While we try to hang on to summer just a little past its due, I think it’s a good time to remind people about the dangers that come with riding a bike this time of year. I mention this often, but again I just want to say I’m a motorist also and these are all things I have experienced while riding or driving and I hope they help you out.
First, I want to mention something that’s extremely prevalent with our damp, foggy mornings. It’s the leaves falling from the trees. Once again, roads and bike lanes are starting to accumulate leaves on them. Once they’re wet they can act like ice and you need to really be cautious, especially around corners. A quick thank you to everyone I’ve seen sweeping up the leaves in front of their house and putting them into bags. And to the people I’ve seen using leaf blowers to blow all their leaves onto the road and bike lanes, please think of the safety of others.
Ok, lights. It’s self-explanatory, but one thing to pay attention to is if you get lights with different settings they usually have a daytime and nighttime setting. The difference is in the intensity of the light. A light in daytime mode will flash much brighter, using its maximum power. This allows the light to compete with sunlight and be seen from a distance. The nighttime mode will use a less intense beam, and this is so that your light does not distract motorists or other people on the road. I’ve seen bikes with night mode on their light coming at me while I’m driving and it’s dangerous. Don’t forget to keep your batteries fresh or your lights fully charged!
Now there may be something people might not be aware of. As you leave your bike outside, or in a garage, when the weather becomes colder, your tires will lose air pressure faster than in the summer. It’s a good idea to check your tire pressure regularly anyways, and the tire will have the correct pressure listed. Putting it to the max pressure will give you a stiffer ride and you’ll feel all those bumps while using less pressure with give you a softer, smoother ride. If you ride gravel or dirt trails, try lowering the psi just a little. Still, if your tires are too soft from lack of air you’re not only making yourself work harder but it can be dangerous around corners.
Finally, something I’ve unfortunately had to use in the past years, but am so thankful I have it and I cannot recommend this enough. BCAA Bike Assist. If you have a BCAA membership and you are out on your bike and get a flat tire or worse and you’re unable to repair it, BCAA will send a truck with a bike rack on it and they can take you home or to the nearest bike shop. Bike Assist is included free as part of your membership. Don’t be afraid to use it. Enjoy the leaves turning, have a great fall season and be safe, be seen and have fun.
