Enjoy the Ride - Essential Bicycling Skills

hi I'm swimming Jaeger you know that old saying you never forget how to ride a bike well it turns out that's only partly true sure you can get on your bike and pedal but you really know how to drive your bike in today's traffic yes I said Drive your bicycle you see a bicycle needs to be driven just like a motor vehicle in most states bicycles are considered vehicles and bicyclists have the same responsibilities and rights as motorists that's why I wanted to spend a few minutes going over some simple tips that will prove the safety and enjoyment of your bicycling I'm going to cover all the things you need to get ready to ride in terms of equipment and then we'll look at some bicycling handling cases will teach you the five traffic principle bicyclists should abide by and will make sure you know how to avoid hazards you might encounter on the road bike trails and paths by the end of this video you'll know how to be visible predictable alert and assertive this advice will help us keep safe on the roadways help us avoid crashes we'll feel more comfortable in traffic and we'll have a great riding experience a lot of people ask me why I ride my bike so often there are so many answers is hard to choose just one beside the benefit of a great low-impact workout that's great for my heart and lungs there's the pleasure of enjoying the outdoors relaxing saving money and avoiding traffic and parking problems riding is also good for the environment since it doesn't burn fossil fuel it can reduce unhealthy emissions cycling is great solo or with friends and family no matter why you ride or where you're going you need to know how to drive your bicycle with safety in mind let's learn from sue a seasoned cyclist who is an errand to run she has asked her friend Marc to join her Marc is a rookie and while he thinks he knows all there is to cycling today he'll learn a few things he never thought of hey mark glad you come with me that's crazy for a ride okay I'm ready to roll where's your helmet mark oh it's in there somewhere I don't think I need it I've never crashed before mark it's not just about your ability to ride when you're on the streets are vulnerable to other people's driving mistakes I'm not going to let you take that chance a bicycle helmet can seriously decrease your chance of head trauma riding with me you're going to have to be smart and ride safely besides we need to be a role model for the kids and wear a helmet every time we go out okay let me go dig it up here somewhere things just don't fit right there's helmets to fit every rider you just have to take a few seconds to properly size and adjust them your helmet should be the proper size for your head different helmets fit differently choose one that's not too tight or too loose the helmet should sit level on your head the sliders should form a V underneath your earlobes and the chinstrap should be tight with room to breathe of course yeah wow that feels much better let's hit the road hold on mark there are a few things we need to do to get ready does that bike fit you properly it looks like you have enough clearance you don't want to ride a bike that's too big or too small for you you should have 1 to 2 inches between you and the bikes top tube on mountain bikes with sloping top tubes you need 3 to 5 inches your seat height is correct your knees should have a slight Bend when your pedal is in the down most position you'll maximize your efficiency this way and prevent me injury now one more thing something you should always do even if you're just going out for a short ride you should always do the ABC quick check well what's that can't we just go hold on it only takes a minute and judging by the dust on your bike it hasn't even checked in a while hop up I'll show you the ABC quick check is easy to remember a stands for air check the pressure in your tires to make sure they aren't too soft riding on soft tires can ruin your wheel rims also low pressure could cause a flat you can check with the inflation rating which should be printed right there on the edge of the tire you can also check with a pressure gauge most good bike pumps have one built in B stands for brakes squeeze and test the brakes to make sure they're going to stop you you want to be sure the brake lever doesn't come closer than a thumbs width from the handlebars if your brakes are worn or too loose take it to a mechanic from a good bike shop let them fix it be sure the brakes aren't rubbing and that the wheel is spinning freely C stands for cranks chain and cassette grab both crank arms and do the wiggle test make sure they're tight you also want to give a quick revolution of the cranks make sure the chains spin smoothly onto your clogs what if your bike has quick release levers at the wheel hubs make sure they're closed tightly wheels should be seated snugly in the dropouts check the seat binder to if it has a quick release lever last is check check your bicycle do a brief test ride make sure everything is working properly and that nothing is loose okay if there's anything wrong you can fix be sure to take your bike to a good mechanic it's also important to wear eye protection we can be traveling at speeds that can turn a simple bug into a blinding torpedo lightning torpedo you probably want gloves and sturdy shoes - speaking of gear do have a light in case we run late should I bring a sleeping bag - I know I'll be fine I've got extra gear in case you need it we will need white front headlights and reread reflectors to help make us more visible at times when it's hard to see us and when it's foggy or rainy at dawn or dusk or at night besides it's the law what does the law have to do with us on bicycles bicycles are given the same rights and must follow the same rules as motor vehicles when on the roadway we're going to follow the rules of the road to stay safe we're going to operate on the road pretty much the same way as if we were driving a car you wouldn't go driving a car without lights at night would you no of course not ok power pedal up what that means standing over your bike with the pebble you're going to push down on first in the up position okay great use your dominant foot to step down and place the other foot on the other pedal like that okay whether you're riding the bike path leaving from your house for an easy spin alrighty the twenty mile commute work you will encounter traffic other riders vehicles and pedestrians one of the keys to your safety is your ability to handle your bike to balance steer turn while scanning for hazards and to control your speed bicycles have a certain challenge when they're on the roadway but to be visible be predictable be alert and be assertive man this is a lot more involved I thought maybe we should practice riding around a bit it's been a while so I've been riding while you're riding you should constantly be scanning to your left it's your right and in front of you to watch for hazards a basic scanning skill is looking back over your shoulder while steering straight it's a good idea to practice that like here in this empty line okay it's a good idea to practice safe braking you want to use a combination of the front and rear brakes too much front brake can throw your body weight forward throwing you over the handlebars practice using your front brake as you improve your braking control if your rear wheel starts to skid ease up on the front brake if you have to stop quickly in an emergency situation you use both brakes and shift your weight back over the rear tire this helps you make a smooth controlled stop in a hurry so turning is more than just steering it's also leaning to turn quickly in order to avoid a crash there's a technique called the quick turn quick turns involve a quick flick of the handlebars in the opposite direction of the turn this is also called counter steering which helps get you leaning in the direction of the turn turn the wheel back quickly to complete your turn do not break during a quick turn and make sure the outside pedal is down so you don't scrape the inside pedal during the lean so Marc you feel a little more comfortable with your skills now yes I'm glad Lee practices though it's been a long time stepping on a bike but it feels really good cool well mark you might feel a little rusty but just keep this in mind cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers to vehicles but I'm not as big as a car or as fast how do I act like one you just need to know and follow five basic traffic principles come on I'll explain them while we ride okay let's go one right on the right-hand side of the road if cyclists ride on the wrong way drivers can't see them and cyclists can't see the traffic signs and signals cyclists need to obey all traffic signs signals and roadway markings riding in the wrong direction instead of with traffic can cause a crash to obey traffic laws you should obey all traffic signs lights and roadway markings yield the traffic when crossing a more major roadway from a smaller road just as you would in a car take care when riding out of driveways even when in a group each cyclist should stop separately at stop signs we follow these traffic laws just like when we're driving motor vehicles this helps others better predict our actions hey shouldn't we just ride on the sidewalks we'll be safe from the cars now in some places it's illegal to ride on the sidewalk especially in most downtown areas so I think we'll generally stay off the sidewalks okay crossing streets or driveways from sidewalks can also be dangerous crossing roadways from the sidewalk requires extra caution because motorists may not expect you in the roadway on a sidewalk you might also come into conflict with pedestrians and animals or even a fire hydrant mailbox or light post three position according to destination if you're riding in the road you want to be in the rightmost lane that serves your destination so we're going to make a left up here which lane do you think we want to be in mark on the right-hand side of the leftmost lane exactly let's break it down we're going to split each lane into thirds each lane has a right one-third a middle one-third and the left one-third usually for a right turn take position three but don't hug the curb straight ahead writing you want to keep a nice straight line in position to your position on the roadway indicates to others your destination straight through cyclists should look over their left shoulder yield if necessary and move into the center of the lane to help others see that you're not turning and preamp the cars from turning right and cutting you off left turning cyclist moves to the center of the lane if there is only one lane or stays in the right-hand side of the rightmost left turn lane if there is a dedicated lane for left Turner's it's also best to take the lane if you're going the speed of traffic or if the lane is too narrow to share take the lane what does that mean taking the lane means riding in the center of the lane but only after you've checked over your shoulder to make sure it's safe to ride in the center right at least the doors width away from parked cars we should generally ride single file but since there's plenty of room for others to pass here it's okay to ride two abreast if you're ever in doubt you can check your local bike laws in fact it's a good idea to check the bike was wherever you're riding okay I can do that hey Marc we're gonna hang a left up here before we change lanes you want to yield scans for traffic and then take the lane what about hand signals use hand signals if possible you should always use head movements and eye contact when you turn your head to look in the direction you want to move that sends a strong signal to others that you're preparing to make a move to avoid objects and double parked cars in your lane look over your shoulder before making a distinctive change of position within your lane when changing lanes checked over your shoulder in yield before moving each lane change requires two shoulder checks into yields use the same technique when moving back to the right for position according to speed when riding slower than the traffic around you leave room for drivers to pass if the lane width permits but don't hug the curb you need room to maneuver and you want to discourage unsafe passing when you're going the speed of traffic take the lane when riding faster than traffic only overtake on the left avoid passing on the right of cars they don't expect you there and you're not riding predictably five position at intersections I forget what do we do at intersections just remember the rule of thirds right Turner's take the right one-third of the lane if you have a dedicated left-turn lane and it's too narrow to share with another vehicle take the lane just as you would in a car if the lane is wide enough to share stay in the right 1/3 this puts you on the proper side of the road after you complete the turn if there is no dedicated land for turning and the lane serves two destinations favor the left one-third of the lane straight through traffic and move around you on your right while you wait for oncoming traffic to clear so you can turn straight through riders take the lane but always yields pedestrians wow that's a lot to remember just think of where you would be in the roadway if you were driving your car remember your road position is a signal to the other drivers around of what you're doing you can avoid conflicts and collisions by being okay let me see if I remember when we first visible second predictable third alert and then fourth assertive what give you about things you can't predict like these bricks in the road you have to be aware of the road surface conditions if it's wet or there's gravel you could fall the road is constantly changing so it's best to keep your eyes gliding back and forth across the road surface you are scanning or looking around for traffic hazards and animals but you can never forget to look for ruts holes bumps rocks and other stuff on the road there are a few road hazards I've learned to look out for there's typically gravel near corners metal surfaces get slippery when wet drain grates are really dangerous with thin tires train tracks also require caution cross at a right angle but if a car turns right suddenly cuts me off collisions can be caused by motorists who pass cyclists and then cut them off by turning right another common motorists error is a left turn in front of an oncoming cyclist here's the best way to react to these motorist errors we know that turning the bike is faster than stopping if a car is turning right into you quick turn tightly always look and listen for signs that a car may make an abrupt turn anywhere such a turn as possible look at the front wheels and look for a place to do the quick turn maneuver our friends are making good progress through town if you've been out riding in your town you may have noticed there are more bike lanes and paths appearing in communities and it's important to note how to write there as well as on roads without special provision trails offer an opportunity to ride in different locations and conditions however bike lanes haves and trails are sometimes not as well-maintained as roads bike lanes are basically travel lanes on the road which are reserved for bikes ride in the bike lane if it allows you to follow the advice we have given about riding in traffic don't think it gives you immunity from someone opening a car door into your path so ride well out of the door zone and always be alert to possible turning vehicles at intersections if the bike lane is blocked or has a surface defect or hazard scan signal then change lanes to ride outside the bike lane make left turns as if the bike lane did not exist from the left side of the lane that will turn or from the left turn lane if a turn lane exists if you're proceeding straight at an intersection move into the center of the straight through lane to discourage motorists from turning right from your left side a shared use path is an off-road facility generally pave used by bicyclists pedestrians and many others bicyclists must always yield to pedestrians or horses ride at speeds appropriate for conditions and provide an audible warning when passing other paths users use a bell or call-out mouthing on EULA remember mark when it rains you need to dress appropriately you don't want to over dress and get too warm you also need to be extra careful on the roads when the roads are wet avoid riding through puddles you never know what they might contain oh okay just like with a motor vehicle wet brakes take longer to stop so give yourself plenty of room ride slowly and without turning when crossing white grades or metal surfaces turning your wheels on wet metal increases the chances that you'll slip hey sue did you say something hey sue no I wasn't talking because when climbing a hill you should climb single-file well these two stop raining at last over the crest of the hill right as far right as possible I'm curvy narrow descents take the lane hey Mark you should probably put this on it is the law Oh can you get a ticket if you violate the law you bet well officers can't give you a ticket it's the law but more importantly it's your life all state laws require a white front headlight this is to make you visible from the front a red rear reflector to make you visible from behind ankles and pedals should be lit with reflective tape to help motorists identify you as a cyclist on the road if you don't use the proper lighting and wear the proper clothing and gear when riding in low light situations you'll be almost invisible to motorists and pedestrians a low level light a reflector that's picked up too late by a car's headlights won't help you you need to be detected recognized and avoided at all times it's as much your responsibility to be safe and be seen in the dark as it is for other vehicles not to overlook you it's important to be seen in low-light conditions as well dawn or dusk fog and cloudy days this is just like all other vehicles only consider yourself even more vulnerable than if you are in a closed vehicle be extra cautious remember mark cyclists fare best when they act in a tree that is drivers of vehicles well that was a great ride sue I learned a lot about driving in traffic I feel much more comfortable bicycling on the road I can handle traffic now I think I'll be using my bike a lot more now that I know how to ride like the rest of traffic that's great work I'll give you a call the next time I'm going up all right I'll see you later okay - take care bye more and more people want to ride safely and enjoy bicycling for fun fitness and as a mode of transportation the only way you can prevent crashes and Falls is to drive your bike in a safe manner at all times be visible be predictable the alert be assertive bicycling is fun but it requires all your concentration requires using a helmet lights and bright colored clothing and a bicycle and good repair that's properly fit to you it requires you follow the traffic principles and be prepared to avoid hazards this film was produced by the League of American Bicyclists I'm Celine Jaeger right you you

Channel: City of Fort Collins

Views: 317,303

Rating: 4.7595291 out of 5

Keywords: City of Fort Collins, Bicycle Safety, League of American Cyclists

Id: 5s5hJhLBUec

Length: 22min 1sec (1321 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 13 2010