The Do’s and Don’ts of Biking Every Cyclist Should Know

With gas prices always rising and rush hours in the transit always jam-packed, it’s time to look at biking: really cheap to buy, easy to maintain, and rolls fitness exercise and cheap transportation into one.

However, there are a few do’s and don’ts that cyclists must follow at all times. Here they are:

DOs
• Give right of way to both pedestrians and motor vehicles. As a cyclist, you should think of yourself as a bit of both – much faster than a pedestrian but still much slower than a motor vehicle.

• Make yourself visible to everyone, especially if you’re cycling at night. Having something on you that’s bright and/or reflective like a neon green vest or even a bright flashlight will give everyone else a heads up and prevent potential accidents from happening.

• Wear a helmet. Yes, even if you’re just cycling around the neighborhood, and especially on any road. Helmets will be the only protection you have in case of an accident. Make sure to get one that fits you snugly with a properly tightened chin strap.

• Be nice to fellow cyclists. If you see a fellow cyclist in need of help, such as a flat tire or a broken chain, offer what you have. This means that you should also…

• Bring a repair kit. At all times. Keep a spare tube covered in baby powder in a plastic bag, as well as a bike pump and a patch kit, wherever you go. You’ll never know when you need it, and when you do, you really don’t want to be unprepared for it.

DON’Ts
• Don’t get caught in the rain. Always check the weather forecast before you go out biking. Better yet, bring rain gear or a poncho just in case.

• Don’t let your chain squeak. Lubricating the chain is really easy and shouldn’t take you more than an hour to do so. This goes for the rest of your bike.

• Don’t use bring an outdated ID card. You’ll never know if you’ll get in an accident or if you encounter someone else who is. If in case you do, keep your ID cards up to date.

• Don’t wear earphones. Stay alert as much as possible. When you’re on the road, everything – and everyone – is trying to kill you.

Be sure to pass these rules to every cyclist you know – it helps to improve the community and keeps you safe on the road.