It may seem like a leisurely activity, but walking is most definitely a workout. Moving at a brisk pace—whether it’s around the neighborhood, through the park, or up-and-down city streets—can help improve endurance, heart health, bone strength, flexibility, and weight management. And since it’s a low-impact exercise, walking is an excellent option for people of all ages and ability levels.
Join us this week as we celebrate Bike to Work Week!
Bike commute to work and log your ride on gacommuteoptions.com to enter into a drawing for a $25 gift card.
Stop by our Energizer Station at Decatur Recreation Center on Friday, May 21, 7-9 am. We will have Chick-fil-a biscuits and giv-aways. Our partner, GA Commute Options will also be joining us.
Join us for the Third Friday Bike Ride, May 21, at 6:30 pm. The ride begins at the Decatur Recreation Center at 6:30 pm and goes approximately 6 miles. Helmets are required. We will have some giveaways at this event as well.
Today we are going to learn more about what to bring on bike rides, biking in the dark and at night, and hand signals.
Knowing what to bring on bike rides
Being prepared for bike rides is very important to ensure a safe and enjoyable ride. Here is a list of supplies to bring along:
Water and snacks: This is very important! Even if youthink you are just going on a shorter ride, you might get lost or have a breakdown, and having water and food will be crucial.
Money: It is a good idea to have a little cash and a creditcard with you in case you want to stop at a restaurant or store on your ride, or you have a mechanical problem and need to pay to have repairs made.
Phone: Carrying a cell phone on your ride will be helpful in the case of an emergency.
Basic maintenance kit: This will help in case of a breakdownon the road, and should include a spare tube (or patches), a small tire pump, a multi-use tool, and tire levers. This is more important to have on longer bike rides that are further away from your home.
First-aid kit: A small first aid kit is also a good idea to have. It doesn’t need to have a lot of items, but should at least include bandaids, gauze, antibiotic ointment, and gloves.
Biking in the dark
Always be careful when you are riding in the dark, because it is much more dangerous than riding in daylight. That being said, here are some tips for biking in the dark:
Lights: Lights are important to have so you can see obstacles in the road and so others can see you. At the very least, make sure you have lights on your handlebars, as well as a rear light.
Reflective gear: Reflective gear, including jackets, wearable bands, and tape, helps you become more visible for other cars, cyclists, or pedestrians to see you.
Light clothing: As well as reflective clothing, light colored clothinghelps you become more visible. At night it is much easier for others to see you if you are wearing light colored clothing. Make sure you are not wearing dark colored clothes, because you will blend in with your surroundings.
Ride with others: Riding with a friend or as a group is a good strategyfor biking in the dark. There is safety in numbers and more people available to help in the case of an emergency or a mechanical issue.
Hand signals
Hand signals are very important for the safety of bike riders. They are important to use and help tell other cyclists and cars behind you where you are turning. There are three hand signals that are the most important: turning right, turning left, and stopping. Use these hand signals with your left arm to show people behind you what you are doing.
Right turn: Hold your left arm out to the side and in a 90º angle, with your left hand pointing to the sky, and the palm of your hand facing forward.
Left turn: Hold your left arm straight out to your side. Your arm should be parallel to the ground.
Stopping: Hold your left arm out to the side, and point your left hand down to the ground in a 90º angle, with the palm of your hand facing behind you.
The image below is a visualization of what these turn signals look like.
That’s all for today’s post! I hope you were able to learn more about safety related to bike rides. Stay tuned for the final post coming next week about city infrastructure!
Steps to Fitting a Bike Frame: • Straddle the bike and stand in front of the seat • Lift the front and rear wheels off of the ground until it touches you • If it is a road bike, there should be 1-2 inches between the tires and the ground • For a mountain or hybrid bike, there should s be 3-4 inches Another way to test the fit of a frame: When you’re sitting on the bike and one pedal is pushed all the way down, there should be a slight bend in your knee.
Join Decatur Active Living for free yoga and Tai Chi on the Square in May.
Tai Chi will be held on Tuesdays at 9 am and All-levels Yoga will be taught on Thursdays at 10 am. Tai chi will be taught by Steve Dorage and Neil Norton, and Yoga will be taught by Cheryl Burnette. Both classes are suitable for beginners as well as more experienced participants.
Due to COVID, class size is limited to 10 and registration is required.
If you didn’t know, May is National Bike Month. This month for National Bike Month, I will be writing blog posts weekly on issues about general bike and bike helmet safety, as part of my Gold Award. A Gold Award is the highest achieving award a Girl Scout can receive by creating lasting impact and change in her community. I am very passionate about bike helmet safety and thought it would be perfect for my Gold Award!
As I mentioned, May is National Bike Month. It was established in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists to encourage more people to bike and showcase the many benefits of biking. The League of American Bicyclists still works to create a bike-safe America by creating strong communities and safer roads today. Here is the link to their website if you would like to learn more: https://bikeleague.org/bikemonth
Bike helmet safety is a huge issue, especially here in the United States. Research shows that almost 3/4 of fatal bike crashes involved a head injury, which shows how important it is to wear a bike helmet (helmets.org). Did you know that in the US 88% of children and 78% of adults who suffered a head of neck injury while biking were not wearing a helmet? (consumerreports.org). Also, there are more than 80,000 bike-related head injuries each year in the US (ncs.org). All of these statistics are shared just to highlight the importance and severity of the issue.
Bike helmet safety is not just an issue in the United States, it is an issue all over the world. For example, bike helmet safety is especially a problem in the United Kingdom. Currently there are no laws about bike helmet use. And in 2018, the United Kingdom Department for Transport stated that around 4,000 cyclists were killed or seriously injured.
So what can be done? As I mentioned, these statistics are not meant to scare you, they are just meant to bring awareness to the issue. Bike helmet safety is a problem all over the globe, but there is hope. There are many organizations that work towards the issue of bike helmet safety. One of these organizations is called Children’s Helmet Initiative, and they work to stop preventable brain injury by trying to ensure that every child who needs a helmet can receive one. Their website (stopbraininjurynow.org) also has a lot of great resources and information.
And that’s all for this week’s post! Stay tuned for the second blog post which will be uploaded next week and is all about helmets!
May 1 kicks off National Bike Month. The DeKalb County cities (Stone Mountain, Tucker, Clarkston, Avondale Estates and Decatur) along the Stone Mountain PATH Trail have organized a series of events, educational programs, commuting events, and helmet promotion to encourage riders to get out and to go for a ride. The PATH provides bikers easy access to these cities downtown, businesses, neighborhoods, and parks.
The DeKalb cities will host a Bike Month Kick-off on Saturday, May 1, 2021, 10 am at Clarkston City Hall Annex, 1055 Rowland Street, Clarkson, GA. The DeKalb County cities will provide a sneak peak of the programs and events planned throughout the month. Aztec Bike Shop will bring its mobile unit to the event to repair bicycles. There will be prizes and giveaways. Covid-19 precautions and guidelines will be adhered to throughout the event including wearing masks.
Join us for the Third Friday Bike Ride this coming Friday, April 16. We meet in front of the Decatur Recreation Center and leave for the ride at 6:30 pm.
This week we have special guests so come early – GA Commute Options will be on hand with give-aways and information on how to win prizes for logging your commute.
The ride is approximately 6 miles at a social pace. Be sure to wear a helmet and a mask. Lights are recommended for your ride home. This ride is not recommended for children.
Cheryl Burnette
Greg White
Portia Langley
saraeholmes