WEEK TWO:
CYCLING SAFETY – Rules of the road and how to ride safely
At Viva Velo we are experts in taking our clients on a journey from beginner to accomplished cyclist. Here is the second part of our Top Tips for New Cyclists Guide to get you cycling safely and enjoyably. We all have to start somewhere but learning what you need to know can be daunting, confusing and sometimes contradictory. In this series of blogs, we hope to help those of you getting on a bike for the first time in a while, or maybe for the first time ever! Whether you’re starting to commute by bike and dipping your toes into the world of road cycling for the sheer joy of riding, we hope this guide will be useful. Each week we’ll cover a different issue. This week we are going to look at cycling safely. We hope these tips will be helpful but if you have any questions don‘t hesitate to get in touch
CONFIDENCE
Probably the best advice we can give you is to be confident on the road. But we know that is easier said than done! Getting to a level of experience where that confidence comes naturally is a gradual process and if you are nervous about riding on the road in town or city traffic then we suggest you take things gently at first, making shorter journeys on less busy roads but still practising the tips we have outlined below. With the UK government’s recent announcement about enlarging cycle lanes and making some roads car-less this should help the new cyclist considerably but you will still have to cycle on roads with other traffic so confidence is a very important element in riding safely and it is something we spend a lot of time developing with our clients. Lack of confidence can lead to indecisive behaviour and when riding on the road in traffic you must be as clear in your intent as possible. Not just because drivers need to know what you are doing but, far more importantly, because you need to tell the drivers how to avoid you. All of the other tips below are designed to help build your confidence by putting you in the right place on the road at the right time but before we proceed to them we thought it might make sense to run through some basic bike handling tips.
BIKE HANDLING
STOPPING
In week one we talked about checking over your bike to make sure it was functioning properly and safely, with ensuring that you are able to stop pretty high on the list of those checks. Having functioning brakes is one thing and using them correctly is another. On flat roads you’ll soon get the hang of braking with both brakes ‘progressively’ - squeezing the levers gently but firmly to stop or slow you down - but when going down a hill sometimes new cyclists can panic and ‘over-brake’. This means they either ride with the brakes on all the time - yes we know Chris Froome does it when training but it’s the fastest way of wearing them out that you can find - or braking too sharply which can lead to accidents. ‘Riding the brakes’ (i.e. keeping the brakes on all the time) apart from wearing them out actually never allows you to find out how quickly you can stop. How hard you can pull the brake levers and how long the bike will take to decelerate to a stop at a given speed. It is important that you acquire this knowledge and by simply braking all the time you may feel safer but you’ll never learn this vital information. The second important tip is to ensure that when braking - generally and not just downhill - you always pull the front brake lever fractionally first and a little harder than the back brake - roughly 60% to 40% front brake to rear brake. Many new cyclists find this counter-intuitive as they believe that if you pull the front brake too hard you’ll pitch head first over the handlebars. Trust me, you won’t unless you absolutely jam the brake on and even then it is actually quite hard to do! By braking slightly harder with the front brake you will slow the bike down more effectively and lessen the chance of locking the rear wheel and causing a skid. The final tip is brake in a straight line. Most of you will know this from driving a car but unlike a car which has four wheels, a bike is harder to control if one of its two wheels locks up (stops moving completely because you have braked too hard). If you do this while cornering and it happens to the back wheel you might get away with it. If you lock the front then you will probably not. There are lots of more advanced techniques we could talk about here but we’ll leave you with the simple message: brakes should be on then off - NOT OOOOOOOOONNNNNNN all the time! Front brake 60%. Rear brake 40%. Brake in a straight line.
STARTING
So you are now confident in your ability to stop. One other thing to remember when coming to a halt: change down a couple of gears. This will make starting off again easier - particularly if it is on a hill but even on the flat. Trying to push the pedals around from a standing start is not much fun and in extreme cases can cause you to slip off the pedals and maybe topple over. A couple of gears lower and you’ll glide away from the lights like a pro!
There is heaps more we could add but we’ll be dealing with this subject more in another week’s blog.
ON THE ROAD
Checking Behind You
Riding on the road necessitates you checking if vehicles are coming up behind you when changing lanes, turning right, or generally moving to take the ‘primary position’ (see below). Some new cyclists find this difficult as turning around to look behind them can affect their handling of the bike. If you are nervous about turning round, we’d suggest investing in a mirror either for your handle bars or one that can clip to your helmet. This will help you with rear vision until you develop the bike handling skills (see our upcoming blog for tips on this)
‘Owning the Road’and‘Taking the Primary Position’
Many new cyclists – especially if they are lacking in confidence – tend to cycle ‘defensively’. By this we mean they almost apologise for taking up road space! No matter what some inconsiderate drivers might tell you about not paying ‘road tax’, you have just as much right to be cycling on public roads as they do, so don’t be frightened to position yourself and your bike on the road as you might in any other vehicle. By taking the ‘primary position’ – basically cycling in the middle of your lane you are not being inconsiderate (generally) you’ll simply be cycling to maximise your visibility to other road users and therefore safety. In his cycling skills manual Cyclecraft – which forms the foundation of Bikeability, the UK's national standard for cycle training – John Franklin talks about two main riding positions: the primary riding position and the secondary riding position.
He defines the primary riding position as being "in the centre of the leftmost moving traffic lane for the direction in which you wish to travel", and the secondary riding position as being "about 1 metre (3 feet) to the left of the moving traffic lane if the road is wide, but not closer than 0.5 metre (1.5 feet) to the edge of any road."
Roundabouts
Entering a roundabout illustrates this point. Mini roundabouts are obviously more straightforward but with multi lane roundabouts always move to the middle of the lane you are in when approaching a roundabout. If this requires you to change lanes, be very definite in your hand signals to indicate which way you are going and, when it is clear to move, try to change lane in one smooth decisive movement. ‘Owning’ your lane and being definite makes you far more visible and safer.
Position on Road
As stated above, probably the most common error made by newer cyclists is riding too close to the kerb or gutter. It is imperative that you ride at least 60 centimetres, and preferably more, away from the kerb and in some instances, in the middle of the lane (taking the primary position - see above) for the following reasons:
Drivers will be less likely to see you if you are on the periphery of their vision. By riding further out into the road you will be where they are looking and are more likely to be treated as traffic.
The gutter is where you encounter the most potholes and sunken drains. If you are in line with them when a vehicle passes, you cannot avoid them.
A vehicle is supposed to give you a car’s width ( 1.5 metres) when overtaking you. By hugging the kerb you allow cars to squeeze past you when they shouldn’t be. By sitting at least 60 centimetres or more out from the kerb, the vehicle wishing to overtake you will generally be forced to wait for the oncoming lane to be clear. Should the driver try to squeeze past, at least you have room to move in.
Although it is tempting to move close to the kerb to allow vehicles to pass - after all, none of us want to be inconsiderate - it is not always advisable to do so. For example, imagine you are approaching a width restriction or an island in the middle of the road. If you are away from the kerb, the vehicle coming up behind you will have to wait. If by the kerb, well, I can’t tell you the number of times I have seen vehicles squeeze past and on more than one occasion, clip or hit the cyclist.
Riding away from the kerb also means that you won’t be making sudden movements to avoid potholes and manholes. It is also important to anticipate potential hazards early, just as you would if you were driving a car. Pull out gradually in advance and signal intention. The same is true when approaching parked vehicles.
Oh - and as if you need more reasons to stay out of the gutter! - it is also where all the grit, broken glass, tacks and any other puncture causing debris can be found.
It is also possibly worth noting what the highway code says about using cycle lanes. You may encounter some motorists who wrongly think that you are obliged to use them as a cyclist but although cycle lanes can be great to use, and the highway code does advise cyclists to use them, you aren’t obliged to. In fact, it can sometimes be safer to ride outside them if you need to take the lane or adopt the primary position. An example might be if there are lots of cars parked along the cycle lane – rather than bobbing in and out of the cycle lane, it may be safer just to stay on a steady course on the road.
Highway Code, Rules for Cyclists: 61 Use cycle routes, advanced stop lines, cycle boxes and toucan crossings unless at the time it is unsafe to do so. Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.
awareness
Don’t wear headphones. Especially when riding through town but also when on quieter roads as hearing a car coming up behind you is always useful.
Expect pedestrians to cross between vehicles at queues of traffic. Be aware of joggers running up behind pedestrians as they will skip into road to get around them without looking.
Always watch car indicators but don’t always trust them!
With parked cars, always look out for people inside (possible door opening or car moving off) and if their wheels are pointing out it could indicate they are about to pull out. Generally I’d advise riding a metre (car door’s width) away from parked cars but I know this is not always possible.
If a bus overtakes you and there is a bus stop approaching, assume it will stop and be prepared.
If a vehicle in front slows down, assume it’s for a reason.
If approaching a petrol station, think about the possibility of a driver making an impulse decision to get petrol.
Passing Slow or Stationary Traffic
When passing a queue of slow or stationary cars we would generally advise not squeezing up the inside of the line of traffic. Often the gap left by a line of vehicles is narrow and can mean cycling in the gutter where most potholes, drain covers and puncture-causing debris will be found. For a new cyclist this is not the easiest of territory to navigate. Although it might seem counter-intuitive it is often better to pass a line of traffic on the outside. This will enable you to clearly see oncoming traffic, be more visible to both the stationary or slow moving traffic you are passing and oncoming traffic as well as anticipating vehicles turning right out of the line of traffic. This option is not always possible however and it may mean that you may simply have to wait in the queue or if you think it is safe to do so, pass the traffic on the inside following these rules:
When riding up the inside of line of cars with a road entrance on left, assume a car may turn across or through the line of traffic to enter that side road and may not see you.
When next to a stationary vehicle in a queue of traffic, if their wheels are pointing towards the kerb, the car may lurch towards you as it sets off.
Don’t assume you will get through a gap before a stationary queue of traffic moves off.
Generally it is inadvisable to pass large vehicles on the inside in stationary traffic as once you are alongside them you are likely to be invisible to the driver. If the gap is large enough (at least 1 metre) you can do it safely providing you are certain the vehicle will not move while you are passing it BUT:
If you don’t know how long lights have been red for, don’t ride up the inside of big vehicles as there is a chance they will move off before you get past.
Never ride up the inside of large vehicles on a bend. When they turn they will move towards you.
Finally included under the ‘awareness’ heading is thanking drivers. If you are aware that a driver has waited behind you before overtaking when safe, make a point of thanking them. In fact, thank drivers at any opportunity, even if it is what they should do anyway, it doesn’t hurt to appreciate them and encourages them to continue being courteous and considerate.
Encountering other cyclists
If your ride is a commute and you are coming across other cyclists, be aware there are hand signals used by cyclists to indicate hazards, slowing down and their intended direction of movement. These are fairly obvious and can be briefly summarised as the standard arm out to indicate a turn or change of lane, a left hand pointing behind the back indicating a temporary move into a more central position to avoid a hazard (pothole or open car door). A similar gesture with the right hand to indicate an oncoming hazard (usually a car). A gently waived flat palm of the right hand (usually) indicating that the cyclist is slowing down. A few helpful tips are:
When passing other bikes, give them space and, if appropriate, warn them. Ring your bell or say ‘bike right’.
Cycle at your own pace. Don’t be tempted to get into a race with others.
We probably don’t need to say this but it does happen, so . . .especially in these times, DON’T clear your nose or spit!
Don’t get too close to the bike in front unless they know you are there and don’t mind.
Stay visible
Never assume a driver has seen you. It is a clear fact that cyclists are not always easy to spot, even when they think they are. And, of course, spotting us can become that much harder the faster we are going. It is known that drivers constantly under-estimate cyclists’ speed.
As stated above, road position is vitally important to assist visibility.
Consider using lights in the daytime. It should be noted that flashing lights can make it harder for drivers to estimate how far away a cyclist is or how fast they are travelling compared with a fixed light.
Wearing high-vis clothing can help drivers see a cyclist during the daytime. This in turn can help in boosting the confidence of a cyclist. At night reflective clothing which emphasises the cyclist’s movement is also useful. BUT it should be remembered that it is your road sense and awareness which will keep you most safe!
Use a bell to warn of presence. A bell is invaluable. It allows you to warn people before they make a mistake. Particularly pedestrians who might otherwise have stepped in front of you without looking, but also as you pass cars, ringing the bell alerts them to your presence.
Another tip that is often suggested, is to stand up as you enter a roundabout to make yourself more visible. This can also help if you are unsure whether a driver pulling out of a side street has seen you.
Tailor your speed to the conditions. Obviously wet roads mean longer braking time but also, going flat out through traffic queues is not conducive to staying upright!
We hope these tips will have been worth reading if you are relatively new to cycling and that even the more veteran cyclists among you may have picked up a point or two. The most important thing is to stay safe and enjoy riding. Following the above tips should help you stay safer but remember you have to take action to anticipate the actions of other roads users. Don’t play the blame game. “the driver should have seen me” is not much consolation if you’re the one who has been hurt. Aim to be safe rather than right! Whether that is wearing a helmet, making yourself more visible or riding assertively and following the points above, the important thing is to stay safe because riding is so much fun. No matter how bad your day might have been, the only reason you won’t be feeling better by the time you get home is that your ride home wasn’t long enough. This video summarises and illustrates some of the basic points we have highlighted above.
