Lets visit about safety for a bit.
General
Always remember, cycling is a Great sport but it is inherently dangerous. We share
the road with vehicles that out weigh us by several thousand pounds and that travel many
times our speed. Be careful and ride defensively. Never assume the other guy is going to
yield to you and always ride as if the motorist can't see you, because sometimes they
don't. Please use hand signals to let others know what your intentions are and follow all
traffic regulations.
Always wear your helmet.
We have no way of knowing when an accident might happen. It could happen as we ride to the corner store or in a park on our way to the bathroom. Therefore, we should always have a helmet on. Below you will see the results of an accident on a leisure ride. The rider was on his way to buy a new helmet after his old helmet broke. One minute he was happily riding along, the next he was on the ground.
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Traffic
Never give a motorist the single finger salute no matter how much they deserve it.
This can, and in most instances will, make a bad situation much worse. Simply get their
tag number and turn it over to the authorities. Make sure that you are being a good
neighbor on the road so that you don't provoke bad behavior from others.
While Riding
IMPORTANT: Always call out "On your left" when
about to pass another Bicyclist. This lets them know that they are about to be passed and
to ride steady. Most crashes I have seen were caused by one cyclist passing another
without warning and the second biker swerved at the wrong time.
Also remember that most bikers use clipless pedals and that sometimes they can't get their
feet unclipped in time to stop a fall. Always let others know you are slowing and stopping
so they can prepare. Most road rash is cause by someone stopping suddenly and a biker
can't unclip in time to not fall over.