Road cycling advice for our tours
Why?
Whilst there’s nothing inherently dangerous about riding a bicycle, the environments we ride in and our interactions with others can affect our safety and enjoyment of cycling, so it’s worth thinking about minimising any risks. This guide provides concise guidance for ‘road cycling best practice’ on our tours, whilst promoting responsible riding.
Which side of the road?
It’s easy to forget which side of the road you need to be on when cycling in other countries. For the countries that we run tours in, UK and Ireland are on the left and the rest of Europe are on the right-hand side of the road.
The three key techniques:
Observation: We wouldn’t feel safe driving without mirrors, so we need to always know what’s around us when we’re cycling. A quick shoulder check before you start, stop, turn or change road position doesn’t just inform you about what’s behind, but shows other road users that you’ve seen them.
Communication: Everyone on our roads is safer if we tell each other what we’re about to do. When turning at a junction, do a quick shoulder check before giving a clear arm signal for three seconds. Combine observation and communication by making eye contact with drivers and pedestrians, then there’s no doubt that you’ve seen each other.
Road position: Where we position ourselves on the road makes a huge difference to our safety and how other road users interact with us. Firstly, keep out of the gutter where there can be debris, rough surfaces and drainage grids. Research shows that the more room you give yourself from the kerb, the more room drivers will give you.
Also, we can use our road position to protect our safe space. When making a turn at a junction, we don’t usually want vehicles squeezing past us as it can put us in a vulnerable position, block our view of traffic and obscure us from other traffic. When approaching a junction, do a quick shoulder check, then if it’s clear behind then you can move into a space that fills your lane, then signal which way you intend to turn. By ‘taking the lane’ you’re more visible to the driver behind and you’re encouraging them to stay behind until you’ve completed your manoeuvre.
Sharing the roads with traffic
Allowing traffic to pass
There are times that we may want to prevent traffic behind from passing, but unless we’re at a junction or passing an obstruction like a parked car then we really should be letting the traffic pass us if it’s safe for them to do so. This is one of the main grievances of non-cycling drivers…
If there are more than a few cyclists riding in a line, it becomes difficult for vehicles behind to safely pass. Unfortunately, some drivers will become impatient and take a chance to pass when it isn’t really safe. Get into the habit of regular shoulder checks so that you’re aware of what might be developing behind you and be mindful of the size of your group.
Cyclists are permitted to cycle two abreast and there are times when it’s appropriate and safer, but generally it’s good etiquette to provide opportunity for traffic behind to safely pass. For example, if you’re riding on a narrow country lane and there’s traffic behind, it’s worth pulling over and letting them pass when there’s a suitable place to do so. Your ride will be much more relaxing for doing so!
Single track roads
Some areas of the UK have single track roads with passing places. The etiquette on these roads is to use the signed passing places to let faster traffic pass. Use the passing place nearest to where you will meet and then let the vehicle pass. Always pull into your side of the road, regardless of which side the passing place is on. Again, with regular shoulder checks you’ll know when traffic is approaching, and drivers will pass safely with a cheery wave!
Cycling up steep hills
If you find yourself grinding up a steep hill, it’s tempting to weave across the road to minimise the gradient but always make sure you have a clear view of the road all around you so you can return to your side when traffic approaches.
Descending
It’s all too easy to let your speed build up when riding downhill, but always make sure that you’re able to brake in time to make the next corner and avoid any hazards. Remember that you won’t know the roads on tour like you know your own local roads.
Filtering past traffic
As a cyclist, we’re allowed to ‘filter’ past slow or stationary traffic when it is safe to do so. If there is a long queue of traffic waiting at a junction, we may have the opportunity to ride towards the front of the queue, either down the left or right of the vehicles.
Whether this is always the right thing to do requires sound judgement of what’s going on and whether you consider it is safe to do so. If the queue is only four cars long then it’s probably not worth filtering and it’s better to just wait in the traffic, potentially ‘taking the lane’ depending on which way you will be turning when the traffic sets off again.
Decide which side is going to be safest and consider whether the traffic might start moving halfway through your move. If the junction has traffic lights, you can anticipate the sequence. If you need to pull back into the queue in front of a driver, just make eye contact and thank them for letting you in.
Roundabouts
These circular junctions are less common in North America so can cause mild panic for our transatlantic guests! You can only join the roundabout if it is clear to do so and you must give way to traffic coming from your right if you’re in the UK or Ireland and give way to traffic coming from the left if you’re in Europe. It’s useful to ‘take the lane’ as you approach the roundabout to maximise visibility and space.
Cycle paths and cycling infrastructure
There’s a range of cycling infrastructure on our routes, from a line of white paint at the side of the road to fully segregated cycle lanes and traffic free paths. Some cycle lanes are completely ineffective and if you feel that it’s safer to remain as traffic on the road then you should do so. When riding on any paths that are shared with pedestrians, let them know when you’re approaching either with your bell or a polite greeting and share the space considerately.
Keeping visible
Whilst black or other dark coloured cycling kit might look great, it’s also an effective way to camouflage yourself on the road – so get some colour into your kit! We always plan to finish before dusk but a cloudy, wet day can reduce visibility so having some lights can also help other road users to see you. Some of our tours pass through short tunnels on roads or paths, so lights are also recommended for these route sections.
