Safety Tips for Cycling in the Rain

It’s always a good idea to take proper safety measures when you are out on your bicycle. There are lots of hazards which could potentially cause you to take a spill, and learning to be careful and wear the right protective equipment all goes a long way towards making sure you stay safe whenever you are out and about on your bike.

But cycling in the rain brings with it particular hazards that you don’t experience at any other time. So, it’s worth thinking ahead and being prepared to minimise any risk of accident or injury to yourself or others.

Watch Your Speed

This is the most important aspect of cycling in the rain. However good your bike is, and however much money you spent on it, you will know that when the brakes are wet they don’t work as well as they do in the dry. This means it will take far longer for you to stop – and in the worst case scenario – for cheaper bikes that only have the most basic brake systems included on them – the brakes may actually do very little at all to help you slow down.

Make sure you always keep your speed down when you are cycling in the rain, and squeeze your brakes gently every now and again to help keep the brake pads drier. It might just make a difference that can count for a lot if you have to stop quickly.

Wear Extra Clothing

It’s always important to be seen when you are on your bike, but visibility tends to drop remarkably when it is raining. That’s why it’s worth wearing waterproofs that are brightly colored, to ensure that more people are able to see you when you are cycling in the rain.

Add reflective strips to your bike as well and make sure your reflectors aren’t chipped or broken. It’s worth using lights if it is really raining heavily, since it all helps to ensure that everyone can see you. This applies even in the middle of the day; it can become very dark when the storm clouds are building.

Perhaps the most important point to remember when you are cycling in the rain is to get off and seek shelter if you don’t feel safe enough to carry on. Don’t take shelter under trees if there is lightning and thunder, but instead find somewhere to wait the storm out if you can.