10 Things Cyclists Should Not Do (but some do anyway)

Photo Courtesy of Mollybeee via Flickr

Riding Without a Helmet
Your head is the most important part of your body, why wouldn't you protect it as much as possible?! WEAR YOUR HELMET folks!! You could be the best cyclist in the world, but that won't protect you from the countless terrible drivers or freak accidents waiting to happen. Protect that noggin!

Forget to Announce When You Pass
It's not nice to sneak up on people, same goes for when you're on the bike. 

Wearing Noise Canceling Earbuds / Headphones 
Situational awareness! When you're outside on the streets, you need to be able to hear cars coming, people talking, sirens blaring. Wearing noise cancellation headphones or earbuds is super irresponsible, putting your and others' safety in danger. 

Skipping R&R
Going hard is good. Going hard and never going home for some rest and recovery is bad. Your body needs time to recover, so if you're training for something, make sure to include recovery time at regular intervals to optimize your body. 

Breaking Traffic Laws
Know the traffic laws where you plan to cycle. The traffic laws WILL differ in every city/state/county/etc you cycle in. Know the law and abide by them. 

Not Having the Right Tools
You don't have to have every tool when you're a bike owner, but you should have the right ones. Here are our top 5 favorites. 



Photo courtesy of Gerald Fittipaldi via Flickr

Skipping Regular Bike Maintenance
This is why many people's bikes break down or parts need to be replaced. Bike Attack and many bike shops have a mechanic on duty to keep your bike maintained. A good bike mechanic can help prevent serious bike damage. 

Riding on Under / Over Inflated Tires
Make sure your tires are not overinflated or underinflated. Over-inflating your tires will cause a loss of traction. It might also deform your tire. Under-inflating your tire will cause tread separation, or tire blow-outs. Find that happy medium of perfectly inflated tires and stay there. 

Not Wearing Eye or Skin Protection
Sunscreen and Sunglasses! The sun can give you skin cancer, you absolutely need to apply some sort of sun protection if you're going to be out in the daytime. Sunglasses will help with protecting your eyes from the sun. There's another purpose to sunglasses aside from glare protection, sunglasses protects your eyes from any insects or debris that may fly into your eyes mid-ride.
 

Not Lubing Up
Ideally, you should lube up your chain the night before you ride. Make sure you clean the chain, then apply your choice of oil/chain lube to the inner surface of the chain. Wipe excess off and leave it overnight to spread.