Quote Originally Posted by Torrilin View Post

One thing on the lights that may or may not be obvious. Just like on a car, they're not just there so you can see. They're also there so other people can see *you*. I figure if it's a bit rainy or a bit foggy, my bike lights should be on. Visible is good. Batteries are cheap. My life isn't.

Oh, hadn't thought about it from that perspective. Any lighting systems that are better than others?

I would like a rearview mirror (or two), a horn, and a bell as tools for riding in traffic. The mirror is the biggie, cause I'm finding I have a hard time looking over my shoulder far enough while maintaining a good line on the road. Horn for communicating with cars. "Hey, dude! No crashing into the bike!" Bell for communicating with pedestrians. "Look behind you!" I'm doing bike == car tho, and you might not be.

A woman at one of the bike shops told my husband she would ride around with a whistle in her mouth. It got the attention of drivers better for her than a horn. Sounded like an interesting concept.

If you're scared of falling, go practice with a spotter or two. Find a big grassy field or an *empty* parking lot and just take some falls. A quiet cul-de-sac works well too. Try stopping too hard. Try swerving. Turn too tight. Do everything you can think of to lose your seat. Make sure you wear suitable clothes, like sturdy pants with good leg coverage and a long sleeved shirt. Wear your helmet. Wear gloves if you have them. Take breaks if you're scaring yourself silly. Eventually, the falls will stop being scary tho and you'll have learned how to fall.

Well, I live on a nice quiet cul de sac, and I can see the value in doing what you describe, but it made my ankle with the plate and six screws start aching ... just thinking about falling on purpose. I was such a clutz as a kid, my family nicknamed me "grace".

The other benefit to falling practice is you end up with a much better idea of your limits, and much better balance. You really really really don't want your first fall to happen by accident. It's a good way to get hurt.
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