The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) offers adult Learn to Ride and Basic Skills biking classes in April, May and June.
The classes are for adults (18+) who have never learned to ride a bike or have not ridden a bike in some time. Advance registration is required to participate in the bicycle classes, with a cost of $10 for Montgomery County residents.
There is no charge for Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) or Capital Bikeshare For All members. There is a 25-person limit for each class.
MCDOT also offers free, walk-up electric scooter classes following select bike classes.
“More people are riding bikes for recreation, exercise, or as a form of transportation,” said County Executive Marc Elrich in a press release. “Biking is a lot of fun, a great family activity and good for the environment as an alternative to using a motor vehicle. However, it is important to learn how to bike safely and responsibly. I encourage residents to take advantage of these low-cost bike classes and appreciate MCDOT’s efforts to offer them.”
The three-hour Learn to Ride class is broken down into safe, easy-to-follow steps, with over 80% of last year’s participants riding by the end, according to the Washington Area Bicyclists Association’s website.
Online registration is open for April classes on the WABA website under the Classes tab. Registration for May classes opens at 9 a.m. on Monday, March. 25, and June class registration at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 29.
Adult Learn to Ride Bike class schedule:
- Saturday, April 6. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. White Oak Recreation Center, 1700 April Lane, Silver Spring.
- Sunday, April 21. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Upper County Recreation Center, 8201 Emory Grove Rd., Gaithersburg. *Free e-scooter class to follow.
- Saturday, May 11. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-Op, 201 Ethan Allen Ave., Takoma Park.
- Saturday, May 18. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Montgomery College (parking lot 13), 850 Hungerford Dr., Rockville. *Free e-scooter class to follow.
- Sunday, June 9. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Davis Construction at the Twinbrook Metro Center I, 12530 Parklawn Dr., Rockville.
- Saturday, June 15. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. GEICO Chevy Chase Building, 5260 Western Ave., Chevy Chase.
Adult Basic Skills Bike Class schedule:
- Sunday, May 5. 10 a.m.-noon, Westfield Montgomery Mall (former Sears parking lot), 7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. *Free scooter class to follow.
- Saturday, June 1. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Bethesda Rescue Squad parking lot, 5020 Battery Ln., Bethesda.
- Sunday, June 23. 10 a.m.-noon. Wheaton Ice Arena (back parking lot), 11711 Orebaugh Dr., Wheaton. *Free scooter class to follow.
Free two-hour adult e-scooter classes are being offered on a drop-in basis on four select days immediately following the bike classes on April 21, May 5, May 18 and June 23. E-scooter classes do not require pre-registration. Anyone 18 or over with a valid driver’s license or ID can join. E-scooters are provided.
