Correct clobber:

Ever fall of a push bike when you were younger? It hurts! Do that at 30 mph on tarmac without protective clothes and it will hurt a lot more. It doesn’t cost a fortune to kit yourself out with good riding gear with armour and abrasion protection.  All Arnolds stores carry a comprehensive collection of clothing to suit all budgets.

Ride defensively:

We don’t mean kicking car wing mirrors off but it’s worth considering every other road user to be a complete cretin. To the vast majority of road users, you are invisible no matter what you ride, or how big you are, so ride accordingly.  Get into a fight with a car, you will lose.

Take your time:

Statistically, riding a bike means you will get to your destination quicker than other road users. Also, statistically, riding (or indeed driving) like a lunatic on an average 15 mile commute, gets you to work a whole 23 seconds faster than if you obeyed the speed limit.  Hardly worth it considering the risk you put to yourself and other road users.

Observation observation observation:

No one is looking for you, so you need to do all the hard work! Observation and awareness are absolutely critical to a safe ride. Filtering through stationary traffic is a privilege reserved for us two wheeled heroes and good observation can save your life. Take everything in. Is that car going to change lanes without indicating? Is that driver on his phone? Is there space to pull in if you need to?

Enjoy!