Cycle Safety and Security

Safety

Cycle training can help you cycle more confidently with traffic. For more information take a look at the Cycle Training page.
Be seen. Wear bright or reflective clothing and have lights and reflectors fitted to the front and back of your bike.
Be confident. Cycling too close to the kerb increases your risk as it makes you less visible to other traffic. Ride far enough from parked cars to avoid any opening doors.
Smile and make eye contact. Cycling is all about sharing space with other people.
When sharing space with pedestrians, keep to the correct side of the path and use a bell to warn others of your approach.
Remind yourself of the Highway Code and be courteous to other road users.
Give lorries space. Be aware that large vehicles have blind spots - if you can’t see their mirrors they can’t see you. Never cycle on the inside of a lorry if there is a chance it could be turning left.
Night-time cycling. Get a rear reflector and make sure your front and rear lights are working. Consider wearing reflective and fluorescent material and bright-coloured clothes
Smile and make eye contact. Cycling is all about sharing space with other people.
Get specialist advice on a safety helmet.
Make yourself aware of cycle routes. More maps are available on the Transport for London website or can be ordered by telephoning 020 7222 1234. You can download a map of the cycling routes in Hackney on the right.

To protect it, register it*. Register your bicycle model, make and frame number at www.immobilise.com. Without this information the police don't stand a chance of recovering your bike if it's stolen.
Buy a decent lock - or preferably two*. Check the London Cycling Campaign website for types of lock and www.soldsecure.com for certified locks. Expect to pay £40+ or 20 per cent of the value of your cycle on a lock.
Get insurance*. An easy way to do this is to extend your home contents insurance to cover your bicycle - but make sure it covers you for thefts outside the home too. If your bicycle is particularly valuable you may need to insure it separately. See www.bikeforall.net for recommended insurers.

*Do these when you buy your bike. If you don't do it immediately, you'll never get around to it.

To minimise the risk of theft, consider the following tips when locking your bike:

If you leave your bike in a public space, make sure it is left somewhere where everyone can see it - people will also see if someone is trying to steal it.
Make sure the lock catches the bike frame as well as the wheel and the post. If it only goes through the wheel a thief may steal the bike and leave the wheel behind. Lock both wheels in this way.
Use a bike stand if there is one available becausegrills and gates can be cut with bolt cutters.
Don't leave your bike in the same place every day. It will be noticed.
Locks can also be picked, so face the lock to the ground (but not resting on it) so it can't easily be turned upwards for picking.
Make it impossible for a thief to smash the lock open: fill the D part of a lock with as much of the bike as possible and never leave the lock lying on the pavement - a lock can be sledgehammered easily when it's resting on the ground.
Take with you any items that can be removed without tools - wheels, lights, pump, computer, panniers, seat post and saddle. These can go even if you leave your bike unattended for just a few minutes.

Page updated: 2 Jul 2009