What road rules apply to cyclists? Why is a flashing light more visible than a steady one? How do you know whether a bicycle is the right size for you?

I found the answers to these questions and many more in the "Traffic Skills 101" classes sponsored by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. The free classes, offered throughout the East Bay, include a 3.5-hour classroom workshop and a daylong road skills class.

The coalition recently offered its first all-women workshop. More than 20 of us showed up to learn about road rules, proper helmet fit and more from instructors Diane Serafina and Bonnie Wehmann.

“The majority of people who take the class feel much more confident,” said Serafina, which allows them to have a better riding experience.

“It really helped me understand better how bicycles can ride in the lane of traffic without being inconvenient for drivers,” says Jennifer Ryan, who was taking the class for the first time. She said she felt the knowledge she gained would make her a more responsible car driver as well as a better cyclist.

Wehmann said, “I thought I knew everything” about cycling before she took the course herself.

I went into my first classroom workshop a year ago feeling the same way. I rode my bicycle every day. I had just been named Alameda County Bicycle Commuter of the Year. What more did I have to learn?

As it turned out, a lot. The instructor showed us the size of the door zone (four feet) and explained what can happen if just the tip of your handlebars connects with a car door (you can be thrown to the left, into the traffic lane, which is even more dangerous than running smack into a door). 

Armed with this information, my fear of riding in the door zone overcame my fear of riding with car traffic. And an amazing thing happened: When I rode farther from parked cars, I became more visible to drivers and had fewer scary run-ins. Instead of coming home to relate the latest trauma of the driver who “almost ran into me,” I rode in a smooth and easy way and made it home feeling calm and relaxed.

The students at the road skills class offered on a recent Sunday in Oakland ranged from seasoned cyclists to someone who had just gotten a bicycle the week before. According to Jason Serafino-Agar, lead instructor for the coalition’s Bicycle Education Program, people who come to the class have a multitude of reasons for wanting to get out on a bicycle: to save money, to avoid the hassle of parking a car, as replacement transportation after a bus line was cut or to help prevent climate change.

We learned everything from fixing a flat to making quick stops and turns. Out on the street, we practiced taking the lane and becoming part of the flow of traffic. At the end of a long, hot day, I can say I learned a lot. I feel even more confident claiming my rightful place on the road.

This is a step toward a different future, one in which we get around using more earth-friendly transportation.

“We’re not just providing a service,” says Serafino-Agar. “Building and promoting bicycle culture is one of the most satisfying things I can do personally.  Transportation is so important. It’s where our society functions and dysfunctions.” 

He adds, “We have so much energy and money tied up in our transportation system now. What would we be able to spend that on if we had a different transportation infrastructure?”

Start building your own alternative transportation infrastructure – learn how to drive a bike! Sign up for FREE classes at:  www.ebbc.org/safety