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Bicycle commuting safety

Posted: 7-22-12 | Parker Flags

Bicycle Commuting Safety Tips

We are in the midst of summer, and with that nice weather comes the opportunity to enjoy the wondrous outdoors. As gas prices continue to stay around $3.50 in most parts of the US, now’s the best time to be looking at a bicycle as a means of transportation instead of a car. If you find yourself choosing to bike to work during the dog days of summer, here are 5 tips to ensure you stay safe in the heat.

1) Leave early – As with any physical activity, the earlier you get at it in the morning, the cooler temps are going to be, thus giving you a better chance of not showing up to work looking like you just ran a marathon.

2) Give yourself plenty of time – It’s safe to say that if you’re choosing to bike to work you know that it’s going to take you more time than your average car commute. With that being said, make sure that you build plenty of time into your schedule in order to get to work. No one’s looking for you to become the next Lance Armstrong via your morning commute, so plan on it taking double or triple the time you would spend driving.

3. Hydrate – Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. This cannot be stressed enough. Staying hydrated is important to any physical activity, but especially so in high temperature weather. Remember, if you start to feel thirsty, you’re already somewhat dehydrated. Drink water before, during, and after your commute.

4. Bring a change of clothes – Similar to not wanting to show up to the office looking like you just ran a marathon, make sure that you wear the right type of clothes for biking and bring a change of clothes with you depending on what your work environment deem s as appropriate.

5. Protect your head – Bicycle helmets don’t typically look cool, and yes, they may mess your hair up. But messy hair is nothing compared to a scrambled brain if something were to go wrong on your morning commute. Make sure that you always wear your helmet.

Make sure you check back to the Parker Flags blog often as we’ll keep updating you on how to stay safe while biking this summer. And while you’re at it, check out our great line of bicycle flags if you have an event coming up that is in need of high quality bike safety flags.