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Biking is an exhilarating sport, great exercise and fun for the entire family. If you know the rules of the road, you can enjoy many years of biking safely and pass responsible biking etiquette down to your children as well. Following the rules of safety will prevent accidents and injury to you, your bike and other bikers on the road. A bike is a vehicle and it is your responsibility to ride it as safely as you would drive a car, using all of the proper equipment necessary and respecting others on the road as well as pedestrians.
Before you even get on your bike, be sure it is properly equipped and in good working order. Be sure your tires are inflated properly, your brakes are working correctly and that you have reflectors on the front, back and sides of your bike. Make sure your seat is tightened as well as the bolts holding on the tires and pedals.
Your equipment is also very important. Never ride a bike without a helmet. In most states, helmets are the law and you can receive a summons if you are caught without one. The most severe and most preventable biking injuries are those to the head and there is no reason not to wear a helmet. Helmets are quite inexpensive and are an essential safety element, don’t skimp on them. Make sure your helmet fits well and is in good condition. Your helmet will make you more visible to drivers and other bikers as well as protect your head in the event of a fall. You can almost guarantee that you will crash at least once while riding a bike and if you do fall, you should replace your helmet. Be sure you wear close fitting pants or biking shorts, never ride a bike with loose pants that can become caught in the chain of your bike. If you are riding at night wear clothing with reflective strips on it. You can purchase a roll of reflective tape at your local sporting goods store and make any outfit reflect.
While you are riding, there are some rules of the road that you should know to observe proper etiquette in regards to motor vehicles and other bikers. Always ride with the traffic, never against it. While you should never ride in the middle of the road, you should ride near the lane, not too far into the shoulder where you may not be seen. You must always use hand signals to indicate your turns and you should always give the right of way to any pedestrians. Observe all traffic signals and remain a safe distance from any cars and bikes in front of you. Never dart in and out of traffic and never pull out from between two parked cars. Since you don’t have a horn, it is impossible to warn other drivers of your presence, so stay a safe distance away from cars and make sure drivers see you before you pull out in front of them.
If you keep your bike and helmet in good condition, they can last for years and so can you if you follow proper safety precautions!
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