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2. Safety
A. The Basics
1. Always wear a cycling helmet which meets the latest certification standards and follow the helmet manufacturer instructions
for fit, use and care of your helmet. Most serious bicycle injuries involve head injuries which might have been avoided if the
rider had worn a helmet.
WARNING: Failure to wear a helmet when riding may result in serious injury or death.
2. Always do the Mechanical Safety Check (Section 1.C) before you get on a bike.
3. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls of your bicycle: brakes (Section 4.C.); pedals (Section 4.E.); shifting (Section 4.D.)
4. Be careful to keep body parts and other objects away from the sharp teeth of chainrings; the moving chain; the turning pedals and cranks;
and the spinning wheels of your bicycle.
5. Always wear:
· Shoes that will stay on your feet and will grip the pedals. Never ride barefoot or while wearing sandals.
· Bright, visible clothing that is not so loose that it can be tangled in the bicycle or snagged by objects at the side of the road or trail.
· Protective eyewear, to protect against airborne dirt, dust and bugs; tinted when the sun is bright, clear when it’s not.
6. 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. Riders who insist on jumping their bikes risk serious damage, to their bicycles as well as to themselves.
7. Ride at a speed appropriate for conditions. Increased speed means higher risk.
B. Riding Safety
1. Observe all local bicycle laws and regulations. Observe regulations about licensing of bicycles, riding on sidewalks, laws regulating bike path
and trail use, and so on. Observe helmet laws, child carrier laws and special bicycle traffic laws. 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.
3. Ride defensively. Always assume that others do not see you.
4. Look ahead, and be ready to avoid:
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