Owner's Manual

26
Safer cycling - the basics
NOTE: Like any activity, cycling involves risk of injury and damage. By choosing to ride a bicycle, you
must take responsibility for that risk and so you must practise safe and responsible riding. The
following are some points which, if practised, may reduce that risk. The following list is by no means
exhaustive. There may be omissions and strict adherence to these points in no way guarantees
survival.
1. Always carry out a mechanical safety check before you get on a bike.
2. Always wear an approved helmet when riding your bike and follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for fit, use and care.
3. Always ride with at least one hand in contact with the handlebar.
4. Be careful to keep body parts and other objects away from the sharp teeth of chain rings,
the moving chain, the turning pedals and cranks, and the spinning wheels of your bicycle.
5. Always wear shoes that will stay on your feet and will grip the pedals.
6. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls of your bicycle.
7. Wear bright, visible clothing that is not so loose that it can catch on moving parts of the
bicycle or obscure lighting or reflectors.
8. When carrying luggage, ensure your bike is correctly loaded.
9. Don't jump with your bike.
10. Think about your speed, and keep your speed at a level which is consistent with conditions.
11. Always keep in mind that there is a direct relationship between speed and control, and
between speed and component stress.
Some “rules” of the road
1. You are sharing the road or the path with others - other cyclists, motorists, pedestrians and
often horse riders. Respect their rights, and be tolerant if they infringe on yours. Remember,
horses can be extremely unpredictable.
2. Be assertive when necessary but always be prepared to ride defensively when required...if
you don’t know how to be safely assertive, always ride defensively. Assume that the people
with whom you are sharing the road are so absorbed with what they are doing and where
they are going that they are oblivious to you.
3. Look ahead of where you're going, and be ready to avoid any hazards and distractions, for
example:
• Vehicles slowing or turning in front of you.
• Vehicles entering the road or your lane ahead of you, or coming up behind
you.
• Parked car doors opening in front of you.
• Pedestrians stepping out in front of you.
• Horse riders using or entering the road or your lane ahead of you.
• Children playing near the road.
• Pot holes, sewer grating, expansion joints, debris and other obstructions
that could cause you to swerve into traffic, catch your wheel or otherwise
cause you to have an accident.
4. Where they exist, seriously consider riding in designated bike lanes, or on designated bike
paths. Where they don’t exist, always ride on the correct side of the road, in the same
direction as car traffic.