Updated Nov 8, 2022
Not long ago, one of our team members did not know how to ride a bike. She was married, had two young children, and ran a home care agency; she was successful in every way except one: she couldn't ride a bike.
Fast forward in the story: she eventually learned to ride a bike at the age of 37 and fell in love with cycling. She rode everywhere and at all hours.
She enjoyed cycling but became increasingly frustrated when she was "schooled" or "mansplained" on how to ride, what to wear, what to do, what to say - heck, she was even hassled about the "brand & type" of helmet she wore..
But what was not shared were the "rules of the road for cyclists".
After attending a Cycling safety course given by a local cycling LCI legend we came up with the following best top cycling safety tips to us who wanted to share with beginner cyclists and triathletes.
15 Road Cycling Bicycle Safety Tips
Here are Swim Bike Run Fun Club's top 15 Road Cycling Bicycle Safety Tips for having safe fun on wheels while riding and training on the road:
Follow the traffic laws/rules of the road as if you were driving a car.
Wear. The helmet. Always. Protect your most valuable asset.
When riding at night, always use a front headlamp and a rear bike light. For added visibility, we like to use a small clip-on light that we stick in the back of our helmet.
At intersections, slow down. The most common reported cycling incident scenario involves green lights and cars turning right in front of you.
If you are unsure of your visibility, especially at intersections or with cars turning right into your lane, wave your arms.
Ride with friends. When you ride with friends, the fun multiplies by a factor of ten, there is safety in numbers, and you are more visible when riding in a group.
When appropriate, do not hug the curb too closely; leave yourself some space to maneuver if necessary; and be visible to traffic.
Wear brightly reflective clothing even during the day.
Be predictable and signal your turns/lane changes.
Wearing headphones is not recommended. If necessary, wear it around your neck or in one ear.
Use or wear a blinky light or a headlamp regardless of the time of day you are riding (See Pic Above: Carin is a perfect model rider with her rear lighter, tons of water, helmet and a mega smile)
Always check behind you before veering/swerving into a traffic lane.
When a potentially dangerous situation arises, look drivers in the eyes and make sure they see you.
Ride defensively: assume that every driver is on their phone, not paying attention, high on drugs, eating, lip syncing, or even watching Hulu - never give a driver the benefit of the doubt when it comes to your life!
Unless you're on a bike path or trail, try not to ride too fast down the sidewalk.
Check out Michelle Brideau's newbie cyclist tips video. She is out of the UK and this video is perfect if you are a beginner cyclist or thinking of getting back into cycling . Michelle gives you 3 tips to help you become a better cyclist in this super short video.
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