June 2010 President’s Letter

The Kalamazoo Bicycle Club ride season is fully underway. From my own observations, the rides are very well attended. Bike Camp has been very successful and there are more than 30 new KBC members from that source. Plans for KalTour, including some new routing, are well underway. The final touches are being applied to the BTR race.

The success of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club's activities depends on volunteers. The large size of the groups on the weekday rides probably means that additional ride leaders are needed so that some of the largest groups can be divided into smaller groups. The KBC will need to accommodate new members from both Bike Camp and from other sources and we will need ride leaders willing to work with new members who may not initially feel comfortable with "lycra clad" old timers. KalTour needs volunteers to paint the route, to staff the rest stops, to drive SAG, and to assist with registration. The BTR race needs volunteers to assist with set up, registration, course marshalling, and clean up.

In short, the KBC needs you. Most activities for volunteers do not interfere with riding. Some of the activities are non-bicycling, but do not take an entire day to perform. All of the activities are essential to making the experience of the participants positive. Please consider volunteering on a KBC activity. The date for KalTour is July 11. The date for the BTR race is July 17.

One of the benefits of membership in the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club is a discount on Adventure Cycling materials. Adventure Cycling produces bicycle specific maps for numerous routes around the United States. Many of you know that Doug and Kathy Kirk recently completed a cross country bicycling trip from California to Florida: they used Adventure Cycling maps. Doug reported that the maps were very well done. If you are planning a bicycling trip and Adventure Cycling has mapped routes in Michigan, please take advantage of this membership perk.

Adventure Cycling is also mapping a route from New Buffalo to Mackinaw City. You may wish to participate by providing information on potential routes.

I wish to congratulate the City of Portage on being named a Bicycle Friendly City. I also want to recognize Chris Barnes for his tireless work on this project.

Mike Boersma, KBC President

Next KBC Monthly Meeting - June 8, 2010

The next KBC Monthly Meeting will take place at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at the Kalamazoo YMCA on Maple Street. All KBC members are welcome to attend.

2010 Tuesday Night Time Trial Series

The 2010 Tuesday Night Time Trial series has begun. This a marked and measured 10 mile time trial that is held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month through August at the Pavilion Township Hall at the corner of 29th Street and Q Avenue. (Note that the Township officials have asked us to park our cars on the south side of the parking lot, close to the Township building.)

The sign-up is at 6:15 P.M. and racing begins at 6:30 P.M. Helmets are required and you must be a KBC member to participate. All levels of riders are welcome to participate; you don't have to be a member of a racing team.

The series has begun in a rather low key fashion this year with no designated person in charge, so far. Doug and Kathy Kirk ran the first event on May 18 and Rick Whaley ran the second event on June 1. Even though the turnout has been small, it has been enthusiastic. So, come out and join us, either to race or to help run the event.

Rick Whaley

Share Your Passion for Cycling with Others!

Volunteering at bicycle related events is a great way to share your love and passion for the sport. KBC sponsors a number of great events throughout the year, including Bike Camp, KalTour, and the BTR Race, and I encourage all members to get involved with these events. There are also bike related events sponsored by other organizations in the area that really need the assistance from those who love the sport and have the knowledge to share. Below are two such events that are looking for volunteers from KBC:

1. Portage YMCA Kids Triathlon, Friday, July 23 starting at 5:30 P.M. at the Portage YMCA. The YMCA is looking for 12-14 volunteers from KBC to help oversee the bike portion of the triathlon. Volunteers would be posted at driveways and intersections and a few would be on their bikes along the course. We helped at this event last year and had a great time!
2. Safe Kids 2010 Bike Rodeo, Tuesday August 3 from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. at Loy Norrix High School. Looking for volunteers to help with registration, course supervising, helmet fit, bike checks, and more. This event is for kids ages 5-12 years old from the Kalamazoo and Portage areas. Many volunteers are needed to put on this event successfully.

Volunteering at KBC and other area bicycle events is extremely rewarding, as it provides the opportunity to share your cycling knowledge with others, meet people with similar interests, and have fun helping others. KBC has close to 300 members, we can make a difference! If you are interested in helping at either of the above events or have questions, please e-mail me at rmitchell@arienne.com. We look forward to a great KBC turnout! Thank you and safe cycling!

KALTOUR 2010 – Ride and Help Out!

Brochures have been mailed to KBC members and additional ones are available in area bike shops.

Sign up by mail or online by July 1 to take advantage of your early registration and KBC member discounts: preregistration for KBC members is only $15 for individuals (day-of-ride price is $25 for everyone).

Road Painting: Tuesday, June 29 at 6:00 P.M. Meet at the KVCC parking lot (southwest corner, near the tennis courts). Wear old clothes. (Rain date for road painting: Thursday, July 1).

Ride Date (Sunday July 11): We can use your help for a couple of hours (or longer).

Setup begins at KVCC at 6:30 A.M. and registration opens at 7:00 A.M. This is an opportunity for those who would like to join the 9:00 A.M. or the 9:30 A.M moderate pace ride. We also need people to serve watermelon back at KVCC after the ride so if you want to ride early and finish around noon, we can use you. If you plan on finishing later in the afternoon, we can use help at the end of the ride to clean up, pack up our supplies and the leftover food.

The AMBUCS group will be at the Briar Patch SAG but we can always use people at the Timber Ridge SAG in the morning or the Lawton SAG in the afternoon.

If you can help with any of the above, please contact Mike Krischer at kaltour@kalamazoobicycleclub.org or call 323-2014 (afternoons or evenings).

Mike Krischer, KalTour Co-Director

Biking for the Health of it

The Kalamazoo Bicycle Club is approaching its fortieth year anniversary and we have about 275 members of which up to 75 were the result of participating in Bike Camp or a "freebie" membership with a bike purchase from a local bike dealer. In a county with close to 300,000 residents the membership potential is astronomical. This fact stimulates my "bigger is better" imagination as to the value of two or three thousand members as a KBC possibility. This could include other towns as KBC branches.

Here are a few of suggestions:

Cultivate Kalamazoo County middle through high school students with free information programs regarding safety laws, rules and regulation governing biking, plus classes on pairing/maintaining your bike. Encourage high school students to bike to school.

Encourage kids to continue biking after graduation and enjoy the benefits of biking, such as the social aspect, health advantage, and economic value.

For mature people, suggest a comprehensive bike training program that will give them the confidence to bike the highways and byways without being intimidated by vehicular traffic. Emphasize the social, health, and economic value of biking as a genuine benefit.

Senior citizens need an extra measure of encouragement to embark on a program of beneficial exercise. Biking could be the type of activity that appeals to a large number of senior citizens who otherwise might be inclined to sit in a chair and vegetate. Just the health benefits alone should be all the incentive we need to motivate seniors and if successful it could dramatically impact their health care costs.

So what can we do? We can start by spreading the KBC word at schools, churches, clubs, workplace, neighborhoods, fairs, PR releases etc. Just the health benefits alone should be enough to inspire you to be an active participant in a program that would result in better health at lower cost for everyone involved.

Here is what you can do now. Plan to attend the monthly KBC meetings at the Maple St. YMCA on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 P.M. Prepare and bring your ideas, suggestions, plans or concepts to the next meeting. KBC has a lot to offer this community and your input is important. Past monthly meetings of 8 to 15 attendees out of 275 members doesn't cut it! Let's show the community that we mean business with a meeting turnout representative of our 275 membership.

Victor Van Fleet, Safety and Education Committee Chair

Monthly Meeting Minutes

The Kalamazoo Bicycle Club's monthly meeting took place on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at the YMCA on Maple Street in Kalamazoo. In attendance were, Mike Boersma, Rick Whaley, Kevin Coultos, Dick Nirvala, Tom Keizer, Mike Krischer, Victor Van Fleet, Doug Kirk, and Mickie Dould. The meeting was called to order at 7:05 P.M.

Mike welcomed everyone to the meeting and Tom gave the Treasurer's Report. KBC received $3202 during the month and spent $1177. There is $3693 in the checking account and $11036 in the Club's CD.

Mike K. reported that the brochures for the KalTour have been printed and distributed to bike shops. The road painting will take place on Tuesday, June 29, starting at 6:00 P.M. at the KVCC parking lot, and the rain date will be July 1.

The draft of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Ordinance was briefly discussed. This includes guidance for bicycle parking, including the extent of parking and where the parking will be located. Doug stated that he was curious to know what Kalamazoo had used as a template for this ordinance. Zolton has gotten some comments about this ordinance and they will be summarized in a future issue of the Pedal Press.

Funding for the Open Roads Bike Program by KBC is still being investigated. Victor stated that he thought that funding from KBC should be focused more on adults.

With regard to new business, Doug asked about the status of the KBC Time Trials and it was noted that the series has not been organized yet this year. Doug indicated that he will help get the series started. Victor noted that a cooperative effort by KBC with other organizations could yield benefits to all and that we should look into making these efforts. Mike B. noted that our work with AMBUCS is a good example of this sort of activity. Doug then regaled the meeting attendees with tales about the cross-country bicycle trip that Kathy and he had completed in late April.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:03 P.M.

Rick Whaley for Bill Figeley, Secretary

Masthead

The electronically-distributed KBC PedalPress comes out on or around the first of each month.

If you have an article or a notice that you want to go into the PedalPress, please email it to the newsletter editor, fswhaley@comcast.net by the 20th of the month before its intended publication.

For example, if you'd like an article to be published in the July edition (distributed on or around the first of July), have it to the newsletter editor by the 20th of June.

KBC Statistics

Active subscriptions: 281

New members:
Safina Aman · Alamgir Chondhary · Allysha Chondhary · Galib Chondhary · Andrew DeHaan · Grace DeHaan · Greg DeHaan · Jeanette Field · Becky Godin · Kathy Godin · Gillian Gonda · Jeff Hofpar · Paige Hofpar · Andy Knibloe · Bill McKinney · Pat McKinney · Julie Peterson · Kevin Philion · Leslie Scheffers · Nathan Sotherland · Pam Sotherland · Paul Sotherland · Peter Sotherland · Patric VanSlambrouck

June Expiring memberships:
Letitia Bates · Jim Bodine · Susan Bond · Anthony Boyle · Katherine Brennan · Fred Buehler · Kevin Cleary · Michael Daniels · Julie Daniels · Dave Dimcheff · Eric Dudek · Claire Dulin · Amy Elman · Angela Erdman Family · Gary & Terri Feldt · Lisa Hardy · Bruce Johnson · Tracey Jones · Brenda Kiefer · Darryl Loiacano · Jason Marks · Paul Marquardt Family · Marguerite Mosher · Jason Nicolai · Kristopher Ouvry · Donn Raseman · Nicole Reb · Roy Richardson · Joel Servais · Molly Sherrard · Walter Smolenski · Elaine VanBelleghem · Liz VanderSloot · Keith & Kristine Wilkinson · Jason Young · Robert Zick

Renewed memberships:
Paul Banner · Paul & Anne Pancella · John & Teri Olbrot Family · Nicholas Bishop · Beverly Kluzak · Hendrik de Vries · John Wunderlin · Charles Mock · Mark Ackley · Flint Wiles · J Mike Jacobs · Thomas Belliotti · Robert Engelter · Wayne & Susan Stoffer Family

Paul Bruneau, KBC Database Manager

June Ride Captain's Report

The Monday and Wednesday ride turnout has been fantastic. The "B" ride needs to be split into two smaller groups when it is too large for one group. They will be called the "B+" and "B-" rides.

The Monday "least fast" group requested that they be named and addressed specifically before the ride. They are named the Lanterne Rouge, in honor of the name given to the last place finisher of the Tour de France. Ad-hoc ride leaders will be assigned at ride-time.

The Wednesday rides are flowing smoothly. The HammerFest goes first at 6:00 P.M. with the "B" ride following at 6:15 P.M.

The Friday ride has had a slower pace this year (Editor's Note: Not always.) than in past years, due to the urging of several of the riders.

There have been zero crashes on Club rides this year that I am aware. I will be instituting a new policy of asking that any crashes be reported to me with some input regarding the cause of the crash. I will assume prudent and mature objectivity is employed by those reporting crashes. I intend to use crash reports to support safety instruction and policy, and nothing more.

I have been receiving many e-mail requests for our slower rides, so this seems indicative of a broader set of abilities throughout the Club. There is new pavement at Kal-Haven trailhead. (Yay!) The ride start times added to web page - many thanks from Club riders.

Bill Figely, KBC Ride Captain

Editor’s Letter –The Code of the Yakuza

Based on four events that took place over a five day period last month, if someone were foolish enough to ask me to design a college entrance examination, one of my questions would be as follows:
Q) What do the following items have in common? The Tour of California, The Ride of Silence, Floyd Landis's e-mails, and my birthday.

A) Bicycle riding
B) Energy gel
C) Blood
D) Japanese mobsters

If you answered "A," you would be technically correct, but such an answer displays an extraordinary lack of imagination and would mark you as someone of questionable college material. However, you still might be able to have a rewarding career writing Hollywood movie sequel scripts.

If you answered "B," I should point out that I prefer frosting on my birthday cake.

If you answered "C," remind me to never attend one of your birthday parties.

If you answered "D," congratulations, you are correct. Read on, and eventually find out why.

Last month, I watched each stage of the Tour of California on Versus. More accurately, I taped the Tour of California that was being shown from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M during the weekdays and I'd watch it later that evening at my leisure. I'd set the timer to tape for several minutes past 7:00, just in case the race took longer than expected. So, as I was watching my tape of Stage 3, I realized that the race might not finish by 7:00, and that it might not even finish before my recording finished. However, it turned out that I was spared the disappointment of not being able to watch the finish of the race on my tape. This was replaced by the disappointment of reading the message that began crawling across the bottom of the screen, announcing that the coverage of the race would stop at 7:00 in order to begin the broadcast of an NHL playoff game, and that the finish of the race would be shown at the Tour's website. Phil Leggett and Paul Sherwin also confirmed that they would be going off the air at 7:00, and, sure enough, they did with the finish line less than one mile away from the 3 leaders, who, perhaps not so coincidentally were the 3 favorites in the race.

So, what to do now? I couldn't go to the Tour's website to watch the finish, since the race had already been completed, although I could stay up and watch the rebroadcast of the stage, which started at midnight. However, the idea of chugging a six-pack of Mountain Dew in order to stay awake and vibrating in my reclining chair as if it actually had a magic fingers button, was not appealing. So, I decided to tape the rebroadcast and watch the finish the next morning before going to work. Now you may suppose that I had a restless night's sleep, tormented by the thought of who would win, but I didn't. I slept soundly, and then watched Dave Zabriske sprint his way to victory about 12 hours after his actual victory.

Still, I have to wonder why in the world Versus couldn't have shown the finish. It would have taken 3 minutes at most to have shown it and what would we have missed from the NHL pre-game show? A report that Jean Pierre Highstick lost another tooth the previous evening because he wasn't able to tag his tag team fighting partner in time? What a wonderful sense of priorities Versus had.

The Ride of Silence took place the next evening. This ride, as many of you know, honors those who have been killed by motor vehicles while riding a bicycle. It is supposed to be a somber affair with the riders riding slowly in procession and in silence. The ride was created in honor of a prominent ultra marathon cyclist who died after being hit by the mirror of a bus while riding. As a member of the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association, I've noticed over the years that a surprisingly large number of accomplished ultra marathon cyclists have died while riding, which might come with the territory when a person is riding 15,000 to 20,000 miles per year, but it still doesn't make it any less depressing. As a result, I take this ride seriously, but, as I discovered, there are those who, apparently, do not.

Soon after the start of the ride, there was the occasional chit-chat which I assumed would die down as the ride proceeded, but I was wrong. The two riders behind me began a steady and rather loud conversation. I thought about saying something early on, but telling someone to be quiet at a Ride of Silence is the oxymoronic equivalent of typing "This page is intentionally left blank" on an otherwise blank sheet of paper, so I decided to hold my tongue. In retrospect, this was a mistake, as their conversion turned out to be endless. So, I found my somber thoughts turning to thoughts of creating a little vehicular mayhem of my own, involving the use of a frame pump and a roll of athletic tape that I keep in my seat pack. The ride finally became a ride of silence, when the more garrulous of the two turned off course and headed for home about a mile from the finish, yes, why actually finish the ride. Now, I realize that the word "silence" is a big two syllable word, but what part of the concept of a ride of silence did they not understand? What a wonderful sense of honoring the dead those two riders had.

The next day, I learned about the e-mails that Floyd Landis had sent in which he confessed his use of performance enhancing drugs during his career and implicated Lance Armstrong and a few other riders in the process. Interestingly enough, he never confessed to using testosterone during the 2006 Tour de France, the activity that got him suspended, which is sort of like being accused of robbing a liquor store, denying it, and then, several years later, confessing to participating in a multi-state killing spree while fingering several accomplices.

Now, Lance and other accused riders may be guilty or they may be innocent, and I can speculate about this just as well as the next person. But I find that my speculation is of a more general nature, which is why someone would use PEDs in the first place? The obvious answers are for fame and wealth or just to be able to compete with other competitors who might be doing the same. But do the PED takers ever take into consideration the ways in which they have cheated their competitors who have resisted the urge to take PEDs? Do they ever realize that they have ultimately cheated themselves? One of the beauties of endurance sports is being able to test yourself and to find out just how far that combination of genetics, training, and, sometimes, plain old good luck can take you. From my past days as a not-so-spectacular distance runner and my somewhat current days as a not-so-spectacular ultra marathon cyclist, my personal records and accomplishments are nothing to shout about. But I know that they are all mine. The PED takers will never have that knowledge. What a wonderful sense of honoring their sport the PED takers have.

The following Saturday was my 58th birthday. And how does one celebrate this sort of a not-exactly-milestone birthday? Well, if you're like me, you go on a bicycle ride that covers as many roads with the number 58 in them as possible. Since the highest numbered road in Kalamazoo County is 48th Street, my route led me to Van Buren County, where I rode on 58th Avenue between Mattawan and Paw Paw, on 58th Street west of Lawrence for a few miles, and on CR 358 from northwest of Decatur through Lawton and to the Kalamazoo County line. Unfortunately, given Van Buren County's whimsical way of giving roads two names, 58th Avenue is also known as CR 364 and 58th Street is also known as CR 681, which is how they were actually indicated on the road signs. However, I'm happy to report that CR 358 was indeed marked as CR 358.

The only thing that would have made this ride even more special is if it had been 58 miles long, but I knew that it would be longer than that. About midway through the ride, I estimated that it would actually be between 70 and 75 miles, and after some quick calculations on my part, I realized that 72 is the base 8 equivalent of 58. So, making the ride a 72 miler became another objective, and as it turned out, my ride did indeed end up being 72 miles. Ah, the end of an almost perfect ride.

This finally brings me to the topic of Japanese mobsters, i.e., Yakuzas, the heavily tattooed members of organized crime syndicates in Japan. When a Yakuza has offended his boss, a form of apology for his transgression is for him to cut off part of his little finger. Enough transgressions and a Yakuza will wind up walking around with two missing little fingers, and next thing you know, he's counting in base 8. Now, imagine a world that honors the code of the Yakuza. I think I know of some Versus executives and cyclists in need of making at least one, if not several, apologies.

So, if you see me doing the Ride of Silence next year with a few Japanese riders wearing Kalamazoo Bicycle Club jersey tattoos, I'd think twice about talking if I were you. But if you must, be sure to wish me a happy 73rd birthday.

Rick Whaley, KBC Newsletter Editor

Some Upcoming Area Rides of Interest

Saturday, June 5. 100 Grand, Grand Rapids, MI. 17, 35, 64, and 100 miles. www.lmb.org/rapidwheels/100_Grand/100grand_ride.htm.

Saturday, June 5. Southeast Michigan Tour de Cure, Brighton, MI. 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 miles (road) and 5, 9, and 14 (mountain). http://main.diabetes.org/southeastMItourdecure.

Saturday and Sunday, June 19 and 20, National 24–Hour Challenge, Middleville, MI. The name says it all. See how far you can ride a bicycle in 24 hours. www.n24hc.org.

Saturday, July 10, One Helluva Ride, Chelsea, MI. 15, 39, 63, 76, and 100 miles. www.aabts.org.

Sunday, July 11, KalTour, Kalamazoo, MI. 12, 15, 31, 62, and 100 miles. It goes without saying that this is a ride that KBC members should support, either by riding or volunteering. www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org.

Saturday, July 17, Holland Hundred, Holland, MI. 18, 36, 67, and 100 miles. www.macatawacyclingclub.org/hollandhundred.

Thursday through Sunday, July 22–25, 2010. The 23rd Wish–A–Mile 300 Bicycle Tour. 3 day, 300 mile tour from Traverse City to Chelsea, MI. One day 50 mile ride, also. www.wishamile.org.

Wednesday through Sunday, September 1–5. 40th Annual Dick Allen Lansing to Mackinaw (DALMAC) Bicycle Tour. Five rides over 4 or 5 days, ranging from 286 and 508 miles. Registration has begun and all rides except for the Quint Century (instead of the Quad Century this year) fill up quickly. www.DALMAC.org.

Sunday, September 12, 2010. Vineyard Classic, Paw Paw, MI. 22, 39, and 60 miles. www.wineandharvestfestival.com.

Classified Ads

RELIV Nutritional Shakes, they are great! For more info contact Mike @ 269-350-5010, 269–266–2671, or cmock88@att.net Independent Distributor.

Several items for sale. Ultegra 10-speed Crankset 53/39 175 mm ($125). Good condition. 105 10–speed crankset 53/39 172.5 mm ($100), very good condition. Burley delight trailer for two, about six years old – very good condition, the hitch attaches to the rear stays ($200). Slingshot cyclo–cross bike – Origin–8 carbon fork, 105 components, race face compact crank, sun/ringlet flea wheelset. 56 centimeters, not typical slingshot set up; standard frame can be seen on the slingshot website ($1200). Call Jeff Robertson at 269–924–8928.

For Sale: Trek Fluid CycleOps trainer, bought last winter, used once, includes climbing block. $140. Please contact Doug Weldon at (269) 372-0758.

Saris trunk mount bicycle rack. One year old and in fine shape. Paid $125 for it and asking $60 for it, Contact John Idema at blumdom98@charter.net or 342–2263.

For Sale: 2009 Trek 7.6FX hybrid road bike, 57cm frame, ridden 550 miles. Aluminum frame, carbon fiber fork and seat post, 700 x 28c wheels, 50–39–30 triple, 11–26 (9 speed) rear cassette. Welgo clipless SPD pedals. Includes Bontrager Interchange rear rack, expandable rack bag and bar ends. Asking $875. Call Mike at 269–365–8425.

Shop Notes

Alfred E Bike

320 East Michigan, Kalamazoo, (269) 349–9423
www.aebike.com

Billy's Bike Shop

63 East Battle Creek Street, Galesburg, (269) 665–5202 www.billysbikeshop.com

Breakaway Bicycles

185 Romence at Westnedge, Portage, (269) 324–5555,
www.breakawaybicycles.com
Trek Factory Demo Day, Thursday, June 10, from 2:00 – 7:00 P.M. at Breakaway Bicycles in Portage. Come to Breakaway with your riding duds and Test the Best!

Custer Cyclery

104 North Augusta, Augusta, (269) 731–3492
www.custercyclery.com

Gazelle Sports

214 South Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, (269) 342–5996,
www.Gazellesports.com
Okay, so it doesn't involve spokes, chains or pedals, but World Cup soccer can be almost as exciting as the cookie sprint at Grattan. (Alright. Maybe it's a tad more exciting than that.) Well, World Cup 2010 starts soon! Check out Gazelle Sports' selection of World Cup gear, including customized replica jerseys. Wear your favorite player's colors, number, and name!

Team Active

22 W Michigan, Battle Creek, 1–800–841–9494
www.teamactive.com

Village Cyclery

US 131 in Schoolcraft, 679–4242
www.villagecyclery.com

Zoo City Cycle & Sports

4328 South Westnedge, Kalamazoo (269) 552–3000
www.zoocitycycle.com

Bicycling Safety Disclaimer

Important: Riding a bicycle is an inherently dangerous activity. There are risks of injury or death. You could ride over something and fall, or get hit by an automobile or strike or be struck by another bicyclist. There are many other dangers to bicycling as well.

While nothing can eliminate all risks associating with bicycle riding, to minimize the danger, make sure you and your bicycle are in good riding condition. Know the rules of the road and also of the group you're riding with, and ride in a manner consistent with the protocols of that group. Always wear a bike helmet, use bike lights if riding in the dawn, dusk or dark, and consider purchasing and riding with additional safety equipment such as reflectors and rear view mirrors.