The safe cycling checklist

• Ride to be seen
• Get your seat height right
• Check your handlebars
• Do your brakes work properly?
• Have you got pedal power?
• What about your wheels?

You'll have a safer and more comfortable ride if your cycle is working properly and has the right equipment.

It's also important to make sure you're wearing the right gear, including a standards-approved cycle helmet that fits properly.
Read more about cycle helmets.

Ride to be seen

• Wear light, bright colours and use reflective tape - the more the better.
• Wear a brightly coloured cycle helmet, or one that has the manufacturer's high visibility stickers on it.
• Make sure your cycle complies with the requirements for lights and reflectors.
  Read more about lights and reflectors.

Get your seat height right

• It's important that you can put a foot down on the ground to keep your balance when you come to a stop.
• You need to be able to stretch your legs as you push, too - this gives you a stronger push.
• You don't want your knees to be hitting the handlebars!

Check your handlebars

• The ends of your handlebars should be covered. You need good quality, secure handgrips, and you must be able to reach them easily.
• There shouldn't be any movement where the handlebar and forks connect through the frame of your bike.

Do your brakes work properly?

• Check your front brake - it should hold the front wheel still even when you try to move the bike forward. The back brake should do the same for the back wheel.
• Brake levers must be within easy reach of your hands. If the brake lever touches the handlebar when you squeeze it, you're not getting full use of your brakes.
• When you're riding, use both brakes for fast, safe stopping. Equal pressure on both levers is enough for normal stopping. If you need to stop more quickly, use use the back brake lightly and the front brake hard. If the back wheel skids, release the front brake slightly.

Have you got pedal power?

• Make sure your pedals aren't damaged or broken. You need something substantial to push onto, with tread to hold your feet and reflectors front and back. Your pedals should spin freely.

What about your wheels?

• Your tyres should be firm.
• Lift the bike and spin the wheels. They should spin freely, with no sticking.
• Check for 'wheel wobble' by gripping the wheel rim tightly at the top and moving it from side to side. If there is movement, check that:
  • the wheel nuts are tight
  • the 'cones' (which secure the wheel to the axle) are adjusted correctly
  • there are no loose spokes, and all the spokes are in place.

Page updated: 21 October 2005