Allowing motorists the option to pass a bike in a no passing zone makes the Share the Road campaign, 'Allow 3 Feet When Passing,' safer.

Take the worry out of your next bike ride with Cycling Savvy

Here is a course that will help you feel more comfortable and confident riding your bike. Cycling Savvy is returning to the Twin Cities area again this summer with a three-part bicycle safety class. By enrolling in this class you will feel secure going anywhere on your bike safely and confidently.

Bike with Hokan and John Hardy doing a “chalk talk.” Sign up for Cycling Savvy to learn more.

Bike with Hokan and John Hardy doing a “chalk talk.” Sign up for Cycling Savvy to learn more.

Course structure and content for a safe bike ride

While Cycling Savvy inevitably teaches some of the same essential traffic cycling principles and skills as other cycling courses, it is an entirely new curriculum.  From the ground up, it is built upon an understanding of the needs of adult learners. The course addresses the challenges of today’s changing behavior that is strongly rooted in our traffic culture. Much of the content in the Cycling Savvy curriculum is completely original. Traditional content is framed and delivered in unique ways to maximize the learning process. It is a modular course, consisting of three, 3-hour classes, with seasoned certified instructors to help you along the way.

Class I (Train Your Bike!)

This three-hour session is conducted in a parking lot. It consists of a set of progressive drills designed to increase students’ control and comfort handling their bikes in various situations and includes:

  • Start/Stop, Power Pedal & Balance Stop
  • Snail Race, Slow-speed Balance
  • Drag-race, Gears & Acceleration
  • Ride Straight, One-handed
  • Shoulder Check
  • Object-avoidance Handling, Weave, Snap
  • Turning: Slow-speed Tight Turns, High-speed cornering, Emergency Snap-turn
  • Emergency Braking

Reserve your spot today for session-one: Friday, June 8th; Friday July, 20th; or Friday, September 21. Class hours are from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each session. Location will be at the Ski-U-Mah Parking Lot near TCF Stadium, 6th Street Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455

Class II (The Truth & Techniques of Traffic Cycling)

Through guided discussion with video and animation, this three-hour session will familiarizes students with bicycle-specific laws, traffic dynamics and problem-solving strategies. Students discover that bicycle drivers are equal road users, with the right and ability to control their space.

Options for Class II are: Saturday, June 9th; Saturday, July 21st, or Saturday, September 22. Class hours are from 9 a.m. to Noon. Location for this class will be at 110 Union Street S.E., room 107 Minneapolis, MN 55455

Class III (Tour of Minneapolis*)  (3.5 hours):

This session is an experiential tour of Minneapolis roads. This 3.5 hour final course includes some of the most intimidating road features (intersections, interchanges, merges, etc.) a cyclist might find in his/her travels. The students travel as a group, stopping to survey and discuss each exercise location. After observing the feature, discussing the traffic dynamics and the best strategy for safe and easy passage, the students ride through individually and regroup at a nearby location.

Please note, the Tour of Minneapolis session* above is only available for those who take the full course. The first two sessions may be taken á la carte, in any order.

Options for Class III are: Saturday, June 9th; Saturday July 21 or Saturday September 22. Class hours are from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Location for this final class will also be at 110 Union Street S.E., room 107 Minneapolis, MN 55455.

For more information on driving your bike like you do with a car see Cycle Savvy.org