'Save your ride, save your soul'. Safety tips for bike commuters.

I am sharing with you some of the safety measures that I cross-check every time I use my bike. Do put in your ideas and opinions into it.

-          The biggest saviors for a biker are not any gadgets or accessories. They are common sense and presence of mind. Do have them at all times.

-          Helmet is a must. It not only protects your head from impacts but also helps other motorists to note you. I feel that a helmet gives you a professional aura and other motorists and pedestrians are more likely to cooperate with you.

Bike Helmet- Its not just a matter of security.

©www.funnycutepics.com

-          Make yourself visible. Wear bright colored clothing or reflector jackets. Make sure that your bike is also having a lot of reflectors on it. Especially on the rear and front, on the pedals and along the rims. While choosing the color of the bike I prefer brighter or vibrant colors over dark colors or shades that camouflage with the road and surroundings.

Bike lights- Make yourself as visible as possible

©getoutdoors.com

 It would be wise to carry headlamps/headlights and tail lamps in case if you get late after work and it gets

dark out there. Don’t even think of biking without bright headlamps at night time.

Bike headlamps-Its always a good idea

                                                                ©www.123rf.com

      Equipping your ride with a bell/horn will make biking in busy roads much easier. Motorists often overlook a biker while giving way to another overtaking vehicle in the same lane or when a vehicle coming from the opposite direction breaks the lane to overtake the vehicle in front of it. Another trouble is slower vehicles and pedestrians moving in the same direction as yours. A nice, loud bell can call the attention of all the above mentioned.

Use a bell or horn- It might save more than one life

©mag.bevakoof.com

-          Fix a rear-view mirror on the bike or on your helmet. Assuming that the person behind you has seen you or will do things to avoid a collision is one of the gravest risks one can take while on the road. A mirror also makes the ride more hassle free as you don’t have to cut your focus on the road to look back when necessary.

Bike rear view mirrors- Better than a head turner

©http://baltimorebicyclist.blogspot.in

-          Never make abrupt turns or any other unpredictable movements while on the road. Even though making eye contact with other motorists may not always be possible, giving hand signals will avoid a lot of confusion. When I am on the road, I become part of it and try my level best to obey the rules. I stay confident and gives space and visibility to other motorists. I keep in mind that having a vehicle without an engine doesn’t give me any privilege and I am not prioritized in most of the cases.

-          I become very alert when I am passing close by a parked vehicle. I check if the passenger(s) is about to open the door. There can be another person or vehicle about to get into the road via the front side of a parked vehicle, which is usually out of sight. I take special care that either of us sees either of us with enough time to react.

Getting doored

                                           ©www.examiner.com

-          I have a different philosophy on using headphones. I find it best not to use them and it makes me more indulged in the surroundings and biking itself. I am able to hear my bike when I am not using my headphones. I can sense the tire pressure, chain clattering or any other creeks that might indicate an upcoming trouble. Not using headphones make quick interactions with passers by possible and alerts by other motorists are also more audible. However, I sometimes feel like utilizing the 40 minutes that I take to bike for some extra benefits. I listen to audio books and sloka chants while biking. These are not too noisy usually and most of the times I am able to hear the horns or bells or other motorists. I also put these audio in a low enjoyable volume so that it is not interfering with my surrounding sounds. If at any circumstance I feel like listening to the surroundings, I just pop out one of my earphones.

Babe on bike
Caught in Amsterdam by the Prudent Cyclist on flickr

-          Manage your clothes. The last thing that you would want is to get a chain tattoo on your 3000Rs khaki trousers or even worse, get the trousers and yourselves torn. Biking to work may not always give you the liberty to wear shorts or 3/4ths. So, what I do is that I use a paper clip to hold a couple of pleats made on the right pant leg or I would just tuck that pant leg into the sock. Also try and hop onto the bike or tilt the bike to sit on it. Trying to stretch the leg around with tight fitting trousers can put you in a very embarrassing situation.

Bikers using tight pants..beware of this and even more

Regular check-up of the ride and gears should be made a habit. Status of brake-shoes, condition of the cables, slackness of joints and bolts, lubrication etc can become decisive factors on overall biking experience.

Bike check-up. Make it a habit

©http://jeffreymcwhorter.blogspot.in

-          Keep a first aid kit handy. After all it is biking and it is an active sport. Its quite ok to fall; provided the condition is manageable. There are first-aid kits available but you can always make a bag of your own with some antiseptics, band-aids, antispasmodic sprays, analgesics, crapes etc.

Keep a first aid kit handy.

 ©http://www.bannedinhollywood.com/10-photos-of-bicycle-fail-1-photo-of-bicycle-win/

It won't take long to make these safety tips a habit. In fact, after a while, you won't even feel that you are voluntarily doing these check-ups and preparations. It just happens by itself. All these together will definitely make one of your best activities the safest too. In this regard safe biking is beaten only by safe sex.

So, Happy 'riding'. Either ways.