National Bike Safety Month
May is National Bike Month, and is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. It is celebrated nationwide. This observance is the time to showcase the great benefits of bicycling, and encourage more people to try it.
Whether you bike to work or school; ride to save money or time; pump those pedals to preserve your health or the environment; or simply to explore your community, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Please note: Wednesday, May 7th, is National Ride a Bike to School Day. If your child is not in the habit of riding their bike to school, be sure you know that they are prepared to do so. Friday, May 9th, is National Ride a Bike to Work Day. The most important thing any cyclist can do is to put that helmet on, buckle it up and make sure it’s level. It’s not going to do its job if it is tilted to the side to look cool.
As a national sponsor, the League provides resources to help you plan an event in your area, and each year the number and diversity of Bike Month celebrations continues to grow, accelerating the momentum around bicycling nationwide.
National Motorcycle Safety Month
Most experienced motorcyclists know the rules of the road and hopefully follow them. When riding on a busy highway, it is important that they stay on their part of the road, and that drivers are alert and watching their every move. Good motorcycle riders wear all the right stuff – helmets, jacket, gloves, and other protective equipment. All that gear comes in bright colors, as well as black, and the colors give more warning to drivers. Wearing a high-visiblity vest over the jacket would help, too.
There’s nothing greater than feeling the wind and open air; but it gives us a fright when someone is seen riding their motorcycle or bike without a helmet. Believe me, I know some pretty hard-headed people out there, but none that could survive hitting the road, a tree, or sign head-first!
With warm weather finally getting here in many parts of the country, it’s time to get out the cycles and check them out, tires and all, to be sure they are in tip-top condition. Go out there and have some fun, and also save some of that high-dollar gas we are paying for. Just please ride safely.