Meet Wisconsin Bike Fed’s New League Cycling Coaches

At the heart of the League’s Smart Cycling program is a mission to empower people through bike education. That mission comes to life through our network of 7,000+ League Cycling Instructors (LCIs): certified instructors in communities across the country who teach Smart Cycling classes and help people feel safer and more confident on their bikes.

But have you ever wondered who trains those instructors? That job falls to a small but mighty group of experts who lead our LCI certification seminars and help keep bike education high-quality and consistent wherever you take a class. These leaders are our League Cycling Coaches.

Becoming a Coach isn’t easy, and that’s by design. It takes years of experience teaching as an LCI, proven bike maintenance skills, active community involvement, and recommendations from experienced Coaches and League staff. That’s why we’re especially excited to welcome two new Coaches to the team: Wisconsin Bike Fed‘s education power duo, Jake Newborn and Michael Anderson.

Can you share a bit about your roles at Wisconsin Bike Fed and what led you to pursue becoming a League Cycling Coach?

Jake: Currently, I am Assistant Director but I have been at Bike Fed since 2007. In those early days, I was a part-time mechanic working with a teen to repair bikes at Valid Bike Shop located in North Division High School. Over the years, I have been involved in just about every aspect of the organization. With my position and long-time commitment to our mission of making Wisconsin the most bike-friendly state, the logical next step led me to pursue becoming a League Cycling Coach. We have a grant through WisDOT to provide bike education resources and training to residents. By becoming a Coach, it allows us as an organization to be able to grow the movement and expand the network of LCIs and educators across the state. 

Michael: I serve as our Youth Program Manager in Milwaukee. My story with the Bike Fed began in 2015, volunteering and later working for a neighborhood active transportation program serving Milwaukee’s Riverwest and Harambee community.  These neighborhoods have a robust and grassroots bicycle culture. In this contex, I grew to serve in other roles with the organization from pedestrian advocacy, complete streets implementation, and ultimately leading Safe Routes to School efforts in Milwaukee Public Schools since 2019. My pursuit of becoming a League Cycling Coach has been centered around growing a network of cycling leaders who are ready to support Safe Routes to School Initiatives both internally at the Bike Fed but also with partners to magnify our community capacity. 

What was the most valuable thing you took away from the Coach training process?

Jake: As part of the process, I had to observe two other coaches before co-leading our own with Michael under the watchful eye of longtime Coach John Rider. Just having the opportunity to watch and learn from Jamie and Neal teach their seminars and work closely with the students gave me a great opportunity to refresh my skills and learn from others. 

Michael: The relationships and people were a great part of the Coach training process! I was fortunate to have two phenomenal coaches in Río Oxas and Jamie Gaskill to train with, as well as incredible site facilitators. They all really set an incredible example and standard to meet while cultivating a supportive learning environment.  I was also grateful to all of the quality LCI candidates in both seminars who were already doing great work in their communities from Las Cruces to Oakland. Observing how other Coaches valued the assets that people were bringing to the classroom gave me great insight into how to assess and mentor Milwaukee’s bike leaders and LCI candidates. 

What difference do you hope having two League Cycling Coaches on staff will make for Wisconsin Bike Fed?

Jake and Michael: Having two of us will allow us to lean on each other’s strengths.  We’ve supported each other through training this past year and for plan on teaching future LCI seminars together. It’s always good to have some depth on the team! We often team and co-teach in our programs, so it makes sense to have a team in this context as trainers, especially as it is something we expect of LCI Candidates. 

What do you hope this growing network of LCIs will mean for communities across Wisconsin?

Jake: As a statewide organization, we have honestly struggled over the years to find ways to engage our entire state in the education goals. Cost, travel, funding, etc., are challenges to reaching all corners from our home base in Milwaukee. The ability to train local cycling education champions to provide that reach, leaning on local knowledge and resources, is a great and efficient way for Bike Fed to support our partners, residents, and more all across the state without having staff on the ground in every city. 

Michael: I agree with Jake’s sentiments. Ultimately, our goal is to empower and invite people into the work of making Wisconsin safer and more accessible for people biking. We can’t grow ridership alone, and a growing network of LCIs means more people ready to lead and launch new mobility initiatives.  

Do you have a favorite local bike route or hidden gem in the state?

Jake: A local Milwaukee route I love is a new raised and protected bike lane along Howard Ave. It was a project that started when my daughter was at that school, but has taken years to advocate, plan, and finally complete, but now young kids have a safe and separated route directly to the school in the neighborhood! Statewide, the US Bike Route 30 was a big project the Bike Fed worked on with many partners that takes you from the Port of Milwaukee all the way to the Mississippi River, mostly on trail!

Michael: Three Bridges Park and the Menomonee River segments of the Hank Aaron State Trail are magical segments of trail, which happen to be on my commute and also along US Bike Route 30!  They provide both meaningful transportation, linking neighborhoods separated by the river valley, but also provide a connection to nature with beavers, turkey, and deer directly in the center of Milwaukee. Once a vast wild rice marsh, through the valley this trail connects Milwaukee’s indigenous roots with the active presence of the Potawatomi tribe who have been big supporters of our efforts over the years.  Additionally, it speaks to how Milwaukee is confronting its industrial legacy by being a national leader in restoration and freshwater advocacy. At the end of Three Bridges is the Mitchell Park Domes Conservatory; I often stop to relax in the tropical and desert domes on a chilly fall or spring day. I’m a big booster for getting a membership to your local Botanical Garden; they usually provide reciprocal entry to other gardens across the country and are often along great biking routes! When I was in the Bay Area training to be a coach, I used my membership to bike through the Golden Gate Park and check out their botanical garden. 

Anything you’d like other advocacy organizations to know about the value of having their own in-house Organizational Coaches?

Jake and Michael: The goal is to be able to build a network of trained educators across the state to grow the cycling movement and keep folks as safe as we can.  Having in-house Coaches helps us make the LCI seminar more accessible to people in Wisconsin by reducing traveling costs and other barriers to candidates. In our first seminar in Milwaukee, it already has helped in onboarding new employees.