QuestionI have been riding for several years; have taken the Vt.St.MSF BRC course in 2002; the ERC in 2005 and the ERC Plus class in 2006, I passed these courses in the top of my class. I have ridden many thousands of miles and consider myself and excellent and safe rider. I have had many women in the area that I live in to help teach them to ride and I finally decided to open up a training school for women only. I am not a certified MSF RiderCoach though; I do not know if I become certified in my State if I can teach and be paid? Does the MSF have any regulations on this?
AnswerI think most states have options for private driving (riding) schools, whether they're MSF certified or not.
The easiest way would be to get trained as an MSF rider coach and teach for the state program, then build your private instruction business on the side.
I've thought about doing the same thing; the biggest obstacle I can see is liability. What happens when you're teaching someone and they crash? (It happens every class, by the way.) MSF coaches working with state programs are covered by special insurance because they're using MSF curriculum, materials, and teaching methods. As a sole provider/private party, that could open you up to a huge liability (lawsuit).
Aside from that, who will provide the bikes? What curricula will you use? What training do you have for teaching others? There's a lot more to it than just clutch-gas-brake, even though riding may seem easy to you right now. Imagine a 50-year-old woman who hasn't ridden a bicycle in 30 years. Some students can be a real handful, and not pick up on it as quickly as you think. Not only that, but it takes months--years--to really get good at riding. How much time will you spend with them?
My advice: get your MSF rider coach training. Go to work for your state program. Float the idea of offering a few "women-only" courses, and volunteer to teach them.
Pat
