With the bright summer evenings a distant memory and the dark evenings closing in on us, now is the ideal time to turn your attention towards preparing yourself, and your bike, for training during those dark winter months that lie ahead.
If you are anything like us, you will hate the thoughts of spending hours upon hours indoors on the turbo trainer in order to clock up the mileage and you would much rather get yourself outside onto the open roads regardless of the weather.
So if that’s the case we have put together our top 6 winter safe cycling tips to help make your more visible and safer on your bike.
1. Use Front & Rear LED Lights
Mounting a front facing White LED light on your handlebars and a rear facing Red LED light positioned just under your saddle are the first steps you should take in order to increase your visibility to other road users.
A good quality front facing light will also help with your own field of vision while cycling if the darkness comes in a little quicker than expected and you get caught out being on the roads later than you expected.
You want lights that are weather resistant and you should also opt for ones which use rechargeable battery packs so you can put them on charge regularly and not run the risk of the lights dying out on you mid-cycle.
These lights usually come in twin packs containing both front and rear lights and should be available in any good cycle store.
2. Use A Helmet Mounted LED Light
A helmet mounted LED light is another great addition to your cycling safety kit. We would recommend choosing one that has both front and rear facing beams for similar reasons to those in the point above.
The front facing beam will move with your helmet (and head) meaning it will make it easier for you to see around you if you need to look away from the direction of the front facing bike mounted light which is fixed into place.
The rear red beam will also be mounted much higher up than the one under your saddle adding an extra element of visibility for other road users approaching you from behind.
3. Wear At least One High-Vis Item Of Clothing
Wearing high-vis clothing while cycling early in the morning or late in the evening is always recommended regardless of the time of year, but during the winter months it becomes even more important to wear at least one item of high-vis clothing at all times of the day.
Cloudy, overcast and wet conditions can make it tough for drivers to see pedestrians and cyclists even in the middle of the day, so you need to do your part to make yourself seen.
Ideally you should opt for a jacket made completely from a reflective material but if not then a reflective vest worn over your outer layer will be a good alternative. A good addition to compliment this choice option would be to combine your high-vis vest with a cycling soft-shell, one that has reflective strips and details incorporated into their design (reflective strips along the arms for example).
Visibility does not need to stop with your torso; many cycling leggings and gloves will also have reflective strips incorporated onto the legs and the back of the hands respectively.
When it comes to high-vis clothing, more is definitely better, and most importantly safer.
4. Wear Bright Coloured Clothing
If buying a whole new cycling outfit just isn’t an option, then choosing brighter coloured items of regular clothing for your cycles is a good alternative. This goes for your soft-shell jacket or jersey, hat or buff, gloves and leggings.
Try stick to colours like yellow, orange, pink, bright red, bright green or bright blue. Try to avoid darker colours like black, navy, brown and dark grey.
Granted it may be difficult to find clothing that is made completely in these colours but choosing items that contain detailing in these colours is a wise choice.
As a guide, try to imagine what outfit you would be most likely to notice on another cyclist if you were a driver.
And don’t worry about how stylish, or un-stylish, your outfit looks. Being seen regardless of how you look is far more important than not being seen at all.
5. Wear Bright Coloured Footwear
Similar to the above point, your footwear can play a huge part in making you as visible as possible to other road users.
Your feet are one of the few moving parts of your body when you cycle so it makes sense to wear bright coloured and noticeable footwear.
Again, stick to colours like yellow, orange, red, pink, bright green or bright blue.
As with the colour of your clothing, try to avoid black, navy and dark grey. But if a bright coloured shoe just isn’t something you feel comfortable wearing then sticking to plain and simple white is your next best option.
6. Choose Your Route Wisely
The safest option would be to avoid cycling during low-light hours and during overcast and wet conditions. However, with our schedules being so busy these days this won’t always be the case, and we may have to take any opportunity that we can to get those kilometres in.
Try to avoid any sections of road that are extra busy, contain blind spots or are narrow and make it difficult for traffic to pass you. Be especially conscious of avoiding these types of roads during morning and evening rush hours.
Sticking to wider roads with a hard shoulder where you can stay out of the regular traffic lanes can be a good option as long as they are not very busy.
Alternatively, if you are lucky enough to live near any of the amazing cycling greenways throughout Ireland then these are ideal options for a safe, car free, winter cycling route.
To Sum It All Up…
Unfortunately road safety is an on-going issue on Irish roads and as cyclists we largely depend on the awareness and focus of other road users for our safety. However, this doesn’t mean that we don’t have a responsibility to play a part in our own wellbeing.
Try to apply as many, if not all, of the above tips as you can.
Bright and High-vis clothing from head to toe and as many lights as you can fit onto your bike or yourself… Remember, a seen cyclist is a safer cyclist!
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