Bend Bikes asks all people who bike to follow How We Roll to promote the positive during any rides.

Have Fun!

It is a joyous occasion to celebrate community by bicycle!

Ride Prepared

Check your bicycle before the ride — air, brakes, and chain. If you have quick releases, make sure they are tight. Use lights and reflectors. Be prepared to ride Bend city streets which may have traffic, train tracks, occasional steep hills, and other hazards.

Rides should maintain a leisurely cruising speed and routes should be designed for a wide range of riders.

Bring friends and make new ones riding at your speed. Within your friends, be prepared with a flat kit or to fix basic mechanical troubles. If you see someone in need, it’s good bike etiquette to help. That’s also a great way to make new friends in the biking community.

Communicate

Use hand signals to communicate with everyone. Use your voice too. (Left turning!) Crashing sucks!

hand signals

Stay in the Right Lane

When possible, ride in the right lane and allow car drivers to pass in the left lanes to ease traffic congestion. However, Oregon law allows you to “take the lane” when necessary. People who ride bikes are required to ride as close as practicable (successful) to the right curb or edge of the roadway, except:

  • when proceeding at the speed of traffic,
  • when the lane is not wide enough for safe passage,
  • to avoid hazards in the bike lane,
  • left turning or traveling straight through intersection,
  • overtaking a slower moving vehicle.

Some routes will require all riders to observe one or more of these exceptions for a successful and fun ride.

Stop at Red Lights and Stop Signs

    1. It protects the ride!
        The number one complaint against organized rides is running red lights and failing to stop at stop signs. Don’t give the city officials, or residents an excuse to hate.
    2. It avoids tickets and avoids crashes!
        We don’t want anyone to get hit by a car or have to pay a $300 ticket for running a red light or stop sign. Be safe and save your money by stopping.
    3. It models bicycle community!
        As people who bike, we need drivers to respect our rights to share the road. To get respect, we must also give respect. We need to show drivers and fellow people who bike how to share the road by stopping at red lights and stop signs.
    4. Yelling “CLEAR” and indicating to others they do not need to stop is NOT how we roll.

Leave No Trace

Please make sure you throw away your trash in trash cans (or keep it with you until get home) and remind other people who bike that it is NOT OK to litter.

Ride Predictably and Under Control

It is important to ride predictably. Don’t weave, make sudden turns, or make sudden stops. Straight line riding rocks!

See and Be Seen

Lights and reflectors are a great idea to be seen while biking anytime. Especially in fall, winter, and spring when the days are shorter.

Roll Past Conflict

If you see an angry person in a vehicle or person walking, roll past it. Don’t engage in shouting matches. Just enjoy your ride! If you see other people who bike stopped in anger, remind them to roll past the conflict.

Sustaining a Culture

We need you to speak up! No one wants to be an authority figure, but it’s easy to sustain a positive culture on any ride when people act as role models and speak up!