There is a vast amount of information available about how to cycle safely. Not all of it is correct, legal or even practical.
Also, there is only so much you can learn by reading about it. Much of the knowledge that you gain through Safer Cycling Calgary courses is learned by physically doing things, including parking lot drills and actual riding on roads.
The Alberta Traffic Safety Act: Rules of the Road
The Alberta Traffic Safety Act: Use of Highway and Rules of the Road
Alberta Driver's Guide to Operation, Safety & Licensing (cars and light trucks)
Accident Report Form
Safer Cycling Calgary "Did you know?"
Helmet Standards
Helmet “standards” tell us the level of protection that should be afforded to the wearer of the helmet. Organizations that are involved in setting standards, for helmets sold in Canada include:
- Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
- United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
- American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
- National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE)
- SNELL Memorial Foundation (SNELL)
- European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
Helmets that make the claim of meeting a standard are either done so by the helmet manufacturer or by a third party test laboratory. Helmets bearing a CSA, SNELL, or CEN (CE) sticker are third party tested. Helmets with stickers that make the claim they meet ASTM, CPSC, or NOCSAE standards have been tested by the manufacturer.
CAN-BIKE // Bike Helmets 101 from Manitoba Cycling Association on Vimeo
Information on overweight cyclists
Differently abled and different needs cyclists: here
YouTube is an excellent source for information on how to do some of your own bike work (though is not a replacement for actual courses to teach you or professionals to do the work for you). Some videos we recommend:
Literally everything by Park Tool, but a few examples that I've personally used:
- how to adjust a rear derailleur
- how to adjust a front derailleur
- how to clean and lube a bike chain
GCN also has tons of excellent videos, including:
- 5 minute bike wash
- 30 minute bike wash
- 1 hour tune up (feel free to only do some of these)
- rim brake tune up
- how to maintain disc brakes
- how to index your gears (rear derailleur)
and a pile of other "how to" videos, not just for bike maintenance/repair but for riding tips also
Some videos for inspiration:
- Danny MacAskill's Wee Day Out (and any other Danny MacAskill video)
- Learn how to wheelie
- Chilean Grandma makes a living biking hundreds of miles
- Kids handling skills
Just for fun:
- Kid has shocking bicycle accident
A couple of cycling related articles:
- Roads were not built for cars
- The bike that saved my life
Recommended books:
Anything by Joe Kurmaskie
- Cyclecraft (North American edition) by John Franklin
- The Enlightened Cyclist by Bike Snob NYC
- Wheels of Change: How women rode the bicycle to freedom by Sue Macy
For kids:
- Fox and the bike ride by Corey Tabor
- A bike like Sergio's by Maribeth Boelts
- The bike lesson by Stan & Jan Berenstain