Have lights, be bright and think like a car driver: 10 tips for safe winter cycling

This is the time of year when the clocks go back and the evenings start getting drawing in earlier. For those who commute to and from work, they soon find their sunlit ride home is now darker or, if they work late, pitch black. 

It’s a time of year that’s notorious for accidents (last year in the capital six cyclists sadly lost their lives in the first two weeks of November). 

According to the National Accident Helpline 53 per cent of cyclists feel nervous when riding in the dark. And with good reason as Transport For London says 34 per cent of cyclists are injured around dusk between 4pm and 8pm.

There are however some steps you can take to ensure that you feel safer and therefore more confident to cycle in dark, inclement conditions.

1. LIGHT UP

It’s illegal to ride a bike win the dark without lights and reflectors so make sure your bike has good lights, fitted where they can be seen. 

Advances in lighting technology means you don’t have to rely on heavy but feeble lamps that need new batteries every few days. Instead, invest in powerful, lightweight LED lights that have beams to rival car headlights, and are rechargeable via USB and last for hours between charges. 

2. BE SEEN

Reflective clothing doesn’t mean you have to dress up in a fluoro boiler suit. Research suggests a black jacket with reflective detailing is just as effective, if not more so, than a fluoro one with the same.

Reflective strips work by reflecting back any light that plays on them and has nothing to do with colour. Use knee and ankle strips too as the constant movement can alert drivers to your presence.

3. GET OUT OF THE GUTTER

You should always be at least 50cm from the kerb, and sometimes further. Positioning yourself further into the road makes you more visible and forces cars to overtake properly or wait until it is safe to do so.

And if you’re worried about inconveniencing other traffic, don’t: you are traffic too. 

4. CHECK YOUR BIKE

Look after your bike – brakes, gears and lights. There’s more detritus on the roads at this time of year and that can affect the performance of your bike, especially when it comes to braking. 

You’ll also have to clean your bike more often as the salt or grit put on the roads in winter can cause corrosion. And it’s an idea to look at changing your tyres for something more suited to wet weather or to ones that are puncture resistant.

Run them at a slightly lower pressure than usual for better grip on the road.

5. BE VIGILANT

It is obviously much harder to see things in the dark and that includes potholes and pedestrians as well as other traffic. Watch out for slippery leaves in autumn, and black ice on the roads as temperatures drop. 

Remember as well you can’t make eye contact with a driver on a dark evening so don’t assume they’ve seen you. And don’t wear headphones at any time - doing so knocks out a very important sense if your ability to see is impaired. 

6. DRESS PROPERLY

As British fellwaker and guidebook author Alfred Wainwright once said, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing. 

Making sure you’re warm and dry goes along way to making sure you’re comfortable on the bike in winter. Layering is key with a base layer to wick sweat from the body, a light mid-layer to keep you warm (but can also be removed if you heat up) and a wind-proof outer layer with reflective strips.

If it rains use a thin rain cape or jacket. And don’t forget your extremities: numb fingers aren’t just uncomfortable, they could also cause you to lose control of your bike.

Bikes Etc magazine launches this week. For more information, visit bikesetc.co.uk.