Fit: Confidence on Wheels

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RIDING ALONG TREE-LINED TRAILS is a breeze, but only a select few are lucky enough to hold down gigs in the woods. Reaching most offices by bike means learning how to rule the road.

But between gigantic buses, speed-happy taxicabs and drivers who appear to be paying more attention to their BlackBerries than to the road ahead, the streets of Washington are an intimidating place to saddle up. Come rush hour, it's even more daunting for two-wheelers.

For people who would rather curl up in their helmets than face intersections and potholes, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association periodically offers "Confident City Cycling," a free three-hour class designed to ease the fears of bike commuters. (There will be five more sessions this summer; see box for details.) "The idea," explained instructor Allen Muchnick at a recent session, "is to get them comfortable in traffic."

A bicycle is not a requirement for the course — just a pen or pencil — but many students arrive on bikes anyway. Cycling experience ranges from newbies like Maggie Lindsay (who bought her bike just days before the class and wanted to start out with as many tricks as possible) to her buddy Laura Walsh, who says, "I use my bike for everything."

Muchnick begins with the basics, such as how to buy a properly fitted helmet (snug around the head with a finger's-worth of space between your chin and the strap). He demonstrates twice how to change a flat tire (once using tools and once with his bare hands). And he zooms around the classroom on his bike to demonstrate launching quickly from a standstill by maneuvering the pedal into the right position and stepping down hard — an important skill, as he also advocates halting at every stop sign and red light.

Muchnick says that 83 percent of serious bike crashes don't involve cars but, rather, other bikes, dogs or simply falling. Still, avoiding collisions with cars is why everyone's here, and Muchnick has plenty of tips. He advises watching out for cars turning left in front of you and cars coming out of driveways and intersections.

He also wants his students to know that cyclists, by law, have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers. Thus, they should act like it: He encourages students to take over their lane, riding in the center instead of on the far right. This forces cars to change lanes to pass instead of squeezing by, and it helps cyclists avoid running into abruptly opened car doors.

Many timid riders are hesitant to employ this tactic for fear of being honked at, but taking a lane can be one of the most important moves a cyclist makes, Muchnick says. "In daylight in open areas, it's very, very rare for a motorist to hit you from behind," he says. "It's much more dangerous for them to pass you too close and clip you from the side."

And it's definitely better to be honked at than to be roadkill.

» BETTER BIKING
The next class is Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Kalorama Recreation Center. Sign up at waba.org, where you can find out about other bike courses, including a nine-hour version of the confident cycling class that actually practices on the road.

» MORE: "It's Easy, Riders!" [Fit/Express]

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