Safety & Comfort
Safety & Comfort
'Ride-vergnuegen'
Safety First: a helmet and lighting both contribute to safer, more comfortable cycling (Photo: richardmasoner on flickr)
A strong cyclist can often keep up with -and sometimes exceed- the speeds of cars on congested urban streets, especially during rush-hours. Accordingly, both comfort and safety play very important roles when it comes to a positive cycling experience. The most importance thing is that your bike fits you properly.
In European countries, safety standards for a street-legal city bicycle specify the requirement for lights, reflectors and as a bell as well as independent front and rear brakes. In North America, cycling safety -whether correct or not- is primarily addressed through the mandatory use of a helmet for children and often adult cyclists in several provinces and states, with less emphasis on the overall specification of the bike itself, save for a bell and lights at night.
A good bicycle lock (or two) is necessary whenever you want to leave your bike somewhere to prevent theft. Whenever you return to your bike, especially if you haven't ridden it for a long time or you've locked it up in a public space, be sure to do a quick visual inspection or safety check to ensure that nothing has come loose or that no one has tampered with it.
Keywords
personal mobility, sustainable transportation, eco-friendly, human powered vehicles, HPVs, bicycles, utility cycling, passive safety, comfort, convenience, size, bike fitting, pedaling, shifting, lighting, reflectors, load carrying, bells, helmets, masks, theft, all season cycling, all weather, wet- & cold-weather cycling,
