Bike riding is great fun and great exercise for kids and adults. However, safety must be kept in mind. It's not enough just to be cautious in traffic. The International Bike Fund points out that 90 percent of bicycle accidents occur off busy streets. Wearing the right bicycle safety items will markedly lower your risk of injury.
Helmet
Your No. 1 piece of safety equipment is your bicycle helmet. According to the International Bike Fund, a good bicycle helmet is your most important item of safety apparel, with 75 percent of all bicycle-related deaths due to head injuries. Choose a helmet that carries a sticker certifying that it meets Consumer Products Safety Commission standards or better. The helmet should fit snugly and cover the forehead. It should not move from side to side. Some front-and-back motion is OK as long as the helmet cannot slide down over the face. The chin strap should be tightened sufficiently to prevent the helmet from coming off in a fall. You should be able to slide one finger between the skin and chin strap.
Gloves
Contact by your hands with the ground is a common cause of injury. The International Bike Fund suggests wearing leather-palmed bicycle gloves to protect your hands. In a fall, the leather will abrade off, rather than the skin and meat on your hands. In addition, a good pair of bicycle gloves improves your grip on the handlebars and will keep your hands warm in cold weather.
Clothing
The clothing you wear when riding a bike affects your safety. Choose bright colors so it's easier for motorists to see you. Make sure pants are not so floppy that fabric can become caught in the bicycle chain or wheel spokes. Do not ride barefoot or with heels, cleats or flip-flops. Your shoes should have a non-skid sole that will grip the pedals, such as running shoes or sneakers.
Other Safety Items
You can increase your visibility to motorists by adding reflective tape to clothing or by wearing a reflective vest, according to Bike Safety. You may even want to add a helmet-mounted light. Such a light will point directly at a car when you look at it, making you still easier to see. This is true in the daytime as well as at night.
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