How to Make Bicycling Safe
By Christopher Morris
Bicycling is an activity that is fun to participate in and at the same time is beneficial to your health. That is, it is a fun and healthy way to exercise if the proper safety precautions are practiced while riding.
Most bicyclists understand the need for wearing a helmet. If you fall off your bike the last thing you want to do is hit your bare head on the ground. The helmet is made of a hard exterior shell material that is padded on the inside which will help cushion any potential collision to the head.
Gloves are another item that is good to wear when bike riding. Most bicycling gloves have a thick padding sewn into the palm which helps absorb road and trail shock as well as protect the hands if a crash occurs.
If you find yourself falling off your bike, you will more than likely try to stop your fall instinctively by putting out your hands. If you are on the road
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or even a gravel strewn trail, this can cause your hand to get scraped up badly. If padded gloves are worn, they can protect the hands from getting injured.
Road bicyclists typically wear fingerless gloves. This gives the rider better control of the gears and brakes on the road bike but also provides the padding to help absorb the uncomfortable road vibrations. Mountain bike riders would typically want to wear full fingered gloves to keep the fingers from getting scratched and cut from branches and also to give more crash protection.
Road bicyclists should wear bright colored clothing. No doubt you have seen these characters riding their bicycles in bright colored and odd looking Lycra clothing. The reason for this is that a bicyclist wants to make themselves as visible as possible to any passing automobiles.
On most roads, seeing a bicyclist is not expected by the car driver. They are most likely not paying attention for an unexpected bicyclist. In a battle between a car and a bike, no matter whose fault it was, the bicyclist always loses.
Bicyclists' have to presume that the car driver remembers to share the road that they both are traveling. Bright colored bike clothing may help get that car driver's attention before an accident happens.
A bicyclist can make riding safer by observing the rules of the road. Bike riders are constantly blowing through stop signs and traffic lights. Not only does this set a bad example and antagonize car drivers, but bicyclist's safety can be at risk when traffic laws are not obeyed.
Bicycling is one of the best outdoor activities to participate in. It is even better when you can return from a ride safe and uninjured. Wear a helmet, put on some gloves, watch for traffic and observe the traffic laws. Your safety depends on it.
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