Bike in Cyprus

Archive for May, 2009

Imagine if everyone drove around the roads at random, without stopping, yielding, keeping a straight line, checking behind, or obeying any traffic rules. The public roads would be total, utter chaos. Fortunately, we have carefully designed, commonly accepted rules of the road, which make driving on the roads a well-organized, cooperative, and relatively safe activity.

Sadly, most bicyclists in the USA don’t use these rules. It’s not really their fault; most have no in-depth cycling education. Many have been told to do things that are illegal and dangerous — such as riding on sidewalks or on the wrong side of the road. We simply don’t teach bicyclists how to be safe by using all the rules of the road to politely cooperate with other drivers — not just signaling turns, but merging, changing lanes, yielding to others, using lights at night, and more.

Improving bicycle safety in traffic is actually quite easy: most car/bike crashes happen with crossing and turning traffic at driveways, intersections, in bikelanes, and with unlit bicyclists at night. These are predictable crashes which can easily be avoided. The most experienced bicyclists have learned how to do so.

Cooperative Cyclists log thousands of miles in traffic, yet have 80% fewer collisions than untrained cyclists. Through study and practice they have learned that by politely using all the rules of the road to cooperate with other drivers, they can ride safer with traffic.

That in-depth cycling education gives Cooperative Cyclists the freedom to travel on any road, day or night, with reasonable safety. Unlike bikelanes “cycling education is self-deployed wherever needed, increases in effectiveness with every use, at no additional cost, and provides complete coverage by being used at every time and location where its use is in any way advantageous.” (John Forester). Bikelanes are a terrible substitute for an in-depth cycling education. A bikelane is not a protected space: crossing and turning traffic still has to be safely and cooperatively negotiated at all driveways, intersections, bus stops, and parking spaces.

An athlete can be just as busy as any corporate executive. And although the difference ends with the fact that athletes are actually paid to play around, athletes, executives, O.R. doctors, lawyers do actually have a lot in common that what meets the eye: nutrition.

A wise athlete recognizes that gym workouts, sports tournaments, the Olympics, competitions, trainings and other preparation should necessarily have a tandem meaning for them: nutrition-victory. Sportsmen and athletes may find it hard to acknowledge that like everyone else, they need proper nutrition too. Health, power and stamina go beyond the tight hamstrings, kangaroo-like leaps, three-meter high mid-air butterfly strokes, and amazingly 2500 kmph whizzing shuttles! Proper nutrition is what makes all these stunts possible.

Some athletes may downplay the importance of nutrition. What they don’t know is that nutrition plays a vital role in every event, every sport. Each sport requires different skills. These skills are developed on certain chemical and nutritional body needs which are unique and inherently-required in each sport. What one athlete of one sport may need, the next athlete of another sport may not. An extreme amount of sugar may do well for this sport, but not for that. Carbohydrates may cause negative effects on this activity, but not on that. Summarily, what is good nutrition for one athlete may not necessarily be so for the other.

What every athlete needs to know is his or her own body needs, relative to the sport that he or she plays. There is no generic set of nutrition for all athletes as each body and sport requirement is unique. Do research on your sport and on their corresponding proper nutrition. Check energy drink labels and power bars before consuming any before competitions. Consulting a nutritionist or your coach will be very helpful. These people know exactly what you need, how much you need and when you need it.

Ride on roads that have slow speed limits and on streets with less traffic. Mpst kids don’t have the skills needed to handle heavy traffic. Let your child know that busy street are “off limits”.

Avoid riding at night. Accidents are 20 times more likely to occur at night than during the day. Encourage your child to telephone you for ride home if he or she is out past dark.

NO WRONG WAY RIDING!! Ride with traffic, on the right-hand side of the road. Riding against traffic puts bicyclists where motorists leasts expect them and directly causes one out of five bike/car crashes. Explain to your children that they are safer riding with traffic and that it is the la.

Obey all traffic signs and traffic laws. 30% of bicycling accidents occur when a cyclist fails to stop at a stop sign or red light.

Stop and look before entering the street when riding out from the driveway, sidewalk or parking lot. About one-half of the children eight and under who get killed on bikes are hit when they ride out of a driveway without stopping or looking. Take your child outside to the driveway and after explaining the reason for it, have him practice walking his bike to the street to begin his trip. Scan left-right-left and if no traffic is present, proceed into the road.

No playing in the road. Explain to your child that the street is for safe riding only. Help them find a park, or playground where they can zoom around without worrying about cars.

Wear a helmet. Each year, thousand of children suffer head injuries from bicycling accidents. Protect your children, encourage them to wear a helmet. Set a good example by wearing one yourself.