Safe Cycling
Safety On The Ride
We take your security very seriously. Safety is a shared responsibility. The ride is held on quiet roads and lanes but these roads are not closed to other traffic. We provide marshalls at any difficult junctions. They have basic First Aid Kits and can call for help if necessary. British Red Cross volunteers are in attendance with a mobile vehicle. You must obey the rules of the road and cycle sensibly. Parents must make sure that their children know about riding on roads and ride safely. They must make sure that their children stay with them for the whole ride.
Protective Gear
Most people don’t fall off their bicycles but if they do, there are some basic pieces of kit that will help to minimize any damage:
Helmets
To wear or not to wear, that is question.
We strongly recommend that you should use a helmet when cycling.
Modern cycling helmets are light and comfortable to wear. They help to absorb some of the impact if you have an accident. The impact absorbed might make the difference between damaging your brain or not. Helmets aren’t compulsory on the ride. It’s your brain: you choose.
We think that the benefits outweigh the inconvenience. For many of us putting on a helmet when we get on the bike is like putting on a seat belt when we get into the car.
Gloves
Consider using cycling gloves. They have two benefits:
- They make it less tiring to grip the handlebars on a long ride.
- They protect your hands if you fall off.
What to bring with you
Apart from a drink and a snack, please consider:
- Some self adhesive plasters and wipes
- 4 safety pins per person (to attach your number, which we will provide)
- A puncture repair kit, tyre levers and a pump
Protective Gear / Safety On The Ride
Bike Health
If you or your family members are cycling on the road, you need to make sure that your bicycles are working properly. Don’t wait until the morning of the ride to check that your bicycles are roadworthy.
Bike checks carried out before last year’s ride found several bikes that had serious problems that might have put their riders at risk and would certainly have been hard work to ride. In particular, some young people were riding on bikes that they had outgrown.
Here are some basic checks you might follow yourself:
Tyres
Pump the tyres up so that there is only a little give when you squeeze them. Cycling on soft tyres is much harder work.
Make sure that the tyres stay pumped up. If they do not then you may have a puncture: fix it or replace the inner tube.
Look at the tyres. Are they old and perished? Are there tears or bulges in the rubber? Is the tread worn away? If so, replace them. Worn tyres are more likely to puncture and won’t grip the road if you or your child needs to stop in a hurry.
Brakes
Do the brakes work? Do they stop the bike easily?
Make sure that your child can reach the brake lever.
There are several different types of brake. The easiest to adjust are the ones that grip the metal rim of the wheel (V brakes for example). Make sure that the brake doesn’t rub on the tyre when you pull it on. Ideally both the brake blocks should strike the rim at the same time. If your brakes squeak, try to angle the blocks slightly (by 1-2mm) so that the leading edge hits the rim first.
Make sure that the brakes don’t rub on the rim when they are not being applied.
The lever should move smoothly. If not, the cable may be sticking in its sheath.
If your wheel is a bit buckled, you won’t be able to set the brakes up properly. Most people will need to have that fixed at a bike shop.
Pedals
Your pedals should spin easily and not be loose on the crank arm (the straight bit that it is attached to). The crank should not wobble where it joins the frame. If it does, it is seriously worn. Head for the bike shop.
Chain
Put oil on your chain. If it squeaks, it will wear and won’t change gear easily.
If the chain slips on the cogs, it and the cogs are worn and need replacing.
Gears
Check that the gears shift smoothly. Often they don’t engage cleanly and you have to accept that nothing in the world is perfect. You should be able to adjust the set up so that they all engage. There are several different types. You might find this article helpful Adjusting Gears
Saddle
If your saddle is uncomfortable, try adjusting the height and angle. If you plan to do a lot of cycling, a quality saddle is a good investment.
There are different ways to check if the saddle height is correct depending on the type of bicycle. The simplest method is, with the bike on a level surface, to sit on the saddle, put your feet down and your toes should just touch the ground. If your saddle is set too low, you won’t be able to pedal efficiently and will tire more easily.
Don’t raise the saddle beyond the safety line on the seatpost.
Saddles can also be adjusted back and forward. Most women find that a saddle tilted slightly down at the front is more comfortable.
Don’t use gel covers on old seats. They tend to slip around and don’t distribute the pressure as well as a good saddle.
