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Cycling Safety 101

We're counting on you!

Two riders practicing good safety

The Empire State Ride is counting on everyone, regardless of cycling experience, to ride safely. We ride in all types of traffic conditions – big city streets, mixed use recreational paths, rural roads, village streets and everything in between. Along the way, you’ll encounter pedestrians, other cyclists and all types of vehicles, including cars and horses and wagons. To avoid accidents and injuries, it’s vital to pay attention to your surroundings and follow safety procedures.

Here is a list of all required safety gear:

Bicycle - Free transport icons A properly fitted CPSC-certified bicycle helmet. Consider MIPS or WaveCel for added protection. If your helmet doesn’t fit, is older or has cracks in it, replace it.

Bicycle - Free transport icons Front and rear lights, specifically a front white headlight and rear red tailgate. Bring extra batteries!

Bicycle - Free transport icons Bike repair kit and extra tube. Though Empire State Ride provides professional bike safety checks and repairs at camp each day, it’s always important to have a bike repair kit with a pump or CO2 and extra tube, just in case.

Bicycle - Free transport icons A bike mirror to see behind you.

Bicycle - Free transport icons An ESR-issued safety triangle (right).

bike safety triangle

Here are safety highlights that we must follow.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Follow the rules of the road.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Learn and use hand signals.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Make your intentions known well in advance to avoid causing an accident from behind.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Call out your passes.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Ensure cars are not coming up from behind before you make any passes.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Use your head and taillights each day (charge them overnight).

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Wear bright clothing and your ESR-issued safety triangle.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Obey all traffic signs and lights. There are no closed courses on ESR.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Ride right – safely out of automobile traffic, on the shoulder, to the right on paths.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Take the lane with care to make turns against traffic.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Ride no more than two abreast, where safely possible, otherwise ride single file. NEVER ride 3-4-5 abreast. Do NOT hog the road to chit-chat.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Do NOT ride left of the center yellow line.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Do NOT impede traffic. Let cars safely pass.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic If you must stop, pull off to the right, out of traffic.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Pacelines are dangerous in mixed groups of cyclists and on mixed use paths.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic On trails, look both ways when crossing a road.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Beware of trail gates and/or bollards at intersections and trailheads.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Be courteous to other trail users and alert them to your approach.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Stay well hydrated.

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Use sunscreen and/or protective clothing

cone, pylons, safety, sign, traffic Earbuds and personal audio are dangerous if you can’t hear hazards. Use one bud only or use bone buds that do not go in the ears. Adjust your volume so you can hear vehicles and other people.

 

Check out this safety video, courtesy of the League of American Cyclists