Riding Safely And Responsibly; Rules Of The Road; The Basics - RIDLEY Bicycle Use And Maintenance Booklet

5. RIDING SAFELY AND RESPONSIBLY

NOTE: Like any sport, bicycling involves risk of injury and damage.
By choosing to ride a bicycle, you assume the responsibility for that
risk. Not the people who sold you the bike. Not the people who made
it. Not the people who distribute it. Not the people who manage or
maintain the roads or trails you ride on. You. So you need to know -
and to practice - the rules of safe and responsible riding.

5.1. The Basics

1. Always do the Mechanical Safely Check
(Section 4.3) before you get on a bike.
2. Always wear a helmet that is in compliance
with ASTM, Snell, CPSC or CE standards.
(See fig. 10)
3. Be careful to keep body parts, clothing and
other objects away from the sharp teeth of
chainrings, the moving chain, the turning
pedals and cranks, and the spinning wheels.
4. Always wear shoes that will stay on your
feet and will grip the pedals. Never ride
barefoot or wearing sandals.
5. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls of your bicycle.
6. Wear bright, visible clothing that is not so loose that it can catch on
moving parts of the bicycle or be snagged by objects at the side of
the road or frail.
7. Don't jump with your bike. Jumping a bike, particularly a BMX or
mountain bike, can be fun, but it puts incredible stress on everything
from your spokes to your pedals. Perhaps most vulnerable to
jumping related damage is your front fork. Riders who insist on
jumping their bikes risk serious damage, to their bicycles as well as
to themselves.
8. Think about your speed, and keep your speed at a level that is
consistent with conditions and your own riding ability. Always keep in
mind that there is a direct relationship between speed and control,
and between speed and component stress. The greater the speed,
the less control. The greater the speed, the greater the stress you
may place on the components of your bicycle.
WARNING: Jumping, ramp riding, trick riding, riding on severe
terrain or riding with heavy loads may damage the bicycle or may
cause serious injury or death.

5.2. Rules of the Road

1. Learn the local bicycle laws and regulations. Many communities
have special regulations about licensing of bicycles, riding on
sidewalks, laws regulating bike path and trail use, and so on. Many
nations have helmet laws, child carrier laws and special bicycle traffic
laws. In the U.S. and in most foreign countries, a cyclist is required to
obey the same traffic laws as the driver of a car or motorcycle. It's
your responsibility to know and obey the laws.
2. You are sharing the road or the path with others - motorists,
pedestrians and other cyclists. Respect their rights, and be tolerant if
they infringe on yours.
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