Electric bicycles are a fun means of transport. They are built with an eco-friendly design and can save you money. They may be fun, but there also is a need to observe safety when riding your electric bicycle. The safety protocols are designed to keep you and others on the road safe. They are not that different from those recommended for standard cycling. However, it is best not to overlook the significance of some of the safety tips, and they are what we shall discuss.
How to Stay Safe Riding an eBike
Here are some great tips to help you stay safe when riding an electric bike in Ireland.
Protect Your Head
The odds are significantly against you in the event of a collision with vehicles on the road when you are on your electric bike. The bigger the vehicle and the harder the impact because of speeding, the higher the chances of fatal injuries. Nevertheless, you must take measures to protect yourself. A helmet will protect your head. Invest in a purpose-built e-bicycle helmet instead of the standard helmet versions because they have a robust construction and can withstand harder impacts. They are a top preference for professional cyclists. Some of these helmets have extra features like bone conductor headphones or built-in lights, which support the rider’s safety objective. Here is a guide to helmets.
Get Riding Instructions
You must get riding instructions soon after purchasing your new e-bike. It ensures that you have a reference to guide you on how to operate the bicycle safely and identify and avoid dangers. Electric bike retailers often hand out the riding instruction at no extra charge for every e-bike purchase. Nonetheless, you can refine what you know but check with the manufacturer or the local bike shop for any other information before you start riding. Here are a few tips to get you started:
• Check with the local bike riders’ organization or bike shops for riding instructions. You will find seasoned pros who can give tips on common mistakes and how to avoid them and stay safe when riding.
• Ask friends you know who ride or know someone who has an electric bike to get you riding instructions.
• Check with the local transportation authority or government agency for any programs or resources they offer novice e-bike riders.
• Go online and search for resources and offers on riding safety classes.
Be Aware Of Traffic Patterns
Take note of traffic patterns whenever you hit the roads, especially in busy areas. Maintain a safe distance from moving vehicles and avoid using pedestrian lanes unless during unavoidable circumstances.
Traffic patterns might be distracting when riding since you also are concerned about your well-being. Therefore, do not allow vehicles that pass to make you look away even if you must be aware of what is happening in the surroundings while cycling. In short, keep an eye out for the unexpected when riding, whether on a secluded path or a busy road.
Stay Abreast Of The Road Conditions
Take the time to learn about local road conditions before you dash out to enjoy your e-bike. It will keep you from finding yourself on potentially dangerous roads in deplorable conditions. Furthermore, you could warn other riders or road users about the perils.
Check the weather conditions and find out if there are any roadworks before heading out. We roads, for example, can be slippery, while roads riddled with potholes are a hazard that can also damage your electric bike.
Obey Traffic Laws
Since electric bikes enjoy a significant reception, becoming more popular, riders must acquaint themselves with traffic laws governing the use of these electric two-wheelers. Some of the tips to help you avoid breaking traffic laws:
• Always slow down when approaching a steep slope or hill and use hand signals to indicate you are ascent it.
• Start slowly if you are new to e-biking, gradually increasing your speed as you get the hang of things and feel more comfortable and confident when riding.
• Ask for help if you find yourself on a very steep slope, and need some assistance going up the slope.
• Obey traffic signs and signals, especially on public roads since electric bicycles are not allowed on most highways in the country.
Stand Out From The Crowd
E-bikes are popular in urban cities, but such environments place riders in a competitive position as they tussle with other road users. Riders also must contend with different external distractions that easily grab a driver’s attention. Hence, riders should ensure they can be spotted quickly.
Wearing colors that clash with your surrounding helps, especially high-visibility hues during the day. Pack reflective elements and have them with you at all times to ensure you can be seen when riding at night. They glow brightly when hit by the lights from oncoming vehicles, and the reflection alerts drivers to your presence.
Stay Seated For A Longer Battery Range
Did you know standing while riding impacts how long your battery lasts? Leaning too intensely, turning excessively, and hard throttling will have a similar impact.
Electric bikes are designed with a low center of gravity for better balance battery performance. Thus, any action that throws off this balance causes the motor to work harder. Moreover, it also causes you to have less control resulting in less stability when riding.
Standing lets you stretch your legs and can help you get into the riding experience. However, remember that doing this when on longer trips or your battery has limited power will reduce your range. Restrict your riding decisions to help save the battery pack and ensure you reach your destination.
Consider Pedal Assist On-The-Go
You do not have to stop to adjust the pedal assist when riding a Bluejay electric bike. It is designed to offer a smooth and comfortable ride and the placement of the pedal assist controls on the handlebars is in keeping with that objective. Hence, it is easy to adjust your speed up and down with the press of a button as you cruise down the roads.
The new speed settings will kick in immediately after a stroke or two of the pedal as your cruise. Therefore, take some time to familiarize yourself with how an extra bast of speed feels during your first few inaugural rides. Do not rush; pace yourself, and you will soon be utilizing the pedal assist like a pro.
Brake Earlier
Electric bikes might have some heft to them compared to their regular foot-pedaled counterparts, but they are a faster and comfier alternative. Given the increased speed, you must learn how to brake earlier was stop signs and road crossings. Instant braking can cause you to lose control, especially when the roads are wet.
E-bikes have different braking depending on the manufacturer, weather conditions, and wearing. Thus, it is best to take time to learn your bike’s braking pattern and find out if you need the brakes recalibrated for you to be safe when riding.
Take The Lane
Cruise at the posted speed limit if you find yourself on a road that allows e-bikes. Traffic in business centers, downtown, and other urban areas is often restricted to 30mph and can be lower during peak hours as traffic lights and police manage vehicle movement. So, you can take advantage of the situation by riding in the lane with the cars and ensuring you are safe because the drivers can see you.
Drivers often look for oncoming vehicles in the middle of the road, meaning they could miss spotting a cyclist riding on the extreme edge of the road. Therefore, ensure you have adequate space between your bike and the curb to work your way out of situations demanding you to make sudden evasive maneuvers.
Such measures lower the odds of getting “doored” by a stationary vehicle. In short, you are unlike to be knocked over by a car door as it is opened before you can move out of the way. Sch accidents might not result in significant injuries and damages if you are cruising at a low speed, but the situation is likely to be alarming if you were riding at high speed.
Adopt Defensive Driving
A defensive driver also thinks that others on the road as not cautious of their surroundings. You are likely to notice and avoid potential accidents if you assume you are the only sane driver on the road. It keeps you focused and responsive to the unexpected.
It is common for drivers to misjudge speeds, especially when many of them consider a bicycle on the road a tortoise on two wheels, regardless of how fast the rider is moving. So, riding a fast e-bike can be a problem because drivers will assume they can reach a turn and negotiate it before you reach there, which over results in accidents and fatal injuries. All the drivers see is a slowpoke bicycle and believe they have a faster machine.
