Bicycling is a great way to exercise, build stamina and resilience, as well as enjoy the beauty that abounds at Tinker Air Force Base, but proper safety gear and guidelines are mandatory on base.
72nd Air Base Wing’s Occupational Safety Manager Steve Serrette said the Air Force Manual (AFI 91-207) states that all personnel (including dependents, contractors and retirees) who ride bicycles on an installation must wear an approved American National Standards Institute or Snell Memorial Foundation certified bicycle helmet.
“All bicycles need to be equipped with a brake that allows the cyclist to execute a one-braked wheel skid on dry, level clean pavement,” Serrette said.
“You shouldn’t ride a bike with handlebars higher than your shoulders and bikes need to be small enough that the rider can stop and support it with one foot on the ground, as well as start safely.”
He said that during nighttime, it is important that a white headlight be visible on either the rider or the bike, red reflectors are a must and a flashing light is even better.
“Bicyclists are expected to obey the same traffic laws as motorists,” Serrette said. “Be sure to ride with the traffic on the right side of the road in the direction of traffic, except when passing, making a legal left turn, riding on a one-way street, riding on a road that is too narrow or when the right side is closed because of construction.”
As for cycling off base, Oklahoma Administrative Code §725:30-26-13 states: Oklahoma does not require that bicyclists use any lane or path other than a normal vehicular traffic lane.
However, within Oklahoma’s state parks, wherever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicyclists must use such path and cannot use the roadway.
Serrette said the Oklahoma code also considers bicycles as vehicles.
“A person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of a driver of a vehicle under Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes, except for special regulations specific to bicycles and those provisions that, by their nature, can have no application,” he said.
He said Team Tinker bicyclists need to always be aware and follow the signage in parking lots.
“Following the rules could mean saving your life,” Serrette said.