Our “NewB” rides are geared for new riders, riders with some experience, and riders who have never ridden in a club atmosphere. We do a modified version of the scheduled Saturday short ride, (check bikeirvine.org for Saturday Ride schedule) detouring to enjoy as much low-stress off-street bike path as available...
We meet on the picnic tables at Deerfield Park, (at the patio if available or out in the park west of the entrance driveway) & start with an informative class where we cover safety, equipment, driving your bike like an adult, riding in a group, safety checking your bike before rides, and review the vehicle codes and rules of the road.
We will see how the regular Saturday BCI ride rolls out at 9, then continue class and do our ABC Quick Check & roll out in our own group later.
It's a “no drop” ride, which means that we will stay together and will regroup all riders back together at every turn, so no one is left behind. Our slowest rider will set our group average speed. About half way into the ride we will enjoy the rest stop with all of the long ride, medium ride and short ride BCI riders for a snack and a chance to socialize. If the distance intimidates you, think of it this way: we really are doing two very short rides, to and from a break, and that’s easy!
BCI is a recreational, social, non-racing club. An important aspect of our NewB Ride is the new friends you will meet; other NewBs, as well as some experienced members who help out as coaches. Riding with a friend is much more enjoyable!
Class begins an hour before the regular club ride at 8:00 a.m.
The riding will begins a bit after 9:30 a.m. and returns around 1:00.
Guests are welcome and our ‘target audience’ as well as new members!
Non-members are required to sign in and acknowledge the BCI Guest Waiver.
Helmets are strongly recommended and usually worn by all. Most riders wear gloves and some eye protection. Cycling shorts with padding are more comfortable & bright colored shirts/jackets make you more visible to others on the road; For hydration, carry water… and a little cash for a well-earned snack & cup of coffee at the regroup stop!
Any bike in riding condition will do - but most ride thinner road tires because it’s a lot more work with big tires! And yes - LEGAL electrical bicycles are Bicycles and riders of them are welcome to participate. Mopeds (750 watts or more & throttle ‘assist’ over 20mph) are not legal electric bicycles and not allowed on the bikeways we will use.
some of our Sept 2019 NewB class
Please register (sign in online) and acknowledging our standard waiver form, so we have an idea of how many are coming!
BCI Members who are willing to coach & role model good bicycle driving are welcome to help out… Cycle of Safety members are especially welcome!
LIBRARY (Recommended Reading):
Here are some of the documents Bill reviews at NewB classes:
Please read them over for various tips on safe legal cycling
before we meet &/or after as a refresher. (Print your own copies or read on devices)
BCI Etiquette - Covers the basics of group road and shared-use path cycling
Know your Rights - Give / Get Respect
CVC Laws for Cyclists - 2021 update (review of California Vehicle Code)
Irvine Laws (Limit to 2 abreast riding)
Behavior Types: Road Using vs Edge Riding vs Sidewalk Cycling
(Discussion on the progression from paths & sidewalks to full road use)
Pamphlet on Sidewalk Riding (Tips on riding on sidewalks)
Pamphlet on Bike Path Riding (More tips on riding shared-use paths)
”Share the Trail!” pamphlet (Tips on riding shared-use paths)
Road Positions Explained (‘Primary’, ‘Secondary’ and ‘In the gutter’)
Common Intersection Crashes (avoid the 3 most common crashes with cars)
Left Turn Options (make safe and legal left turns on busy streets)
Roundabout Cycling (riding through a 2 lane roundabout)
ABC Quick Check and the "10 Commandments" / 5 Rules of cycling
(Step by step pre-ride check for every ride and 10 or 5 basic rules to remember)
See also Bill’s Pacelines article on lane positioning for Safety at Intersections
ALSO:
A fun classic film from 1954: Drive your Bicycle (YouTube)
& Cycling Savvy:
Here is an excellent on-line tutorial explaining why we don't edge ride the gutter, especially in narrow lanes: Understanding Cyclists Position on the Roadway
Free Cycling Savvy online Essentials Short Course : Take the course any time!
You can read the course text HERE (pdf) but take it online to see the videosSee this great article on how increasing speed increases our risks and how to mitigate them, including why to take the lane & stay out of the gutter:
High Speed Bicycling
If we do not have a NewB session scheduled soon, at LEAST watch the free online courses offered by CyclingSavvy at https://cyclingsavvy.org/online-bicycle-education/
The Free Essentials course explains our best techniques for riding safely in traffic, and the Free Club Essentials course explains how a CLUB can ride as a group more efficiently and safely. Join for a Ride Awesome! membership and get access to Safety Basics and the Mastery Course.
If all of our riders took the time to watch and learn and practice these skills, we would all benefit.
