Make sure you have the right gear

Make sure you wear clothing that’s appropriate for cycling. You should be able to move freely without anything getting caught in your bike’s chain or wheels, or covering your lights. You should wear:

• light-coloured or fluorescent clothing that helps other road users to see you in daylight and poor light
• reflective clothing and/or accessories, like a belt or arm/ankle bands, in the dark

Your rucksack can affect your balance on a bike if it’s too big or heavy. You could use panniers instead.

Helmets

Helmets can help prevent a head injury if you fall from your bike. You should wear a helmet that:

• meets the British Standard (BS EN 1078:1997)
• is a snug fit and positioned squarely on your head – sitting just above your eyebrows, not tilted back or tipped forwards
• is securely fastened by straps, which aren’t twisted, with only enough room for two fingers between your chin and the strap

Make sure you replace your helmet every five years. Don’t buy a second-hand helmet – it may be damaged and not protect you properly.

Compulsory lights and reflectors

If you use your bike at night or when visibility is poor, you must fit a:

• white front light
• red rear light
• red rear reflector
• amber/yellow pedal reflectors – front and back on each pedal

Reflectors fitted to the front and the spokes will also help you to be seen.

You can get lights that are steady or flashing or a mixture (steady at the front and flashing at the back). A steady light at the front is important when you’re cycling through areas without good street lighting.

Check that any steady lights meet BS 6102-3. Flashing lights don’t have to meet the standard but they must:

• flash at a rate of one to four equal flashes per second
• be at least four candelas in brightness

Your pedal reflectors and rear reflector must meet BS 6102-2. You can also use a light or reflector that meets a standard accepted by another European Commission (EC) country (equal to the British Standard).

Additional lights and reflectors

You can use other lights as well as the compulsory ones but they must:

• be the right colour – white at the front, red at the back
• not dazzle other road users

If they flash, it must be at a rate of one to four equal flashes per second.