MOST kids will learn to ride a bike by the age of 10. And with that, the world instantly expands from the confines of the house and neighborhood, to the entire village, and even neighboring communities.

For anyone who has gone beyond training wheels and the wobbles, the bicycle provides the first taste of freedom to reach as far as one wants?well, at least far enough to get back before sundown. But on the downside, the bike has also exposed us to a new variety of threats, only one of them being the embarrassing spill while the girl or boy next door, who also happens to be your secret crush, is watching.

In my over 25 years of regular biking, I?ve had my share of literal ups and downs with bicycles. And, being in almost all types of riding situations, I?ve developed my own system of safety checks before embarking on any trip with my bicycle.

I call it the ?6-sense cycling,? and it has helped me immensely stay in one piece, while enjoying cycling.

Sense 1: Sight

This is probably the most important safety sense, and the one you should consider first before going out for a ride. Be visible. There is a reason serious cyclists wear colorful jerseys. They need to be noticed like their lives depended on it?actually, their lives do depend on it. So drop that black shirt you were planning to wear to look sleek and elegant, and don one with the most flamboyant color you can find.

If you plan on biking at night, the need to be visible is increased to the nth power. Place blinkers (which can be bought for just a few hundred pesos each at any bike shop) at the rear of your bike, at the back of your helmet and on your backpack. If you?re as brightly-lit as a Christmas tree, Santa?s sleigh won?t run you over. Some bike shops also sell reflector vests. If you can spot one, wear that, too.

Of course it?s a given that if you?re biking at night, you?ll need headlights. Buy two sets (a set costs about P500), one to be attached to the handlebars, the other on your helmet (a literal headlight).

Sense 2: Sound

I?ve seen so many cyclists wearing their iPods while training. That?s probably cool if you?re in an enclosed circuit where there?s only you on the bike track. But being shut out from the rest of the real noisy world of chaotic traffic can produce the most disastrous results?most often not in your favor.

When you?re biking along public streets and sharing road space with motorized vehicles all traveling at least twice as fast as you are, it?s best to keep your ears open. A honking bus from behind usually means it?s in a hurry, and you better give way. If you don?t hear it and fail to react, the bus driver may not have time to apply the brakes, and you could end up as a novelty front bumper ornament.

You also need to be heard. Some cyclists have developed those modulated vocalizations (a modified version of the ?Taho!? and ?Balot!? shout??Boyk! Boyk!? sounds like it) to warn pedestrians and other vehicles of their approach. I chose to attach a bell to my handlebar, and some pedestrians have responded by shouting back ?Binatog!? At least I got their attention.

Sense 3: Smell

This sense is probably the one most taken for granted by many cyclists?I myself have been guilty on many occasions of ignoring this one. Air pollution in cities gnaws at cyclists (and even at pedestrians, for that matter). Wouldn?t it make sense for us cyclists to protect our one and only turbo-charged air intake system from potentially harmful fossil fuel emissions? Pollution masks are the last line of defense against harmful airborne particles. Avoiding cycling in busy streets during rush hour is a good start.

Sense 4: Touch

This literally means protecting your skin, and everything else that?s in it. So, get into the proper cycling gear. Wear shoes, not slippers. Always wear a helmet and a pair of gloves. Apply sunblock with high spf, even if it?s a cloudy day. If you?re riding along paths less taken, wear elbow and kneepads. Don?t use long, trailing laces with your shoes, they might get snagged in your chain and cause you to lose balance. Always bring with you a first-aid kit, and always bring identification cards with contact numbers in case something unfortunate happens to you.

Sense 5: Taste

This should remind you to be properly nourished before, during and after a ride?and the most important reminder here is hydration. Water will keep you from overheating, especially when you plan to bike through the midday heat. Drink water before, take one gulp every 15 minutes during the ride, and keep on drinking well after the trip. Remember, a body at rest still needs at least 1.5 liters of water a day. You must, at the very least, double that when you plan to sweat it out for any duration.

Sense 6: Anticipate, visualize, familiarize

Ever wonder why, at relatively breakneck speeds, most Tour de France riders will never encounter career-ending crashes in this grueling 3,000-km race? That?s because they know what they?ll be pedaling into, and they?ve anticipated it. They have been given the race routes well in advance. They?ve visualized which stretches to run flat-out, and where to be cautious and bide their time.

On a smaller scale, that?s how we weekend warriors and recreational pedal-pushers must orient our mindset towards every trip we take?regardless of whether it?s just a short trip to the grocery store or a 160-km cross-country odyssey.

Being on a bike doesn?t just mean maintaining balance, it also means being mindful of our surroundings, and making sure that in every turn, the odds run in our favor.