A better Devo Experience.

My friend Gary Cziko* retired to Los Angeles to be with his family, after 34 years as a college professor in Urbana, Illinois, and a career as a Masters bicycle racer. 

In the first 5 minutes of the video, Gary applies humor to the story of how he got in with a crowd of fast cyclists in Los Angeles: he had to prove himself by getting to the front, at least briefly, on a devo ride. This led to his being called on to serve as an expert witness when police cited club members for riding that was in fact legal.

At 7 ½ minutes, the video becomes serious with a clip from a TV news report of a bike club member’s fatal encounter with a truck. This rider was fast and highly experienced, but he made an uninformed decision that cost him his life. The realization came to club members the hard way that the cyclist could have prevented this crash, and they turned to Gary, for advice.

Gary Cziko’s work with Los Angeles area clubs planted the seed for the free CyclingSavvy group riding online course. It covers group dynamics and interaction with motorists – the “got your back” lane change, negotiating intersections as a group – and how to prevent crashes, and much more.  CRW members are encouraged to sign for the group riding mini course – you can sign up for it here.

"Gary is an instructor at CyclingSavvy, an organization dedicated to making a difference in people's lives by empowering them to use their bikes to go anywhere they want, safely and confidently. Below is the link to the video where you can learn more about his experience and passion.  

And here is the video: