Got some more riding tips to share. I’ve learned that nothing catches people’s attention like a hand wave. It has been hypothesized that our brains have literally evolved the ability to detect hand waves against a cluttered background. I always wave at drivers before crossing in front of them. Try it. They can’t seem to ignore you no matter how much they would like to.
I have also discovered an excellent bike light. I use rechargeable batteries and mounted it on my helmet. I turn it on superflash mode night and day. It is amazingly bright. By mounting it on your helmet you can direct the bean away from oncoming bike traffic, or, ah, into the window of a car itching to pull out in front of you.
I finally started wearing a bike helmet about four years ago after riding my whole life without one. I just realized one day that not only may a bike helmet save my life, but they’re pretty cool looking. They also keep the sun out of my eyes and the rain off my head.
The above photo is with a rain cover over the helmet, and no, those are not my real eyes. The lights reflected in my sunglasses make me look like a terminator. You could say that when riding my hybrid electric bike I become a kind of cyborg (cue Schwarzenegger’s accent), “Human flesh on an aluminum alloy frame.”
It is appalling what guys will do to impress each other and especially the ladies. When I watch young men risk their precious spinal columns (especially the top part of it) doing bike, snow, and skateboard tricks or worst of all, cage fighting on television, I just have to cringe. Maybe this is nature’s new way of weeding the garden. 
Took this other picture with my cell phone a few days ago. I don’t know how badly the biker was injured but she was taken away on a stretcher. Last month a Seattle woman had a fatal accident while riding an electric assist bike and no car was involved.
