6 Tips for Safe Urban Cycling in Denver

According to reports, Denver commute times are getting longer and longer (from 2005 to 2016 alone, commute times in Denver grew by over 40%). In the midst of increasing commute times, individuals have started to embrace alternative transportation methods.

Bicycles have become a popular transportation method among the modern workforce, however, biking in a city can be overwhelming as there are lots of cars and sometimes there’s no bike lane. Luckily, there are various safety tips and guidelines you can follow to make sure your urban cycling experience is a pleasant one.

Tips for Safer Urban Cycling

Safety first

Make sure you always put on a helmet and do not wear earphones or headphones when cycling in the city. The latter is important as you’ll need your ears to be more aware of incoming and oncoming traffic and what’s going on around you.

Plan your route

There are likely different routes you can take, make sure you map out all of them and try them out. Stick to routes with less traffic and that have biking infrastructure in place.

Stay at a safe distance

A good rule of thumb for this is if you can’t see their mirrors, they can’t see you. Also, keep in mind that car mirrors have a blind spot, so make sure you’re always leaving a safe distance between yourself and cars.

Don’t box yourself

Just because you’re in a smaller vehicle doesn’t mean you should be riding in between lanes and merging from one lane to the other. Make sure you always have a clear exit and that you are guarding your lane; oftentimes cyclists tend to stick to the right side to make it easier for cars to overtake them, however, it’s safer to stick to the middle of the lane to increase your visibility.

Obey traffic laws

When you’re biking, you need to follow the same traffic laws as vehicles. Make sure you signal when you turn, make sure you stop at red lights, go in the same direction as traffic, etc.

Check your bike regularly

Make sure your wheels, handlebars, brakes, and bike chain are working properly. At Shift Workspaces, we offer bike tuning services to our members through Velofix and Shift also offers indoor and outdoor bike storage which makes biking to work a great alternative to sitting in traffic. 

 

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