Happy Halloween! In celebration of the calendar’s most ghoulish day, we put together four spooky bicycle-related experiences and lessons.

4. Riding like the living dead

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This one is silly, but it is an experience I’ve had too many times. I’m talking about bonking: running out of energy during a ride. This happens when your body’s system is depleted of glycogen. A bonk is usually very avoidable if you eat during a ride. But if you don’t have enough food during a longer ride, a bonk can be so severe you feel barely alive. This Halloween, keep your body topped up on carbohydrates (mmm, candy) to make sure you don’t turn into the “riding dead.”

3. Enjoying a witches brew (responsibly)

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Colorado does many things well, but bikes and beer are two of the things we are most known for. Plus, this time of year Colorado offers plenty of pumpkin beers to sample. If you are going to mix bikes and beers this Halloween, do it responsibly. Don’t drink excessively and then ride your bike.

Need some last minute bike related costume tips? Our friends at Transportation Alternatives in New York put together some great ideas.

2. Getting chased by the headless horseman

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Have you ever been riding along when someone you don’t know starts drafting off of you? This has happened to me and I bet to you as well. Most of the time I don’t mind, especially if the person drafts for just a short while. But if he or she continues to sit on my wheel, I try to ride away like Ichabod Crane from the headless horseman. My advice is to ask if it is alright to draft behind someone you don’t know. It is the safe and courteous thing to do.

1. Creeping around like a ninja

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You may have heard the term “bike ninja.” This is when a person rides his or her bicycle at night  in dark clothing and without appropriate bike lighting. While it is not my favorite term, it is useful to think about when dressing and gearing for bicycling at night. The lesson of the bike ninja is to dress so other road users will see you and to use lights on your bike. Unlike a ninja, you want to make sure you are the first thing people see, not the last.

Happy Halloween from the staff at Bicycle Colorado. Ride safe!

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