Protect Yourself and Those Around You With Only The Best Bicycle Safety

Riding your bicycle to work is a great way to both cut down on your costs and also get in a nice workout before and after work as well. This way, you do not need to pay the tolls whenever hopping onto the subway, the outrageous parking prices or even the cost of owning a car in Chicago. However, there are risks when riding a bicycle in Chicago. After all, the traffic can be extremely difficult to navigate for anyone, and when on a bike you not only need to watch out for other riders and drivers but also the tourists who never seem to know where they are going. All of this is a recipe for trouble while riding. Due to this, you need to do everything you possibly can to protect yourself and those around you with appropriate bicycle safety gear.

Naturally, the first item you need to look into is a bicycle helmet. This is a must when dealing with all of the traffic in Chicago. Should you encounter a car accident, at least your head is protected. Thankfully, the speed of Chicago car traffic is not very fast, so if you are hit, it is not from a high speed, which should reduce your level of impact, but a properly fitted bicycle helmet is necessary.

Make sure your bike is properly maintained. You need fully inflated tires and the chains on your bike needs to be greased as well. This way, you can perform exceptionally well in traffic, which also means you can stop faster and avoid slipping on possible ice while riding. If your tires wear down, make sure to purchase new tires for your bicycle.

Tie off your pants and shoe laces. These items can become stuck inside of the chain of your bicycle, which can cause all sorts of problems while riding your bike, including you flipping over the top of the handlebars. You can touch your shoe laces inside of your shoes if the laces are long, and there are specially designed ties for your pants, although you can also use rubber bands or other items to secure the pants to your legs.

One major problem for riders is headphones. Naturally, you want to ride your bike while listening to music. However, the in-ear headphones usually block out the noise around you. You need to be able to hear the traffic around you. Due to this, you want headphones that allow ambient noise in while riding. This way, you can still hear your music just fine, but it allows you to hear the outside traffic as well. This can help you avoid possible accidents with cars and other riders, all because you switched to different headphones.

John Denver has been writing online material for the last 20 years. His blogs have varied wildly during that time. Right now he is writing content on bicycle safety in Chicago.

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