PLAINFIELD — With warmer temperatures and high gas prices, more people are using bicycles for some of their transportation.
"We're seeing teenage kids who have jobs come in wanting bikes," said Dennis Gibbs, who owns Gear Up Cyclery here with his wife Janet. "They're tired of paying $4 a gallon for gas. I find that quite interesting."
They also get plenty of older customers who want to ride again.
"We get a lot of people who bring in bikes that haven't been ridden in 15-20 years," Dennis said. "They're wanting to take advantage of the trail system here, but they're also conscientious about health."
But there's more to riding a bicycle than just jumping on and pedaling off. The proprietors of Gear Up advocate a combination of bicycle maintenance, safety, and road etiquette to ensure the safest ride possible.
Gear Up service manager Jeff Kingdon says riders should always perform a pre- or post-ride inspection of their bicycles. That means making sure everything is secure.
"It's a habit that can be developed and only takes a few minutes," Kingdon said.
Every bicyclist should have his bike tuned up annually, more if he rides daily or long distances. Kingdon also stresses that a bicycle properly fit its rider. That's an aspect that's often overlooked, he says. Many people ride bikes that were handed down to them.
"It doesn't work all that well if you have a smaller person on a big bike, straining to reach the pedals," Kingdon said. "Then you can be more focused on your discomfort than the road."
Then there's safety gear. Though wearing a helmet isn't required in Indiana, Janet Gibbs strongly recommends using one. All helmets must meet federal safety standards. The difference between them comes in the material of which they're comprised.
"The more expensive the helmet, the lighter the weight it's going to be," Janet said. "People interested in competition want to have as little weight on their bike and body as possible."
All bicycle helmets have the same kinds of features though, including air flow, channels on top, deep grooves on the inside, and an exhaust port in the back.
"All those features are to help keep the rider cool and dry, and help them go faster," Janet said.
She also recommends riders wear bright-colored clothing or clothes made of reflective material. Adding lights, beyond the reflectors that come with a bike, is a good idea too.
"It's always good to have something on that people can see you with," Janet said. "Anything you can do to be seen by motorists is good."
With sales of road bikes up almost 30 percent from this time last year, it's important for commuters to remember the rules of the road. Bicyclists should always ride with the flow of traffic and obey traffic signs and signals. They're entitled to use roadways the same as motorists, but have to follow the same rules. Kingdon notes it's common for bikers to blow through stop signs.
"That doesn't set a good example for cyclists," he said. "A bit of common courtesy goes a long way. It's up to all of us to make the roads safer."
He also notes that cyclists have the right to ride two abreast, though it's not always prudent.
"That can really irritate people," he said.
Motorists should leave plenty of room between their vehicle and a bicycle rider and never honk their horn at a cyclist, as that may startle him and cause him to swerve into traffic.
"We all have to share the road," Dennis said.
May is National Bike Month and May 16-20 is Bike-to-Work Week, with Bike-to-Work Day on the 20th. Visit the website www.bicycleindiana.org for additional resources.
Gear Up Cyclery is at 124 W. Main St. in Plainfield. Call 203-5045 or visit the website www.gearupcyclery.com for more information.
wade.coggeshall@flyergroup.com
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