Exercise Bike Zone: Cycling Safety Checklist

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Cycling is a great way to enjoy the fresh air outdoors, get fit and burn calories. It’s important not to neglect your safety when it comes to cycling – you need to ensure your bicycle and any related kit meets the required safety standards and is in good working order. Regularly checking your lights, tires, brakes, gears, handlebars and other components should become routine before going out on a cycle ride, as well as wearing a correctly-fitting helmet to protect your head while cycling in case of a fall.

For comfort and safety, it’s important to choose a bike that is a good fit for you size-wise. To see how to work out what size bike you should have, read my article How to Choose the Best Bicycle for You which has a section on “How to Choose the Right Sized Bike”.

Let’s take a look at what safety kit you should have and what safety checks you should be doing to help keep you safe when out and about cycling:

Cycling Helmet

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Wearing a correctly fitted cycling helmet will help to prevent head injury if you fall or get knocked off your bicycle.

To ensure continued safety, your helmet should be replaced with a new one every 5 years. It’s not a good idea to buy a second-hand helmet as it may have damage you can’t detect and not give you the right protection.

The following guidelines should help to ensure your safety when it comes to correctly fitting your cycling helmet:

· The helmet should be a snug fit and sit squarely on your head (not tilted), just above your eyebrows.

· The helmet straps should be securely fastened, ensuring that the straps are not twisted. For a correct fitting, check that there is only enough room for 2 fingers to fit between the strap and your chin.

· Only buy a helmet that displays the required safety standard mark for the country you are cycling in. For example, British Standard mark (BS EN 1078:1997) in UK, or CPSC for US, or CEN for Europe, or check your own country’s safety standards (note that safety standards may change over time, so it’s important to check regularly for any safety updates your country may make to these standards).

Bicycle Lights and Reflectors

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If you cycle at night, you must have lights and reflectors on you bicycle, not only so that you can see where you’re going, but so that other road users can see you.

For night cycling, you should have the following lights and reflectors on your bicycle:

· Front white light

· Rear red light/reflector

· Amber/yellow pedal reflectors

· Additional reflectors can be fitted to the front of the bike and the wheel spokes to help you to be seen more clearly.

Check that any lights/reflectors you have fitted to your bicycle meet any safety standard requirements set out by the country you are cycling in. For your safety, make sure that any lights you use do not dazzle other road users.

Safety Checking your Tires/Wheels

To ensure your bicycle is in good working order and safe to ride, you should regularly check the tires/wheels. There are several checks here that you should perform. Start by LIFTING THE FRONT OF THE BIKE UP IN THE AIR and perform the following checks, repeating for the rear:

· Bang your hand down on the top of the wheel to ensure it is secure and doesn’t fall out.

· Use your hand to try to wobble the wheel to make sure that it doesn’t move from side to side.

· Squeeze the sides of the tire to see how hard or soft it is and whether you need to add any air to inflate it.

· Inspect the tire for holes, cuts or bulges which may indicate that the tire needs some repair work or to be replaced.

· Spin the front tire to make sure that the brakes don’t rub on the rim or that the tire doesn’t rub on the mudguards if you have them.

Safety Checking your Brakes

There are several safety checks you should make regularly to ensure your bicycle brakes are in good working order. Start by APPLYING THE FRONT BRAKES and perform the following checks, repeating for the rear brake:

· Holding the brakes on, try pushing the bike forward to check that the brakes are working correctly.

· Check that the brake pads sit evenly on the rim, i.e. each end of the brake pad is touching the rim, as opposed to one end touching and not the other.

· Check that any nuts and screws attaching the brake levers and handgrips to the handlebars are tight and secure, so that the brake levers and handgrips aren’t loose or moving around.

· Check for any sign of fraying to the cables inside the brake levers. Don’t use the bicycle if the cables looked frayed – get them replaced.

Safety Checking your Handlebars and Steering

As mentioned above, the brake levers, handgrips and any other parts on the handlebars should be tight and secure, while still allowing you to steer easily and freely. To check this, start by GRIPPING THE FRONT WHEEL BETWEEN YOUR KNEES and perform the following checks:

· Turn the handlebars from side to side WITHOUT the brakes on, checking to ensure that no parts are loose.

· Turn the handlebars from side to side WITH the brakes on, checking to ensure that no parts are loose.

Other Safety Checks for your Bicycle

Additional safety checks you should make with your bicycle include:

· Applying oil to your chain regularly to keep it lubricated and to stop it going rusty.

· Checking that the chain isn’t broken or slipped off.

· Shifting through all the gears to ensure that the chain runs through smoothly.

· Checking that the pedals are secure and don’t wobble from side to side.

· Checking that the saddle and its fittings are tight and secure.

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N.B. It’s always advisable to consult your doctor or health care professional before undertaking any new exercise regime. Regularly check your country’s local safety cycling standards and adhere to any changes required.

Exercise Bike Zone

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Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Cycling Safety Checklist

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