by Andrew Bares

Created on: May 24, 2008

Riding a bicycle can be very entertaining and great for your fitness. It can also be very dangerous for your safety. In order to protect yourself from the dangers of bike riding, you have to first follow some simple safety guidelines. After you follow these safety rules, you can have a great time on your bicycle.

1. Use a helmet
Whenever you go riding on your bike, you should always be wearing a helmet. If you happen to crash on a bicycle, your head is extremely vulnerable to injury unless you are wearing a helmet. No matter how old you are, how experienced, or how safe of a rider you are, always wear a helmet. In the end, it is your choice, but in the end, it is your head that could be crushed under a tire or smashed on the pavement. Just go out and buy a sweet lookin' helmet, take 3 seconds to put it on, and then you can go biking with one less thing to worry about.

2. Use elbow and knee pads
If you are doing extreme off roading with your mountain bike, or if you're just doing some simple trail riding, its always a plus to wear some pads. Falling off your bike can be very painful if you happen to fall on a rock or solid pavement. And, if you nail your elbow or knee on those surfaces, you could be in a little world of pain. Using knee pads and elbow pads could free you of those pains. They will take some time to put on before you go riding, so plan ahead, and then thank yourself for wearing them in the future.

3. Long-sleeve shirts and pants
As long as it's not deadly hot outside, you should be wearing some longer and tougher clothing when biking. If you happen to crash and get tossed onto the road or gravel, your skin will be happy to be covered by some thicker clothing. If you can, try to wear longer clothes.

4. Tougher shoes and gloves
Don't try to wear sandals while biking off roads, it won't be any fun. Also, wear some gloves over your hands, it will help protect your fingers from thorns, scratches, and scrapes. You could also look pretty sweet with the right pair of gloves!

Riding a bike is a responsibility. When you get onto a bicycle, you are responsible for your own safety. The bike doesn't have any air bags or safety mechanisms. You have to think about your own protection. Before ever getting onto a bicycle, you should always follow these safety rules. And try to at least follow the first few, since these are listed in level of importance. Helmets everyone! Let's just imagine for a second...You are sitting in a hospital, waiting for your brother's status report from the doctor. He was just side swiped by a car while riding his bicycle in the proper fashion. The doctor comes out. "Sir, were sorry, but he just didn't make it. If he was wearing a helmet, things just may have turned out differently. Were sorry, but there was nothing we could do." Now, you don't want to see yourself in this position, so take a minute before biking and follow these rules. Don't become another statistic under the "Helmet-less" list.

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