Meet The Instructors
Meet our dedicated, League-Certified education class instructors
Anthony DiSalvo
I am a lifelong cyclist! I was one of the founding members of my bike club in high school, my bicycle was with me onboard ship in the Navy, and I have ridden my bicycle in many countries. As a League Certified Instructor, I have been teaching cycling safety in the Bay Area since 2009 for Bike East Bay and the San Francisco Bike Coalition. My teaching experience includes all levels of bicycle education in the classroom, on the road, and consulting with local cycling clubs safety programs. I instruct all age groups, from middle school to adults, who learn to ride for the first time. I enjoy my daily cycling commute and wide-ranging weekend recreational riding. When people ask me why I ride my bicycle, I respond, “Because its fun!”
Beth Bittle
I am a new teacher with Bike East Bay and I am super excited to be working with all of these amazing instructors. I loving getting more people out on bikes and more people excited about biking whether that is biking to get groceries or biking the amazing trails we have in Contra Costa County. Teaching reminds me how much I love to bike!
Binky Brown
For over a decade I have been volunteering or working with bike safety and mechanics in Oakland. I am a certified mechanic and safety instructor with an emphasis on representing and supporting persons from underrepresented groups learn in comfortable environments. Especially BIPOC, queer, trans/non-binary/gender variant and low income families with children. Adult learn to ride and basic mechanics are some of my favorite topics to instruct. I love hands on learning!
Bonnie Wehmann
I’m a mom of two teen boys and started Easy Street Cycling camps as a result of teaching my son’s and their friends how to safely and legally bike to middle school. I’ve been teaching kids how to communicate with all road users so they feel prepared and confident to bike by themselves.
I love coaching kids and seeing the pride and excitement in their faces when they work hard to learn a new traffic skill and then successfully nail it!
I have lots of experience teaching the Urban Cycling class to audiences of all ages and challenge myself each time to make it as fun, entertaining and informative as I can for class attendees!
Carolyn Richardson
I enjoy building confidence in students and helping them discover the joy of biking.
Chris Auriemma
I have been teaching classes with Bike East Bay for about 6 years. I have mostly taught Urban Cycling 101, both in the classroom and road sections, and Adult Learn to Ride classes.
It is wonderful to help people enjoy riding bikes!
Dani Lanis
I became an LCI in 2022 and love it! During my first class I witnessed a group of 10 people make their wish come true. They went from a nervous “I want to learn” to actually riding confidently in a matter of hours. Seeing those smiles got me hooked right away!
What I like best about teaching is that it enables people of all ages to enjoy cycling in meaningful ways that have a positive impact in their individual lives, their immediate local communities, and society at large. Exploring a trail, a city, a forest, or simply getting to school or work feels better on 2 wheels. I like teaching how to ride because it enables people to do just that.
Dartanian Fierce Kaufman
I teach Road classes, Learn to Rides, Family Cycling Workshops and love helping riders of all ages gain confidence and skills. I became an LCI in 2019 and am a collective member & Bike Educator at Cycles of Change. My favorite Bike Education settings are going on adventurous and character building rides with the youth and teaching Bike Mechanics.
Diane Serafini
I love the process of guiding and empowering a person through their experience of learning to ride and becoming a safer and happier rider. Focusing on each individual, listening to their concerns and finding the best way to communicate the instructions to them, helps them have success at every step of the way. The smiles that light up their faces as they master each new skill is very rewarding. I enjoy teaching people of all ages and levels. I became an LCI in 2006 to get more people to ride bikes and to ride safely as my contribution to reduce green house gas emissions from transportation and to create a positive impact on people’s lives.
Feliz Hill
I’ve taken classes with BEB myself and found them to be excellent sources of information. I’m excited about helping others learn about bikes and safe ways to ride.
Jasper
Jasper is new to the world of two-wheeled education and is eager to learn more! Through teaching safety and two-wheeled riding skills, jasper aims to create more connection in our local communities, on and off the wheels. Jasper’s favorite part about teaching is having fun and watching riders skills evolve with their enthusiasm for two-wheels!!
Jennifer Holmes-Ledet
I got back into biking as an adult because it was the most convenient, fun, and environmentally friendly way to get around. Having a life-long passion for education and working with youth, I became an LCI and started teaching classes with Bike East Bay. I have enjoyed teaching classes over the years and the best part is that I learn just as much from the students in the classes as they do from me! My favorite class to teach is the Adult Learn to Ride because it is never too late to learn a new skill, especially one that gives you a new found sense of freedom!
Jianhan Wang
Learning to ride a bicycle was one of the most painful and difficult things I have done in my life. It took a long time with repeated scrapes on my legs. However, once I did, it became a great moment of joy and pride. That ended up leading to desiring to ride for transportation. After going through Urban Cycling 101 and being encouraged by another Bike East Bay Instructor, I eventually decided to become one, too. I have taught with Bike East Bay for over 3 years, taught at other bicycle education programs in other parts of the Bay area, and taught private lessons. I like helping people overcome fears, become more confident, and enjoy biking more. My favorite moments are when I see people get something challenging to click for them and swell with joy and pride, especially in the learn-to-ride classes in a much shorter time than it took me and without needing physical injuries.
Julian Early
Biking gives people freedom to move. As a kid, I struggled to learn to ride. But once I learned how, biking offered me the space to build independence. As an adult, it is a fantastic tool to get around. It is cheaper than driving, and is an excellent way to stay in shape.
Through teaching, I want to share those blessings with others. Getting to see people go from timid and unsure to confident and proud makes teaching the most rewarding of activities.
Kelly Dunlap
In 2009, I took one of BEB’s bike classes with my Mother In Law as a way to help her be a safer rider. I was already pretty experienced, and wasn’t expecting to learn much. I was so wrong! I was shocked at how much information I just hadn’t known, so when I was looking for a way to work with people more, getting my LCI just made sense. I absolutely love sharing what I know and helping people not only feel safer, but to actually become safer bicyclists.
Kristin Maravilla
I took my first bike education class after years of biking for fun and bike commuting. The instructors make it educational and fun, so I signed up for more classes and eventually became an instructor. Now, I prefer teaching on-bike classes, such as adult learn-to-rides, bike rodeos, and road skills classes. I enjoy sharing biking tips and best practices with class participants and find it rewarding to see their bike handling skills and confidence on the bike improve.
Kurtis Bonano
I am new to bike teaching, experienced teaching in many other environments, and excited to teach more! My favorite moment is when a student has something click, and I can almost see the realization they are making dawning on their face! Seeing that I have helped a student make a new connection is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching. When it spurs more questions, that’s a bonus!
Malay “Taco” Khamsyvoravong
I’ve been a bike educator for 8 years and have been teaching with Bike East Bay since 2015! I love hearing about what brings folks to BEB’s classes- especially for the adult learn to rides. Students’ stories are often humbling and inspiring; some folks are overcoming fear or other challenging emotions around biking, while others are just elated to practice and ride bikes together. I believe that learning to ride a bike is a way to connect people to the joy of moving their bodies, and I think that biking can be a tool for people- especially women, nonbinary folks, youth, and people of color- to claim their right to public spaces.
Malcolm Wallace
I have years of experience organizing community rides in the Bay Area. I love connecting with the bike community and building long lasting relationships. Teaching gives me a chance to pass on what I have learned and help bikers be safe on the road.
Nancy Hernandez
Nancy loves to share the magic of bikes and has been teaching classes with Bike East Bay since 2019. She also teaches classes across the Bay with the SF Bike Coalition. Her favorite things about teaching are connecting with others through bikes and getting to see students experience joy and become more confident on bikes.
Natalie Leonard
I learned to ride a bike as an adult because there wasn’t much parking in my neighborhood. I took a learn to ride class, road safety classes, and the women’s biking series, and now it’s the main way I get around! I’m healthier, happier and I know my community better. If you are just learning or wanting to refresh or build up your confidence as you dust off that old bike in your garage, I can’t wait to connect with you and see where your bike will take you.
Nicholas Marti
Nick has worked in the bike education space since 2015, starting out as a volunteer for Freedom from Training Wheels with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. He then worked for SFBC as a bike valet, interim program coordinator, and bike education outreach specialist between 2015 and 2019. Nick developed as a bike instructor with YBike in the Presidio and has taught classes with Bike East Bay since 2016. He loves empowering folks to get on bikes and ride with traffic, especially beginners!
Pat Lake
My past teaching experience was for artists. I also draw pet portraits and take care of pets, which needs patience for good results. Sometimes I cycle between clients or bring my dog riding in a backpack. You’ve seen dogs with their heads out car windows, now imagine that look on both the dog and the rider. That’s the reason to teach it. For 15 years I was part of bike groups, and now with Bike East Bay, I can help teach the art of cycling. The best part is helping people to break out of the car shaped mold, and be confident to ride places they didn’t know they could go.
Phil Yip
When more people ride bikes, we all benefit from stronger, healthier, safer, and more earth-friendly communities. I’ve seen this happen firsthand during our monthly family-focused community rides. That’s why I love helping more people ride bikes, especially to meet their transportation needs. After working in the bike industry for a decade, I became a bike instructor in 2022. I teach with Bike East Bay and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and enjoy teaching at all levels – from family and learn-to-ride classes to more advanced urban cycling skills. It’s always inspiring to see the amount of effort students put in during the classes, and the smiles on their faces. I’m happy to be part of organizations that organize classes that offer such an incredible public benefit.
Raul Maldonado
I’ve had a few years teaching in various topics and industries. I am happy to combine those skills with my bike advocacy to grow adoption and creating amazing experiences for people in their various biking journeys.
Reginald “RB” Burnette Jr
I like anything hands on. Repair, group riding, family cycling, youth art bike decorating.
Rose Slam! Johnson
I left the environmental education field to I live in San Francisco and ride bikes with middler schoolers. It was so fun to ride throughout the city and help them prepare to ride to school.
I love working with adults who are learning how to ride for the first time. It is truly amazing to watch someone go from never riding a bike (or not having ridden a bike in 20+ years) to coasting along with confidence and joy. It is as if their inner child is finally back at the wheel.
Currently, I work as a small business coach and practice the same strategy; small sweet steps, intentional skill building, and lots of fun.
Sandra Hui
I’ve been volunteering, learning, and teaching bike mechanics for over 15 years, and I love the sense of independence and capability that comes with being able to maintain and tune up your own bike. I’m passionate about sharing this skill set with other people, especially fellow queer/trans/nonbinary folks, and my favorite part about teaching is the moment something clicks and suddenly makes sense!
Become an Instructor
do you have a love for biking and a desire to share it with others?
Every year, Bike East Bay holds a League of American Bicyclist Instructor Certification Seminar to certify new bike safety instructors (LCIs). Up to 16 scholarships are available to individuals who apply to the seminar.
Application Prerequsites
Candidates must have completed two requirements before applying to our seminar: Part 1 and Part 2 Smart Cycling.
PART 1 SMART CYCLING
The Part 1 Smart Cycling requirement can be completed on the League’s website by taking their free online exam and passing with a score of 85% or higher. Once you complete this, you will receive a certificate that you should send to Education@BikeEastBay.org. You may choose to take one of Bike East Bay’s free Urban Cycling 101 Day 1 workshops to prepare or supplement your knowledge. If you have already completed the exam and have sent your certificate to us, we have it on file. If you want to double check that we have your certificate, please email Education@BikeEastBay.org.
Part 1 must be completed before taking Part 2.
PART 2 SMART CYCLING
The Part 2 Smart Cycling on-bike component can be completed by:
Completing Bike East Bay’s Urban Cycling Day 2 Road Class
Completing Silicon Valley Bike Coalition’s Smart Cycling Part 2 class
Completing San Francisco Bike Coalition’s Smart Cycling 2 and Smart Cycling 3
Or another equivalent on-bike class that meets the Smart Cycling Part 2 requirements
Please complete this form if you are interested in applying to Bike East Bay’s Instructor Certification Seminar. Once you submit the form and your information is reviewed, a Bike East Bay staff member will send you the application when it is available.
aLREADY AN lci?
Visit BikeEastbay.org/Jobs for more information on how you can teach classes with Bike East Bay.
