{"id":1828,"date":"2014-04-07T14:28:02","date_gmt":"2014-04-07T14:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/?p=1828"},"modified":"2014-04-07T14:28:02","modified_gmt":"2014-04-07T14:28:02","slug":"how-to-bike-commute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/how-to-bike-commute\/","title":{"rendered":"Start Bike Commuting With These Simple Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note: If you can\u2019t find the answer here, leave your question in the comments section and we\u2019ll do our best to answer it.<\/em><\/p>

Now that the ruthless winter is behind us, will you give up your precious parking spot to search for one downtown?<\/p>

Or will you dust off the bicycle?<\/address>

More and more of my friends and acquaintances are choosing the latter.<\/p>

These new cyclists are over thirty and none are athletic.<\/p>

Know what?<\/h3>

None have gone back to using a bus or the car. They\u2019ve been losing weight and feeling more alert and energetic — the kind of personal improvements our culture spends billions searching for. They\u2019re saving money on gas and parking or transit fares. Their travel times are usually as good, if not better, than when they were dealing with traffic and searching for a parking spot.<\/p>

To top it off, they report experiencing the mild euphoria that comes with using your body to barrel down the road. They actually enjoy their commute.<\/p>

That\u2019s the beauty of traveling by bike — you don\u2019t need to be young, fit or decked out in fancy gear to get started. Making the leap, however, can take guts.Growing up with cycling enthusiasts as parents (my father was biking up and down the east coast long before anyone had heard of the East Coast Greenway<\/a>), I started biking shortly after I started walking and for the past eight years, my bike has been my primary source of transportation.<\/p>

Yet, when I moved to a major city, I felt like I was learning to ride all over again: How do I know which roads are safe? If the road is narrow and traffic\u2019s moving quickly, am I safer on the sidewalk? (Answer: you\u2019re not) How do I keep my bike from getting stolen?<\/p>

People tend to view the bike commuter\u2019s world as a contemporary wild west full of youthful athletic types boldly weaving between live machines. Yet, according to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center<\/a>, bicycle fatalities are incredibly rare — about 15 percent as common as pedestrian fatalities.<\/p>

Several of our staff members at Traffic Safety Store are longtime bikers and as members of the growing urban cult, we\u2019d like you to join us. So we gathered our combined cycle-smarts, did some extra research, and put together these guidelines to help you get safe, get confident, and get where you need to be on a bicycle:<\/p>

1. Riding With Cars<\/h2>

Sharing the road with vehicle traffic is safer and more manageable than it appears. There are tried and true methods and tons of free resources that help you adopt new skills. Remember, bike commuting is a lifestyle change so don’t pressure yourself into dangerous or uncomfortable situations. Instead, focus on growing your abilities in stages:<\/p>

Biker\u2019s Ed<\/strong>: There\u2019s no shame in taking cycling lessons as an adult, especially if you’ve never biked in the city. The Ride Smart Program by League of American Bicyclists<\/a> trains and certifies thousands of instructors who provide classes to adults in locations across the country. Check the Ride Smart homepage<\/a> to find the nearest class\/instructor or to view educational videos and tips sheets. You can also reach out to your local cycling coalitions or statewide advocacy group for workshops or download education manuals published by transportation agencies, such as Baltimore Commuter Resource Guide<\/a>.<\/p>

Practice<\/b>:<\/strong> Start out on low-traffic residential roads where drivers are less rushed. Once you\u2019re ready to take on more, find an experienced bike buddy or ask around at work for a fellow cyclist who shares your route. Partnering not only keeps you motivated and helps you learn, it makes you more visible. Do a “dry run” of your commuting route on a Sunday or non-peak hours.<\/p>

Common Sense:<\/strong> Beyond core principles and practices, the golden rule is just because you can doesn’t mean you should<\/em>. You should be aware that:<\/p>