Cycling Safety

All notes on cycling safety and education

Articles in this Series:

Running Tubeless? Things you Need to Know!

Running Tubeless? Things you Need to Know!

You need this knowledge to avoid being stranded on the road

Many recreational cyclists are using tubeless tires without understanding how to maintain them, or their downsides.

  • Sealant must be replaced every few months, at least once a season.
  • Sealant does not always seal a hole, especially if the hole is larger than a few mm.
  • You need to carry either a spare tube (and a tool to remove the tubeless value) or tire plugs and a small tube of sealant
  • Having sealant spewing out can get really messy!
  • You can’t go about 75psi with tubeless tires, so tubeless and skinny tires don’t work together. Jay Heins of Hene Herse, who makes some of the world’s best tubeless tires says don’t go about 6-psi.
  • Valve core clogs
  • Tubeless tires are much more diufficult to install and remove. It can be difficult to get the bead to seal on the rim - often rapid inflation with a special “charger pump” or an air compressor is required.

The trouble with road tubeless - Rene Herse Nine things they don’t tell you about tuneless tires - road.cc

Tires - Be Faster, Safer, More Comfortable

Tires - Be Faster, Safer, More Comfortable

You can have it all with wider tires

In cycling, “contact points” are critical: bum on saddle, hands on handlebars, feet on pedals. But the most important one of all is “where the rubber meets the road”. Tires may be the most important component on your bike. The right tire at the right pressure makes a huge difference to your safety - your “grip” on the road - as well as to your comfort, and efficiency.

Diving into detail on tires, with a focus on tire width, tire pressure, and tire quality, we will discover:

How to Crash

How to Crash

You will crash - learn to crash properly

In this article we’ll discuss how to minimize injury if to do crash. Of course there are no guarantees, but there are techniques you can use to minimize injuries when you crash. There are 3 aspects to minimizing the seriousness of your injuries - Fitness, Technique and Training.
How not to Fall (at low speed)

How not to Fall (at low speed)

Techniques to prevent low speed falls

Many serious cycling injuries happen when cyclists are slowing and preparing to stop. There are techniques we can use to prevent low speed falls. While this may seem like a lot of effort, it’s much preferable to broken bones!
Every Cyclist Crashes - Even You!

Every Cyclist Crashes - Even You!

Your WILL crash - There are things you can do to minimize the risk

Given the amount of time I spend on a bike, I recognize there is a significant probability that my cycling career, or even my life, could end as a result of a serious cycling accident”. As a cyclist, the risk of injury requiring hospital treatment (per km travelled) is significantly greater than when in a motor vehicle. The more you cycle, the greater the risk - You will crash!

There’s three options:

After You Crash & Your Helmet Saves Your Head!

After You Crash & Your Helmet Saves Your Head!

A checklist for after a rider crashes

After a crash, the adrenaline will be pumping… an injured rider will not necessarily feel pain, and often will say “I’m OK” and want to get back on their bike. NO! Take it slow and do a thorough check - there’s a post-crash list to follow.