The kids on the bike?

That's how you make sure it's safe

Tens of thousands of children are going to crowd the roads in the cities and outside them, celebrating the day when the cars (supposedly) go on strike.

Kafir Kozlowski is only 13 years old but with a list of tips that you must let them read

Kafir Kozlovsky "Kafiri on the Road"

03/10/2022

Monday, October 3, 2022, 10:48 p.m. Updated: 11:16 p.m.

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I learned to ride a bicycle in the period before Yom Kippur.

I got my first balance bike and then my first bike before Yom Kippur.

I saw pictures of me on Kippur Eve riding with a helmet on the slopes of the city of Modi'in and my parents say that as a small child I really looked forward to this day.

Today I am a competitive rider in an achievement framework and I ride every day, so I no longer enjoy riding among all the people who walk on the road and run away with my friends to the Ben Shemen forest.

Yom Kippur is the most special day of the year.

There are people who fast and ask for forgiveness, there are people that this is the only day they go to synagogue, and there are those for whom it is a bicycle holiday.

There are (almost) no cars, the roads are empty and there is a feeling that one day the road will be everyone's and you can walk or ride on it without interruption.

The late Barak Khouri who was run over to death last Yom Kippur, the road is still a road for everything (photo: courtesy of the family)

This feeling of security to use the road and take advantage of it because there are no motorized vehicles turned Yom Kippur into the "bicycle holiday".

This is the time of the year when about 90% of the pairs of bicycles in Israel are sold.

Toy stores, large food chains and many sales sites, become fortnightly bike shops and equipment for cyclists.

The parents also suddenly become riding instructors for small children and are in a race against time to teach them how to ride until the special day.

The big problem on Yom Kippur is that the feeling of security leads everyone, more or less experienced, to the road and this creates new dangers for the riders.

Every year many casualties are reported from MDA and riders arrive at the hospitals with bruises and fractures. Inexperience, faulty bikes and unexpected encounters between everyone who one day felt that their road was the main reason for the many injuries and accidents.

10 tips for safe riding

My 10 tips for safe cycling on Yom Kippur

1. First of all, decide if you are fasting or riding!

You can't do both things at the same time.

Riding is a sport and sport requires concentration and energy.

Without water and food, the body cannot function well and our brain is also unable to focus on physical activity.

So if fasts don't ride, and it works even if you reverse the sentence!

2. Have you decided to ride?

Make sure you have something to ride on!

If you have a bike and haven't ridden it for a long time, check that it's in good condition!

It sucks to schedule with friends and find out that something is broken.

Air in the wheel, brakes, chain or transmission system, check that everything works

3. If you don't have a bicycle, and you use the period to buy a pair, remember - a bicycle is not a toy.

So don't buy a bike in a toy store!

Go to a bicycle shop and adapt a pair of wheels to your needs and it will also be easy to take care of them in the future.

The great advantage of a bicycle shop is that they also have used bicycles and that they continue to deal with bicycles throughout the year!

Just before getting on the bike, check that it is in good condition (Photo: Kafir Kozlovsky)

4. Did you buy a bicycle?

Renew yourself.

Take care of your head.

Do not ride without a helmet and do not settle for a helmet that does not fit you.

In the Israeli heat it is important that the helmet be ventilated and it is also important that it meet the standard.

Ask the seller to adjust the straps so that they hug the ears and check that the helmet sits well and does not move.

5. Don't ride alone!

This is always true.

It's nicest to be with another friend or friends and when riding then it's important to have someone else who can help if something happens.

So decide in advance who you are riding with.

6. Water!

This is the most important thing when riding.

Without water, the body will not function well and you will suffer from headaches and then from tight muscles and exhaustion.

So prepare yourself a convenient bottle for drinking or a locker.

And a tip from me, add ice cubes as well.

Make sure the helmet fits if the straps are properly aligned (photo: Shir Shitainer, bikeguide club)

7. Phone!

If you went out for a ride, you need to have a way to communicate with someone who can help you if necessary.

With the phone you can invite another friend, find the way if you are lost, order an ambulance for someone in trouble or even just look for where else you can ride.

8. Don't try new things - this is not the right day for adventures.

It's always fun to practice a technique you saw on YouTube, but Yom Kippur is the least suitable day.

The rush and inexperienced riders around really don't provide the sterile environment to practice something new.

9. And if I mentioned the inexperienced riders.

So take into account that you are surrounded by riders who do not know what they are doing.

Not everyone will be able to brake in time and there will certainly be those whose bikes will not work properly.

So try to be more careful.

Just because there are no cars, doesn't mean riding is safer.

10. The most important tip I can think of.

If you see a place with too many people, stay away from there.

Simply because a lot of people means a lot of surprises and you don't want someone to jump in front of your front wheel or suddenly crash into you without even meaning to.

Always make sure you have water with you when riding (Photo: Boaz Klein, bikeguide club)

I wish everyone a good autograph finish and that those who ride enjoy themselves and come back with a smile.

I also wish everyone to ride all year round, because riding is good.

It is an excellent sport and connects people.

Today when I ride I feel happy and also meet friends.

With the bike I get everywhere and it allows me to be independent.

Some of the tips I listed are true all year round.

You should always check that the bike is in good condition and also water and food are always important.

So if you rode on Yom Kippur and you liked it, think about how much fun it would be to ride all year round.

*The author is an experienced competitive rider in an achievement setting and the manager of the YouTube channel Kafiri on the Road.

Do not perform the stunts of riding, jumping and descending the stairs without appropriate guidance.

Riding is the responsibility of the riders and their parents and the video should not be seen as a call to perform riding stunts.

Ride responsibly and with appropriate and proper protective equipment.

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