{"id":2719,"date":"2020-05-13T23:15:49","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T04:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lvcat.org\/lvcat\/?p=2719"},"modified":"2020-09-03T13:48:21","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T18:48:21","slug":"bicycling-tips-for-pandemic-and-any-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/bicycling-tips-for-pandemic-and-any-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Bicycling Tips for a Pandemic and Anytime"},"content":{"rendered":"

One development of our coronavirus-inspired isolation is that more people are riding their bicycles, on both the trails and the roads.\u00a0 This makes sense \u2014 LVPC and PennDOT data<\/a> show there are far fewer cars on the road; exercise helps with both the physical and mental challenges of being mostly confined to our homes; and cycling is a cheap means of transport that keeps us at a safe distance from others.<\/p>\n

Many of the riders we see now appear to be relatively new to two-wheeled travel \u2014 many are riding older, squeaky bikes. Ordinarily, we would encourage new riders to sign up for CAT\u2019s basic bike safety and mechanic classes, but the CAT Bicycle Cooperative is currently limited because of the requirements of physical distancing (We are open for sidewalk appointments only).\u00a0 Nonetheless, we want to offer a few tips for safety and even \u2014 dare we say it in these times? \u2014 enjoyment.<\/p>\n

Whether you are riding on the roads or the trails, before you head out, do a basic check of your bike mechanics.\u00a0 At CAT, we teach the ABC Quick check<\/strong><\/a>: A is for air in your tires; B is for brakes; C is for your cables and chain; and Quick is for the quick release levers on your wheels.\u00a0 Many problems can be easily resolved by a bit of lube.\u00a0 Even if your bicycle has been sitting unused in your garage or basement for years, it\u2019s simple to lubricate the chain and other moving parts (exception:\u00a0 DON\u2019T lubricate the brake pads, the part that goes onto the rim of the wheel.) Your bike tires show the max PSI (air pressure) on the sidewall, for example \u201c40-65 PSI max.\u201d\u00a0 Use that guideline to pump air and you\u2019ll be fine.\u00a0 If your pump doesn\u2019t show PSI, pump until the tire is firm.\u00a0 Another easy fix that affects how comfortably you ride is the height of your seat.\u00a0 As a basic rule of thumb, your seat should be high enough that when you are seated and pedaling at the lowest point of your pedal stroke, you have only a slight bend in your knee.\u00a0 This allows you full use of your upper leg muscle and eases strain on your knees.<\/p>\n

When riding on the roads, here are a few things to keep in mind:<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

RIDE WITH TRAFFIC:\u00a0<\/strong> Ride on the right side of the road.\u00a0 As a bicyclist, you are bound by the Pennsylvania motor vehicle code.\u00a0 You are most visible to other road users when you are obeying the general flow of traffic than if you strike out on your own.\u00a0 If you get nervous at not knowing what\u2019s coming behind you, practice \u201cscanning\u201d \u2014 turn your head over your left shoulder to look behind you while continuing to steer your bike straight; or get a mirror on your handlebar; or simply always assume that there are cars coming up behind you. Lately, we\u2019ve noticed a number of adults riding their bicycles on the sidewalks.\u00a0 Unless you are under age 12, this is not legal in business districts; nor is it safe, given that the sidewalks are used by walkers, and that you cannot be seen by other drivers at intersections, driveways, and other points of motor vehicle\/bicycle conflict.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

FOLLOW ALL TRAFFIC SIGNS AND SIGNALS:\u00a0<\/strong> Yes, that means you must stop at all red lights and stop signs, just as you would if driving a motor vehicle.\u00a0 At stop signs or red lights, do not squeeze past stopped vehicles ahead; even though physically it\u2019s possible to move ahead this way, you are safer by keeping your place in line, because you don\u2019t risk getting hit by a vehicle ahead of you turning right. When you are turning left at an intersection, get in the left hand turn lane where there is one, and wait your turn like all the other vehicles around you.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

UNDERSTAND IDEAL ROAD PLACEMENT:\u00a0<\/strong> The safest place for you to ride is on the part of the road that is a little to the left of the white line.\u00a0 While the gutter or shoulder of the road might feel safer because you\u2019re more out of the way, you are less visible to other road users if you ride the shoulder.\u00a0 On roads where there are parked cars, ride far enough away from parked cars to be out of range of any suddenly opened car doors.\u00a0 Also, ride in a steady straight line, not weaving in and around parked cars, because by riding in a straight line as far out on the road as you need to be to avoid the \u201cdoor zone,\u201d you are most visible and predictable to other road users.\u00a0 Legally, you are as much a vehicle and rightfully on the road as any drivers. Don\u2019t let a driver with a horn bully you into an unsafe place on the road.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

BE SEEN:\u00a0<\/strong> Day or night, be visible.\u00a0 Wear bright clothing.\u00a0 If you\u2019re cycling at night, or in dim light, both the law and common sense require that you use a red light on the rear of your bike and a white headlight on the front.\u00a0 These items have become cheaper and more reliable as technology has improved over the last few years.<\/p>\n

COMMUNICATE:\u00a0<\/strong> Your predictability enhances your safety.\u00a0 When you are going to make a turn, signal your intent to other road users \u2014 fully extend your left or right arm, to show a left or right turn. Likewise, signal if you are switching lanes for any reason.\u00a0 If you are stopping suddenly for a pothole or a pedestrian crossing, signal that to other drivers by holding your left hand down, palm backward.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

HELMETS:<\/strong>\u00a0 “A helmet is a bargain in injury prevention” (John S. Allen, “Street Smarts – Bicycling’s Traffic Survival Guide”, Rodale Press). For the price of a helmet $20-100, significant protection is available to protect one’s brain. While a helmet doesn’t prevent all head and neck injuries, there is data that it can do a lot (https:\/\/helmets.org\/). If your curious which helmets rank best, read Virginia Tech’s study results here (https:\/\/helmet.beam.vt.edu\/).<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

TRAILS:<\/strong> As for riding on the trails, ride a safe speed for the trail conditions. When you want to pass walkers or runners and there\u2019s room to do so, approach slowly, and say loud enough to be heard \u201cpassing on your left.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Remember, many trail users won\u2019t hear because they are wearing headphones or earbuds, so proceed cautiously when passing.\u00a0 On a narrow trail, walkers have the right of way over bicyclists, so when you come upon a walker, pull over at least 10-20\u2019 away to give the walker a chance to step off the trail at a safe distance.\u00a0 Right now, trail use is high; it\u2019s best to wear a mask even when you are bicycling, as it may not always be possible to maintain the recommended distance from your fellow trail users.<\/p>\n

Last of all, whether you are riding the roads or the trails, we hope you will find, as we do, that the simple pleasure of riding a bike remains as much a fact today as in more normal times.\u00a0 Stay safe!<\/p>\n

Written by Anne Felker, bicycle safety educator and board member of CAT- Coalition for Appropriate Transportation and Scott Slingerland, Executive Director of CAT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One development of our coronavirus-inspired isolation is that more people are riding their bicycles, on both the trails and the roads.\u00a0 This makes sense \u2014 LVPC and PennDOT data show…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109,12,35,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-education","category-human-power","category-lehigh-valley"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2719"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2728,"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2719\/revisions\/2728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.car-free.org\/lvcat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}