Jibe videos

Jibe wanted to create a set of videos which demonstrated all the basic steps to teach an adult how to ride a bike. It’s different with kids - generally, you provide minimal instruction, run alongside for a while, and boom, they’ve got it. Adults are different. First you need to respect their concerns: past experience, health concerns, cultural norms. Then break everything down into logical comfortable steps. Anya, Deanna and I have taught several in-person rounds of Adult Learn to ride and think we’ve got a really good teaching strategy. We have a very high success rate. Anya wrote draft one of the script. We edited together for a couple of weeks. In the end, the words had to sound like they were coming from me. After delays due to my cold, then the weather, this Tuesday had to be the filming day. A series of storms would begin on Wednesday. We met at Wild Rose Park. Ellen/filmmaker and Sean/assistant. Sean is holding the teleprompter – the script was 6 pages long – I did not want to memorize it (was that even possible?).

There were unavoidable delays: many planes overhead, pedestrians on paths playing music or talking on phones, 30 minutes for a gardening crew on the other side of the canal to finish mowing and blowing, asking people who want to play basketball “Please be quiet. Thank you so much.” Here, I had to read the teleprompter for one camera then, at a specific point, turn toward Ellen to finish the sentence.

There will be 3 videos, each about 3 minutes long. It took six hours to complete the filming. We’re almost done here, using a downslope, both pedals are on the bike. Our light would soon fade.

Success! Done. Thanks so much to Anya for taking all these pictures and being so supportive. Fun experience.

Project Ride Smart

The last two street ride days were Monday and Tuesday. Rockmont Circle is one of the best streets to visit at Halloween (also Christmas and 4th of July). These cyclists learned about the 1963 Hitchcock film The Birds – they had never heard of it – how the students at Bodega Bay School were attacked. Eek!!

The end of Project Ride Smart for 2023. The program starts up again at 3 different schools in March.

Project Ride Smart

at Westlake Charter School, Monday-Friday mornings. Blacktop drills on Monday and Tuesday. After-school coaching on Wednesday afternoon – a rather large group.

Such joy when a student knows he/she can ride a bike. And a few grateful parents on the sidelines.

Thursday was the first street ride. I had the blue group.

Friday was “spooky day” in one classroom.

And two of my favorite co-workers, Deanna and Gina:

Project Ride Smart

On Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I left at 7:30 am (just after sunrise!) and rode 4 miles to Westlake Charter School to help Deanna and Gina with the first day of blacktop drills.

ABCQuick Check:

After-school coaching on Wednesday. Only about 4 out of 15 need to come back for next week’s after-school coaching.

Learn to Ride class at UCD

On Saturday and Sunday morning, I drove to a parking structure at UCD Med Center and up to the 4th floor where barriers had been set up. Beyond the barriers, our teaching area. Becky Garrow asked if I would help with the on-bike portion of her class. We had six participants. The parking garage turned out to be perfect. There were various areas with different slopes.

Six participants learned to ride.

First step: learn to glide and balance. There are no pedals on the bike yet.

Becky and Sarah who organized this event.

**More pictures to come.

Project Ride Smart

At Natomas Park Elementary. I volunteered to ride sweep for the street rides on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning. I rode with the Yellow group, Pierson was the lead LCI. Good idea: teach “bicycle sandwich” soon after leaving campus.

Adult Learn to Ride

Tuesday September 19, the first of two classes at Inderkum High School.

Success all around. Special thanks to Lennore and Kathy who volunteered to coach and encourage.

Tuesday September 26.

There were 5 students who progressed quickly through the steps. Success!

The team: Kathy, Becky, Anya, Lennore:

This was supposed to be our last class, but there’s still more support to be given. Next Tuesday will be our third and final. Special thanks to Kathy and Lennore who generously volunteered their time and are excellent coaches.

Project Ride Smart

I volunteered on Tuesday for the first day of street rides. Deanna and Becky were the leads.

LCI Doug, volunteer Rachel, LCI Gina:

ABCQuick Check before every ride. I was the sweep for the Yellow group led by Doug:

Wednesday, I was the ride leader for the Blue group:

Project Ride Smart

Wednesday. Part of Four Seasons Westshore backs up to Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep, better known as NP3. It was a 5-minute bike ride to work this morning (big smile). Everything is new, a 2-story building, beautiful facilities and classrooms:

A very different view of Blackbird Park, which we ride by ALL the time on the street in the distance.

First day on bikes, first day of blacktop drills. In class instruction by Becky and Deanna:

Thursday. Oh my, it was hot this afternoon for after-school coaching. By the end of the 1-hour session, 3/4 of these students do not need to come back for the second session:

Friday. I admit, I was relieved when Deanna and Gina said I didn’t need to come for after-school coaching this hot afternoon.

Pedal Up Natomas – last class

Thank you Jibe for inviting a few previous graduates of bike education programs to join the two perfect attendance PUN3 participants, Krishna and Laurie, plus our regular volunteers to go on the final ride to Old Sac. BarbaraL, Paul, Rachel, Lennore, Laure, Krishna, me, Cheryl, Brenda:

We had breakfast at Tree House Cafe in W Sacramento:

On the way back, crossing the Tower Bridge:

Crossing the Jibboom Bridge: