Want to bike more? We'll help you ride safely!
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The objective of the Ride Illinois Safely program is to make bike education courses and resources accessible to adults and children across Illinois. Educational content and courses are tailored to different age groups through a variety of methods – online (live), on-demand, and in-person.
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The foundation of the Ride Illinois Safely program is the League of American Bicyclists’ Smart Cycling program which is designed to reach people of all ages and abilities by improving skills, building confidence, and teaching others.
Learn more about the Smart Cycling program and the League’s available educational resources at bikeleague.org/ridesmart.
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Ride Illinois Safely courses are taught by League Cycling Instructors who are experienced and have been certified by the League of American Bicyclists.
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We did a soft launch of the Ride Illinois Safely program in May 2021. The program officially launched in July 2021 via media release, social media, and email.
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The fee for each course differs depending on the number of participants. Some funding is available to ensure cost is not a barrier to bike education.
This program is made possible due to proceeds from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Share the Road specialty license plates that are available to motorists in Illinois.
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Please contact Ride Illinois at education@rideillinois.org with questions about this education program.
Request a Course
Ride Illinois partners with League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) to offer bike eduction courses to individuals, groups and organizations in Illinois.
To view upcoming courses, visit our Ride, Advocacy, & Education calendar.
To request a course, please click the button below and complete our form. We typically reply to requests within a few days. We strive to match requests with a nearby LCI, though not every request can be fulfilled.
Course Descriptions
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This 1-hour course (in a classroom or virtual setting) will educate drivers of motor vehicles how to drive safely in proximity to cyclists to increase safety for all road users. We will focus on the Illinois Rules of the Road, sharing the road, bike infrastructure, causes of common crashes, taking the lane, and what Ride Illinois teaches cyclists.
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This 1-hour, interactive course in a classroom setting focuses on introducing safety skills, instilling confidence, and making cycling fun for children.
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This 1-hour course (in a classroom or virtual setting) offers safety tips for children and parents and guardians. Proper helmet fit, ABC Quick Check, hand signals, avoiding crashes, being visible and predictable, and communicating with cyclists and motorists will be discussed.
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This 1-hour course (in a classroom or virtual setting) offers safety tips for older cyclists. ABC Quick Check, communicating and being predictable, avoiding crashes, reasons to ride, issues and concerns for older adults, where to ride, and choosing a bike will be discussed.
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This 1-hour course (in a classroom or virtual setting) offers insight from experienced cyclists to make your bicycle a valuable and effective transportation option. Safety tips, planning a route, bike-friendly destinations, shopping by bike, useful equipment, and common barriers to biking for transportation will be discussed.
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This in-person, on-bike course focuses on balance, starting and stopping, pedaling, turning, and shifting successfully. Learning time varies by individual, but most people are riding on their own after one to three hours of hands-on instruction. You’re never too old to learn to ride a bicycle!
Learn about Learn to Ride classes at chicagobicycle.org.
Complete THIS FORM to request a Learn to Ride class.
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This 1-hour course (in a classroom or virtual setting) offers tips for individuals who want to be safe when riding in a group. Maintaining safe distance, communicating with cyclists and motorists, avoiding crashes and obstacles, emergency stopping, and being visible and predictable will be discussed.
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This 2-hour course (in a classroom or virtual setting) is designed to develop confidence and competence of a bicycle rider. Students will learn about choosing a bicycle, basic parts of a bike, and essential equipment, as well as how to safely and comfortably ride a bike in various traffic conditions, terrain, and climates.
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This 4-hour in-person, on-bike course teaches adults and teens how to be safe, confident, and predictable when riding a bike. The focus will be on bike handling skills, crash avoidance, and basic maintenance. A short group ride will take place at the end. A functioning bike and helmet are required to participate in this course.
Course Feedback
We invite those who have completed a Ride Illinois Safely course to offer their honest feedback using our Course Feedback Form. We’ll use the information gathered to improve our program and future courses.
Additional Resources
Below are some additional resources available to those that want to learn to ride for the first time, as well as those that want to become safer, more confident cyclists.
Learn to Ride (LTR) and Individual Lessons
Experienced instructors available to provide learn to ride lessons and one-on-one lessons to refine bike safety skills. Visit ChicagoBicycle.org to learn more and to request a lesson.
Smart Cycling program from the League of American Bicyclists
LAB’s education program is designed for people of all ages and abilities to build skills, build confidence, and teach others.
Information and Resources for LCIs
LCIs, in order to spread the word about your upcoming courses and stay compliant with insurance from League of American Bicyclists, please:
Register your course on the League of American Bicyclists website. This is required in order to be covered by LCI liability insurance. Watch the video below for detailed instructions.
Request to add your course to the Ride Illinois calendar
After the Ride Illinois Safely course is completed, please:
Complete a Ride Illinois Safely Course Report to share details about the course. Your completed Course Report also serves as your invoice if compensation from Ride Illinois was agreed upon.
Send photos and videos from the course to info@rideillinois.org.
Send a completed Form W-9 to dave@rideillinois.org if you’ve not already done so.
Ride Illinois Safely Development Team
The following individuals offered their time and talent to develop the Ride Illinois Safely program. We are truly grateful for their involvement!
Charlie Saxe
Cynthia Hoyle
Dave Simmons
Elizabeth Adamczyk
George Fero
Gina Kenny
Larry Mysz
Jessica Nooney