The PCC offers a variety of educational opportunities for children, families, adults, employers, commuters and women. Education is key for both the experienced cyclist and those interested in riding for the first time. Please contact the PCC to schedule a class today! We can custom a class for your needs.

In addition to cycling education workshops the PCC provide presentations/workshops on Complete Streets and the Bicycle Friendly Community Program.

Bike Ed Road 1
Adult Bike Driving Class

This nationally certified course created by the League of American Bicyclists will help you gain a full understanding of how to safely bicycle in a variety of situations and build your confidence by teaching you crash avoidance techniques. If you don't feel safe biking on the road, this is the class to give you the skills and ability to "drive your bike" like any other vehicle. The class includes learning how to perform a bicycle safety check, on-bike skills practice, effective pedaling and bike handling. Students will gain confidence and learn about riding legally and safely.

A bicycle in good working order and a helmet are required. Classes are half in-class half on-bike training and practice. Recommended for adults and children above 14 accompanied by a parent.

For more information on scheduling bicycle education and commuter course in your area, please contact the PCC at (803) 445-1099.

League Certified Instructor Courses:

This is the highest certification in the US for on-road cycling. Good candidates must be experienced, knowledgeable cyclists with good technique and teaching skills. They must have completed a Road 1 course and be recommended to take the LCI Seminar. We expect to have scholarships to assist in covering registration fees for SC cyclists. You can find the LCI criteria and study guide at http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/seminars.php.

If you are interested in participating in these courses please contact the Palmetto Cycling Coalition at (803) 445-1099.

Law officer Training Education

Law officers are dealing with more cyclists on the road and are increasingly being called to bicycle accident scenes. Recognizing that police officers are the most influential spokespersons for safer roads, the PCC and scbikelaw.com have teamed together to provide in-depth training to law enforcement personnel on bicycle laws and safety.

The training session is presented by Peter Wilborn, a lawyer from Charleston and founder of scbikelaw.com, and is based on a nationally recognized program funded by the USNHSTA.

The format of the program is an electronic multimedia presentation. The course will include reference material and handouts for law enforcement, including safety tips for cyclists and motorists. The course describes bicycle-related traffic laws in detail and in South Carolina specifically, explains why they should be enforced, and covered crash investigation, including the writing of police reports. The program will cover the bicycle safety bill extensively. It includes statistics in bicycling facts and clarification of misunderstood safety and legal principles.

The training course is designed both for non-cycling law officers as well as bicycle patrol officers. Peter Wilborn has a decade of experience representing cycling and cycling groups across the state. He has dealt first hand with a wide range of cycling accidents and situations. He brings this first hand knowledge of the aftermath of bicycle accidents to help foster the prevention of accidents and a professional and thorough response to them when they unfortunately occur. To schedule a workshop in your area, please call the PCC at (803) 445-1099.

Bike Lights

The PCC has again partnered with Peter Wilborn of scbikelaw.com to purchase fabulous bike lights from Planet Bike(a big thank you to the Hawley Company in Lexington for making this happen!!). The lights will be part of a major safety campaign for 2008-2010. The PCC and scbikelaw.com will be partnering with a small city in South Carolina and their police department to see that the lights are distributed to cyclists in need. Officers will carry the lights in squad cars and provide them to families, individuals and children that need them. Attached to all lights will be a detailed safety brochure.

SCDOT Safety Planning

Former PCC Executive Director Natalie Britt has been appointed to the SCDOT Strategic Highway Safety Plan Committee and will serve on an Emphasis Area Action Team for the prevention of future bike-ped fatalities. The goal of this committee will be to develop strategies to prevent fatalities on SC roads. The committee is working to reduce bicycle fatalities by 25% in two years.