As April dawns and the weather begins to warm, recreational activities increase in popularity. With this in mind, it is important for those that wish to begin cycling again, or riding on motorbikes, to use caution and practice the laws set forth to ensure the safety of riders, pedestrians, animals, children and more.
Mark Jespersen of Altitude Cycle expressed that there are multiple disciplines of cycling, including commuting, recreation and training. Each of these disciplines have their own boundaries at varying degrees. As transportation, children more than adults in the area tend to take advantage of cycling.
“As transportation, children more so than adults in our area take advantage of cycling. Recreationally, cycling is still more common for children; however, adults tend to get back into cycling as a hobby and recreational activity after years of not cycling, particularly mountain biking,” Jespersen said.
He continued by explaining that mountain biking is a growing trend in the area. With this growth, Jespersen explained that the city and county leaders have recently changed their ideas on the importance of cycling and are beginning to take the necessary steps to incorporate cycling, trails and road designations in the community, which he credited as a great step forward.
“This will help with rider safety and encourage the community that cycling is safe,” stated Jespersen.
There are many ways to be safe while cycling or traveling on a motorbike. There is a three foot law that states that motorists are not allowed to pass within three feet of a moving bicycle. Additionally, motorists are not allowed to attempt to distract any cyclist for the purpose of causing injury or forcing them off of the roadway.
To ensure that your bike is street-legal, you must have a white headlight, red taillight or reflector, and side reflectors. All must be visible for at least 500 feet any time that the bike is ridden earlier than half an hour before sunrise, later than half an hour after sunset or whenever weather makes vision difficult. The bike must also have brakes that are capable of stopping the rider within 25 feet from a speed of 10 miles per hour on dry, level, clean pavement. Finally, a rider is not allowed to have a siren or whistle on the bike.
Riders are told to travel in the same direction as traffic and to ride as far to the right as practicable in most cases. Practicing safe and cautious riding habits will ensure that the enjoyment that comes from cycling can continue. For a full list of rules, regulations, safety tips and more, please click here.