You are here: Home: Transport and streets: Cycling

Cycling

Cycling guidance

Cycling proficiency courses and family cycle training

See Road Safety Information: For Cyclists

Cycling code of conduct

Please follow this code so that all users may enjoy the route in safety:

On all routes…

Please be courteous and always cycle with respect for others, and acknowledge those who give way to you.

Always carry a bell on your cycle and use it appropriately - do not surprise people !

Don't expect to cycle at high speeds.

On shared use paths…

Experience shows that such paths can benefit everyone and they can be comfortably and safely shared with other user groups.

Always try to:

• give pedestrians plenty of room. Be prepared to slow down if the path is busy.
• remember some people are visually impaired or hard of hearing - do not assume everyone can see or hear you.

On canal towing paths…

British Waterways currently provide a free permit for sections of towing path open to cyclists, available from Tourist Information Centres.

Remember:

• always take care, ride at gentle pace in single file and watch out for mooring spikes.
• be prepared to stop and dismount if the path is busy with pedestrians or anglers.
• do not cycle along the path in the dark.
• you are responsible for your own and others safety.

Permission to cycle is conditional on compliance with the Waterways Cycling Code of Conduct.

In the countryside…

Follow the Country Code.

Respect other land management activities such as farming or forestry.

Keep dogs under control and clean up any fouling of paths or verges.

Take litter home.

Cycle helmets

Cycle helmets have been around since the late 1970s.

There has been considerable research into their effectiveness but it remains a highly controversial subject. There are no un-contested studies showing they work as well as is often claimed. In countries where helmets have been made compulsory there has been little long-term improvement in the rate of serious injury to cyclists while many people have been put off cycling altogether. Some researchers claim that helmet wearing gives cyclists a false sense of security and so they tend to take less care than otherwise. Seeing helmeted cyclists may also lead to car drivers taking less care. Wearing a helmet does not prevent cars and lorries hitting cyclists and so can never be a truly effective safety measure.

To offer any protection a helmet must be worn correctly; close fitting and not pushed to the back of the head. A damaged or old helmet offers very little protection and should not be used.

If you decide to use a cycle helmet, look for:

• Sales staff who can help you fit it properly.
• Adjustable straps and pads.
• Vents (holes) to stop your head over-heating.
• Safety test standards (look for BS, ANZI or SNELL stickers).

For further information on how to fit a cycle helmet safely visit the London Cycling Campaign web site.

How To Fit A Cycle Helmet|

Cycling safely

Cycling is an excellent form of exercise with many positive health benefits. There are several things cyclists can do to improve their own safety.

• Keep your bike in good working order, and take it to a bike shop regularly.
• Ride assertively: communicate with other road users (eg hand signals, eye contact), anticipate hazards and conflicts, and take the space you need on the road to avoid them.
• Use bright or reflective clothing, equipment and lights at night and wear a helmet.

Particular things to anticipate and avoid are riding up the inside of left-turning lorries and buses, and the opening of car doors.

Segregated cycle lanes and cycle paths can encourage people to cycle, but there is debate about whether they actually improve casualty figures and many facilities are poorly designed, implemented or maintained. In any case, they will never replace the road network. We need measures to reduce the amount and speed of motor traffic, improve road design, and educate motor drivers to understand cyclists' needs, so that cyclists can share the road more comfortably.

Bicycle security

Lock it or lose it! The London Cycling Campaign web site gives information on securing your bike, where to lock your bike, which lock to choose and advice on insurance.

Lock It Or Lose It|.

back to top