Five cycling essentials for feeling safer and happier on busy roads

[tartanhaggis7]

HAVING been injured due to an argument with a car! recently back on the road. buying a few bits & bobs for the bike + myself WHAT are the five items you'd buy for the joy of cycling on the CRAZY roads?

Please wear some hi vis. Even if you feel a bit silly it works so well esp in those dark mornings/ evenings

Can you use quieter roads? I've got the OS maps app with the National Cycle Network routes overlaid and it makes finding quiet routes much easier. I hate cycling on busy roads, aside from the possible dangers, it just isn't much fun.

A MIPS helmet

Hi viz clothing. In summer I wear a shirt with a reflective band, in winter a hi hiz jacket. Also a hiz biz band on my trousers.

Decent glasses for sun/ bright essential protection.

I like to wear gel gloves to lessen shock to my wrists.
Rechargeable lighting and also have reflectors.

i don't know how you'd feel SILLY maybe 20 years ago! i wear hi viz helmet jacket gloves haversack thats gets me cyclist who wear a hi viz jacket and then put on a black haversack also attached to bike reflectors lights reflective tape spoke lights and reflective handle bar tape!!! and been knocked off my bike to many times to mention😎 maybe i should do what the young team that's to wear all black no lights ( apart from the light of their joint) and IGNORE every red light

yup agree with you what about a helmet camera and a cats eye mirror

Sorry for my comment @tartanhaggis7- from your OP I assumed you were new to cycling. Now I feel silly.

A good, loud bell that people can hear. I was knocked off my bike despite being decked out like a Christmas tree because the driver did not turn his head and therefore didn’t see me in his blind spot. All the hi-vis in the world would not have made a difference. But something louder than my weedy ding-ding bell might have drawn attention more effectively.

Cycle training! Often free from your local council.

Even very experienced cyclists can benefit from it. You mentioned you've been knocked off quite a lot - if there's a specific road location or manoeuvre where this tends to happen an instructor could work on that with you and suggest some tactics.

That is not to suggest you are in the wrong. There's a lot of thoughtless drivers out there! It's more about having someone else assess your cycling to point out habits and alternatives so you can increase your toolbox of options to recognise and deal with situations.

I have bought a Le Tap sticker for my family members. It stores your details so if you’re in an accident someone can tap on it with their phone and get contact details of parents/spouses. Obvs won’t make cycling easier but might help if the worst happens. A camera might deter dickheads from dickhead manoeuvres but unfortunately there’s not a lot you can do about terrible drivers, you sound like you’ve got all the lights and hi vis you can. I once read that drivers give the least room to male cyclists in Lycra and the most room to female cyclists with long blonde hair in normal clothes, so apart from a wig, no other suggestions! Keep going though, there are so many measurable physical and mental health benefits. Xx

try a air horn that normally gets their attention 😃

That research was carried out by a male academic wearing a wig.

It was later disproved by the excellent Near Miss project (which based their research on actual women’s experience).

Sadly, I don’t have any suggestions - apart from joining your local road safety group / cycling campaign. People should be able to cycle safely.

I just avoid busy roads altogether. I’m lucky in that my home city has a good segregated bike infrastructure compared to most UK cities. As a supply teacher, I work in a number of different locations and will cycle to them if I can get there without using a busy road. If that’s not possible, I take the car. Sadly, no cycle helmet or high-vis is going to help much if a careless or distracted driver ploughs into you.

Take the lane, don’t sit into the kerb - this is something cycle training does teach you. Junction are hot stops for drivers not looking, so move into the center of the lane so they do see you. I know you’re not a beginner but this explains why you should take primary position www.cyclinguk.org/article/beginners-guide-road-positioning-cycling

a sticker on the bike showing you are recording, even if you’re not it will make punishment passes less likely as they’ll not want to leave evidence

a pool noodle on your bike rack, strapped on with a bungee but left sticking out to the right by up to a meter - helps get drivers to overtake correctly https://99percentinvisible.org/article/noodling-workaround-cheap-clever-hack-helps-make-roads-safer-for-cyclists/

a solid oversized hi viz jacket, great as a shower proof jacket & I never zip mine up as then it flaps about - the movement attracts attention. Get a soft shell as it’s not hard and uncomfortable to wear. Orange is more visible www.decostitch.co.uk/product/high-viz-softshell-jacket/r117a

cycle dot travel is a great app for giving the quietest route possible for getting from AtoB and will plot leisure rides. Can be used as a satnav in your pocket or in a handlebar bag

I've just bought a bike after a 12 year hiatus. I've only been out in the day for leisure and I'm lucky that where I live in Swansea it's pretty quiet. I only need to go on the road for a short distance before joining a cycle track through woods which then takes me to another cycle track on the seafront. Going out when the children are in school is another good choice.