Many first-time bikers often have the fear of colliding with others while biking on busy roads. As a first-time biker or somebody who’s just getting back to biking after a very long time, your first ride could seem awkward. The most important thing you need for a safe ride is a perfect bike. The good news is you can design your bike online.
If you wish to avoid bike accident and rather have a significant level of confidence as a first-time biker, below are the 6 tips you should take into account.
Check Your Bicycle Thoroughly
Try to cultivate the habit of performing a thorough check each time you’re about to set out on the road. As a first-time biker, this is one of the safety tips you should abide by to avoid many of the biking glitches that could frustrate you or expose you to danger. Provided you would like to perform a bicycle check that is beyond the basic mechanics, it’s recommended that you take the bicycle to a nearby repairer or bike shop. Having one of the best hybrid bikes can significantly lessen the number glitches you experince when you go for a long distance bike tours.
Practice Basic Cycling Skills
On the condition that you’re just trying a bike for the first time, ensure you practice basic cycling skills in depth before you set out on busy roads. This way, you can develop a high level of confidence while on your bike since you’ll have mastered cycling skills and improved on your weaknesses during practices. You may have to practice shoulder checking, how to bike with one hand and how to use the pedals while standing. To practice all this, you could haul your bike to an idle street road, a serene park or a playground that is devoid of distractions. By mastering all these skills, you can be sure of averting fears while riding on busy roads.
Signal with Your Hand
The use of hand signals is very essential for both experienced and first-time bikers. One great way you can avoid exposing yourself and others (such as cyclists and vehicle drivers) to road dangers is to use hand signals when necessary. This way, drivers and cyclists coming behind you will find your action predictable and avoid colliding with you. If you’re turning left, you’re expected to point your arm straight out to the left and in turning right, you’re expected to bend your left elbow and point your fingers upwards. By incorporating this and several other hand signals into your rides, you’re likely to avoid causing damage to others.
Find Out the Safe Bike Routes in Your Area
As a first-timer, you should readily know that practicing along traffic-riddled roads isn’t a good idea. To keep yourself safe, ensure you plan your trip beforehand probably by getting a map showing the safe bike lanes in your area. If this idea seems unrealistic, you could get in touch with a local bike shop and ask the person(s) there to give you recommendations about the safest bike paths in your area.
Tag Along with an Experienced Cyclist
Riding with a friend or relative, who is an experienced cyclist, is not only interesting but also a great way you can shake off fears. The person will be in front you and in this situation, you can pay attention to what he/she is doing so that you also can develop the confidence to ride alone on busy roads.
Alert with a Bell While Passing Others
This is, of course, one of the safety tips you should inculcate in your rides to prevent colliding with pedestrians, vehicles or other cyclists. As a first-time biker, do well to equip your bike with a bell with which you can alert pedestrians, cyclists or drivers that you’re about to pass them on the left.
Do you bike with safety in mind?
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