San Francisco, my fair foggy city, is pro-cycling, but when I travel I’m always awed by bike-sharing programs that are popping up in cities like Paris , London , Miami , and many others around the world. The concept is simple: pay a few dollars (and swipe your credit card as deposit) and you can easily hop on one of thousands of bikes stationed throughout a city and ride for as long as you like. When you’re done, you simply return your bike at any station with a free dock. Recently while on vacation in London, I was reminded of how great the bike-sharing programs are for tourists. London’s bike-sharing stations, for example, are located

at all the major tourist spots and the check-out kiosks don’t require an account to sign up and have easy-to-follow instructions, so I jumped at the chance to experience a biker’s view of the city. Hopping on a bike and touring a city may seem like the perfect way to take in the sights, but if you’re a casual cyclist like me, a little prep before claiming your two wheels can go a long way in keeping you safe (not to mention keeping you from annoying pedestrians and motorists). Read on for a few tips that helped me stay safe during my impromptu bike ride.

More here:
How to Use a Bike-Sharing Program