Summer Bicycle Education Workshops Announced


6/29/2016 • 8 years ago

caution sign The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 8 years ago.

People biking and walking on street

The City of Cambridge is proud to invite you to FREE bicycle education workshops throughout the summer months. Join us for a free bike workshop (or 5) and get one free helmet per year.  

Wednesday, July 13, 5:30 P. M. to 6:30 P. M.

  • Bicycle Maintenance Basics
  • Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway

Wednesday, July 13, 7:00 P. M. to 8:00 P. M.

  • Beyond Bicycle Maintenance Basics
  • Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway

Monday, July 18, 6:00 P. M. to 7:30 P. M.

  • Riding With Families
  • City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway

Saturday, July 23, 10:00 A. M. to 1:00 P. M.

  • On-Bicycle Refresher Course
  • RSVP required
  • Location sent upon registration
  • This class is an on-bicycle course, outside, rain or shine. 
  • Please bring your own bicycle in working order. 
  • You must know how to ride a bicycle.

Friday, July 29, 12:00 P. M. to 1:30 P. M.

  • Rules of the Road
  • City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway

Wednesday, August 3, 5:30 P. M. to 6:30 P. M.

  • Bicycle Maintenance Basics
  • City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway

Wednesday, August 3, 7:00 P. M. to 8:00 P. M.

  • Beyond Maintenance Basics
  • City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway

Wednesday, August 10, 3:00 P. M. to 4:30 P. M.

  • Urban Cycling Basics for youth
  • City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway

Wednesday, August 24, 6:00 P. M. to 7:30 P. M.

  • Urban Cycling Basics
  • City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway
All RSVPs to Jennifer Lawrence, jlawrence@cambridgema.gov, 617/349-4671. 

Bike riders and buses at night along Massachusetts Avenue

Class Descriptions

Bicycle Maintenance Basics

This workshop is one hour in-class presentations designed for up to 30 participants. These workshops are great for businesses, communities,
universities, or any group looking to promote healthy transportation options. This workshop covers the following topics:

  • The anatomy of the bike
  • Removing wheels
  • Fixing flats
  • Chain Maintenance
  • Pre-Ride check
  • Seat height
  • Portable tool kit
  • Keeping your bike healthy with preventative bike maintenance

Beyond Maintenance Basics

This workshop is one hour in-class presentations designed for up to 30 participants. These workshops are great for businesses, communities, universities, or any group looking to promote healthy transportation options. This workshop covers the following topics:

  • Basic repair tools
  • Thoroughly cleaning and lubricating your bike
  • Removing both wheels
  • Completely changing a flat tire
  • Pinpointing squeaks and rattles
  • Removing pedals
  • Adjusting front and rear brakes + derailleurs,
  • Dealing with a broken spoke

On-Bike Refresher Course

The Basics of Better Biking class is a four hour class designed for adults who want to get back into bicycling, improve cycling skills, learn to ride more effectively and safely in traffic, and/or participate in a large-scale benefit ride. This four-hour weekend session provides guided instruction with simple practice drills in a parking lot, easy-paced riding on local roadways for short distances, and group-discussion breaks along the way. Topics covered include bike and helmet fitting, starting and stopping your bike in traffic, shifting gears, scanning and yielding, choosing the correct lane position in the road, handling intersections, and more.

Some notes about the class:

  • A bicycle in good working order and a helmet are required.
  • Preregistration is required.
  • This class is intended for participants 18 and older, unless otherwise noted. To register, please contact Jennifer Lawrence, jlawrence@cambridgema.gov.

Riding with Families

  • Options for biking with children, such as front seats, rear seats, front cargo bikes, bike trailers
  • How is biking with kids different than biking solo?
  • How can I bike with my children when there are no routes with bike infrastructure?
  • How young is too young for children to be with parents while biking?
  • What does the law say for children?
  • How is buying bikes for children different from buying bikes for adults?
  • How do I appropriately fit a child to a bicycle?
  • How do I teach children the rules of the road?
  • What is the Safe Routes to School program? 

Rules of the Road

This workshop is one hour in-class presentations designed for up to 30 participants. These workshops are great for businesses, communities,
universities, or any group looking to promote healthy transportation options. This workshop covers the following topics:

  • Bike safety statistics
  • Rules of the road
  • Bike-specific laws and legislation
  • Car-specific laws and legislation
  • General safety tips
  • Current legislative efforts
  • Motivation for obeying traffic laws

Urban Cycling Basics

This workshop is one hour in-class presentations designed for up to 30 participants. These workshops are great for businesses, communities,
universities, or any group looking to promote healthy transportation options. This workshop covers the following topics:

  • Finding the right kind of bike
  • Route planning
  • Safety equipment, including lights and a helmet
  • Locking properly
  • Transporting small loads or children by bike
  • Multi-modal commuting
  • Rules of the road and safety tips.

For more information

For more information on bicycle education workshops in Cambridge, please contact Jennifer Lawrence, jlawrence@cambridgema.gov, 617/349-4671.