4 Newly Designated League Cycling Instructors in Shenandoah Valley

From left to right Jim Bailey of Galax, VA, Carl Droms of Harrisonburg, Thanh Dang of Harrisonburg, Angela Crow of Staunton, LCI Coach Dottie Castille (front) of Washington, DC, Brian Bauer (back) of Harrisonburg, Laura Pyle of Staunton, and Sue Kropscott of Holland, MI. Not pictured: LCI Coach Jim Nicholson of Okatie, SC.

Harrisonburg, VA – October 22, 2013 – Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) announced four (4) of its members earned the prestigious certification of League Cycling Instructor (LCI) from the League of American Bicyclists, a 131-year-old national bicycling and advocacy organization. The new LCIs are Carl Droms and Brian Bauer of Harrisonburg, and Laura Pyle and Angela Crow of Staunton.

“The LCIs complete in-depth training on teaching skills for biking in traffic, on trails, and with groups of riders,” says Andy Clark, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “The Shenandoah Valley has added to its group of knowledgeable instructors who train all levels of riders how to confidently and effectively cycle for fun, fitness, and transportation.”

LCI seminars educate participants on how to teach bicycle safety and skills to all levels of riders rather than focusing on technical bicycling knowledge. The League Cycling Instructor (LCI) designation is only given after a person qualifies for, and excels in, an intense three-day education seminar. Experienced cyclists interested in teaching others how to ride safely are eligible to apply for the seminar. A prerequisite is completing the League’s Traffic Skills 101 course, also known as Confident City Cycling. Confident City Cycling has been taught three times in this area since 2012 by Harrisonburg resident and LCI Thanh Dang. “Having this wonderful group of new LCIs to partner with will make it possible to provide more classes in a variety of formats and tailored to a variety of organizations and people. I am excited to be working with them.”

The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) provided a scholarship to Thanh Dang to paticipate in an LCI seminar in 2011, and also provided scholarships to the new LCIs to participate in this past weekend’s seminar. “The SVBC Board is very appreciative of Thanh, Carl, Brian, Laura, and Angela’s dedication to become LCIs and are glad we can help support them,” says Kyle Lawrence, SVBC Board President. “We are looking forward to seeing many improvements to bicycling in our communities.”

For more information about the League’s Smart Cycling courses and LCI certification classes visit www.bikeleague.org.

Laura Pyle (on bicycle) demonstrates a hazard avoidance maneuver called the “quick stop” while the class watches on.

Carl Droms, Brian Bauer, and Laura Pyle demonstrate biking through the intersection of Route 42 and Route 33 in Harrisonburg, and the use of hand signals and lane positioning while LCI Coach Dottie Castille observes.