 Concord class.
Pre-registration is required and class size is limited. For more information, feel free to contact the class coordinators:

Joshua Walter at perigee.assoc@gmail.com for the Portsmouth April 28-29 class;
8 Ascot Court, Bedford, NH 03110, phone 603-703-4994

Paula Bedard at pbedard1@comcast.net for the Concord June 23-24 class.
36 Shirley Park Road, Goffstown, NH 03045, phone 603-204-7808

Please help spread the word about these excellent bike safety classes!

September 2011 update:

The Traffic Skills 101 course as described below was conducted as scheduled with five students completing the program on September 17. The on-bike session as held from the BWA-NH office included parking lot drills, on-road vehicular cycling on busy roads, and the written exam. More will be posted by the course coordinator Paula Bedard, but for now here are some photos.

Brian Tilton executing an "Instant Turn", Sept. 17, 2011

Cindy Hammond executing an "Instant Turn", Sept. 17, 2011

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Written exam time at TS-101 course, Sept. 17, 2011

Students and instructors at TS-101 course, Sept. 17, 2011
Left to right: Scott Betournay, LCI Bill Fisk, Cindy Hammond,
LCI Ken Colburn, LCI Paula Bedard, Brian Tilton,
Larry Keniston, and LCI Josh Walter.
Not available for photo: John Betournay, Alan Villemaire,
and LCI Dave Topham.

The next New Hampshire LAB "Traffic Skills 101" class is scheduled for the following dates in September.

This class is composed of 3 sessions:

Session Time (Duration)
Tuesday, September 13th, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm (2.5 hours)
Thursday, September 15th, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm (2.5 hours)
Saturday, September 17th, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (6 hours including lunch break)

The Tuesday and Thursday sessions will take place at the NH-DOT John O. Morton Building, 7 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH. No bikes are to be taken into the building or used during the two indoor sessions. The Saturday session includes on-bike activities and will start at the Bike-Walk Alliance of NH office located in the "Safety & Health Council of Northern New England" (SHC-NNE) building, 57 Regional Drive, Suite 6, also in Concord, NH.

Register for this class by filling out and sending the registration form to Paula Bedard, 36 Shirley Park Road, Goffstown, NH 03045. Checks should be made payable to BWA-NH.

What is "Traffic Skills 101"? This is just one of several Smart Cycling course curriculums developed by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB). The class is taught by nationally-certified "League Cycling Instructors" (LCIs) who are also seasoned cyclists.

This class is designed to give cyclists of all experience levels the confidence and knowledge they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on trails. It covers topics such as bike safety checks, the basics of traffic laws as they pertain to cycling, taking a lane safely, on-the-bike skills, and crash avoidance techniques. Student handout materials will be provided, and written plus on-road exams are part of the course. It is an approximately 10-hour class composed of indoor class sessions plus on-bike practice sessions. You will learn and be graded on a various of on-bike skills intended to make cycling safer and more enjoyable. It prepares cyclists of all levels for a full understanding of the concept of "vehicular cycling". The class is recommended for adults and children above age eighteen.

Preregistration is required. To preregister for this class, send a completed Traffic Skills101 registration form and a check for $60.00 (discount available -- see below) payable to "Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire" (or BWA-NH) to Paula Bedard, 36 Shirley Park Road, Goffstown, NH 03045. For questions, contact Paula at pbedard1@comcast.net.

Please note that if you have a current membership to any of the following bicycle advocacy organizations, you are eligible to receive a $10 discount on the class registration fee: League of American Bicyclists (LAB), Bike-Walk Alliance of NH (BWANH), MassBike, Bikes Belong, or the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM). Central NH Bicycling Coalition (CNHBC) board members and officers are also eligible to receive the discount.

Traffic Skills 101 is also a prerequisite for becoming a League Cycling Instructor (LCI). For more information on LAB's League Cycling Instructor program, see http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/seminars.php.

Traffic Skills 101 class was held in Concord on April 2nd & April 9th with 12 students and 8 instructors

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TS-101 training session in BWA-NH Concord office, April 2, 2011

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"Instant Turn" technique and TS-101 group in BWA-NH parking lot, April 2, 2011

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TS-101 vehicular cycling practice ride, Concord NH, April 9, 2011

Students had this to say about their TS-101 experience:

"Thanks for a great time learning a great deal about bicycle education. Learning the Rules of the Road after 40 years on a bike was enlightening. Knowing how to survive among the crazy drivers is key to having a fun time on a bicycle, and now I'm a step closer to helping others learn the same. Thanks Traffic 101 Team for the tips and rules for all levels of cyclists." - Joel

"Thanks for an immeasurably helpful class." - Ursula

"As a beginner, I can not tell you how much I appreciate your course.... Nobody wants to be a bug on a windshield." - Rick

Meet your NH League Cycling Instructors

The first "face-to-face" meeting of all eight certified NH League Cycling Instructors was conducted at the BWA-NH Concord office on November 14, 2010. Many ideas were exchanged, publicity options explored, hazards to cyclists discussed, and an action plan for bike-ed classes in 2011 was drafted. Also, now the group can place a name with a face and voice during our routine conference calls -- and you will know "who is who!"

Three additional NH LCIs joined the group when they attained certification on August 27, 2011. BWA-NH congratulates and welcomes Bill Fisk, Rod Grimsley, and Joshua Walter. They will be assisting with the September TS-101 course plus others next year.

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LCIs Rod Grimsley, Bill Fisk, and Josh Walter, certified
League Cycling Instructors as of August 2011.

LCIs Susan Weiss, Paula Bedard, and Michael Hurst

LCIs Ken Colburn, Sally McMurdo, and Bill Kennedy

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Master LCIs Greg Bakos and Dave Topham

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Bill Fisk, November 9, 2009 in Manchester and August 8, 2011 in Concord NH.
Note the red "Light Saber" on the downtube.

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