When I am driving my car I use the headlight flash to warn of a cop ahead, but on my bike I can't easily do that. I believe in modulating headlights as a great way to be more conspicuous to oncoming drivers (so hopefully they will not even attempt to turn left in front of me). I can turn the feature off by quickly changing from high beams to low beams and back to high beams, but that takes a few seconds and by then the opportunity to warn an oncoming bike is already gone. So I rely upon the tapping on the top on my helmet, even though it seems that many riders do not understand the signal. The rest of the tips are worthwhile, but I would add a few more:
- Don't have anything in your jacket or pants pocket which will cause further injury to your body if you go down. I have a locking trunk, where among other things I keep my sunglasses. When I change from regular glasses to sunglasses, I also put my keys, my wallet, my cell phone and ALMOST everything that I am carrying in my various pockets into that trunk. The one exception for me, and yes I know it is a risk, is a handgun that I keep holstered in the front right pocket of my jeans. If I should ever need that gun its unlikely that I would have the time and opportunity to stop the bike, dismount, open the trunk and retrieve the gun from among the other items in the trunk. So it stays in my pocket and guarantees at least a big bruise if I go down, but everything else goes into the trunk.
- Always have raingear with you. Weather can change and it can go from a warm clear day to a rainy and cooler day. Getting wet clothing is not that big a deal, but getting wet AND cold can severely impair your riding skills. Add to that, when it starts raining the car drivers around you are less likely to see you, and have challenges of their own due to the rain. Add to that your shivering and misery and an accident is more likely. Keep a rainsuit in my on board luggage, or in a backpack, or whatever every time you go out on the bike.
- Always have some wet cloths or wipes with you. Especially in areas where bugs are plentiful, a direct hit of a large bug in the center of your face shield can seriously impair your ability to see ahead of and around you. Worse yet would be if you ride through a swarm of bugs, such as on a bridge crossing a river when there happens to be a mayfly swarm and you are hit by thousands of these insects in a short time (I say this from experience). Being able to pull over and have wet cloths with which you can remove the bug or bugs, at least from the helmet face shield, can save your life. It can be as simple as taking a few paper towels or a washcloth soaked in water and sealed into a plastic storage bag. Takes up very little space or weight, and with a decent storage bag will last months before it is dried out.
- Don't have anything in your jacket or pants pocket which will cause further injury to your body if you go down. I have a locking trunk, where among other things I keep my sunglasses. When I change from regular glasses to sunglasses, I also put my keys, my wallet, my cell phone and ALMOST everything that I am carrying in my various pockets into that trunk. The one exception for me, and yes I know it is a risk, is a handgun that I keep holstered in the front right pocket of my jeans. If I should ever need that gun its unlikely that I would have the time and opportunity to stop the bike, dismount, open the trunk and retrieve the gun from among the other items in the trunk. So it stays in my pocket and guarantees at least a big bruise if I go down, but everything else goes into the trunk.
- Always have raingear with you. Weather can change and it can go from a warm clear day to a rainy and cooler day. Getting wet clothing is not that big a deal, but getting wet AND cold can severely impair your riding skills. Add to that, when it starts raining the car drivers around you are less likely to see you, and have challenges of their own due to the rain. Add to that your shivering and misery and an accident is more likely. Keep a rainsuit in my on board luggage, or in a backpack, or whatever every time you go out on the bike.
- Always have some wet cloths or wipes with you. Especially in areas where bugs are plentiful, a direct hit of a large bug in the center of your face shield can seriously impair your ability to see ahead of and around you. Worse yet would be if you ride through a swarm of bugs, such as on a bridge crossing a river when there happens to be a mayfly swarm and you are hit by thousands of these insects in a short time (I say this from experience). Being able to pull over and have wet cloths with which you can remove the bug or bugs, at least from the helmet face shield, can save your life. It can be as simple as taking a few paper towels or a washcloth soaked in water and sealed into a plastic storage bag. Takes up very little space or weight, and with a decent storage bag will last months before it is dried out.
