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5 Safety indd
Safety
The basics
Section 2:
Safety
The basics
The area in which you ride may require
specific safety devices. It is your respon
-
sibility to familiarize yourself with the
laws of the area where you ride and to
comply with all applicable laws, includ-
ing properly equipping yourself and your
bike as the law requires.
Observe all local bicycle laws and regu-
lations. Observe regulations about bicy-
cle lighting, licensing of bicycles, riding
on sidewalks, laws regulating bike path
and trail use, helmet laws, child carrier
laws, special bicycle traffic laws. It’s
your responsibility to know and obey
the laws.
Always wear a cycling helmet which
meets the latest certification standards
and is appropriate for the type
of riding you do. Always follow
the helmet manufacturer’s
instructions for fit, use and
care of your helmet. Most seri-
ous bicycle injuries involve
head injuries which might
have been avoided if the rider had worn
an appropriate helmet.
Failure to wear a helmet when riding
may result in serious injury or death.
Be sure to read the Electric Bikes sec-
tion on page 42 for important safety
information related to electric bikes.
Always do the Mechanical Safety Check
“Mechanical safety check” on page 5
before you get on a bike.
Be thoroughly familiar with the controls
of your bicycle: brakes (“Brakes” on page
30); pedals (“Pedals” on page 36);
shifting (“Shifting gears” on page 33
Be careful to keep body parts and other
objects away from the sharp teeth of
chainrings, the moving chain, the turn-
ing pedals and cranks, and the spinning
wheels of your bicycle.
Always wear:
•
Shoes that will stay on your feet and will
grip the pedals. Make sure that shoe
laces cannot get into moving parts, and
never ride barefoot or in sandals.
• Bright, visible clothing that is not so
loose that it can be tangled in the bicy-
cle or snagged by objects at the side of
the road or trail
•
Protective eyewear, to protect against
airborne dirt, dust and bugs — tinted
when the sun is bright, clear when it’s
not
Don’t jump with your bike. Jumping a
bike, particularly a BMX or mountain
bike, can be fun; but it can put huge and
unpredictable stress on the bicycle and
fig. 2-1
