5 Things I Desperately Wish I Knew When I First Started Riding a Bike to Work

Hindsight is 20/20, right? When looking back on your life, many would say it’s best to not have any regrets. I won’t say that I regret anything, but I definitely wish I had known then what I know now about riding a bike to work.

5 Things I Wish the Old Me Knew About Riding a Bike to Work

1. Learn a Little Bike Maintenance – Watch a few YouTube videos so that you know how to keep your bike running like a champ, or even make small repairs as needed. Overtime, it could end up saving you hundreds or more dollars, and help you to get yourself out of a bind on your own.
2. Be Serious About Bike Locking – People steal bikes. Every day. All day long. It’s not an exaggeration. The best practice is to use two different kinds of bike locks, and make sure that your lock goes around the frame, the wheel, and the thing you’re locking your bike to.
3. Be More Dramatic – It’s common for beginners to not want to draw attention to themselves, but exaggerating your hand movements and eye contact with other drivers greatly increases your safety. If other drivers can see you, and understand where you want to go, then you are less likely to be hit.
4. Know How to Avoid Common Accidents – The best way to avoid being in a bicycle accident is to know what the most common causes are. For example, if you know that 20 percent of serious bicycle accidents occur when a cyclist runs a stop sign, you may be more inclined to stop and look both ways at an intersection. Knowing the most common causes of bicycle accidents will greatly improve bike safety.
5. Plan Your Route – There are a lot of things that are best done on the fly; skydiving, for example. However, when it comes to riding a bike to work, it’s better to plan ahead. Whether you use an app or Google Maps, plan the best route to get you to work both quick and safe. Choose less populated streets or roads with bike lanes to make your ride safer.

San Diego bicycle accident attorney Joshua Bonnici is an avid cyclist himself, and understands what other cyclists have to go through every day. That is why he has dedicated his life to protecting and helping his fellow riders.