Woodbury Bike Experts Share Spring Safety Tips

With the arrival of warmer weather, Woodbury Patch decided to contact local bicycling experts for a few safety tips that people should take note of before hitting the roads.

Patch spoke with Erik Saltvold, owner and founder of , Jim Kelley, store manager of Woodbury’s Penn Cycle, and Woodbury traffic officer Scott Melander.

As folks get their bikes out of storage, Saltvold said recreational and road cyclists should get their bikes in for annual tune-ups ($59.99). 

“Our bike mechanics check the condition of the tire, the wheel base of the tire, gears, chains, brake pads and other miscellaneous items,” Saltovld said. 

Be assured the bike turn around time is quick, even during the peak season.

“Depending on what the bike needs, we can get the tune-up done in 24 to 48 hours. If it’s more of an extensive list of things that needs to be done, the time frame can be closer to a week, but again, we work hard to make sure the turn around time is fairly quick,” Saltvold said.

Road cyclists tend to ride many miles in short periods of time, so regular bike maintenance and safety checks are important for safety purposes.

“The main thing road cyclists tend to neglect and not replace often enough is their bike chains. Chains tend to stretch out and once they’re stretched out, the bicycle performance is hindered,” Saltvold said.

A common mistake made by many novice cyclists is not getting a bike that fits them properly. “One size doesn’t fit all,” he said. 

“There are many different sizes and styles of bikes, and part of what you’re buying at Erik’s Bike Shop is the expertise of getting a bike that’s properly fitted to your body and the type of cycling you’re going to be doing,” Saltvold said.

One constant safety violation that kids and adults continue to make, according to Penn Cycle manager Kelley, is not wearing a helmet. “There’s a huge misconception about helmets,” said Kelley. 

“Helmets are way better now than the helmets of old," he said. "Today’s helmets are significantly more ventilated, light weighted and very cool looking now."

Most severe cycling accidents are due to the rider not wearing a helmet, Kelley said.

Another important safety item is an LED light. 

“One single bulb gets about 300 hours of burn, so these lights are really cost-efficient,” said Kelley “Ideally. put a white light on the front of your bike and a red blinking light on the back.” 

During sunrise and sunset hours, blinking lights warn a driver that a cyclist is up ahead, "which is always a good thing,” chuckled Kelley. “Bike lights are not something you want to be caught without."

According to all the experts, recreational cyclists tend to be the most guilty of not checking their tire pressure before heading out on a ride. 

“If I could get all trail bike riders to check their tire pressure every two weeks, that would be awesome—not to mention how much more efficient their bike will ride,” Kelley said.

Kelley said many cyclists don’t know how to properly shift gears on a bike because they have not been properly taught. “Did you know the No. 1 question at Trek Bike company is, how do I shift?” he said.  

“Today’s technology makes gear bikes so easy to ride nowadays. If you’re not sure how to shift properly, come on over to Penn Cycle and we’ll teach you how to shift properly,” he said. “We have adults and children coming in here all the time to learn how to use the gears properly.”

If you own a bike that's over 15 years old, it's time for you to check out the new technology that’s available on bicycles these day. Take for instance, the Electra Townie Bike. According to Kelley, this bike incorporates ergonomic flat-foot technology. The pedals are put more forward on the Electra so that you're sitting position is angled back, making for an extremely comfortable and safe ride.

“The Electra Townie Bike is great for people with back or carpal tunnel issues, too,” said Kelley. “Those of you who are riding older bikes need to know that this new kind of technology makes cycling really safe and fun, and with all the cycling clubs established for all different ages and skill levels, biking is becoming one big social event. Oh, and test rides are free, too."

Woodbury traffic officer Melander said one thing cyclist need to be is predictive.

“Whether you’re aware of this or not, a bicycle is considered a vehicle on the roadway,” he said.

According to Melander, cyclists must follow all the traffic laws an auto does, so that means stopping at red lights, stop signs and follow the laws when occupying a lane.

“If you act like a car, then other car driver’s will see you, if you don’t, they won’t,” Melander said. 

Cyclists should stay on the same side of the street as cars. “If it’s a four-lane road, cyclists can ride two abreast, but if it’s a two-way road, cyclists must ride in single file,” Melander said. 

Lot’s of kids are out riding to and from friends houses and meeting up at the park.

“If we catch a kid with a helmet on, we hand out Dairy Queen certificates, so it’s a little extra incentive for kids to get those helmets on,” said Melander. 

Another note regarding kids out and about is to make sure to remind kids of all ages about stranger danger.

“Kids should never leave and go anywhere with any stranger, even if they are with a group of friends,” said Melander. “Parents should remind their kids to trust their gut instinct and if possible, always ride in pairs to and from places.”

When riding on the trails in Woodbury, all experts agree that cyclists need to ride the speeds according to the amount of traffic on the trails and to the trails terrain.  If you’re heading around a blind curve, slow down, and when coming up behind walkers, yell out that you’re passing on the left, so as not to startle animals or people who might jump into your path and cause an accident if not warned. 

Quick Safety Checklist

• Wear appropriate clothing. Don’t wear clothes that will get caught in the tires or chains. This includes sturdy footwear, not bare feet or flip flops.
• Respect other users on the bike trails and use extra caution when trails are busy. 
• Be a defensive cyclist when riding on the roads and never assume a car driver sees you, as most drivers aren’t looking for cyclists on the road, they’re looking for cars. 
• Make sure you or your child are properly fitted for a bike, before buying.  Most parents put their kids on bikes that are not correctly fitted for the child’s size or skill level.
• Check your tire pressure frequently.
• Outfit your bike with a front white light and a back blinking red LED light.
• Wear a helmet.
• Obey traffic signals and signs just as you would in a car. If not, you can be ticketed.