Riding a bike is rather like walking a dog. Strangers smile at you. On a bike you’re free like a child, and it’s such a happy feeling. Cycling’s wonderful for your figure as well as for its feelgood factor. It is hands-on, you can get around and still see everything – and, best of all, you don’t get a parking ticket.
Protect your Eyes
Flies don’t always look where they’re going and will zonk painfully into your eye. How can something the size of a pinhead feel so huge while it’s struggling for life in the squishy regions inside your eyelid? Then, there’s often dust or particles flying around. If you don’t wear prescription glasses, you can buy protective eyewear with regular lenses. If it’s a lovely day, sunglasses will do as well. Remember to make sure that your eye protection works with your helmet. For more information, visit Protect Your Eyes While Cycling.
Watch what you Wear
A safety helmet, sensible shoes and loose clothing are obvious. Comfortable shorts and a T-shirt work well on warmish days. If you are new to cycling and a woman who prefers to wear skirts or dresses in the summer, remember that loose material can easily become caught up in your bike’s machinery, especially if your chain has no proper guard. A slimmish, but not tight-fitting, skirt with enough room to hike your leg over your bike might work. Try it out first in your garden.
Prepare for bad weather by carrying waterproofs, which roll up small and take up little room in your saddlebag.
Also: choose comfortable underwear. While cycling in a hilly area, a friend suddenly wriggled and said: ‘I wish I’d worn different knickers.’ Underwear is important when you’re riding a bike. French knickers almost never work!
Carrying your Stuff on the Bike
Aesthetically, there’s something demoralising about very deep saddlebags. A bike should look good and feel light and floaty. If you have a “sit up and beg bike”, then a detachable handlebar basket is a better idea. You can leave it behind if you don’t need it, but you’ll have the extra storage space for those occasions you’re planning to pick up some shopping on the way home.
Be Prepared for the Occasional Mishap
Expect the unexpected. While cycling along the sea wall and negotiating a tricky slalom bit around some bollards over a dyke, my bike started to wobble and crashed into a metal, rectangular object. It was only later that the purpose of the object came to light - it was an automatic bike-counting machine! The moral to this anecdote is always to carry a small first aid kit, with plasters, a bandage and some antiseptic cream. In the city, this is even more important than a puncture repair outfit; after all you can always chain up your bike and take the bus home.
Ideally, you should have the following with you when cycling:
- your mobile, in case of a real emergency,
- pump,
- puncture repair outfit,
- first aid kit,
- water bottle,
- map.
Some people might also carry a spare tube and a bike multi-tool repair kit.
Safety
Get a cycle map to see where the cycle lanes are in your area. If you are cycling alone, avoid being out on the road in the dark, but if you must, check that your lights work properly. Always remember, if you find yourself in a lonely spot and you are hassled or harassed by anyone, you are vulnerable. Ignore them, don't make eye contact or engage in any kind of interaction. Keep cycling. Have your phone easily accessible as you may get a chance to call for assistance.
Bike Repair
If you become a keen cyclist and start venturing out on longer journeys, maybe on lonelier roads, do get yourself a bike repair instruction manual. Apart from the discomfort and inconvenience of being stranded, you will be safer from harassment if you can fix your bike yourself and get back on the road as quickly as possible.
Janet Cameron - MA. Cert.Ed. is a retired university lecturer and author of twelve books, women's short fiction and a magazine column.
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