LCI Spotlight: Ralph Mugot

The League certifies hundreds of League Cycling Instructors every year and there are thousands of LCIs around the country leading bike education efforts in their communities. In our LCI spotlight series, we share the stories of League Cycling Instructors doing what they do daily: educating, mentoring, empowering. You don’t have to be an extraordinary athlete or overachieving student to be a stellar LCI, all you need is the conviction that life is better for everyone when more people ride bikes.

Thanks to all the many groups, clubs, businesses, agencies, individuals, and other partners that invested in cycling education in 2022, we have made major strides in our movement to build communities where bicycling is safe, comfortable, and open to all. 

In 2022, we hosted 38 LCI seminars in 22 states, including 3 seminars led by and for BIPOC bike educators, and reached of the biggest milestones in the Smart Cycling program thus far: certifying the 7,000th League Cycling Instructor! 

That lucky number was earned by Ralph Mugot of Boise, Idaho. Ralph is the shop director at Boise Bicycle Project (BBP), which offers bike giveaways and earn-a-bike programs to both youth and adults in the Boise area. 

Read on to learn more about Ralph’s motivation behind being an LCI. Find our earlier LCI Spotlights in our blog archives.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY YOU ENJOY TEACHING OTHERS TO BIKE.

The main part of what we do at BPP is promote cycling education. From how to put together a bicycle, how to be prepared for the unexpected, to how to ride the darn thing. When I first joined BBP, I was hired on as the lead educator/lead mechanic. I still love the feeling of explaining a concept to anyone and seeing that internal lightbulb turn on when they finally get the idea down.

Learn how to get more involved in cycling education in the Smart Cycling section of our website.

WHAT FIRST MOTIVATED YOU TO BECOME AN LCI?

BBP sent a few of our director-level staff out to seminars to become certified. I thought to myself “I already have mechanical skills, so why not expand my street riding skills and set a better example for the community I serve?”

WHAT IS YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR AN LCI WHO WANTS TO TEACH A CLASS BUT ISN’T SURE HOW TO GET STARTED?

Just come in with an open mind, drop your guard and get ready to receive knowledge.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU THINK THAT ALL LCIS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TEACHING BIKE EDUCATION? 

That everyone has a different way of receiving information. Cater to the whole class, not just your own way of teaching. Asking a student how they prefer to be taught is a shortcut way to figuring out how to teach them.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BEING ON A BIKE? 

The calm you feel when you are in the zone. That feeling of weightlessness is irreplaceable.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY FROM BEING ON A BIKE? 

Climbing Bogus Basin road with my track bike for an alley cat race.

GIVE US AN INTERESTING OR FUNNY FACT ABOUT YOU.

I play in a touring band, Rejection Pact!

Nominate a stellar bike educator here! 

Is there a League Cycling Instructor that inspires and motivates you? Maybe it’s the LCI that you see at classes or a community meeting. We spotlight our LCIs each month so that aspiring bike educators can learn from them. Nominate someone you think is a shining example!