When winter arrives, some bicyclists decide to retire their bikes to the garage or basement until spring. However, there are many people who continue riding, whether it’s out of necessity or a desire to stay active during the cold season. Either way, if you choose to ride a bicycle during winter, our Bucks County bike injury attorney highly recommends taking these safety precautions:
- Be prepared for slippery surfaces – When approaching areas that tend to be slick, such as railroad tracks and bridges, you should slow down significantly and brake only on the rear wheel to prevent your bike from spinning out.
- Invest in fat tires – When it comes to winter riding, fat tires are a much better choice than thin ones because they provide greater traction and allow you to easily ride over ruts in the road without getting stuck.
- Be especially cautious of cars – In the winter, drivers don’t expect people to be biking, so they are less likely to look out for them. Bearing this in mind, you should be on high alert when riding with traffic and always make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
- Protect your face, but preserve your vision – To keep cold air and wind from blasting into your face while you ride, you may be tempted to put the hood of your jacket up. However, this is a bad idea because it can block your peripheral vision, making it harder to see what is going on around you. To warm your face and head without compromising your ability to see, wear a balaclava or a fleece skull cap. And don’t forget to wear a helmet as well! Bike accidents are more likely when conditions are slippery, so it’s more crucial than ever to protect your head while riding.
- Layer up – To prevent frostbite when biking on frigid days, be sure to dress in layers. Ideally, your first layer on top should be a moisture wicking shirt. Then, you should wear a top that provides insulation and a waterproof jacket. On your legs, you can usually get away with just wearing normal pants, but you may also want to put on a pair of long underwear or bike tights to insulate your legs on really cold days.
- Make sure you have a back-up plan – Even for the most experienced bikers, wintry weather can sometimes prove to be too difficult or dangerous to bike in. Therefore, it’s a good idea to bike near a bus route or some other type of public transportation whenever possible just in case you need to catch a ride to your destination.
As you can see, it is very possible to bike comfortably and safely in the wintertime when you follow these tips from our bike injury attorney in Bucks County.
Injured While Biking? Seek the Compensation You Deserve!
Even when you bike defensively in the winter, there is always a chance that you may be hit by a car or be the victim of some other type of accident while riding. In the event that you find yourself injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact the Heslin Law Firm for assistance. For more than three decades, we’ve been known as the bike injury lawyer Bucks County citizens can depend on to provide personalized attention and legal expertise.
So if you’re ready to seek compensation for your bicycle accident injuries, give us a call at (215) 332-0300. And if you’re looking for tips on shoveling snow safely, you’ll definitely want to check out last week’s post. We look forward to hearing from you should you ever require the services of our Bucks County bike injury lawyer.