Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of UCHealth and does not reflect the same of KOAA.
COLORADO SPRINGS – As we close out our Colorado Springs Bike to Work Day 2019, we’re talking about bike safety. As a cyclist when you are on the road being visible is important.
One of the basic things you can do is wear bright colors. Dr. David Rosenbaum a cardiologist with UCHealth Memorial who bikes commutes on a fairly regular basis says, “I have added flashing lights on the front and back of my bicycle to help better identify me. There’s definitely research to support that (lights) allow motorists to see cyclists better. There’s no question that choosing a safe route is really smart, preferably roads that have bicycle lanes or a reasonable shoulder. Certainly avoiding some of the incredibly busy roads in our community is just common sense.”
Share the road is a common phrase in cycling circles that’s also used in bike safety campaigns, but sharing the road doesn’t mean — that only cars have to be on the lookout for cyclists.
Steve Bitter rides his bicycle to work several times a month. It’s a seventeen-mile trip each way for Steve from the north end of the Springs to his office downtown.
When it comes to sharing the road Steve says, “It really is the responsibility of both parties. Cyclists, motorists, even pedestrians, at any given moment anyone who is on a bike is just like everybody else. We’re just trying to get home, or trying to get to the office, or just trying to go somewhere and do something – just like everybody else.”
In our growing city cars and bicycles existing safely on the roads together is a needed reality that also carries an economic impact on our future.
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers says, “I know we have some people in my generation who think that we shouldn’t be doing a lot to attract bicycle activity. But with our economy right now we need to attract about four thousand millennials a year, to take high-paying jobs in cybersecurity, healthcare, and software engineering, and those folks want these sorts of amenities.”
So as you’re being healthy on your bike, make sure you are always thinking about safety, and the same goes for when you are behind the wheel.
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