Bicycle Safety Essay

People ride bicycles for various reasons. Some people ride bicycles for sport, fitness purposes, as a mode of transportation, fun activity, and some people ride bikes to simply relax and clear their mind after a long day. Regardless of the reason you ride, it is important to know the factors that contribute to bicycle and helmet safety. A study in 2014 shows that 103.7 million people rode a bike that year and 34 percent of Americans age three or older rode a bike at least once in that year (“Study: 103.7 Million Americans Ride Bikes”). The importance of bicycle safety cannot be underestimated. According to the 2008 Alabama Traffic Crash Facts, there were 182 bicycle crash injuries and four fatalities. In 2008, children 14 years old and under

One of the first factors that contribute to bicycle and helmet safety is learning how to ride a bicycle. Many people learn how to ride a bicycle when they are four or five years old and some do not learn until they are older (Donaldson). Learning how to ride a bicycle is the first and most important step because you must be able to operate and control the bicycle.

The first step when learning how to ride a bicycle is to make sure you are in a suitable location. Starting off on the grass or a smooth gravel surface will be less painful if the biker happens to fall off the bicycle, which is common for first time riders. These surfaces make balancing and pedaling harder though. The second step is to make sure you are dressed properly. Yes, clothing matters and improper clothing may become entangled in the bicycle chain or wheels. A helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads are good for protecting against scrapes and bruises when falling. The next step is to mount the bicycle and make sure that the seat is adjusted to the appropriate level for your height. A biker should make sure that his or her feet can touch the ground. A low seat

There are many types of bicycles that a person can choose. There are road bicycles, mountain bicycles, hybrid bicycles, and cruiser bicycles just to name a few. Getting the right bicycle mostly depends on the conditions and the purpose for which the biker intends to use the bicycle. There are bicycles made for the pavement, gravel roads, rugged trails, and dirt roads. Road bikes are good for multiple pavement uses, including fitness riding, commuting, long-distance, event rides, touring and racing (“Bikes: How to Choose”). Road bikes are good for riding around the city or through neighborhoods. Road bikes are bikes that are built for speed. Mountain bikes are bikes that are good for handling dirt trails, bumps, and rocks. Mountain bikes are designed with a shock absorbing features and a better braking system (“Bikes: How to Choose”). Mountain bikes are good for off-road use, such as biking on a trail in the woods, but they can be used to ride on pavement as well. Hybrid bikes are bikes that are good for a wide range of uses. Hybrid bikes are a mix of the mountain bike and road bike (“Bikes: How to Choose”). They are not as fast as road bikes, and they are not as rugged as mountain bikes, but they are good for commuting. Cruiser bikes are good for casually riding around town. Many of these bikes feature a slightly wider 26-inch tires than other pavement bikes, a comfortable seat,