The arrival of warmer weather has many bicycle riders dusting off their two-wheel modes and going for a jaunt.

And that has the Huronia West OPP talking about bicycle safety.

Const. Mark Kinney, the detachment's community services officer, sat down with The Sun last Thursday to go over some items that bike riders should keep in mind.

Topping his list is use of a helmet.

Kinney said youth should wear their brain bucket at all times when riding a bike. He noted it's the law to do so as well.

Bike riders under the age of 18 can be fined $80, he said, if they aren't wearing a helmet.

If the person is under the age of 16 and without a helmet, Kinney said their parents can also be fined.

And even though there is no law stipulating adults must wear a helmet, Kinney said wearing one just makes good sense.

"How can you not wear one but expect your children to. That just doesn't make sense. What if something happens to you because you weren't wearing a helmet?" he said.

Bike riders are also reminded to ride with the flow of traffic and obey all the rules of the road.

"Know your hand signals," Kinney said, adding the Highway Traffic Act applies to people riding bicycles the same way it does to those behind the wheel of an automobile.

Kinney noted that each year the detachment investigates about 10 incidents in which a bike and vehicle have crashed, often because the bike rider wasn't riding properly.

"What happens is a lot of young people dart out onto the road and then there's no real opportunity for the vehicle to stop," he said.

The OPP is also reminding bicycle riders to use a lock when they aren't with their bike.

"Don't assume it won't be stolen cause there's a good chance that might just happen. Lock it up. Another thing, if you want to, is take the front wheel off or the seat," he said.

And Kinney added that people should also know their bicycle serial number, so that if the bike is stolen it's easier to trace if found.

Riders should also perform some maintenance on their bicycles before heading out on the road, he said. This means checking that brakes work, that tires are inflated properly and that that proper reflection lights are on the bike: white on the front and red on the back.