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While it may seem far away, spring is just around the corner — and with it the desire to spend as much time as possible soaking up the sunshine. If you’re leaving behind the indoor trainers and getting reacquainted with favorite cycling routes in your area, be sure to brush up on cycling safety tips.

1. Make sure you can see other people.

The Varia™ RCT715 rearview radar doesn’t just adjust the intensity of your tail light when it senses oncoming cars — it also sends visual and audible notifications to your Edge® cycling computer, select Garmin smartwatches or the Varia™ app on your smartphone to give you a heads-up that a car is approaching. While we hope most drivers are patient with cyclists, this isn’t always the case. The alerts give you the opportunity to judge the car’s position and speed to determine if you need to pull over and give them a little more room to pass. You can even adjust your light intensity and flash behavior to fit the circumstances of your ride. The Varia RCT715 also features a built-in camera that will continuously record the surroundings behind you and, in the event of an incident, automatically save video footage from before, during and after the incident.

2. Make sure other people can see you.

As nice as it is to close the laptop and hop on your bike while there’s still daylight outside, that’s not always possible in winter months — if you don’t want to upset your boss by signing off early, that is. It’s always a good idea to wear reflective clothing when you ride, but thanks to the latest advancements in Garmin technology, you can take your visibility to a whole new level regardless of when the sun sets.

The Garmin Varia RCT715 and Varia™ RTL515 radar tail lights can be seen up to a mile away, and the Varia™ UT800 Smart Headlight projects a steady blast of 800 lumens to help drivers coming from the other direction see you from up to one mile away. Accidents happen when people are caught unaware, so the more time others have to see you coming, the more likely it is that your ride will be an enjoyable experience.

3. Know exactly where you’re navigating.

No natural sense of direction? No problem. The latest Garmin Edge GPS cycling computers come equipped with multi-band GNSS, which provides superior positioning accuracy.

4. Stay connected in case of an emergency.

Garmin Edge cycling computers offer an incident detection feature that sends a message1 to your designated contacts with your live location if the device detects an incident. You’ll receive a message on your Edge device and paired smartphone letting you know the message to your contacts will be sent within 30 seconds, giving you plenty of time to cancel the automated emergency message if you don’t need help.

5. Follow the rules of the road.

Traffic laws are put in place to keep people safe on the road, and they apply to cyclists as well. It’s critical that you obey all traffic signs and signals. Use bike lanes when available and be aware of your surroundings.
By following these five simple steps, you’re well on your way to becoming a more safe and more responsible cyclist. Ready to hit the road? Be sure to outfit your bike with the latest Garmin technology for superior, bike-specific navigation and a host of performance features for cyclists at any level.

Whether you’re a dedicated cyclist training indoors(*) to stay in optimal shape during the winter or more of a hobbyist attempting to work in some exercise on your lunch break, the following tips will help you make the most of your time on the bike.