Grab Your Bike and Helmet; BIKE FM is Hosting Bike Safety Classes
Spring Bike Safety Classes Taught Through Moorhead Community Education
FARGO, N.D. — With the spring weather here, many people are trading in their cars for their bikes.
To ensure everyone knows what to do, BIKE FM is hosting a series of safety classes for the community.
Before trading in four wheels for two, there are some safety tips you should know.
Throughout the month of April, four bicycle safety classes will be taught by licensed instructors.
Topics include how to stay visible on the road and how to fix a flat tire.
One of the classes even takes you on a group ride.
“Even though sometimes we think of biking as just an everyday activity, something that everybody learns, it’s always good to have those reminders about safety to keep everyone safe out on the road,” said Austin Hauf, a MN GreenCorps Member.
Hauf said knowing the basic hand gestures are essential when biking.
“A left turn is going to look like this, a right turn you actually have two different way to do it,” he demonstrated. “This is kind of the traditional right turn and then we also teach this because it’s easier for people to remember and often times it’s clearer for people on the road.”
It’s important to know when to use your bike light.
“Use it whenever it’s starting to get dark it has a flashing setting,” he said. “I’ll usually run it on a solid setting like this. We have a few different levels of brightness but it’s good enough to light up what’s in front of me on the road whether it’s street lights or not to pick out potholes and other hazards in the road to make sure I’m riding safe.”
While all bikes have built in reflectors to ensure safety, you can also wear a reflector on your ankle.
“If a car light shines on it, it kind of lights up like a reflector on a bike,” said Hauf. “It keeps the pant leg out of the chain as well. It’s a practical thing but it’s also a safety thing.”
BIKE FM’s mission is to create more opportunities for bike education in the community.
More information about the safety classes can be found here.
