Tips For Ebike Commuting
Wear a Helmet
Always wear a helmet when riding a ebike. Get one that fits snuggly on your head and you’ll have peace of mind.
Mount head & tail Lights
Get lights for the front and back of your ebike. When the days start to get shorter you’re sure to get surprised one suddenly dusky evening. Once you’ve purchased these lights fix them on to your ebike, leave them there year round and you’ll never get caught out again.
Install Reflectors
Reflectors are not an alternative to lights and should be used in addition to them. The ones you can put in the spokes of your wheels are especially great as they’re visible to people who are seeing you side on, say, as you pass through intersections, and maybe can’t see your lights.
Wear the Right Clothing
You should wear highly visible colors and, ideally, reflective clothings. This becomes even more apparent when the light starts to get low. Not all of your layers need to be this way but your top one should, and this means that your rain jacket should be too.
Use a Bell
“On your left” is the conventional cyclist’s call that has taken over from the bell but with so many people wearing headphones on their commute you cannot be too sure that they’ve heard you. Getting yourself a bell gives you a method of rise unobtrusively above the noise in people's ears, making them aware that you’re passing.
Brake Sooner
You can travel faster on an ebike and this means that you need to brake sooner to safely slow yourself down. This will soon become second nature, but you also need to remember that when there’s water on the road you need to start braking even sooner because this water provides poor traction and increases your stopping distance.
Know the Laws of the Road
The laws of the road are there for a reason and we wouldn’t break them in a car so why would we break them on an ebike? Give ebikers a good name and protect yourself and others around you by keeping to the rule of law. Remember that some trails don’t allow ebikes, know before you go and give ebikers a good name in the cycling community.
Stay Clean with Fenders
Not just a safety factor, fenders stop mud and water from splashing up onto your clothes and ruining your day just as it has started. They not only stop you from getting wet and muddy before getting to the office but they also stop you from being distracted by such things, and allow you to plough through puddles with confidence.
Buddy Up
Having a cycling buddy not only makes it more fun but it will also increase your visibility. Your buddy doesn’t have to work with you they just need to leave from, and return to, the same area as you.
Remember that when you’re riding an ebike it is more important to be aware of your surroundings because you can travel much faster than a regular cyclist and both cars and pedestrians will be caught unaware by your extra power and speed.
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