Some of you may know that blustery Santa Barbara winds are a force to be reckoned with. Here are some tips to keep you and your bike safe this fall.
1. Steer Clear of Pinecones
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These vicious pine-fruits fall along bike paths around campus all the time during fall. Make sure to not run them over because they WILL pop your bike-tubes, and maybe even the tire itself (which is much more expensive to replace).
2. Stressed Bikers During Midterms
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As it is midterm season, you may have noticed people are sleep deprived and distracted on the bike path. Be alert, and yield to a fellow biker who doesn’t seem to see you coming. It is your best chance of avoiding an accident.
3. It’s Getting Dark a Lot Earlier
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Time to put in a new battery on the bike light you haven’t used all summer! Biking back from your 5pm class just isn’t going to be the same, especially since the windy conditions are going to be distracting you. Also, you’ll be faster against these mighty winds if you keep your tires pumped full of air!
4. Motorized Skateboards Can’t Brake and Have Less Maneuverability
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Two of my roommates have been hit by these skaters, and one even had to get their bike repaired. It’s a hazard—do what you can to avoid them.
5. More Wind! Don’t Fall… Seriously
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As you’re biking warily under trees and worried they’ll litter you with their shedding leaves and branches, remember to look down for those pesky roots underneath the pavement on the bike path. Nature’s evil speed bumps could just send you off your bike at high enough speeds!
6. Ignore the Instagram Temptation
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Obviously, it’s safer to wait until you are off your bike to use your phone, period. But when you put countless pumpkin spice latte drinkers on their bike while simultaneously selecting Instagram filters for their beverages, there is bound to be an accident. Spilled lattes, traffic on the bike path, and finally a bunch of unhappy gauchos—bike smart, gauchos!