To Apply: Apply online here, or email cat@lvcat.org for the link to sign up by February 1, 2025.

Location: Lehigh Valley, PA

Compensation: Volunteer and/or paid position (monthly) when grants are available

Training Cost: Free for those who commit to leading at least 10 CAT rides in 2025. $400 for others.

Background:

CAT-Coalition for Appropriate Transportation leads weekly rides on local trails and city streets, usually with a fun destination in mind. Trail rides get people comfortable on their bikes and confident in their ability to ride safely and with a group. Road rides introduce bicycle traffic skills, encouraging riders to learn how to navigate and interact safely with motorized traffic, with the goal of motivating people to bike instead of driving to their normal daily activities.

The Tasks:

If you’re interested in leading rides, CAT will provide you with training suitable for your skill and comfort level. Basically, you need to know the ride route and communicate it to riders. Follow smart cycling practices as you lead the group, checking frequently to ensure everyone is safe and happy. Know how to do simple bike mechanics, such as change a flat tire, adjust a seat, fix a dropped chain, etc.

For all rides, you’re responsible to know the route and pre-ride it. You’ll write brief descriptions of rides for our ride email lists, LVCAT.org, and social media postings. When people arrive for a ride, you’ll have people sign in, and after each ride you’ll complete a very short post-ride log with number of riders, etc.

Training Timeline:

Attend in-person Ride Leader training sessions in February/March 2025:

1. Ride Leader Open House 1/23, 6-7pm
2. New Ride Leader Application due to CAT by 2/1
3. Ride Leader Training Parts 1-3 via Zoom 2/18, 2/25, 3/4 from 6-8pm
4. Ride Leader Training Part 4 in-person @CAT 3/11 from 6-8pm (bring bikes)
5. First Aid & CPR Training, 3/16, 9am-3pm
6. Smart Cycling Class for New Ride Leaders, 3/23, 9am-4pm
7. Ride Leader practice rides 3/30, 4/7
8. Co-lead at least 3 rides with current Ride Leaders

 Types of Rides:

For weekend and weekday rides, you’ll plot routes on both roads and trails around the Lehigh Valley, usually with a fun destination (empanadas, milkshakes, baked goods, etc.) as a turn-around. These rides are generally for adults and youth over age 14.

For Tuesday women’s rides, you’ll co-lead a group of 5-20 women 10-11 miles on an out and back on local trails, including the D&L Trail, southside Bethlehem Greenway, Saucon Valley Trail, Karl Stirner Arts Trail and the like (usually this ride is on the D&L, though your thoughts on new routes are welcome!).

In addition to currently existing rides, CAT seeks to expand the number and variety of its ride offerings. CAT is always looking to assist and support people not already using their bicycles to get out and ride.

Possible rides for development by new ride leaders include BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Adults new to cycling who may be physically unfit
• parents with young children
• children participating in CAT’s programs at local schools
• seniors age 65+
• people with physical/mental differences
• people seeking to train for comfortably riding high mileage over the course of a cycling season
• overnight touring rides
• Commuters seeking to transition from single-occupant cars to bicycles

The above list is intended as possibilities and not limitations; if there is a community you would like to focus on in your ride leadership, please let us know.

Between March-November, lead at least 1-2 rides per month. Ideally, ride leaders should have some flexibility to assist in a number of different kinds of rides. Time required will depend on the ride – i.e., leading a bike tour may require one weekend a year; other training rides may require a commitment of once a week. You will never be required to lead rides when you are not comfortable with the distance, terrain, traffic, or route. Ride calendar will be scheduled in April and ongoing through the season and can offer flexibility for individual schedules.

Qualifications:

1. Passion for CAT’s mission and its work to create a region where walking, biking, and riding the bus are effective and enjoyable forms of transportation.
2. Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and time management skills.
3. Ability to read a map, both paper and electronic, including online mapping tools such as google maps, ridewithgps, strava, or mapmyride. We are in the process of establishing a route library to help Ride Leaders share routes with each other.
4. Knowledge of basic bike maintenance and repair
5. Knowledge of League of American Bicyclists and CyclingSavvy smart cycling practices
6. Basic First Aid & CPR certificates (will be provided if needed)
7. Pennsylvania criminal, child abuse & FBI background clearances (by 3/1/2025) (more here)
8. Open to ages 18-adult

To Apply: Apply online here, or email cat@lvcat.org for the link to sign up by February 1, 2025.