Learn bicycle basics at Outdoor Chattanooga class

Valerie Russak, right, bicycles on the Tennessee Riverwalk with her son Bennett Russak. The scene captures at least three of the elements participants will learn in Outdoor Chattanooga's upcoming Learn To Ride a Bicycle class: the kind of bicycle the elder Russak is riding, rules for greenway riding and the importance of helmets.
Valerie Russak, right, bicycles on the Tennessee Riverwalk with her son Bennett Russak. The scene captures at least three of the elements participants will learn in Outdoor Chattanooga's upcoming Learn To Ride a Bicycle class: the kind of bicycle the elder Russak is riding, rules for greenway riding and the importance of helmets.

Whether you never learned to ride a bike or just need to refresh rusty skills, Outdoor Chattanooga has a class that can soon send you on your way.

Instructors certified by the League of American Bicyclists can teach the basics in as little as one class, using a set of exercises and safety drills designed to help beginner riders of all ages progress at their own speed and ability.

Participants will learn:

* Balance, starting, stopping and pedaling.

* Bicycle fit and seating position.

* How gears and brakes work.

* Types of bicycles.

* Parts of the bicycle for maintenance.

* Helmet fit and safety checks.

* Rules for sidewalk, greenway and beginner road riding.

* Roadway signage and hand signaling.

Classes are offered at two times on the second Monday of each month. The next meet-ups are scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan 9, at Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St., within bicycle-friendly Coolidge Park. In case of bad weather, the class will meet inside the Outdoor Chattanooga facility.

Outdoor Chattanooga can provide bicycles for adults and kids at least 4 feet tall. Children shorter than 4 feet must bring their own bicycle. All participants must wear a helmet.

The class is free, but registration is required. Call 423-643-6888 or find a link at www.OutdoorChattanooga.com.

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