Riding

Carry the Right Safety Equipment

When you bike, you may think that the only piece of equipment you need is the bike itself. You’re wrong. In order to stay safe while riding, there are other pieces of gear you need to make sure you have with you. Get yourself a pack you can wear on your back or strap to your bike rack and fill it up with the right equipment for your cycling.

The most important gear is a helmet. Regardless of where you ride or how fast you ride, accidents can happen. It only takes one tragic fall to cause major problems. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute can help you determine what type of helmet is best for you and how to fit it properly. The Institute also recommends that you wear other protective gear, such as gloves, a mouth guard, and full body armor. A first aid kit, cell phone, and cash are also a good idea in case of emergencies.

When looking for safety gear for the bike, start with lights. Some lights come with a strobe effect that can make seeing you even easier. You’ll also want to carry a tire repair kit to repair your tire if you have a blowout. You should also carry a tire gauge to make sure your tires have enough air and a portable pump for when they don’t.

These are just some basic pieces of safety equipment you should include in your kit. You can find a full list on many bicycle safety websites.

Inspect Your Bicycle Safety Gear Frequently

It is important that you equip your bike with reflectors, lights and flashers. You want motorists to be able to see you clearly. But don’t forget to protect your body as well. Having a good helmet is imperative in case of a bad fall. Use gloves with gel pads protect yo

ur hands from road rash. All of these items are necessary to have a safe biking experience, but time and use takes its toll on these items. Regular inspections prevent them from failing when you need it the most.

Start with the lighting and reflectors on the bike. Make sure any reflective tape is firmly adhering to the fram e.

Peel off anything that has come loose and replace with new tape. Go over fixed ref lectors to check for cracking. Replace them completely. Check the light switch and power of lamps. If the light does not seem as strong as it should be, check the battery case for any corrosion. When there is no corrosion, it is simply time to replace the batteries. Do it while you are thinking about it so you won’t get caught out at night. The same goes for any flashers on the bike.

Your helmet is the most important safety item you use. However, UV rays from the sun will slowly degrade the plastic, causing it to lose its ability to absorb shock. How often you bike will determine how often you have to replace the helmet.

Always be aware of your safety gear’s condition. It can make all the difference between having a wobble and a bad fall.

Filed Under: Bicycle, Bicycle Parts, Bikes, Cycling, Riding, Sports Tagged With: Bicycle, Business, Cycling

Biking Adventures in New Hampshire

Image via Wikipedia

Aaahhh New Hampshire. Located in heart of scenic New England. What better place to take a biking vacation with your friends?

There are many, many biking adventures to be found in New Hampshire. For road bike enthusiasts, you can find yourself riding along tree-lined back country roads or on preserved railroad tracks. There are also many opportunities for mountain bikers as well.

Here’s a look at some of the more popular biking destinations in New Hampshire you may want to consider for your New Hampshire biking adventure:

Bear Brook State Park
This is the largest state park in New Hampshire comprising approximately 20,000 acres in the southeastern part of the state. The park boasts about 40 miles of trails that wind through the forested park that will take bikers to marshes, summits and ponds.

Derry Rail Trail
This three-mile trail runs from Derry to Windham on a former rail bed. The trail is partially asphalt-paved, with the remainder being gravel, cinder and sand. Riders will pass through swamps, wetlands and forests. You may spot a beaver colony or two in the wetlands. Don’t forget to check out the wonderful little town of Derry with its fantastic attractions such as being home to two of the oldest private schools in the country. And check out some of the tasty eating establishments in Derry to refuel.

Pawtuckaway State Park
How can you not visit this park with such a unique name? There are numerous trails available for bikers of all experience. They lead to such points of interest as a mountaintop fire tower, a marsh where you might spot herons, deer and beavers. There are campgrounds available should you wish to make your trip an overnight stay.

Whatever trail or route you choose to take in New Hampshire, make sure to pick up postcards along the way to send home. All your friends and family back home should share in your adventures!

Filed Under: Bicycle, Riding Tagged With: Derry, New England, New Hampshire

Mountain Bike Safety Tips

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When mountain biking around New Hampshire, or any other place, safety is important. Really, you can never be too safe when riding on a bike because there are so many ways to get injured. Everyone knows that wearing a helmet is the most important thing a person can do to be safe while riding a mountain bike. The other most important safety step is to always ride in control. Mountain biking can be more dangerous than street cycling and many mountain bikers like to push their limits, many can be reckless, so in order to avoid injuries, be in control.

Ride Within Your Abilities

Never try and do something that is above your skill level as that is just asking for an accident. There is no shame in getting off your bike and walking a section of a particularly challenging portion of a trail.

Start Small

A beginner mountain biker should not attempt stunts when they are just learning how to mountain bike. Instead, find less challenging and less dangerous situations to practice before you aim big. Going slower and practicing will allow you to safely build up your skill level and will reduce the chances of you getting injured.

Think Before You Act

If you get the feeling that what you are about to do isn’t the smartest choice, you shouldn’t do it. Always trust your instincts. You always want to think about the consequences of crashing when riding through a particular section of a path, and prepare yourself.

Prepare for the Path

There are many trails that are easy to ride, but can cause severe or even deathly injuries if you crash on them. You should always stop and look before attempting each section of a trail to get a good idea on what will be challenging and get a plan ready to how you are going to handle riding through that section.

Filed Under: Cycling, Riding Tagged With: Cycling, Mountain bike, Mountain biking

Ride Safe – Ride Like You Are Invisible

Bike riders rule the roads and the law states that they have the right-of way. But, many drivers are not aware of this, or a bike rider is in their blind spot and the rider ultimately gets hit. The best way to ride a bike, whether you are going around town, riding to and from work, or going on a long trip, is to ride like you are invisible.

What you want to do is ride your bike in such a way that a vehicle will not hit you, even if they don’t see you. It’s not that you are trying to be invisible to drivers, but you are riding in such a safe and cautious way that it won’t matter if a motorist sees you or not, they will not hit you. You must stay out of the way of the cars and trucks, because if you are out of their way, then they can’t hit you.

Even if you are a very safe bike rider and you use your hand signals, if you are pedaling on a busy road it is best if you wait to turn left until there aren’t any cars behind you that could hit you. You could take every single safety precaution there is but if just one car doesn’t see you, you could be in big trouble. So, always ride like every car can’t see you. Act like every car could possibly hit you. You should stay out of their way instead of hoping that they will stay out of your way.

It is best for bike riders to avoid busy roads when at all possible because vehicles driving fast often will not see cyclists fast enough to avoid collisions. But, if you absolutely must ride on a busy road, ride as far right as you possibly can. When you are far enough to the right, away from where the cars travel, then it won’t matter if they can’t see you. They will just zoom by you, without hitting you.

Filed Under: Cycling, Riding Tagged With: Cycling, Driving, Road

Biking Safety: Sharing the Road

As a road cyclist, you share the road with many different types of vehicles and it can be scary for both motor vehicle driver and cyclist. Proper road etiquette by both motorists and cyclists can make the experience much more pleasant and safe for all involved.

As a motorist, as you approach and pass a cyclist there are a few acts of common courtesy. The most important thing is to not rush the biker; typically, they cannot see you and are focused on their ride. Getting right on their rear tire can prove destructive. Alert the rider prior to passing with a light tap of your horn–do not ride your horn–just two slight taps is enough. Give the biker plenty of room, three feet between you and the biker is good when passing. Always take a good look in the oncoming lane when passing a cyclist, as an emergency swerve back into you lane due to oncoming traffic can prove harmful for the cyclist.

As a cyclist, you are sharing the road with cars and must follow the rules of the road. Always give a hand signal before turning, do not just turn as the motorist may not see you slow down and hit your bike. Always wear bright colors, do not wear all earth-tones as you can easily blend in to the background. Have all appropriate reflectors installed on your bike, no matter how “uncool” they look. If a motorist is attempting to overtake you, slow down and allow them to pass, there is no need to race the car—the car will win. Always bike with the flow of traffic, walking against the flow of traffic is acceptable but biking against it is very dangerous, as it decreases the driver’s response time. Lastly and most important, obey all traffic lights and stop signs, just because you don’t have an engine doesn’t mean you don’t need to stop at a red light.

Filed Under: Riding Tagged With: Biking Safety

Deep-Trail Biking: What to Pack

When you are looking into heavy trail riding, safety is the most important item. We all know that you must wear a helmet and the appropriate riding clothing, but sometimes important items are overlooked by novice riders. On every deep-trail bike ride each rider should have a small pack of necessary supplies for those unexpected problems.

The most important item is spare water. Camelbak has a wide array of compact and high-tech water bottles that can easily fit in a small backpack. You never know what will happen on a deep-trail ride and if you happen to get lost, the extra water will come in handy.

Repair kits are another important item that can be easily overlooked. Before the first ride on a new bike, check all of the major components: axles, handle bars, stem, crank, brakes and seat. Make certain that you have all of the necessary tools to tighten anything that may come loose during the trip. Carrying around a spare inner tube or two is extremely important as a flat can happen at any time. Carrying a compact air pump is a necessary item as well. A brake repair kit is great too, as the brakes could potentially come apart or fail in the middle of a ride and having these is your pack will save a the headaches created by loss of brakes.

While our weather men do their best to predict when rain will happen, sometimes they are wrong. For this reason, you should always carry a spare set of dry clothes in your pack. This is especially important when going deep into trails and are far from home or a campsite.

Sunscreen in a must, as no matter how “Sweatproof” a sun block is, it will eventually wear out. This will keep you protected against severe sunburn and make your ride—and the following days—as enjoyable as possible.

Filed Under: Riding Tagged With: Biking

The Best City to Move to Bike

Many people enjoy staying healthy by going to the gym and dieting. There are other people who prefer to run and bike. If you are the type of person who prefers to bike, you may want to move to a state that is known for its bike riders. There are many bike-friendly cities to choose from, but you may want to consider a city in New Hampshire, since it is a popular state for biking. This state actually has some cities which have bicycle paths that go through neighborhoods that prevent bikers from going near paths of cars. It is also a popular state for its riding clubs and off road trails.

When and if you decide to move to a new home in New Hampshire, you’ll need to make your move easy as possible. In order to complete this task, you’ll need to get moving quotes online, if you plan on moving all of your personal belongings, including your furniture. There are a number of moving companies online that will offer you moving quotes.

Before you start searching for moving quotes, you’ll need to decide how much of your stuff you want to bring to New Hampshire with you. If you don’t plan on taking all of your personal belongings with you, you may choose a U-haul truck. With a U-haul, you can drive to your destination on your own. On the other hand, if you will be moving with your spouse and you don’t want to leave anything behind, you may benefit from renting from a full-service moving company. When you receive moving quotes from full-service companies, it will let you know how much it will cost and if the movers will unpack and unload your belongings. There is nothing better than making a move and having everything done for you so you can enjoy your days relaxing on your bike.

Filed Under: Bikes, Riding