You want to ride your bicycle? You want to ride it where you like?

"Act like a driver of a vehicle,” said Ed Barsotti, executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists (LIB).

He said riding on the right side of the road with the flow of traffic, predicting what other drivers or bikers might do next, communicating with others on the road and following the rules are the most important factors in riding safely.

Tobie Depauw, manager of North Central Cyclery, Inc., 534 E. Lincoln Highway, encourages all cyclists to be defensive.

“Always know where you should be,” he said. “You should also know your rights as a cyclist.”

Barsotti also said people who refuse to wear a helmet should be less conscious of how they look.

“Your brain is worth protecting,” Barsotti said. “Even if you think you’re as good on a bike as Lance [Armstrong], stuff happens. Be ready.”

DePauw also encourages all cyclists to wear helmets.

Helmets allow cyclists to be more confident in their cycling abilities, DePauw said.

The LIB Web site offers safety tips for three of the most common scenarios cyclists encounter.

The first is lane positioning. A cyclist should always ride on the right with the flow of traffic in a straight line. Cyclists should also not be too close to the road’s edge. There should be enough room for a cyclist to avoid any road hazards without veering into traffic.

Second is intersection positioning. The most important thing is to avoid cutting off or being cut off by a car. At intersections without turn lanes, a cyclist should be to the left of the lane when turning left, middle when going straight and remain in the right to turn right. If there are turn lanes, a cyclist should ride in the right side of their lane.

The third is sidewalk bicycling. Due to intersection conflicts and visibility problems, sidewalk cycling can be more dangerous than road cycling, according to LIB’s safe tip page. When riding on the sidewalk, cyclists should remain visible and assume they have not been seen.

Barsotti said more people would be aware of bicycle safety if it were taught as part of regular school curriculum.

“For many, it’s learning with Dad how to pedal and balance, then maybe an obstacle course, but that’s it,” Barsotti said. “[Cycling safety] would be a better use of some of our kids’ PE class time.”

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