{"id":1238,"date":"2013-05-09T17:37:11","date_gmt":"2013-05-09T17:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nikwax.wordpress.com\/?p=1238"},"modified":"2024-10-24T09:53:35","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T08:53:35","slug":"cycling-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Cycling safe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"IMG00278\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cyclists, are you making good eye contact?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A friendly gaze isn\u2019t just for flirting\u2014it\u2019s perhaps one of the most important things bicyclists can do to bike safely through traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it doesn\u2019t appear on standard lists of cycling safety tips, making eye contact with drivers at intersections\u2014the most dangerous spots on the road\u2014is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paired with hand signals, a little eyeball time helps communicate your intentions. Plus, you get the reassurance that the driver has registered your two-wheeled presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May is national bike month, and we at Nikwax are avid cyclists. We want to share our love of two wheels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what else can you do to stay safe? Read on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always wear a helmet<\/b>. Mary Craig, a coach at Seattle\u2019s Cycle University, follows this ironclad rule: Don\u2019t even sit<\/i> on your bike without wearing a helmet<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it\u2019s good enough for the pros, it\u2019s good enough for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be visible<\/b>. Even during daylight hours, wear a bright top<\/a>\u2014the flashier, the better. Cycling after dark?  Don reflective clothing<\/a><\/span> and add lights<\/a><\/span> to both the front and rear of your bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the handlebars, choose a light that emits a steady white beam. For the rear light, use a red blinking model to catch drivers\u2019 attention. We love the Planet Bike Superflash<\/a>: mount it to the bike or clip it on a jacket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be predictable<\/b>. Though it\u2019s tempting to weave through gridlock like a Jet Ski buzzing a flotilla of barges\u2014don\u2019t do it. In the eyes of the law, bikes are vehicles, subject to the same rules and responsibilities as cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ride where drivers expect you to be (not on the sidewalk), and use hand signals as if your life depended on them. Because it just might.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be respectful. <\/b>Move over at intersections for right-turning cars, don\u2019t needlessly block lanes, and ride (single-file, please) to the right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how far to the right is far enough?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proven tip: When the city pavement shows grooves worn by car tires, ride in the right one. You\u2019re less likely to get \u201cdoored\u201d by parked cars, and drivers will instinctively move out and around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get out there.<\/b> The more bikes on the road, the safer the streets. Case in point: Downtown Minneapolis saw a 174% increase in bicyclists between 2003 and 2008, but a 20% drop<\/i> in car-bike crashes<\/a> for 9 years starting in 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s safety in numbers. So grab that helmet, level your gaze, and we\u2019ll see you on the road!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cyclists, are you making good eye contact? A friendly gaze isn\u2019t just for flirting\u2014it\u2019s perhaps one of the most important things bicyclists can do to bike safely through traffic. Although it doesn\u2019t appear on standard lists of cycling safety tips, making eye contact with drivers at intersections\u2014the most dangerous spots on the road\u2014is crucial. Paired…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"iawp_total_views":3,"footnotes":""},"categories":[123,2376],"tags":[2625,2626,2627],"class_list":["post-1238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events","category-stories","tag-bicycle","tag-national-bike-month","tag-safety-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCycling safe - Nikwax NA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cycling safe - Nikwax NA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cyclists, are you making good eye contact? A friendly gaze isn\u2019t just for flirting\u2014it\u2019s perhaps one of the most important things bicyclists can do to bike safely through traffic. Although it doesn\u2019t appear on standard lists of cycling safety tips, making eye contact with drivers at intersections\u2014the most dangerous spots on the road\u2014is crucial. Paired...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nikwax NA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-05-09T17:37:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-24T08:53:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Heidi Allen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Heidi Allen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Heidi Allen\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#\/schema\/person\/dbd090f84780234eaadb61c5b44496e2\"},\"headline\":\"Cycling safe\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-05-09T17:37:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-24T08:53:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/\"},\"wordCount\":424,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611\",\"keywords\":[\"bicycle\",\"national bike month\",\"safety tips\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Events\",\"Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/\",\"name\":\"Cycling safe - Nikwax NA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-05-09T17:37:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-24T08:53:35+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cycling safe\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/\",\"name\":\"Nikwax NA\",\"description\":\"Nikwax\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Nikwax NA\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/logo.png\",\"width\":153,\"height\":161,\"caption\":\"Nikwax NA\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#\/schema\/person\/dbd090f84780234eaadb61c5b44496e2\",\"name\":\"Heidi Allen\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/author\/heidia\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cycling safe - Nikwax NA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cycling safe - Nikwax NA","og_description":"Cyclists, are you making good eye contact? A friendly gaze isn\u2019t just for flirting\u2014it\u2019s perhaps one of the most important things bicyclists can do to bike safely through traffic. Although it doesn\u2019t appear on standard lists of cycling safety tips, making eye contact with drivers at intersections\u2014the most dangerous spots on the road\u2014is crucial. Paired...","og_url":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/","og_site_name":"Nikwax NA","article_published_time":"2013-05-09T17:37:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-10-24T08:53:35+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Heidi Allen","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Heidi Allen","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/"},"author":{"name":"Heidi Allen","@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#\/schema\/person\/dbd090f84780234eaadb61c5b44496e2"},"headline":"Cycling safe","datePublished":"2013-05-09T17:37:11+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-24T08:53:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/"},"wordCount":424,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611","keywords":["bicycle","national bike month","safety tips"],"articleSection":["Events","Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/","url":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/","name":"Cycling safe - Nikwax NA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611","datePublished":"2013-05-09T17:37:11+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-24T08:53:35+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611","contentUrl":"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/img00278.jpg?w=611"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/cycling-safe\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cycling safe"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/","name":"Nikwax NA","description":"Nikwax","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#organization","name":"Nikwax NA","url":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/logo.png","width":153,"height":161,"caption":"Nikwax NA"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#\/schema\/person\/dbd090f84780234eaadb61c5b44496e2","name":"Heidi Allen","sameAs":["https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/"],"url":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/author\/heidia\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1238"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9570,"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238\/revisions\/9570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}