Probably the main deterrent to riding a bike in Sydney is safety amongst the traffic. This page is for us to share our ideas on staying safe while riding. CHOICE Magazine has an excellent article on commuting by bike. Post your bike stories and tips on the forum.
- Use a Bike Buddy.
- Be visible! When motorists see you sooner, they not only have more time to avoid hitting us, they also have a few more seconds to get over their instinctive desire to kill us. This means wearing a vest, and having lights front and back. Bicycle Victoria has recommended the following lights, which can be purchased from the club:
Front: BASTA Polaris BA3 ($40)
Rear: TIOGA 600 TCL 54 ($20)
- Know the rules. They are not all the same for bikes and cars. For example, did you know that you are allowed to take a whole lane and you can ride next to another cyclist? Did you know that you can overtake cars on the left if they are stationary? Maybe you didn’t know that you have to walk your bike across pedestrian crossings. You can find a list of bicycle-specific rules here.
- Know that the rules don’t always apply – the motorists don’t know all the rules and they don’t always follow them anyway. Experience on Sydney roads is very important. Start by riding with someone else who is used to the road (but is aware that you aren’t!). You can also gain experience at critical mass, or Massbug’s Bike Bus.
- Don’t ride in the car-door zone. It’s really dangerous! Read this article for more information.
- Take safe routes. Check out www.bikely.com and look for routes tagged ’safe’. There is also a great book of Sydney bike routes called Bike-it. Maurice has a copy of this book.
- Wear shoes!! Riding in thongs increases the chance of slipping off the pedals and also makes the consequences of crashing much more gruesome. If you’re really determined to not wear socks, maybe you could ask for some riding sandals for your next birthday.
