Q: Don’t you have to be really fit to ride a bike?
The simple answer is “No.” Anyone can start cycling at any age or level of fitness, though if you’ve a medical condition or are at all concerned, take your GP’s advice first.
You can start with slow and short journeys and build up over time. Cycling has several advantages as a form of exercise too – there are no impacts involved, unlike jogging, for example, so there’s less stress on your joints, the saddle supports you and, unless you’re really keen, you don’t need any special clothes either.
Q: Isn’t cycling on the road dangerous?
Sensible cyclists who obey the highway code and ride with an assertive style (as we train) are amongst the safest road users out there.
Time-based statistics also show that car drivers or passengers are up to 50 times more likely to be seriously or fatally injured on the road than a good cyclist. Cyclists are unfortunately more likely to be seriously injured IF they are involved in a collision with a vehicle, simply because motor vehicles are faster and a lot heavier.
We take a two-pronged approach to making cycling even safer, by training cyclists how to use the road properly, and by lobbying for more training and raising awareness amongst motorists about their responsibilities to ALL road users.
Q: Wouldn’t it be safer to ride on the pavement?
Not at all! Firstly, riding on the pavement is illegal in the UK (rule 64 of the current version of the Highway Code) and if you’re an adult you can be fined up to £500 if you cause a problem doing it. Recent legislation also means you can be given an on-the-spot fine of £30 if you’re caught riding in an area that’s signposted as ‘cycling prohibited’, whether you’re causing a problem or not, or on any pavement or footpath if you’re causing any inconvenience or problem. (Note: younger children may be given leeway because of their smaller sized bikes and much slower speeds.)
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, riding on the pavement is actually more dangerous than the road because of several factors:
- traffic moves reasonably predictably in one direction on each side of the road, all in the same direction as you’re riding: pedestrians do not;
- cyclists move many times faster than pedestrians, making collisions many times more likely if you’re riding on the pavement;
- pavements do not leave enough room for a cyclist to manoeuvre effectively when there are pedestrians around, further increasing the likelihood of collisions;
- statistics show that cyclists are many times more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle collision when riding off the pavement onto the road than they are if they cycled on the road all the time;
- statistics also show that in collision between a cyclist and a pedestrian on the pavement, the cyclist often comes off worse;
Q: How do I carry all my stuff on a bike?
We can answer this with another question – how much ’stuff’ do you really need to carry? Most people who regularly use cars take more stuff than they need everywhere they go, especially to work. Using a bike to commute helps you focus your mind on what is really necessary.
For carrying all the stuff you do need there are a number of options – a backpack or rucksack is the easiest option if the load is fairly light but most ‘utility’ cyclists have pannier racks over the back wheel which take a variety of sizes of bags and there are even smart briefcases with concealed fittings available if you need to maintain a business-like appearance when you get to work.
Q: Don’t you get sweaty when you’re commuting by bike – what about my clothes?
Well, whether you get sweaty or not depends on how fast you ride! If you ride at a nice relaxed pace then you’ll get no hotter than if you walked at a relaxed pace but you’ll go 2-3 times faster, or 2-3 times further in the same time. Some commuters use this relaxed pace of around 7-10 miles an hour and wear their normal work clothes on their bikes.
Some commuters do ride faster, around 10-15 miles an hour or more, and so carry their work clothes with them, or leave a supply at work, and change when they get to work. An increasing number of employers are providing shower facilities and secure bike storage for those who commute; if yours doesn’t yet, then contact us for more information.
Q: What about bad weather?
Regular cyclists usually have a set of waterproofs to wear – they’re not that expensive and will keep you fairly dry in mild to middling rain. More expensive waterproofs will keep you dry in most conditions, even up to serious downpours and winter storms.
Wet weather does mean that a little bit more attention needs to be paid to the road conditions, braking and turning but this is true of all road users.
And in cold weather, what better way to keep warm than to exercise!
Q: Helmets are sweaty / look daft / are expensive – do I have to wear one?
First of all, at present there is no law that requires a cyclist to wear a helmet. The Cycling Solutions team are generally opposed to any law that would make it compulsory; research shows that in places where they have made it a legal requirement a lot of people simply stop cycling instead of buying one, and this is NOT what we at Cycling Solutions want.
Wearing a helmet will be warmer than not wearing one, especially in the summer, though in the winter that might be an advantage. They are also not always the most attractive of headgear, though more modern designs are lighter and look much better.
They are not that expensive either – a reasonable one can be bought for £20-30, and you can spend more for better ventilated and constructed ones.
Some of our team wear helmets by choice and will give you their reasons for doing so, some of our team don’t and will give you their reasons for not doing so: in the end, the choice is yours.
Q: If all other traffic has to stop at a red traffic light, how come I’ve seen some cyclists ride through them?
First and foremost, jumping red lights with ANY vehicle is illegal and can result in an on-the-spot fine and prosecution. Cyclists are required to obey all traffic lights and other road signs and signals just like every other road-user – rules 69 and 71 of the current Highway Code are specific reminders of this.
Unfortunately there are some people riding bikes who ignore this and place themselves and other road-users in danger by ignoring red lights. Others try to skip round traffic lights by mounting the kerb, riding across the pedestrian areas or crossings and then re-joining the traffic – this is also illegal as it requires riding on the pavement. We do not condone either of these since, as well as being illegal, they not only increase the risk of accident and injury to both the cyclist and other road-users, those who do this also damage the reputation of cyclists in general.
Q: Do I need a bell on my bike?
This is a misunderstood issue due to some fairly recent changes, but under the current law the basics are these: It is a legal requirement that every bike sold has a bell already fitted to it, but there is no legal requirement for you to keep it on your bike or use one once you’ve bought the bike.
If you think about it, the only time a bell is of any practical use is when signalling to other cyclists or pedestrians on a shared cycle path – city traffic is often too noisy for a bicycle bell to be heard. Most cyclists tend to rely on a polite vocal request or shout, depending on the volume of the traffic noise.
Q: Do I have to have lights on my bike? Aren’t the fitted reflectors enough?
The simple answer is that if you only ride during daylight hours, you don’t need lights. However, if you ride at night (i.e. between the official hours of sunset and sunrise – when the street lights are on) you MUST have a powered front and rear light - it’s a legal requirement.
The front and rear reflectors that are fitted to all bikes when sold are not sufficient since they don’t provide any light themselves and only ’shine’ when a vehicle’s headlights shine on them. If you ride on well-lit streets, LED lights are usually sufficient. However, if you ride in poorly lit areas or on unlit roads, you’ll need a higher-powered front light to see where you’re going!
Q: But the Highway Code isn’t actually Law though, so do I have to stick to it?
The simple answer is “YES, you should obey the Highway Code.”
The reason you should follow the Highway Code, even though it is not itself ‘the Law’, is that much of it describes how the various road traffic laws apply to different kinds of road users.
The Highway Code is made up of a list of numbered ‘Rules’ of the road. As you read through it you’ll notice two types of Rules. Some are general recommendations and obligations. However there are many that do make direct reference to various road traffic and highways acts, i.e. that DO reflect a legal requirement – any Rules that use the words ‘MUST’ or ‘MUST NOT’ are ‘the Law’. For example those that refer to not riding on the pavement, having lights on your bike at night, not carrying passengers, and making sure you stop at red lights are ALL legal requirements.
However, if you’re ever in an accident or cause a problem, even those Rules that are recommendations or obligations can be used to support a prosecution or fine. This is because ignoring them or deliberately disobeying them can create serious problems and dangerous situations, and that fact will be used by the courts to support their case, whether to prosecute for a cycling-specific offence, or some other more general offence.
The introduction to the Highway Code sets it out like this:
Many of the rules in the Code are legal requirements, and if you disobey these rules you are committing a criminal offence. You may be fined, given penalty points on your licence or be disqualified from driving. In the most serious cases you may be sent to prison. Such rules are identified by the use of the words ‘MUST/MUST NOT’. In addition, the rule includes an abbreviated reference to the legislation which creates the offence. An explanation of the abbreviations can be found in ‘The road user and the law’.
Although failure to comply with the other rules of the Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, The Highway Code may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Traffic Acts (see ‘The road user and the law’) to establish liability. This includes rules which use advisory wording such as ‘should/should not’ or ‘do/do not’.
(see the rest of the introduction and the whole Highway Code)