Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: safety + bicycle + gear  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/7/2008)

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Gearing up for Bicycle Safety

It's a beautiful day and the kids are home from school. It's a perfect day for a family bike ride, right?

Before you and the kids rush out and start pedaling, there's another factor you need to consider - safety. Read on to find out why bicycle safety is so important and what you need to know to keep your kids safe.

Why Is It Important to Be Safe While Biking?
Each year in the United States, about 900 people die in bicycle-related accidents, and about a quarter are children between the ages of 5 and 14. And more than 1 million children receive medical treatment for biking-related injuries each year.

Although most automobile/bicycle accidents involving adult cyclists are caused by the motorist, most of those involving child bikers are caused by the child. Young children may have difficulty understanding the rules of the road, but many of these accidents can be avoided by obeying bike safety rules and exercising caution while riding in traffic.

All cyclists should follow standard safety precautions. As an adult, you've probably already experienced the dangers of getting your pants caught in the bike chain, having brakes that fail to grip in the rain, or smacking the pavement when your gears unexpectedly slip. You may not be able to keep your kids from having the same accidents, but it's up to you to pass your knowledge and experience down to your children as they learn to ride.

Riding With Young Children
When your child is very young, a smart way to teach her bicycle safety is by example. Today's child safety carriers and other options give you the opportunity to spend quality time with your child while introducing her to the open road. However, your child must always wear a helmet and should be at least 1 year old before you take her for a ride. Be a positive role model (and protect your own head) by wearing your own helmet, too.

Trailers
A trailer is one of the safest ways to take a young child for a spin. Hitched to your bicycle, a trailer is a low, mesh-covered seat that is supported by two wheels for greater stability. The trailer's sturdy frame provides accident protection, and because your child is riding 1 to 2 feet (30.5 to 61 centimeters) behind your bike's rear wheel, spokes are out of reach. Another safety bonus is that trailers ride near to the ground, so if your bike falls over, your child won't tumble very far.

A word of caution: the trailer is wider than your bike, so one of the trailer's wheels could slip off the road's edge if you're not careful. Also, the trailer could overturn after hitting a bump, if one wheel rides a curb, or if your bicycle turns sharply.

When shopping, look for a trailer with a shoulder harness and lap belt to secure your child. The hitch to your bike should have a flexible joint that allows the trailer to stay upright if your bike falls. Even so, your child will need to wear a bicycle helmet while riding in the trailer. Attach a tall red warning flag to the trailer for increased visibility and make sure the trailer has reflectors.

Trailers range in price from $150 to over $500 (all prices in U.S. dollars).

Child Seats
Consider a frame-mounted seat for your toddler. Child seats fasten above your bike's rear wheel, giving your child a higher vantage point.

On the down side, the added weight of carrying a child in a seat increases brake time and compromises balance and handling.

Look for a seat with a back high enough to support your child's neck and guards that prevent your child's feet from touching your rear wheel. Seats should have a lap belt with a childproof buckle and a shoulder harness. And your child will need to wear a bicycle helmet.

Child seats range in price from $40 to $125.

Trailer-Cycles and Tandems
When your youngster outgrows a trailer or child seat but is too young to start riding alone, you can turn your bike into a makeshift tandem with a trailer- cycle. Resembling a small bicycle with no front wheel, a trailer-cycle attaches to your bicycle's seat post. At costs from $100 to $400, trailer-cycles have working pedals, and some are equipped with gears so youngsters can practice starting, stopping, and balancing while observing your safety habits and rules of the road. But be cautious - if your child turns or pedals erratically, you'll have difficulty maneuvering your bicycle.

Your family might enjoy an actual tandem bicycle. At prices from $1,000 to $1,500, a bicycle built for two isn't cheap, but it offers the same benefits of trailer-cycles without the work of attaching and unattaching a separate unit. A tandem designed for a family has wheels that are smaller than those on a typical adult bicycle, and a telescoping rear seat post accommodates a child or adult. However, a tandem designed strictly for grown-ups requires extra adapters for a child to ride behind the pilot's seat.

Helping Your Child Ride Safely
Because kids mature - physically and emotionally - at differing rates, there's no magic age to introduce your child to a big-kid bike. As a rule of thumb, most 4- or 5-year-olds have acquired the motor skills needed to mount and balance a bicycle. A child under 6 should not ride in the street, and depending on your neighborhood, probably shouldn't venture far until about 9 or 10 years old.

Buying a Safe Bike

Because children mature - physically and emotionally - at differing rates, there's no magic age to introduce your child to a "big-kid" bike. As a rule of thumb, most 4- or 5-year-olds have acquired the motor skills needed to mount and balance a bicycle. However, a child under 6 should not ride in the street, and depending on your neighborhood, probably shouldn't venture far until about 9 or 10 years old.

The first thing to look for when buying a bike for your child is the right fit. Don't buy a bike that's too big, thinking your child will grow into it; an oversized bicycle could cause your child to lose control and get hurt. A bike is the right size when your child can sit on the seat with his or her feet flat on the ground, the handlebar no higher than your little one's shoulders.

One of the options to consider is buying a bike that will grow with your child. Certain bicycles are designed to accommodate an increase in height that, of course, seems to happen overnight. These bikes may seem more expensive initially, but generally are better made and will last longer. The sales person at your local bike shop should be able to help with properly "fitting" your child to the right bike.

Bikes for younger kids should have coaster (or foot) brakes, not hand brakes. But for slightly older kids (older than 7), there are bikes that have foot and hand brakes so that your child can get used to using hand brakes before graduating to the bigger bikes with just hand brakes.

If your child is starting out on training wheels, be sure they can be adjusted as his or her riding skills improve. Parents sometimes mistakenly think that there shouldn't be any "wobble" with training wheels - but, in fact, that's how they help a child "train" on the bicycle.

For wheel size, a 12-inch (30.5-centimeter) bike is recommended for beginners. Five- to 7-year-olds usually need a 16-inch (40.6-centimeter) bike. For a taller, more experienced child, some 20-inch (51-centimeter) bikes offer the choice of coaster or hand brakes. Ten- to 12-year-olds may require a 24-inch (61-centimeter) bike. For growing teens, consider a 26-inch (66-centimeter) model.

Quality bicycles sold in bike shops range from $80 to well over $250. Although the price might seem a bit steep, some bike shops will offer you free service for a length of time if you purchase a new bike.

Helmet Safety

Bicycle helmets are a matter of life and death - wearing one should not be optional for your child. This can't be emphasized enough, and in many states it's the law. A child's head should always be protected while biking. Remember that three out of four bike accidents involve an injury to the head, and a crash could mean permanent brain damage or death for a child who doesn't wear one while riding.

Today's helmets for children are very lightweight and comfortable. Pick bright colors that are clearly visible to everyone driving and riding on the road. For fun, children can even decorate their helmets with cool reflective stickers. Look for a helmet that's well ventilated and fits your child well. Prices for kids' helmets range from about $20 in discount stores to $150 in sporting and bicycle shops.

When buying a helmet, turn it over and look inside for either a "CPSC" or "Snell" sticker. A CPSC sticker means the helmet meets tough Consumer Product Safety Commission standards, which were introduced by the U.S. government in 1999. A "Snell" sticker means the helmet is approved by The Snell Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization that tests helmet safety and also sets stringent standards.

Only buy helmets that are approved by either of these two safety standards. If your child's helmet was made before 1999 (look inside the helmet to see what year it was made), it should be replaced with a newer helmet that meets one of these two safety standards.

Make sure your child's helmet has the correct fit and adjustments. Even the best helmet can't help protect your child's head if it doesn't fit correctly, so fit is very important. Any bike store can help adjust the helmet so it fits properly.

A helmet should:

• sit level and firmly but comfortably on your child's head. It shouldn't be tilted forward or backward, and your child shouldn't wear a baseball cap underneath it
• have strong, wide straps that fasten snugly under the chin. No more than a finger's width should be able to fit beneath the strap when it's fastened correctly
• be tight enough (with straps fastened) so that no sudden pulling or twisting can move the helmet around on your child's head
• always be fastened while riding

After taking a serious hit, helmets lose their capacity to absorb shock. They're designed that way - the inner foam structure is altered by a very hard blow. If your child ever has a significant fall and hits any surface hard with the helmet, immediately replace the helmet.

Children can and should also wear their bicycle helmets when in-line skating or using scooters. It should be noted, though, that children should never wear bicycle helmets while playing on a playground, because bike helmets can get caught in small spaces in the equipment, trapping your child's head and leading to choking or strangulation.

Safe Clothing

What your child wears is also very important. The right clothing can help keep your child safe while riding a bike.

• Fluorescent or bright-colored clothes will help other people see your child on the road. Avoid dark clothes like black, brown, or navy, especially if it's getting dark outside.
• Lightweight clothes, especially during the summer months, will help your child to avoid becoming overheated. Your child should drink plenty of water and keep a full water bottle on the bike.
• Pant legs shouldn't be so loose-fitting or flared (these can get caught up in the chain while riding).
• Riding gloves can protect your child's hands, especially during off-road biking. They can be purchased from any bike store.
• If a backpack is worn while riding, make sure the straps are tied up. (If they hang, they may become tangled in the spokes of the wheels.) Better yet, tie the backpack in a basket or strap it to a rack.
• Choose shoes that grip the bike's pedals. Don't let your child wear cleats, shoes with heels, or flip-flops when riding - these can all easily slip off the petals. And your child should never ride barefoot!

Learning to Ride

Let your beginning biker ride in a hazard-free zone, such as your driveway or a park trail. Have your little one practice basic skills, such as how to stop at the end of a drive or street by looking left, right, and left again before proceeding. Practice shoulder checking, a safety procedure in which the rider glances behind while pedaling forward in a straight line.

With the basics accomplished, you and your child can bike together through your neighborhood. Show your child how to watch for vehicles coming from all directions. Be sure he or she understands that bicyclists are members of the traffic community, and all riders must obey the same rules of the road.

Here are some must-know safety tips to teach your child:

• Stop at all stop signs and obey traffic lights just as cars do . Yield to pedestrians, stop at red lights, and be especially careful at intersections.
• Always ride on the right-hand side of the street in the same direction as cars do. Never ride against traffic.
• Try to use bike lanes or designated bike routes whenever you can - not the sidewalk!
• Always stop and check for traffic in both directions when leaving a driveway, an alley, or a curb.
• Watch traffic closely for turning cars or cars leaving driveways.
• Don't ride too close to parked cars - doors can open suddenly.
• Always walk a bike across busy intersections using the crosswalk and following traffic signals.
• When riding with friends, always ride single file on the street. Riding side by side in traffic or on the street is dangerous for both bicyclists and people in cars.
• When passing other bikers or people on the street, always pass to their left, and call out, "On your left!" so they'll know someone's coming up behind them.
• Never share the seat with a friend or ride on the handlebars - only one person should be on a bike at a time. It's easy to lose balance or suddenly swerve into traffic when riding with a passenger.
• Avoid riding in conditions when visibility is poor. If riding at dusk or in the evening, be sure to have reflectors on the bike and a battery-operated headlight.
• Never wear headphones while biking - it's essential to be able to hear everyone else on the road at all times.
• Never hitch a ride on a moving vehicle.
• Never change directions or lanes without first looking behind you, and always use the correct hand signals. Use your left arm for all hand signals:
• Left turn : After checking behind you, hold your arm straight out to the left and ride forward slowly.
• Right turn : After checking behind you, bend your elbow, holding your arm up in an "L" shape, and ride forward slowly.
• Stop : After checking behind you, bend your elbow, pointing your arm downward in an upside down "L" shape and come to a stop.

Maintaining Your Child's Bike

A well-maintained bike is a safe bike. Check your child's bike at least once per season or more if he or she is a regular rider. A tune-up checklist should include the following:

• tires (inflate to the recommended pressure that's marked on the sidewall of the tire)
• chain (oil it regularly and remove dirt and grime)
• handlebar (adjust for height as needed and tighten all bolts)
• brakes (check for frayed cables and replace worn-out brake pads)
• seat (keep the seat level and the post bolt tight and adjust for height as needed)

Making Safety a Family Affair

All cyclists - both parents and kids - should follow standard safety precautions. As an adult, you've probably already experienced the dangers of getting your pants caught in the bike chain, having brakes that fail to grip in the rain, or smacking the pavement when your gears unexpectedly slip. You may not be able to keep your child from having the same accidents, but it's up to you to pass your knowledge and experience down to your child as he or she learns to ride.