Safety gear that helps prevent a collision with a motor vehicle is much more effective than gear meant to protect you in the event of an accident. Helmets can help minimize the seriousness of brain and head injuries and should always be worn when biking, but they do not prevent accidents and their overall effectiveness in preventing injury and death is controversial. Safety gear should always include items which increase your visibility.
Basic Bicycle Safety Gear
Basic safety gear for biking includes:
- Gloves
- Flags
- Lights
- Reflectors and reflective clothing
- Bells, horns, and other noisemakers
- Rearview mirror
- Protective eyewear
Gloves
Gloves are among the most important pieces of gear for bicyclists. In their most basic form, they help you keep you grip on the bike, minimizing the chance of an accident. You can also choose reflective gloves and even gloves that light up to improve your visibility. Some gloves come with padding to minimize the stress and impact that causes injury over time.
Lights
Many jurisdictions have specific requirements for bicycle lights if you ride after dark. Front lights should be white, and rear lights should be red. Lights designed for bicycles are usually blinking lights which let drivers know they are approaching a bicycle instead of another type of vehicle or stationary object.
In addition to standard bike lights, you can wear a headlight, and you may want to wear flashing lights on your clothing or pack.
Reflectors and Reflective Clothing and Tape
Load up on reflective items. You can use reflective tape on your bike, helmet, clothing, and pack. Place reflectors anywhere you can on your bike. Reflectors have limited effectiveness because they only help once you are in a car’s headlights. However, you never have to worry about the reflector failing because the battery died or it suffered some other malfunction.
LED Illumination
You may want to consider LED illumination to make yourself visible. You can find clothing and vests equipped with LED lights as well as LED illumination for your wheels or you entire bike.
About Altrumedia
