450R83101 February 1983 Facilitator's Packet "Bicycling to Work 15 minute videotape (3/4") by N. Dianne Rowe Bicycle Coordinator S. Environmental Protection Agency ANR-445 Special Projects Office of Policy and Evaluation Air, Noise and Radiation 401 M Street, S. W. Washington, 0. C. 20460 Room 2702 Mall 202-382-7756 Credits: Use of Information from Bicycle Commuting Seminar matsrials by Leslie Baldwin of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association. and North Carolina Department of Transportation News Feature April 21, 1982 by Bill Jones. ------- U,3. Envir&r ------- Purpose/Introduction: The videotape, "Bicycling to Work" is designed to inspire people to commute to work by bicycle. "Authentic" bike commuters ride to work and discuss parking, routes, professional appearance, and maintenance. Bike/car and bike/bus commuting options are demonstrated. A 45 minute bicycle commuting seminar given by local bicycle commuters telling of good routes, available bike maps, clubs, and bicycle training courses should follow the showing of the videotape. Personal contact with an experienced, enthusiastic bicycle commuter is very important to the new commuter. Seminar facilitators can reiterate the tape's message that bike commuting is fun, doable, inexpensive and provides great exercise. Employment centers are prime target locations for showing the tape. One hour lunch time seminars, where experienced commuters can give specific information on bike parking and routes to the employment center is ideal. Other possible audiences for the tape are university students, bike club members, civic organizations, television, and community fairs. Early spring is the best time of year for bike commuting seminars. These seminars can help to get lots of people out for bike-to-work rallies. There were 7,000 people who hiked to work in Washington, D. C., for earth day, 1980. This package is designed for lunch time - one hour seminars at employ- ment centers. It can be easily adapted for other audiences. Included is: (1) steps for planning the seminar and a sample notice, (2) outline for presenting the seminar, and a sample notice, (3) suggested ideas and facts to be included in your seminar, (4) list of bicycle commuting materials available and a sample contact list, and (5) two pamphlets. One person needs to coordinate the seminar, but needs not present the entire seminar. A diversity of speakers with individual expertise to divide up the outline makes for a more interesting seminar. It's not only more fun for the speakers, but the audience can then see a variety of people with which to identify when developing their own commuting strategy and image. ------- -2- Steps for Planning a "Bicycling to Work" Seminar 1. Determine location of the seminar, (employment center, civic association etc.). 2. Give yourself at least a month lead time to plan the seminar - start early before the commuting season. 3. Read Facilitator's Packet. 4. Contact resources in Facilitator's Packet for materials to hand out at seminar. 5. Make contact with bicycle commuters in the organization where seminar is to be given. Solicit their help in setting up the seminar and find out their expertise. 6. Check out room and videotape machine where seminar can be held. 7. Contact bike clubs in area to see if there are any volunteers who would help with the seminar. Arrange to have their free handouts, or brochures sent to you for giving to those who attend. 8. Determine expertise of volunteers and decide who should present the different parts of the outline: bicycle equipment, maintenance, riding techniques, routes/maps, parking and available resources. (One person can do more than one part of the outline). 9. Call people and ask if they would help in giving the seminar, and invite them to a meeting to discuss the presentation. 10. Reserve room preferably several weeks in advance at lunch time in employment center and determine who will run the videotape machine. 11. Hold meeting for seminar participants. Give them photo copies of the suggested ideas from "this" package for their part of the outline. Tell them their time limit. Give them any other information that you have available. Determine the order of presentation, who will be the time keeper and who will introduce the speakers if necessary. Discuss what each participant will present. 12. Draw up a notice and put in employee newsletter. (See Bike Commuters of Environmental Protection Agency, example.) Post in hallways, preferably one or 2 weeks before the seminar. Two or three days before seminar post in men's and ladies' room. Notices can be put in a gym, recreational facility, credit union and health facility also. Seminar participants can help to post notices. 13. Get permission to bring a bike into the building. 14. Bring your fully equipped bike to the seminar. ------- -3- 15. All seminar participants should arrive 15-30 minutes early to set up the room. Put out available free hand-outs. Seminar participants can sit at a table facing the audience. 16. Start on time. Do not go over 1 hour, otherwise, people will have to leave to go back to work, which will be distracting. 17. Pass around a sign-up sheet so that you can invite people to any followup seminars on bicycle activities. 18. Prior to the seminar develop a contact sheet of where people can get local bike maps and materials, the local agency and person responsible, their phone number and address and any other pertinent information like cost of map. (See sample copy for D. C.) Make copies and distribute at the seminar. ------- C o we /5~ #r/ on W ll tiT I3C-30 V B . B. BRCWA/ ?? see /} A* ------- CONTACTS April 1980 Bike Route/Maps Resources for Bike Commuting in the Washing Metropolitan Area AREA MAP D.C. Metro Area D.C. COG Bike Map Metro 8 Routes of Va. , Area D.C. & Md. D.C. Bike Routes Existing & Planned — Preferential Street Map in Devel opment Arlington, Bikeway VA. Map Montgomery Bicycling County, MD Routes in Lower Montgomery County Bike Recreation/Touring/Longer In and Greater Around Washington the Area Bicycle Washington Atlas Area Along East Coast East Bicycle Trail Coast Bike Trips Southeastern PA. Regional Map of Bicycle Opportunities N.C. Boston Oregon and others ORGANIZATION/CONTACT COST Pedal Pool for contacts in your Free area to help you scout out a route Washington Area Bicyclists Assoc. 1332 Eye Street, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20005 Chris Newman $1.00 Council of Governments 1825 Eye Street, N. W. Washington, D. C. 20006 D.C. Dept. of Transportation Free Bicycle Office Eileen Kadesh Washington, D. C. 20004 Department of Public Works Free c/o Warren Goodlet 1400 Court House Road North Arlington, VA. 22201 Chips Johnson Free Office of Transportation Planning Montgomery County DOT Rockville, MD 20850 Rides Washington Area Bicyclists Assoc. $3.50 1332 Eye Street, N.W . Washington, D. C. 20005 East Coast Bicycle Congress $4.00 626 S. 4th Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 Mr. William H. Wilcox, Secretary Department of Consumer Affairs South Office Building Rm. 216 Harrisburg, PA 17120 Nina Rowe, Bicycle Coordinator - ^*cMBV PHONE NUMBER 393-2555 223-6800 727-5906 558-2941 468-406 c' 393-2555 755-057;- Tues. ------- -5- Information that can be used for Bicycle Commuting Seminars I. Brief Introduction to Seminar 2 mlns. The purpose of this seminar is to introduce bicycle commuting. A 15 minute videotape showing people biking to work and telling how and why they commute by bicycle will be shown. Following the tape, we will discuss all aspects of bike commuting and answer questions. ------- -6- II. Show Videotape 15 mins. ------- -7- III. Personal Testimony 5 mins. - Tell why you commute and how you got started. - Benefits of Bike Commuting: - Health, exercise - don't have to take extra time to exercise - can do it easily. - Speed - for distances under 4 miles, bike can usually beat car or transit. - Fun - enjoy being outside. - Recreation - see other bikers, enjoyment on way home from work instead of being caught in traffic jams. - Save money - can save $15.00 a week if you would have to pay for car parking. Otherwise you can save between $300 - $1000 per year. - Parking space - easy to find, takes up little space, easy to park. - Flexibility/convenience no waiting for carpools or buses. - Mental Break - good outlet for frustration. - Status. ------- -8- IV. Bicycle Equipment 5 mins. The Bicycle: Any bicycle is O.K. as long as it is in good working condition and fits you. Buy bikes from bike shops because they will make adjustments for you and help you with maintenance. Saddle height: Saddle should be positioned so that your knee is slightly flexed when the crank reaches its lower position and the ball of your foot is on the pedal. Handlebar height: Same height as seat. Distance from saddle to handlebars: With elbow touching the nose of the saddle the tips of your fingers should touch the handlebar where it is connected to the bicycle. Equipment: - Small tool kit with air pump for road flats. - Toe clips help position foot properly and allow push and pull. - Helmet - your head is the most vulnerable part of your body. - Rack over back tire. - Pack for carrying clothes, lunches, papers - (backpack, front basket, panniers, or front handlebar bag). - Shock cords for holding things to rack. - Optional: Water bottle, bell or whistle, fenders, rear view mirror. ------- -9- V. Maintenance Check for: 5 mins. - Properly inflated tires: (danger of flats if too low) - Proper gear adjustment. - Brake adjustment. Get a bike maintenance manual or take to bike shop. If improperly adjusted, gears will slip and shifting may be difficult. Brakes will not stop adequately if not adjusted. - Lights - make sure generator or batteries work. Flat tires: carry tire irons, and an extra tube. To change a flat, remove wheel, than remove tire with irons, remove tube, check for glass, replace with new tube and pump tire. Oil chain after riding in rain and once every few weeks. ------- -10- Useful Bicycle Equipment to show at Seminar. a 10-speed bicycle equipped with the following: - toe clips - rear rack - front and/or rear panniers and/or backpacks and/or handlebar bags - reflectors - lights, including leg lights - water bottle - horn, bell, whistle - fenders - basket - "grab-ons" - kick stand or "flick stand" - helmets - rear view mirror - bungy cords (shock cords) - gym bag or canvas bag in lieu of panniers - pump - tire changing kit including tire irons, patches, glue, and spare tube ------- -11- VI. Bike Route If possible make available a list of people who commute by bicycle to the employment center and their departure point. Distribute to the new commuters so they can contact those people directly about their routes. - Tell of bike maps available and bike clubs to contact. - Route depends on type of commute. If it is for speed - a direct route in traffic will be best. If it is for relaxation, away from noise, stress, cars, air pollution, a more peaceful way may be along bike paths and side streets. - Map out the route. - Scout out the route on the weekend with a friend. - Allow extra time the first couple of commutes. - Experiment and refine your route. ------- -12- VII. Bike Parking 5 mins. - Tell of any available bike parking facilities and who to contact. - Park in well lit public places, where many people walk by, or near guards. - Register your bike. Record serial number at home and keep it with bill of sale and description of bike. - Always lock bike when leaving it. - Lock both front and rear wheels with frame to a stationary object. - Place all locking devices high off ground with no slack. - U-lock, shaped like a horseshoe is the most theft resis- tant lock. - Good padlock, chain or cable is relatively secure. Padlock should have case hardened steel body, these resist sawing or cutting and make the lock shatter proof. Use short shackled locks. - Steel cables are lighter than chains. One piece lock and cable are not recommended. (They can be easily picked or shattered). ------- -13- VIII. Clothing and Clean-up 5 mins, - Personal preference options: Bike in work clothes; bike in bike clothes, change at office; or bike in bike clothes and leave professional clothes at Office. - Tips for dressing - Don't over dress. - In winter, wear loose layers, and as little as possible to avoid sweating. - Be visible, wear light colored clothing, preferably white. Safety vests, and flags also help visibility. - Wear leg bands to keep pants out of chain. - Winter dress options. - Sweatshirts/pants/long underwear/wind breaker. - Shorts with leg warmers or knee socks, down vest, down coat for under 25°, accompanied by head band, wool hat, wool mittens or gloves. - Summer dress: Shorts, T-shirt, bike gloves, sneakers or bike shoes, wind breaker for cold mornings. - Rain gear: Ponchos, shoe guards. - Packing clothes: roll between plastic bags, put heavy items, (shoes, purse) on bottom. - lay out clothes the night before. - use plastic bottles for deoderant, alcohol, cologne etc. pack in separate pockets if possible. - Optional: lip protection, sun glasses or visors. ------- -14- (Con't) VIII. Clothing and Clean-up 5 mlns. For items easy to forget (ties, belts) leave extra at office or always leave in bottom of bike bag. Do quick "bottom to top check" before leaving house, or make a list and check over list. When you know you can't ride in, wear hard to transport outfits. Cleaning up: Tell of available showers. - If none available, clean-up with alcohol, cold water, or "wet ones" in restroom. ------- -15- B1cycle Clothing and Accessories to Demonstrate - summer dress such as cycling shorts, cycling jersey, windbreaker. - cycling gloves. - cycling shoes. - sunglasses/visors. - winter dress such as wool mittens, sweatpants/sweatshirts, long-sleeved jerseys, down vest, down coat, wool headband, wool hat. - safety vests for visibility/ - rain poncho. ------- -16- IX. Riding Techniques 5 mins. - Ride in good position, sit with your back at 45° angle with elbows slightly flexed. - Use proper gears so neither lungs or legs wear out too fast. (If gearing is too low - your lungs tire, if too high, legs tire). - Become part of traffic flow, ride with traffic on the right side of traffic lane, not curb or gutter. - When passing parked cars allow distance for opening car doors. - Ride predictably, signal all moves, and obey traffic laws. - Left turns - tell about dog leg or changing lanes using hand signals. - Watch for hazards: grates, being cut off by cars or buses, etc. - Practice a few simple maneuvers in a near parking lot to avoid dangerous situations: - Ride a straight line while looking behind you, over left shoulder or use your rear view mirror, and ride one handed so you can execute proper hand signals. - Practice obstacle avoidance by laying out irregularly spaced objects. Ride through them keeping center of gravity low on the pedals. ------- -16- IX. Riding Techniques 5 mlns. - Ride in good position, sit with your back at 45° angle with elbows slightly flexed. - Use proper gears so neither lungs or legs wear out too fast. (If gearing is too low - your lungs tire, if too high, legs tire). - Become part of traffic flow, ride with traffic on the right side of traffic lane, not curb or gutter. - When passing parked cars allow distance for opening car doors. - Ride predictably, signal all moves, and obey traffic laws. - Left turns - tell about dog leg or changing lanes using hand signals. - Watch for hazards: grates, being cut off by cars or buses, etc. - Practice a few simple maneuvers in a near parking lot to avoid dangerous situations: - Ride a straight line while looking behind you, over left shoulder or use your rear view mirror, and ride one handed so you can execute proper hand signals. - Practice obstacle avoidance by laying out irregularly spaced objects. Ride through them keeping center of gravity low on the cirttor pedal5 while in a turn. ------- -17- X. Resources and Contacts. 5 mins. Tell about the local and national bicycle clubs, (see next page). Give out any free brochures and tell of available effective cycling courses or bike maintenance curses. XI. Questions Allow some time for questions and dialogue between experienced commuters and novice/potential commuters. ------- -18- Resources and Materials Available Local 1. Address and phone number of local bicycle clubs, bike coordinator and other places where maps and bike materials can be obtained. (see sample for the Washington Metropolitan area - page 5). 2. List of names, phone numbers and addresses of commuters in the employment center. Mailing address: P.O. Box 988 Baltimore, MD 21203 Handout Membership brochures National 1. League of American Wheelmen 10 East Read Street Baltimore, MD 301 727-2022 2. Bicycle Federation Suite 309 1101 Fifteenth Street, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20005 (202) 659-5540 3. Bicycling Magazine, Inc. 33 E. Minor Street Emmaus, PA 18049 (215) 967-5171 4. Bicycling Commuter's Service 2690 Laurel Lindale Road Hog Hollow New Richmond, Ohio 45157 (513) 553-4015 Materials 1. Any brochures from bike clubs, maps or hand outs you can get locally. 2. Copies of Bi cy c 1 e Comrnut i n g and Cycling in Traffic (one of each enclosed). For copies to distribute at your seminar write to: Ray Lauer Bicycling Magazine Cycling Tips 33 Minor Street Emmaus, PA 18049 ------- ------- |