Bike Safety

I took a bike safety course this past weekend. The main reason was because I needed some bike lights, and you get these for free if you take the county's free classes. When I attended, though, the teacher and content impressed me by how thorough they were. We received information on all the bike laws of the city, county, and state; a packet that included info on cycling gear, nutrition, bike parts, road signs, and bicycle maintenance; the information of a lawyer in case we were in an accident; and instructions/demonstrations on how to change a tire. We also had a road section of the course, where we rode on the streets and practiced cycling drills (sharp turns, different ways to stop, etc).

One topic the instructor - James - made sure to drill into our heads was safety. He was adament that we have all the proper gear so that we can reduce our risk of injury on the streets. The thing about James, though, is that he's an avid cyclist who loves all the latest gear, which was evident when we saw his bike. He shut off the lights and showed us his lights; he must of had at least 8 different lights on his bicycle!

"I have $500 worth of lights on this bike," he said. "You don't need this many, but you need to be seen. Motorists will actually stop me on the street to say thank you. I remember the first time it happened...it actually scared me...a guy pulled up and said, 'Hey! Thank you! I can see you from a mile away - you're a freaking Christmas tree!'" It was true. He had tons of red, yellow, and white lights - steady and blinking. Then he reached under his bike's front pack.
"When I turn this on," he said, switching on a blinding strobe light, "it can cause seizures!" That guy is what I would call "prepared"...to the 10th exponent. It's something we can all strive for I suppose.

Great class, though. Highly recommend that you take one if you can.