JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
* Get in shape before you get serious about cycling. Stretch and do strengthening exercises. Before you ride, warm up and stretch for 5-10 minutes.
* The biggest preventable risk factor for bicycle head injury is not wearing a bicycle helmet. Helmets will protect you against 85 percent of all head injuries and 88 percent against brain injuries.
* If your bicycle fits, you'll perform better and avoid overuse injuries. Your knees should be at about a 15-degree angle when fully extended.
* Make sure you have lights and reflectors on your bike, whether you are using it for training, recreation, or transportation. Use lights and reflectors from dusk until dawn.
* Carry a cell phone, your ID card, and an emergency-contact card. Bright clothing or a safety vest is another good precaution.
*The primary risk factors are excessive speed, traffic, fatigue, and poor road conditions.
* Beware at intersections. Signal your turns and look out for others.
* Fatal collisions are most common in urban areas. Roads with speed limits of 55 miles per hour or greater produce higher rates of injuries and fatalities.
* You'll need all of your senses, especially hearing and sight. Don't wear headphones.
* Cycle while it is daylight.
* Wear comfortable, brightly colored clothing.
* Wear a reflective vest from dusk until dawn.
* Check your tires for nicks, cuts and wear before each ride, and ensure the tires are inflated properly.
* Make sure all the nuts, bolts and connectors are tight.
* Make sure your brakes work and the cables are lubed.
* Make sure the saddle is tight.
* Make sure the handlebar grips are tight.
* Ride with a basic tool kit, basic first-aid kit, and water.
* Never ride off-road alone.
* Stay off sidewalks. Slow-moving pedestrians are as dangerous to you as you are to them.
* When riding in the street, obey traffic signals and traffic laws.
* Use hand signals when turning.
* Make eye contact with drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists to be sure they see you.
* Walk your bike across crosswalks.
* Don't talk on your cell phone while riding
* Don't use ear phones while riding.