Safe Urban Bike Riding
Urban
bike riding can seem intimidating for the new
cyclist. With the roads becoming more and more
grid-locked, and more new drivers taking to the road
than at any time in history, city cycling is
becoming more hazardous. Many people would love to
take up cycling but are put off by their fear of the
traffic in their city. There's no denying that the
roads are busier than ever and it can be
intimidating for new cyclists, but if you follow a
few basic safety rules you should have nothing to
worry about. Here's seven rules to keep you safe.
1 Make sure your bike is in good working order. This
comes down to basic maintenance but is often
overlooked by many people. If you have had your bike
stored away for a while, don't just jump on it and
go cycling. Check it over. Make sure the brakes are
working fine, check that the chain is moving and
smoothly and that there are no signs of rust. The
gears should be moving easily and smoothly. It's
distracting if you are on the road and you are
having to mess around trying to change gears. While
you are concentrating on the gears you are not
concentrating on the road. Any defect in your bike,
however slight can become a risk on the road. This
is just a case of preventive maintenance and
checking your bike regularly. Preventive maintenance
is crucial to safe urban bike riding.
2 A lot of bike accidents occur at night or in the
early morning because the driver did not see the
cyclist. This is obvious and cheap to remedy. make
sure you are seen. Fit plenty of reflectors to your
bike as well as lights. Use good quality lights not
cheap ones which begin to go dim after a few uses. I
can never understand people who pay a lot of money
for a good bike then put cheap lights on it.
Lighting is crucial to your safety so get the best.
Place reflectors between the spokes so you are
visible from the side.
3 Wear a helmet. There's two sides to this argument.
Some people say they are not necessary and won't
prevent injury, the other side say they are
essential. i'm with the essential side. Broken bones
can be fixed a fractured skull is usually fatal. Why
take the chance? You can get great styled helmets
now at a reasonable price and the days when people
stared at a cyclists with a helmet are long gone.
you may feel self conscious when you first go out
with your new helmet on. But believe me, no one is
going to look twice at a cyclist wearing a helmet
these days. So wear one.
4 Wear high visibility clothing specifically
designed for cycling. These will usually have
reflectors built into them. Most drivers will have
no trouble seeing you but make yourself extra
visible for the inattentive drivers out there. You
also need to be seen if you are at the side of the
road repairing a puncture. As a cyclist you have a
responsibility to make sure you are seen.
5 Follow the traffic rules. I see cyclists weaving
in and out of traffic lanes trying to get a few
extra yards. They are not only annoying motorists
but putting themselves in unnecessary danger. Stay
at the side of the road unless you are making a
turn. use bike lanes if they are any. There is a
tactic I've read about used in some places where
cyclists will cycle in the oncoming traffic lane.
The argument being that it prevents you from getting
hit from behind and you can see the oncoming
traffic. The argument is logical, the tactic
suicidal. Don't do it. This is akin to playing
Russian roulette, sooner or later you will lose.
Follow the rules.
6 I know this may sound like a 1960s public
information film but use hand signals, and I don't
mean the two fingered one. Use hand signals to let
drivers know your intentions, this avoids any
confusion and will give the driver plenty of warning
about what you intend to do so he can make
adjustments accordingly. I'm a motorist as well as a
cyclist and sometimes I have cyclists in front of me
who will suddenly turn without warning. I'm always
extra alert around cyclists so I am rarely taken by
surprise, but some drivers may not be so alert. Let
them know what you intend to do.
7 Carry a tool kit. make sure you don't leave the
house without some basic tools to get you going if
something falls off or breaks. One of the greatest
inventions in tool kits over the last thirty years
has been micro tools that fold into a neat little
square. There's loads of designs about and you
should have one. I carry mine in a small under the
saddle bag, along with a puncture kit and a spare
inner tube.
As a cyclists, you're responsible for ensuring you
take the necessary steps to ensure your own safety.
The seven steps just mentioned are basic but
essential to your safety. Taking them will go a long
way to ensuring you have an enjoyable time on your
bike and stay safe in heavy traffic areas.
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