The Ultimate E Bike Safety Guide - Ride an Electric Bicycle Safely, Everything You Need to Know

The ultimate e-bike safety guide.

Hey everyone, I'm Dustin. I have nearly 20 years of experience in the bike and e-bike industry, and today I'm joined by Jennifer. Jennifer is an expert in e-bike safety. She's put together her curriculum to educate kids and adults on e-bike safety. And she's put on many, many, over 80 courses, sometimes of over 100 students, all to learn about e-bike safety. Today, we're going to give you her e-bike safety information and end with a test of the most important 20 questions everyone should be able to answer if riding an electric bike.

Dustin: All right, Jennifer, thanks for joining us today to make this video. Now, before we get into going through all of your materials, tell me a little bit about how you put this all together. Where'd you pull the information from to get this e-bike safety course together?

Jennifer: So the first place I hit the internet, right? There wasn't a lot of information out there and it wasn't super easy to find either. It took me probably a few weeks of research to do it. And I did finally come across the Bike Coalition of San Diego. They do large van rides and not just e-bikes, but bikes in general, because it is important to remember that a regular bicycle can go just as fast if you're going downhill. So they had a lot of information on their side. They sent me a bunch of packets, informational stuff. And then secondary was the DMV. So because a bike is a vehicle, you have to follow all the rules of the road. So the DMV touches on a ton of bicycle stuff, as well as driving vehicle stuff that we need to know as drivers and as operators of a bike.

Dustin: And you just pulled that all together then into your electric bike safety course.

Jennifer: I did.

Dustin: And you said you've done over 80 of these.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Dustin: And you do mostly kids, but adults too?

Jennifer: Yeah. So sometimes, well, actually, probably almost every class, I encourage the parents to stay with their kids. But I have had adults come just for themselves. And they look at me, and they're like, I had nothing. I have no idea. Like I learned so much and I've been driving for 20 years and I'm like, yeah, I'm like, sometimes maybe the pressure courses, you know, I'll be 40 this year. And I took my driving test when I was 16. So I'm sure there's stuff that people can brush up on.

Dustin: Well, you're going to have to take that written test again at some point. Okay. So we're just going to go through a bunch of the information in your packet. Kind of just cross over what you've deemed important. Then she's got 20 questions here at the end that I think are the 20 most important questions you should be able to answer as an e-bike rider. So, what if everything happens Faster? What is your organization?

Jennifer: It's just my little slogan for my classes and like I said, it's mainly geared towards kids who do not have their driver's license. I made little stickers for the kids and it says, you know, Everything Happens Faster. I took the bike class. Because it does, right? So if you're walking and you trip over something, you're gonna get hurt a little. If you're on a bike that's going 20 miles per hour, you're you're going to end up in the hospital if you fall off. So everything happens faster. And that's it. It's important to remember that.

Dustin: I like it. OK, so let's start with page one here. Car traveling at a speed of 20 miles an hour will take about 20 feet to stop once the driver has pushed the brake pedal. A vehicle going 40 miles an hour requires 80 feet of space to be covered before it ceases moving. So what are you trying to educate with this?

Jennifer: So when you are on a bike riding behind a vehicle because we can ride in the lane with cars, it's important to know how long it's going to take you to stop. And it's important to know how long it's going to take that car to stop. There's an amount of footage. It's all just science and math, but it's there. And if you know these things, even if you know just some of the math of it, it's going to help you because kids will get distracted, even us grownups can. That's why maybe a cell phone holder is important or however, you want to do it. But if you look down for a second, you see a car like, ah, and then your knowledge will kick in. You'll be like, I know I can stop. I'm okay. I got this. Or maybe I shouldn't. go a different way. So there's a science to it.

Dustin: Yeah. I think that's important on an e-bike, too, because when you can travel 20 miles an hour or faster, you want to be able to stop on your e-bike as well, too. OK, so you have another page here about riding at night. Always use a white headlight and a rear light. So obviously, you advocate for using lights. And that's it, just a front and a rear headlight or tail.

Jennifer: Well, yeah, so that's the minimum, in my opinion. 

And so because we are in fall now, it's getting darker earlier. On my bike, I have LED lights in my spoke, and my spoke's in the back, so when I ride, it looks pretty, but I'm also actually safe.

Dustin: And your advice to parents, you said in one of our other videos, is to light it up as much as you can.

Jennifer: Yeah, light it up. Look like a Christmas tree all the time. Even if it's dusk or dawn, it doesn't matter. Just be seen, and you'll be safe that way.

Dustin: Cool. Okay. Let's see. And then this just also says, as simple as ABC, quick check to ensure your bike is in good working order and make... your ride safer. So check your air, check your brakes, check your chain crank, cassette, quick release, and listen for any rubbing. So what do you generally teach about those five things right there?

Jennifer: So the most common thing I've been seeing as far as maintenance goes or deferred maintenance with a bike is the rotor. So if people don't know what the rotor is, it's actually on the outside or inside of this one. But it's a metal circular object.

Dustin: Oh, on the brakes?

Jennifer: Yeah, that's on the back. The rotor is the number one thing. Screws can come loose.

Dustin: Oh, OK.

Jennifer: Yeah. Your hub, which is the hub motor, rear hub motor, can become damaged severely. And then you have to buy a whole new thing. And that can get expensive. So the rotor is number one. Brakes, braking adjustments, probably number two. And then tire pressure is really important as well. 

Dustin: Yeah, I know with brakes, as you're brake pads, especially a lot of e-bikes, have disc brakes. As your brake pads start to wear down, the brakes become looser. So they need to be more commonly checked. That's something you teach them a lot.

Jennifer: Right. So I do teach the kids how to adjust their brakes all bikes are different. But the general concept of how to adjust a brake is the same. And yeah, the disc brakes I show so in my classes, I bring samples of what brakes look like. And the kids like, oh, they're so tiny i'm like yeah they're itty-bitty, maybe an inch and a half by an inch or so.

Dustin: The brake pads you're talking about.

Jennifer: Yeah, the brake pads themselves. But when they start to wear down, it doesn't necessarily mean you need a new set right away, but adjustments to the brakes do need to be made.

Dustin: Yep, yep, yep. And those, brake pads are cheap, right?

Jennifer: Super cheap. They're like 20 bucks. So you can get like, sometimes you can get like deals from your local like I always shop local if I can, shop small if I can always. But some places they'll do like four, which is like two full sets for like $22, which is amazing.

Dustin: Cool. All right, so on this next paperwork, we talk about locking, which isn't necessarily about riding. And we just made another video with Jennifer more specifically about locking. But you advocate for a lock that is about 10% to 15% of the value of the bike. 

Jennifer: Correct.

Dustin: And tell me about your lock and how you lock the bike a little bit.

Jennifer: So I have a Kryptonite lock. It is very, very heavy. It weighs close to 20 pounds. It does take a thief about four minutes with an electric saw to cut through it. The chances of a thief cruising around town with an electric saw and an outlet to plug it into is slim to none. But it's a good lock. It's heavy. It's not always fun to carry around in a backpack or the back of your bike. If you want to invest your, you know, maybe up to $3,000 investment, it's worth it.

Dustin: Yep. Yep. Cool. And you recommend also, right, we want to lock to the frame and the rear wheel. 

Don't ever just lock your front tire because they can take that tire off so easily and get away with the bike. Okay, now signaling. Always let others know when you're turning, changing lanes, or stopping. And so in here we've got our turn left, our slowing or stopping, our turning right, and also turning right. So I guess in this situation, if you're driving with your right hand, you're raising your left to turn right. So you teach them about signaling, and how to safely let all other cars and cyclists know.

Jennifer: Yeah. So you just want to be seen, right? I always let the kids know and grownups, that when you're coming up to a vehicle and you're in your bike lane, pull right up to the passenger side. Make eye contact. Smile at them. Just make yourself known. Make yourself seen. Because if you don't, the chances of an accident, go up. And then as far as the hand signals go, we know. We're older, right? We know how to do the whole out-the-window thing. This is right and all that stuff. I simplify it for the kids. This is left. This is right. Just keep it simple. But another thing to remember is bikes can be heavy. So if you're going to go remove your arm and you're going to go one-handed, make sure you know how to and you feel confident doing it. But because bikes are heavy, I always let them know, to put your hands towards the gravity. And that'll balance your bike center. So think the center of gravity is a little better. And that way, you'll be able to say, hey, driver, I'm going to the right. Or hey, driver, I'm going to leave.

Dustin: Cool. The other thing, too, is I can't vouch for the quality of it necessarily. But on Amazon, there are some turn signals I've seen that you can install on your bike or e-bike. So you could check those out also. And I mean, it'd be another thing to teach children about how to signal with the signal. But hands may be a simpler thing. But I like the point about, hey, you know, making sure you know how to drive with one hand. All right, now moving to the next page, we talk about scanning before changing lanes or turning, always look over your shoulder and up ahead, then signal your turn and make your move. And you had touched on mirrors. So that's probably another way I would assume you could use your mirror to check behind you. And this is something you teach kids about. And I'm assuming if they don't have a driver's license, they don't know, you know, scan forward, look back.

Jennifer: Right, and that's the thing we adults take for granted. We know it because we know it. It's second nature. Kids don't understand these things. They don't understand what a blind spot is. They don't know where to pull up to when they're next to a vehicle because they're invisible in a blind spot. We know, second nature, but they just don't understand. But mirrors are very, very important. I do urge them versus a child turning around. When we turn, it moves the weight of the bike, and you could fall or lose your balance. So I highly, recommend any type of rearview mirror. You don't need to. One does the job. I'm just fine.

Dustin: Cool. There are also cameras now, too. Rearview cameras on bikes. You can put a screen up here. That's another option as a way to see behind you if you want to do that. Let's see. Sharing the trail. So this is actually about trail riding. Just making sure to know the rules of the trail. Give a signal when passing. You know, it's a narrow trail. The trails are narrower, so you want to make sure you respect other riders on there. Okay, so riding on sidewalks. So... Talk to me about riding on sidewalks, what you know about it, what you teach people about it.

Jennifer: So you need to check with where you live. A lot of cities and states do not allow bikes on sidewalks, even a regular bike with no motor. The cities we live in, we're in Southern California. We have Dana Point, San Capistrano, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente. All these cities allow bikes on sidewalks. But in my opinion and the opinion of professionals, it's not safe and we just shouldn't do it. Cars are not doing it. We shouldn't be doing it either.

Dustin: Gotcha. And now this information here, is this pulled from the DMV or the San Diego Bike Coalition?

Jennifer: So that's the San Diego Bike Coalition. That is a packet that they have that they give out to their members that they have over there, and they were gracious enough to give me a copy.

Dustin: Okay, cool. So I'm just going to read what this says also. Riding on sidewalks. Riding on the sidewalk is dangerous, often illegal, and not recommended for adults. Motorists are not looking for you, especially if you're riding against the flow of traffic. If you must ride on the sidewalk for a short stretch, be sure to ride at a walking pace, which you've mentioned, like riding at the pace of pedestrians. Watch for pedestrians and yield to them at all times. Use extra caution at every driveway intersection and assume drivers aren't looking for you. So that makes sense. And ride at a walking pace, which makes sense also because you're on a pedestrian thing, which you've mentioned before.

Jennifer: And I always let kids know, that when you're on a trail or even a sidewalk, communicate. The old lady with her dog doesn't know you're coming, so you're going to let her know, hey, passing on your left. I'll smile and say it nice and loud. My son has an obnoxious horn on his bike, and it's wonderful because he doesn't have to shout and scream and, hey, I'm passing on your left. You can just beep, beep.

Dustin: Yeah. Great. OK, now on the next one, something you've mentioned before that I want you to touch on is to be predictable. So it says make your intentions clear to everyone on the road. Ride in a straight line and don't swerve between parked cars. Signal turns and check behind you well before making a turn or changing lanes. So can you elaborate more on being predictable what that means and what you shouldn't do to not make you unpredictable? 

Jennifer: Correct. So a few things I've noticed around our town here is A bike will be in a turn lane. So we're going to go left, right? So visualize yourself in the turn lane going left. Sometimes those lights don't turn. And I notice people get impatient, the bicycle riders. So there's weights in the ground. I don't know if people notice when you pull up to the lights. Sometimes their weight's censored. The light turns green. You're good to go. We, as on our bikes, we're not heavy enough to set off the sensors. So I'm noticing that people are coming out of that lane and going into the crosswalk. And they're just kind of, oh, I'm just going to be a pedestrian now. And I'm going to go this way and then I'm gonna get back into the bike lane. You can't do that because you're not predictable. That driver behind you is like looking at you like, what are you doing? You can't change behaviors and rules of the road and the laws are only gonna apply to you as a vehicle. They don't apply to you as a pedestrian because you're not on foot, you're on a bike.

Dustin: Okay. Yeah, one other thing we talked about too was talk about the edge behavior and the sidewalk in that scenario.

Jennifer: So there are three different behaviors that the DMV talks about on their website. It's edge behavior, which is bicycle lane, pedestrian behavior, which is a person walking on foot, and then road behavior. It's just your vehicle in a car lane. Don't intertwine. Do not smudge and whatever and all that because you are not predictable. The car behind you, the car in front of you doesn't know that you're going to go left if you're not supposed to be going that way. If it's a one-way road, don't go in the opposite direction.

Dustin: Makes sense. Makes sense. Although, definitely for some riders, their desire to be, you know, ambitious takes over and they start zigging in and out of different elements of the... Yeah, it becomes dangerous. Yeah. Okay, so some basic things here. Principles of traffic law. So in all 50 states, bicyclists are required to follow the same laws as other drivers in most circumstances. There are a few key principles that underpin all U.S. traffic laws. First come, first serve basis. Everyone on the road is entitled to the space they're using. If you want to use someone else's space, you must yield to whoever is using it. Ride on the right. Never ride against traffic that's pushed you into a position where drivers don't expect you to be. So if you're a cyclist out on the road, just remember you have to ride with traffic, not against traffic.

Jennifer: And that applies to sidewalks as well. If you are riding on the sidewalk, you must go in the same direction as the traffic. even if you're in the bike lane, sidewalk, or whatnot, it's all just one, just think one way, one way, one way.

Dustin: Interesting, okay, good to know. Yield to crossing traffic, that seems pretty obvious. Yield when changing lanes, should be pretty obvious. Speed positioning, the slowest vehicles on the road should be the furthest to the right. That's I think an important thing for cyclists is you wanna stay to the right if you're moving slower than the speed of traffic. Okay, let's see. Lane position. Some lanes are wide enough for a car and a bike to operate safely side by side. Ride a safe distance from the curb or park cards. Never ride in the gutter. When the lane is too narrow for sharing safely, ride in the middle. Now you've touched on that. So if you're a cyclist and there's not enough room for you to share the lane, go in the middle of the lane, which is safer than being pushed against the side. 

Jennifer: Yeah, you don't ever want to find yourself caught between a car and the curb.

Dustin: Got it.

Jennifer: It's just not it's never a good never a good scenario because that car is going to make a right, and they may not see you when you get some.

Dustin: Yeah, yeah that sounds bad. And then intersection positioning, when approaching the intersection always use the rightmost lane going in the direction you're riding.

Jennifer: And the reason for that, and a lot of people don't think until they get on a bike, it's very very important. So if two lanes are going to the left or the right, whichever direction you're going in, your next plan, and that's to plan your route, is to know where that bike lane is when you cross over. So the reason why you're on the outer right is because once you cross that open intersection, you're going to get yourself to the right back into that bike lane.

Dustin: Yep. Perfect. Yeah, beautiful. OK, let's see. So covered everything here. Now this is talking about when approaching an intersection with one lane, position yourself in the lane concerning your destination. So that's kind of what we just touched on. If you're going to go back into the bike lane, stay in the right lane so you can turn directly into it let's see. Okay. Now, one-way streets with two or more lanes. If a one-way street is two or more lanes wide, laws in most states allow you to ride on either side. When you make a left turn from a one-way street onto another one-way street, it's easiest to turn from the left. But that's interesting where you can be on either side in the situation of a one-lane road let's see. Okay, so, another thing that is fairly common sense, but striped and signaled bike lanes provide a dedicated space on the road for people on bikes. Treat the bike lane just the same as you would other travel lanes. Follow the same rules of the road. So, if there's a bike lane that exists. safest to take that bike lane.

Jennifer: Right. And that bit touches on us drivers. We know we see solid lines. Those lines end up breaking up into dots or I should say elongated. Our bike lane, the lanes that designate the bike lane will disappear and they will turn into those dots, which means the car is going to come over into your lane, and that Gentleman, he's going to make a right-hand turn in front of you. It's going to happen. So those lines, when they break up, it's an indicator to us as bike riders. All right. Proceed with caution. Someone's going to come in front of you or behind you.

Dustin: Got it. Okay. Good to know. Good to know. Okay. So riding outside the bike lane. Keep in mind that even if your community has a law requiring you to ride in the bike lane, there are usually exceptions, including passing another bike list, going around hazards, and making a left turn. So basically, this is just pointing out that if you have to leave the bike lane, be very cautious of when you're getting out of that lane, and what you're doing to be aware. And then this is another one you touched on in another video, the number one cause of accidents, which is riding in a bike lane and a door opens and hits you. And it says, to avoid the door zone. Leave at least three feet between you and parked cars, preferably more. Watch for people opening their doors. So if you're riding in a bike lane car parked here, you want to give yourself at least three feet between your body and the car to avoid that door from hitting you.

Jennifer: Most roads will allow that. Most roads have enough footage to do that something to be cautious of is to your left is going to be moving traffic. So you want to make sure that you have enough space. You're not too far to the left you're not too far to the right. There is a sweet spot, but just depends on the road that you're on.

Dustin: Yeah. And you made some other good points. Jennifer said if you're coming up on a lot of parked cars, check for movement in the car. If you can, look through the back you know back windshield also look for brake lights or anything that would indicate maybe somebody's coming out of that car just to give you some advance notice. I think that's a really good tip. Let's see. Okay, so a dashed bike lane is what you talked about, indicating traffic may cross your path, so be prepared for that if your bike lane is coming to an end. Okay, we talked about the edge behavior. Okay, let's see. So now we have some specific errors that cars do that could affect cyclists. And so as a person riding an e-bike, these are things we need to be aware of if you're going to be riding in a lane. So they've got something here called direct overtaking. Now, are you familiar with all these? I am. Do you want to explain all these in more detail?

Jennifer: So there's a lot of diagrams on here. As far as direct overtaking, that's you're moving at a normal speed of the vehicle that is with you. So some of our bikes can go up to 25, 28 is the max for a class 2. But that is just making sure that you are staying with the speed of traffic if it should allow. A lot of our roads around here, 30, 35 communities and whatnot. And then, so the second one would be a right hook. So as a driver, I know, I mean, my kids don't, because they don't have a driver's license, but a right hook is when a car comes and makes a right, it doesn't see you, and it clips you. So I don't know how well you can see that, but there's a lot of this stuff, and I'll send you some PDFs, and maybe you can post that as well.

Dustin: Sure, yeah.

Jennifer: But passing and the right hooks are the number one thing.

Dustin:  So basically, the car's going this way, you're going here on the bike, and it cuts you off, and you don't see.

Jennifer: Yeah, and then we can stop relatively fast. As far as the numbered one, two, and three accidents that are the most popular and common, that's not it. But it's a huge red light. Just be so careful. But there's a bunch like head-on, if you're going the wrong way, don't go the wrong way in traffic. Even if you're in a car, it's never a good idea. And then, as we mentioned earlier, opening the car door is... just the most, you're hospital-bound if you get hit if you run into someone's car door as they're opening. And then changing lanes, you gotta look out for that too. So any kind of lane changing, we should already be to the right anyway if there's a bike lane, and there's usually almost always a bike lane. But as far as cars changing lanes, we're small, they're big, they're gonna tap us, it's gonna happen. But those are the big ones.

Dustin: One thing I was just thinking of too, is if you are a cyclist and you're waiting at a red light, I would count to five before I go after that light turns green because if someone's running that red light and you're in a car, you have a lot more of a chance to survive that than you do as a cyclist. So I think it's really important, maybe let the car go first as well because that could act as a shield for you. I've seen a lot of accidents in San Clemente where kids get hit, someone runs a red light, or they come in and they roll through a red light, make a right turn and someone's going. Or if you have the green and the car's making a right on a green and they don't see you. So just things to be aware of, you have to have your awareness higher. Now some things it's got here in your diagram about bicyclist errors, which is rear-ending the motorist. so obviously pay attention, make sure you know how far you are behind the car, and don't look down at your cell phone. Lane changing, no lights at night, failure to yield at a stop sign or single which you signal which you said is the number one cause of accidents on e-bikes, and going against traffic. All right now let's go ahead and skip to your quiz that you give to the parents at the end of your educational course. So, what does a dashed bike lane stripe indicate?

Jennifer: Okay, so basically indicates the car is going to be merging into your bike lane and to be aware and perceive a caution.

Dustin: So we touched on that one. So basically the bike lane's ending more or less, right? When riding in the dark, how many lights do you need?

Jennifer: Minimum two, front and back. Your back should be red, your front should be white.

Dustin: I should try to answer this because I just reviewed it. And I was thinking to myself, okay, yeah, I know. Okay, when locking your bike, where do you attach the lock and what is it attached to? So we covered that, the frame and the rear wheel. Turning right requires what hand motion? I'm going to go like this or you could do this. 100 percent. When riding near pedestrians, how fast should you go at the speed of the pedestrian, right? Okay. Doing well. Being predictable means don't do edge behavior, sidewalk, back and forth, right? Keep it in one particular area. When riding in traffic lanes behind a car, where should your position be in the lane and why? Now that one I don't have complete clarity on. Maybe we skipped a few.

Jennifer: So there's a difference it depends on the scenario, but. For number one, if there is no bike lane, right, because that's where you're going to be, then you're going to be in the middle lane behind that vehicle. And why are you in the middle? Because you want to make sure that no one can pass you because it's dangerous. So you're going to be in the middle, right behind that car. And if you're cruising around with a friend, you guys are right side by side. So you're going to be the width of the vehicle. And that's if there's no bike lane available to you. OK. Bike lane, you're on the right, all the way over.

Dustin: Got it. Should I ride with or against traffic? You should ride in traffic. When riding in lanes, which side of the lane should I stay on? We just learned that one. Stay on the right side, or if you're in a one-way, You can be on the right or the left side. When turning left at a major intersection with two left turn lanes, which lane should I be in? You just mentioned that. Be in the right lane if there's going to be a bike lane at the end of the result of that. When should I pass a vehicle in its lane and why? Now, maybe you can touch on that one.

Jennifer: So you're rarely going to pass a vehicle because you're never going to outrun a car. So that's almost a trick question I threw in there for the kids. It's not a possibility. You are never going to pass a car unless it's broken down beside a road. You're not going to go fast.

Dustin: That's a good one. OK. When going straight to an intersection, what am I looking for?

Jennifer: So when you're going straight, you want to look for what's ahead of you, what's to the right and what's to the left. It's all about planning your route, being predictable, knowing where you're going, and what's ahead. Very simple.

Dustin: Cool. I like it. In 100 feet, you plan on turning left into a driveway. What is your plan to get across the lanes? Why don't you tell me?

Jennifer: So if you're planning to get across the lanes, if you're going to look right, you're going to look left. Now keep in mind, that some of these questions are geared more towards those 16 and under who don't know the rules. They're going to go left, right, left, right, left, right. Remember when you took a test, you got to do all of it? That's basically what I teach the kids to do. But I teach them to do it twice. Just keep looking, keep looking. 

Dustin: Cool. Good answer. Coming up on a multi-lane intersection, where are you to position yourself?

Jennifer: So if you're coming through an intersection, whether you're going left or right or straight, your bike lane is your best bet. I urge it completely. However, when you're coming up, you want to make sure if there are cars that are going to be going right, they're going to be coming in front of you. So do not push yourself up against that curb. Make sure you're in the center of your bike lane. It just keeps you a little safer, a little more wiggle room. If you're going left, you want to be in the center of that lane that you're turning. And then obviously at the end, get back into your bike lane. 

Dustin: OK. OK. Good. When approaching an intersection and you are straight and you are going straight through, and cars behind you are turning right on a red, where do you want to position yourself at red lights so cars can safely pass you?

Jennifer: So you want to be in, so it's almost repetitive a little bit to the other question, but you want to be in your lane. You don't want to be up against the curb. You want to be in the center, and the car will go around you.

Dustin: In the bike lane.

Jennifer: Exactly. So that's the most important part. The cars and people are understanding. E-bikes are amazing. Everybody loves them. They're just wonderful. They're going to go around you just fine. They know how to drive. Hopefully. And they're gonna take their way and you're just gonna stay right there and they'll go merrily.

Dustin: Just to touch on that, when I ride in the bike lane and I notice I'm at a lane where a lot of people are gonna turn right, I back up about five feet off the intersection curb just to give that car some space to know that they can turn around me. I don't know about me when I'm in a car and there's a cyclist far up on the road, it intimidates me to turn right. So as a cyclist, when I'm out there, I give them the space to let them do what they want. And then I'm also staying out of the way of their car completely. But yeah, I just want to make sure when I'm cycling, I'm not confusing that car also. I don't know if you've been in that situation where like, should I turn? Should I wait? Is he going? Is he stopping?

Jennifer: Yeah. And I communicate. I've had several interactions with kids. They don't know that I'm the e-bike lady, you know, but I'll give them a flash of the brights. I'll let them, that's my way of communicating with them. Like, hey, go, you're good to go. I'm always going to give that kid the right of way, no matter what, just because of my passion, you know, for the riding. Yeah. But they usually wave-like, oh, that lady was nice. You're good. Go, go, go. You're good. They're like, OK. And they wave. And but that's it. The communication, eye contact. It's we're all one big community, whether we're here or across, you know, the country. It's it's it's important to communicate.

Dustin: Yeah. Yeah. OK, let's see. Is it safe to wait in the crosswalk with a foot on the curb at a red light? Why?

Jennifer: Never, never, ever, ever do you want your foot on a curb because you're just asking to be squished.

Dustin: Okay, good to know.

Jennifer: You don't see the driver of that car with his door open hanging out like that. You don't do it either.

Dustin: Okay, fair enough. Riding along parked cars, what should you look for? We touched on this, which is doors opening. Give yourself three feet so no one's coming out. When a car is traveling at a speed of 20 miles an hour, how many feet will it need to come to a complete stop? How many feet does a car need to stop if it's traveling at 40? So that was in our first one. I don't remember. You probably remember.

Jennifer: So 20 is 10 feet, and 40 is 20.

Dustin: Got it.

Jennifer: So just half and half, it's easier.

Dustin: Got it. When riding, what and where should your eyes be focused? I would just say up, scanning on the road. When riding in a bike line, should you ride side by side with another rider or in a single file? What's your take on that?

Jennifer: So bike lane single file, unless it permits it, but I have yet to see bike lanes that are wide enough for two side by side. The only time you should ride side by side is when you're in a vehicle lane, you take up the width of the lane.

Dustin: Now, that's a good one. And if you like to ride with a partner and communicate, there are options to maybe even have headsets. I've seen riders do it. There are also mirrors or rear cameras. If you want to keep an eye on one another, that's also an option. But yeah, trying to cram two people side by side in narrow bike lines is not a good idea, especially for kids. You could hit a rock, you could bump into each other, and you could cause an accident. I like that one going single-file.

All right, so we just ran through most of the information and covered the questions. That's a great e-bike safety course. If you want to check out more information about this and some contact info for Jennifer, you can find it in the description below. You can also leave some comments, if you have any other questions or thoughts, reach out to us here at sixthreezero, theteam@sixthreezero.com, or call us, at 310-982-2877. If you want to check out sixthreezero's e-bikes on our website, go tosixthreezero.com. We emphasize e-bikes safety. That's very, very important to us. In addition to that, we have a Facebook group with thousands of members. You should pop in there, talk to our existing riders, ask them questions, and see what things they're doing and what accessories they're buying to keep themselves safe on e-bike rides. And you can make new friends and post photos of your e-bike as well. So thanks for sticking around and don't forget, it's your journey, your experience. Enjoy the ride.