Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

Bike Safety Tips: Ways to Keep You and Your Bike Safe (w. Master Lock giveaway)

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Bike Safety TechSavvyMama.com

Are you a bike riding family? Whether you ride occasionally or constantly, bicycling is the second most popular outdoor activity in America, behind running. It has numerous health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke among those who ride three hours per week.  Regardless of how often you ride, ensure that you’re being safe when on and off your bike.

Being safe while biking

If you bike as a family it’s important that you model proper bike safety by wearing a bike helmet. I remember how much I hated my red and white Bell Helmet in middle school and looking forward to rounding the corner to take such an uncool thing off my head.

Today’s helmets are not only cooler than they ever have been thanks to innovative lightweight materials and incredible graphics that can appeal to every style, but now 98.2% of North American bike commuters own a helmet and 86.5% say they wear a helmet every time they ride. According to the Cleveland Clinic, wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of head injury to bicyclists by as much as 85%.

Because it’s important to be mindful of traffic when biking, avoid biking with headphones. Listening to music prevents bikers from hearing honking horns and approaching traffic. Instead, tuck your phone away and use apps like Map my Ride to track how far you’ve ridden.

Keeping your bike safe

Are you among the 47.6% of people that have either had their bike stolen or know someone who has had their bike stolen? If not, you must either be among the extremely lucky 32.5% of people who report not locking bikes up or doing a great job remembering to lock up your bike when it isn’t being used.

The majority of riders use a cable lock (36.2%), 17.6% of people use a u-shaped lock, and 13.7% of people use a chain lock.

Recovering a stolen bike

If your bike is stolen, BikeShepard.org recommends that you file a police report, use their site to list your bike as stolen, and get alerts from sites like Craigslist and eBay for bikes matching the description of your stolen one. If your bike was insured, be sure to call your insurance company immediately.

Master Lock 8220D Cable Lock

GIVEAWAY: Master Lock wants to help you protect your bike and is providing one 8220D Cable Lock as a giveaway. To enter, leave a comment sharing how you practice bike safety before 4/17. (1 entry)

For extra entries, you must complete the above before doing any of the following:

  • Leave a comment sharing what kind of bike lock you currently use. (1 entry)
  • Share where you like to go biking. (1 entry)
  • Tweet this daily and leave a link to your tweet in the comment: Love to bike? @TechSavvyMama  & @MasterLock teamed up for spring bike safety tips & #giveaway. Enter http://bit.ly/17e6pv5 (1 entry/day)

As a member of Master Lock’s Live Secure Safety Squad, I received tips that inspired this post and do receive compensation for my involvement but all opinions are my own. Amazon Affiliate links included in this post.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heather! says

    Our kids have to wear helmets on their bikes! I’m part of two Safe Kids community groups, so they know that a helmet is a must.

  2. Heather! says

    We don’t currently use a bike lock. I can’t ride one, and the kids go out for bike rides, but don’t use them to get to places they need to go, generally, so locking isn’t usually an issue…yet.

  3. Heather! says

    I think our favorite place to go biking is at the campground we go to each summer. There’s a path that follows around the lake, and it’s safe and beautiful!

  7. Douglas Houston says

    I don’t have a bike lock right now, but I would probably ride my bike more if I had one.

  8. Douglas Houston says

    My favorite place to ride is a park near the beach, there are several bike trails.

  10. Heidi K. says

    I practice bike safety by always wearing a helmet when I ride to protect me in the event of an accident.

  12. Heidi K. says

    We live near several lakes, so my favorite thing to do is to go biking around the lakes with my husband.

  19. Elaine Jasvins says

    We always do a spring check and clean up to know our bikes are working fine and safely.

  21. Cathy C says

    There are excellent bike trails in the city I live in from suburbs to downtown. They go through forested areas, and parks along the river. It is lovely

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