Staff photo by Connor Cummiskey Founder and owner of Andy’s Bike Shop Andrea Hoffmann checks the shifting mechanism on a bike at the New Ulm Bike Expo Saturday.

NEW ULM — Cyclists of all ages learned bike safety and got a free safety check during the New Ulm Bike Expo Saturday.

The second annual expo had lessons for kids to learn how to safely ride, along with starter bikes and helmets. Afterward, attendees could take a bike ride led by Bob Beck.

“I really want people to start thinking of biking as a form of transportation and not just recreation,” Heart of New Ulm Project Manager Cindy Winters said. “It is a cheap form of transportation and most anybody can ride a bike, not everybody can afford a car.”

Kids could learn about ABC quick checks, the power pedal, signaling and more from the free bike rodeo.

“Anytime you are getting ready to go for a bike ride you should do the ABC quick check,” Winters said. “Which is check your air, your brakes, your chain and if you have a quick release on your bike make sure your quick release is closed.”

A quick release is a lever that allows for easy, quick removal of a bicycle’s wheel. A power pedal, is starting with the dominant foot’s pedal up to provide more power for takeoff.

The current signaling standards are to point in the direction that a cyclist is turning. When stopping a cyclist should hold their arm in an upside-down “L” Winters said.

Further instructions for turning included making sure to take a position in a lane appropriate for the direction turning at an intersection.

“If they (cyclists) are going to go straight they actually need to take control of that lane and move more to the middle of the lane so that the driver knows that they are going to go straight and not turn right,” Winters said. “That is where a lot of accidents happen is the driver will turn right when the bicyclist is going straight and take the bicyclist out.”

Outside the convention center, on the fairgrounds Police Commander Dave Borchert and two officers taught kids more safety tips.

They included how to tell if a bike fits them, which can be determined if the rider feels comfortable pedaling and can stand over the bike without risking injury.

The officers also taught kids how to follow street signs. Most kids did not know to meaning of a yield sign, Borchert said. They were instructed to treat them like stop signs.

Cyclists should follow street signs as they should be cycling on the road. It is considered safer for anyone over the age of 10, depending on maturity, Winters said.

Reason being that more accidents occur on sidewalks from collisions with pedestrians and vehicles pulling out of driveways, Winters said.

Children under 10 (depending on maturity) should ride on sidewalks because they have undeveloped peripheral vision, bike slower and are generally unable to make the proper safety choices needed on the road.

Andrea Hoffmann, founder and owner of Andy’s Bike Shop was there to give free safety checks to anyone who brought their bike.

She suggested that anyone taking their bikes out of storage should check the brakes and tires. To test the brakes, Hoffmann suggested finding a safe, empty road and hitting them hard to make sure they stop the bike.

As for tires, it is important to make sure that their are filled with enough air. Pressure per square inch (PSI) requirements can be found on the sidewall of the tire, most are between 20 and 40 psi.

Cyclists should check to see how their bikes are assembled. Keep an eye out for anything loose or worrying sounds.

“Sounds are a big thing, that was one of the biggest parts of training was being able to identify what is wrong with a bike just through sound,” Hoffmann said. “So if something sounds wrong, squeaking, it is usually a source of a bigger problem.”

And of course, always wear a helmet while biking.

Connor Cummiskey can be emailed at ccummiskey@nujournal.com.