New to cycling? Just getting back on the bike after a bit of a hiatus? Getting back into cycling may be like, well, riding a bike, but getting a refresher is always good.
Here are our Claire’s top tips for staying safe and confident on your two-wheeler.
- Take up space in the road: make yourself big! Being assertive and being seen is one of the most important things to remember on the road.
- Make sure you don’t cycle in the gutter; it’s got the most debris in it which leads to more visits from the puncture fairy, is has the worst road surface, and the highest risk of collision with pedestrians who step out into the road while updating their Facebook status.
- Leave a car door’s width, plus a little bit when cycling past parked or otherwise stationary cars. Remember the rhyme “a car door and a little bit more.”
- Avoid going down the left hand side of vehicles, especially big ones like lorries. Manoeuvres like this cause many accidents and, sadly, deaths – lorries have more blind spots than you can imagine so err on the side of caution.
- If you’re in a traffic jam and you’re filtering, make sure you have enough time to do it safely before the lights change.
- If you’re in a traffic jam and you’re not filtering, pretend you’re a car and sit in the middle of the lane so no one can squish you into the curb when the traffic starts moving.
- If you’re feeling wobbly or nervous don’t be afraid to get off and push!
- TFL offer free cycle training for all people – from families, those new to cycling to old hands wanting some assertiveness and advanced tips. Find it all here.
- LCC run a great mix of family friendly and more experienced/fast rider group rides, as well as listing free Dr Bikes and other cycling events. Find out more here.
