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As part of Bike Month, the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) posted the following tips for riding better, and safer. In my mind at least, they are numbered in order of importance – although they are all good to follow.
If you aren’t a member of LAB, I encourage you to consider joining. They are the premier organization for cyclists (everyone who rides a bike – not just the spandex clad) and do a lot to protect the rights of cyclists across the country. We need them!
1. Follow the Rules of the Road
• Ride with traffic and obey the same laws as motorists.
• Use the rightmost lane that heads in the direction
that you are traveling.
• Obey all traffic control devices, such as stop signs,
lights, and lane markings.
• Always look back and use hand and arm signals
to indicate your intention to stop, merge or turn.2. Be Visible
• Ride where drivers can see you.
• Wear brightly colored clothing at all times.
• At night, use a white front light and red rear light
or reflector. Wear reflective tape or clothing.3. Be Predictable
• Ride in a straight line and don’t swerve between
parked cars.
• Make eye contact with motorists to let them
know you are there.
• Do not ride on the sidewalk.4. Anticipate Conflicts
• Be aware of traffic around you and be prepared
to take evasive action.
• Learn braking and turning techniques to
avoid crashes.
• Be extra alert at intersections.5. Wear a Helmet
• Make sure that the helmet fits on top of your
head, not tipped back or forward.
• After a crash or any impact that affects your
helmet, visible or not, replace it immediately.
Happy National Bike Month!
Don’t suppose this is one even Hallmark bothers with.
Don’t you wish every month was bike month? For those things that are so ingrained in our daily lives, we don’t need a National *whatever* Month to call attention to them.
If the price of oil continues to climb we may have help with that goal, but until then, to kick off National Bike Month, here’s one of my favorite bike-related videos.
RIDE YOUR BIKE!
I hope to post daily updates on our Katy Trail trip using my phone and this WP Android app. Hope it works, otherwise I may need to bring my netbook, which would take needed pannier space and add unneeded weight.
And maybe add a few pictures…
In just a few weeks we will take our first bike tour of the year and our first fully self-supported bike tour ever (minus camping). 
We’re going back to the Katy Trail in Missouri. We will be riding west to east, hopefully with a tailwind – although it didn’t work out that way last year. We’ll catch the train in Augusta to get back to our car in Sedalia.
Check out their website – Bike Katy Trail and our trip report on last year’s Katy Trail tour.
