Your safety is our top priority. Please take time to read through and familiarise yourself with the guidelines. This is for your safety and the safety of your fellow riders.
All our club riders MUST:
Comply with the Highway Code.
Be responsible for your own well-being during the ride.
Be prepared for situations such as adverse weather conditions, mechanical problems and flat tires.
Respect other road users.
Bring appropriate food & drink.
Use lights during low-level natural lighting.
Keep good maintenance of your bike.
Wear a helmet.
Not ride as a group of more than 12.
LDN RIDERS is not responsible for your personal safety.
We should all do our best to avoid accidents but should one happen, it helps to have insurance in place.
If you're involved in an incident causing injury or property damage that was (or is alleged to have been) your fault, your insurance cover may indemnify you in respect of the legal costs of defending a third party claim and any resulting damages awarded against you.
General Safety Advice
If you’re riding with the club and an accident occurs consider the below steps.
Firstly, consider your own safety, the safety of other members of your group, the on-going safety of the casualty and the safety of other road users as you don’t want to make the situation worse.
Use other members of the group to alert other road users are aware of the accident. This will ensure no further accidents occur. Make sure to eliminate any new risks to the injured party. If you suspect any injury to the spine, do not move them unless it is not possible to keep them safely in the current location.
Find out if anyone in your group or at the scene has any first aid qualifications and follow their instructions or, if you hold a qualification, follow the procedures you learned.
Contact the emergency services. Dial 999 or 112. Even if your phone shows as having no signal, you still may be able to make a 999 call. Be prepared to give them details of your location, what happened and any information you’re able to provide on the casualty. We recommend using the phone app What3words to help gain accurate location information.
If you are concerned about the condition of the casualty and no-one has any first aid knowledge, the emergency telephone operator will be able to talk you through what to do. Make the casualty as comfortable as possible until the emergency services arrive and ensure they are kept warm.
LDN RIDERS members can benefit from half price insurance with British Cycling.
Plan your journey before you set off
If you have a long ride ahead of you or if you are new to cycling and are likely to get tired before you reach your destination, alter your route to take this into account. This may mean using quiet roads or cycling facilities, such as off-road cycle paths, towards the end of your journey or stopping for a quick break.
This might sound simple but accidents commonly happen towards the end of a ride. If you know your route well, you can plan the road ahead more effectively.
Anticipate movements
Some vehicles travelling in front of you may need to stop quickly. You need to leave enough distance between you and the vehicle ahead so that you can pull up safely if it suddenly slows down or stops.
Braking distances vary on bikes so know yours before setting off on the road. Remember to take account of the road conditions and weather and be mindful that it takes longer to stop on a bike than it does in a car.
What is happening around you can change very quickly so make sure you stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
Think about your road positioning
To maximise your line of vision you are encouraged to cycle in primary position, ie in the centre of the lane.
Be aware and anticipate
Always be aware of what is happening around you. This includes vehicles on the opposite side of the road which can cut across your path, vehicles waiting to pull out of minor roads into the major road and vehicles moving out into your lane to avoid parked cars or swerving to avoid hazards.
Communicate with other road users
Try to make eye contact with drivers / pedestrians to check whether they have seen you. If the other road user is not looking at you, they may not have seen you!
Monitor your speed and use your brakes effectively
It’s great to use declines to build up some speed without exerting any energy but to ensure you are in control and able to avoid any oncoming vehicles in your path, cycle at a safe and consistent speed.
When to Avoid Filtering
Filtering is a useful way for cyclists to get ahead of queuing traffic. However, you should be aware when filtering past junctions as vehicles travelling in the same direction as you may give way to oncoming right turning traffic, which may well be out of your line of sight and may not be aware of your presence.
Be extremely careful if passing an HGV, LGV or other long vehicle (for example, a coach or bus) on the inside. Avoid this if at all possible.
Check for a gap in the traffic when avoiding obstructions
If you can only avoid an obstruction by moving out into the flow of traffic, check over your right shoulder first to ensure you have room to move out.
If a vehicle is travelling too close to you to allow this, slow down until you have a safe gap.
Be seen
Move into the primary position to pass side roads if there is any danger in order to maximise the chances of you being seen. The Highway Code advises that you should wear light-coloured or fluorescent clothing in daylight and poor light conditions it also recommends reflective clothing and/or accessories in the dark.
Make sure you know the Highway Code regarding lights and reflectors – it is a legal requirement for you to have a white front and red rear light lit at night
Cross tramlines and level crossings safely
If you need to cross tramlines do so slowly and as close to a 90 degree angle as possible to avoid your tyres slipping into the gap and becoming trapped.
The Highway Code advises cyclists to dismount where a ‘Cyclist Dismount’ sign is displayed.
Again and most importantly, always remember to follow the Highway Code
If you have any safety specific queries please contact Tony Fordham (Head of Welfare)
