Welcome to our e Bike safety guide, in this post we will go a little deeper into the safety aspects of e Bikes. we will do our best not to overwhelm you, but there may seem to be a lot of information. The idea of this guide is to give new and novice users a basic understanding of e bike safety.
The first and most important thing is picking the right e Bike to begin with. It’s important to pick an e Bike that matches your skill level, your first e Bike should not be some three thousand dollar super fast e Bike.
You should feel comfortable sitting on it, your feet should comfortably reach the ground while sitting on the bike. When you pick your e Bike you should feel confident that you are able to control it. It’s also important to check with local laws and make sure that it’s legal to operate it where you live. Normally I wold not suggest that you should have to do that, the legal responsibility lies with the retailer to ensure that the product can be sold in that region. I only bring this up because in my area the stores are selling those two wheeled kick scooters that you see people riding unfortunately they are not legal in Toronto.
After buying you new e Bike you might be tempted to just hop on and start riding, that’s not a good idea. You should always take ten to fifteen minutes to familiarize your self with the controls of the bike. You don’t want to looking to find the horn when a truck is slowly cutting you off, or the turn signal when you are trying to merge with traffic at thirty five kilometers an hour. Take as much time as needed to feel comfortable and understand the controls.
In our video we touch on the basic safety gear like helmet, eye protection, and hand protection. These are just the bare minimum, and you should also ware a reflective vest if you plan to drive at night. Always make sure that your shoes are tied tight, and keep your feet on the foot pegs. I don’t know why I see so many people riding with their legs outstretched and not on the pegs, this is dangerous please don’t do this.
Now that you have your new e Bike and have all the safety gear, what can you expect on the road ? Expect that cars and pedestrians will misjudge your higher speed compared to a standard bicycle. With my own children I would always tell then “ride like they are trying to kill you” but what I should have been telling them was ride like they don’t see you. After years and years of riding on the streets of Toronto and reading about accidents they almost always say “I didn't see them”
Get used to giving the bike a quick inspection before your ride. You can look over a bike in no more than a minute, check the tires, make sure that there are no lose cables, and the battery is secured. Check the handlebar and stem, make sure your mirrors are adjusted and your lights work. If you get used to giving your bike a once over, you can save yourself a problems in the future.
Obey Traffic Laws: Stop fully at red lights and stop signs, ride in the same direction as traffic, and use signals before turning. Stay off pedestrian sidewalks, and slow down significantly near pedestrians or shared paths. Be mindful of the rules of the road and ride defensively.
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