Safety is Our Number 1 Priority
- Concentrate first on learning how to ride safely and with endurance. The Pedal the Puzzle is a challenging course.
- Always stretch before and after riding.
- Have your bike in the best mechanical condition possible. A touring or road bike is going to be the easiest to ride and is the most common type found on the Pedal the Puzzle.
- Safety involves several items. The first is your helmet. DON'T GET ON A BIKE WITHOUT A HELMET. Safety equipment also includes gloves. If you fall they protect the palms of your hands.
- Carry a spare inner tube in case you have a flat. There are repair vans along the route, but chances are you will be waiting in line. Even if you do not have the knowledge to change a tire yourself, someone will be glad to help.
- Ride to the right. Leave room for others to pass on your left. There have been many close calls because a passing rider was forced into the lane with oncoming traffic.
- The greatest threat to your well-being on the route is not cars or trucks but other cyclists. Many riders may be riding for the first time surrounded by a large number of other cyclists. And, while this circumstance promotes certain euphoria, it also holds hidden dangers, i.e., running into each other and falling down.
- Before you stop, make sure no bicycles or motor vehicles are immediately behind you. Stop at the right edge of the roadway and immediately move off the roadway. Stay clear of the roadway. Stopping is especially dangerous at the crest of a hill or on a curve.
- Call out to fellow cyclists when you are going to pass on the left or right or up the middle, or are pulling off or pulling on.
- Be predictable and don't weave. Ride in a straight line to make it easier for those riding behind you.
- Don't draft. Drafting in a crowd is dangerous to yourself and others around you. Drafting vehicles is also dangerous and will not be tolerated on the Pedal the Puzzle.
- Know what the road signs mean.
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