Trojan Bike to Business Engagement

With more than 3,500 certified League Cycling Instructors nationwide, we have the privilege of working with hundreds of leaders who are delivering our Smart Cycling program and innovating bicycle education in exciting ways.

Whether you’re an educator yourself or simply a bicycle enthusiast, our LCIs have so much knowledge and inspiration that we want to share their stories. In this edition of LCI Corner, Jimmy Hallyburton, Boise Bicycle Project executive director and LCI #3207, talks about the “trojan bike” to business engagement. 

***

When I started the Boise Bicycle Project in 2007, I knew there was a need for bicycle repair and safety education in the community, but I had no idea how expansive that need really was. It’s been a challenging journey to teach my generation (and older) that there are, in fact, rules of the road and methods of riding that make bicycling a safe, effective, and enjoyable form of transportation. One thing I enjoy these days is teaching brown-bag sessions at local businesses. It seems every employer we talk to welcomes the idea of healthier, more productive employees and we use this interest to get inside and spread our message. Kind of like the Trojan horse, but with less pillaging!

Our message is simple but effective: “Are you a Bicycle Friendly Business? Of course you are, but is it official? Here’s how you can make it official (League of American Bicyclist application) — and here’s what you can do as an employee to make your application even stronger.”

During these brown-bag sessions and other classes, we reinforce the idea that a bicycle can be a tool for transportation and social change, but also a tool for fun and happiness. People want to have fun, and want things to be easy. I love telling people that I rode to work wearing the same clothes they see now, and on my dad’s old 1988 mountain bike. So many people think it takes a lot of work, gear, and money to become a cyclist, when really all it takes is a bicycle, shoes, and underwear (to keep it legal).

My goal as an LCI is to remove perceived barriers and create opportunities for empowerment through riding a bicycle. The Boise Bicycle Project teaches safety classes for kids, commuting classes for adults, and repair classes for all types of folks. We believe that education is exponential and that, hopefully, the next generation of students will learn from their parents to ride on the right side of the road.