Your place on the road - by local cyclist David Welch

I bicycle a lot of miles around Chico, and I encounter a distressing number of my fellow cyclists riding on the wrong side of the road or against traffic on one way streets. 

I strongly suspect that the majority of them aren't doing it because they love breaking the law, but have somehow become convinced they are safer facing traffic.

Some things in life - food, drink, sex, religion - have a lot of room for opinion.  This is not one of them.

First, the law clearly requires that you ride with traffic.  That alone ought to settle it.  If that's not enough, here's a little more: overtaking accidents, in which a cyclist is struck from behind, are relatively uncommon.  Most car vs bicycle collisions occur at intersections and wrong-way cycling is a major cause.  In the unlikely event you are struck from behind by a car, the impact is the difference of your speeds - say, 30 minus 15 = 15.  If you strike a car head on, the impact is the sum of your speeds - 30 plus 15 equals 45.  Not good.

I tend to get particularly annoyed at wrong way cyclists because they put me at risk - they annoy motorists, increasing the risk that some other cyclist will suffer from a motorist's road rage.  And they occupy the same, often narrow, band of safe roadway that I am trying to occupy legally.  So wise, up, ride legally and ride with traffic.  And teach your children to do the same.

Thanks, David for your letter to the editor published in the Chico News & Review July 1, 2010.

Be a Safe Bike Driver

Wouldn't it be great if there was a California DMV license study manual for bikes like there is for car drivers? This presentation by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine could serve as one. Here you will find interesting, concise information on bike safety, the rules of the road, and helpful hints on what to wear. Share this with young children to help them think safety while riding.

Click here to download, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Helmet Fit Guide

The bike helmet is an essential piece of safety equipment for all ages. A poorly fitted helmet is almost worse than no helmet at all. It gives a false sense of security and can come off during an accident or cause further injury. Check out this chart created by Sonoma County Kid Safe detailing the proper way to fit a helmet for maximum protection.

Click here to download, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Bicycle Safety

Remember when you rode a bike as a kid? Oh, you still do ride a bike? The roads were less scary back then. Bike riding is a fun and useful way to get around, but as a parent you need to share some rules of the road with your children. One important rule of bike safety, for example, is to always do what drivers expect you to do. Author James Williams of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking shares some important tips in this article to review with children.

Click here to download, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Article by the League of American Bicyclists

Whether you commute to work on a bike or not this article by the League of American Bicyclists will give you excellent tips on safety, route planning, and how to select and maintain your bike. For bike commuters this is a must read.
Click here to download, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Rules for Bicyclists

This article by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine summarizes important safety issues and rules for bicyclists of all ages. It is important to remember that kids need adults to be role models. If adults wear helmets and follow traffic laws, kids notice.

Click here to download, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.