Woodlawn resident Beth Hamon has worked in the bicycle industry as a mechanic, safety instructor and product purchaser for nearly 15 years. Currently Beth is a co-­owner of Citybikes Workers’ Cooperative in Southeast Portland. As the nice weather is upon us, we thought it would be a good idea to ask Beth some tips for bike riding. After all, she’s the expert!

1. Move your bicycle into an easily ­accessible location.
If your bike is stuffed up in an attic or at the back of your apartment’s storage shed, under piles of other stuff, you’re less likely to take it out and ride it! Make room for your bicycle in a place that’s near a doorway in your home.

My partner and I store our bicycles in the entryway of our rather small house. They’re hung vertically on hooks bolted through the wall into the studs. The hooks are available at any bike shop and most hardware stores. Hint: in rainy weather it’s a good idea to place a tray on the floor under the hanging bike so the rain dripping off won’t hurt the carpet.

2.Check the tires and tubes.
Tires that are showing their age will have lots of cracks in the sidewalls. Tubes that are pumped up and start to lose air after a day or less need to be patched or replaced.

3.Invest in a few simple tools for maintaining your bike and learn how to use them.
The bare minimum should include a working floor pump (be sure it’s set to work with whichever valve your inner tube has! Ask your bike shop for help if you don’t know); tire levers and patch kit; pare inner tube in the correct size; an adjustable wrench for removing and replacing bolt­ed on wheels; and some light oil for the chain. A “multi­tool” with screwdriver blades and a few small allen keys/wrenches is also a good idea.

If you don’t know how to perform simple maintenance on your bike, there are several places to learn for cheap or free. Check out the non­profit Community Cycling Center, where folks are always happy to help you learn more about your bicycle.

4.Put fenders on your bike if you don’t already have them.
Portland gets an average of 40 to 50 inches of rain a year, and it’s usually spread out over several months. Riding a bike without fenders will leave an ugly, middy mess on your backside, and on the face of anyone riding behind you. I leave my fenders on the whole year round; they’re lightweight and they protect my eyes from tiny bits of gravel during the summer months as well as the rain in winter.

5.Make sure your bicycle is street-legal!
Bicycles in Oregon must have reflectors front and rear, and a white headlight for riding at night. A red rear light isn’t required but it’s a good idea anyway. Generator systems allow lights to run without batteries but are more difficult to install; most battery ­powered lights work just fine with rechargeable batteries re-chargers can be found at most department and electronics stores.

6.Dress for comfort.
Clothing should allow for freedom of movement on the bike, but not be so loose that it gets caught on the spokes or chain. Shoes should be flat ­soled and not able to slip off easily (I usually ride in lace ­up oxfords or tennis shoes). For cold ­weather riding, several lighter layers work better than one or two heavy layers; just peel off the layers one at a time to regulate body temperature and comfort.

7.Dress for safety!
Bright ­colored clothes during the day help you to be more visible to car drivers, pedestrians and other bicycle riders. At night, wear white or light colors. Consider wearing a lightweight reflective sash or vest for greatest visibility at night. Reflective tape added to helmets are your bicycle frame and fenders are also good. Many bicycle-­specific rain jackets include reflective piping or strips sewn on for greater visibility, as do many tennis and running shoes.

8. Helmets are more than a good idea.
If you are under 16, you are required by law to wear a helmet when you ride a bicycle. When you turn 16, Helmets become optional – but don’t lose the habit! A bicycle helmet can mean the difference between brain damage and real recovery, or between death and life. Bicycle helmets are good for one crash, and one crash only – after that they must be replaced.

When it’s time for a new helmet, buy it at a bike shop, where the staff are trained to help you fit it correctly. Helmets come in all shapes, colors and styles and range in price from $12 on up. [ed. note: Legacy Emanuel and Kaiser both have a free or $5 helmet sale every year.]

9.To carry things on your bike, consider adding a rack or basket.
Messenger bags and backpacks are fine for very small loads, but overloading these bags can put strain on your back
and shoulders. Your local bike shop can help you determine which kind of rack or basket is best for your bike and for the things you’ll carry most of the time. I use a rear rack bolted to my bike’s frame, with panniers that attach to the sides of the rack. With this setup, I can carry groceries, thrift shop finds, library books, fresh produce from the farmers’ market and more.

10.Get a bike map and learn how to use it.
Metro publishes a fantastic bike map of the entire Portland metro area called Bike There!. This map will indicate not only the best ways to get from place to place, but the most bike-­friendly routes. Riding on a bike-­friendly route may add a few blocks or sometimes a couple of miles to your ride, but when you don’t have to wrestle with speeding cars on a busy street you’ll arrive at your destination more relaxed and refreshed.

The Metro map is available at most bike shops. [ed. note: if you prefer online resources, try ByCycle.org, an online trip planner for cyclists.]

11.(Bonus tip) Care about bicycle riding in Portland!
Want to see it get even better? Join a local bike club or advocacy group. Some bike clubs are all about recreational riding; others are about racing. Still others are about advocating for safer, better places to ride. To find out
more about any or all of these, contact the Bicycle Transportation Alliance at 503­-226-­0676.

Finally – whenever you’re out on your bicycle and you see another bicycle rider, smile at them. Ring your bell or honk your horn in greeting. Letting other bicycle riders know you’re out there helps to build confidence and to remind each and every bicycle rider that they are not alone in their choice to ride a bike, for health, transportation and fun.

Happy riding!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 5:34 pm and is filed under Family / Kids, Resources. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.