Be seen. Think. Look and Listen.
A thing to bear in mind is that road users are often frustrated by cyclists. Perhaps it is because that when out for a ride, a cyclist is actually "playing" where trucks, cars and motorcycles are working. Certain roads might formally permit cyclists, but a cyclist must accept that i) roads are not really engineered or built with bicyclists in mind, ii) motorists are often careless, and iii) many cyclists have been, and will be hurt on our roads. Cycling pro-actively is your best chance of surviving your time out on the road.

General Safety

Most cycling related accidents occur whilst out on a training ride. The smaller your group, the less other road users know of you – please – be seen and think!
* Dress for the fall – not for the ride.
* No helmet – no ride.
* Always cycle within your ability. (Riding a 70km ride on a shoestring's training is dangerous to yourself and other road users.
* Wear reflective, visible clothing.
* Wear warning lights when riding early morning / late afternoon.
* Avoid cycling in traffic, but when riding into an intersection, always make eye contact with a driver who might cross your lane. (A simple tip, but extraordinarily effective!)
* Never hold onto a moving vehicle.
* Never look behind you – if you are concerned about an approaching vehicle from the back rather just leave the tar. (This is why you shouldn’t ride side by side!)
* When riding up hills, narrow roads or whenever you are impeding faster traffic, leave a gap for cars between every three or four bicycles. This way a motorist can take advantage of shorter passing intervals, and eventually move ‘piecemeal’ around the entire group.
* Single-up when cars are trying to pass. Should the group spread out, the last two people should adjust their speed to ride as a pair (behind one another). If either should need assistance they will have a helping hand at hand.
* Replace your helmet regularly. Even if you've never crashed, your helmet won't live forever and replacement is generally recommended within five years. It depends how much you’ve used it, how roughly you transported it and how much it was exposed to sun and heat. Fading colour, delamination, and distorted internal foam and /or cracks indicate it's time for replacement. Always replace your helmet after a crash.
* Get back up. When you fall, get back up & out of the road before you are run over!
* Always be aware of trucks. They are unaware killers. BE PREPARED TO LEAVE THE TAR IF SOMETHING DOES NOT SOUND RIGHT! Rather be safe, than not at all.

Road etiquette

Bunch riding allows riders to attain and maintain substantially higher speeds in a collective, however, with reward comes risk, and if one rider takes a tumble others in the peloton will follow. Group riding requires more attention to predictability than riding alone. Other riders expect you to ride your line at a constant speed - unless you indicate differently - and its good practise to:
* Talk to one another. Please remember that nobody is trying to purposefully cause an accident. There's no need to scream and shout. If there is a cyclist who needs a warning, a simple yet firm “ hold your line” will normally suffice.
* Ride in the paceline – no swerving,
* Don’t overlap the wheel in front of you,
* Focus on what’s happening in front of you - don't look back - and;
* If everybody in the bunch can't make it through an intersection, nobody goes.
* As a default always ride in single file. (There are proponents who argue that riding abreast has a visibility benefit, however – not unlike pedestrians - there exist no real reason for obstructing traffic. Visibility can be ensured through sensible training apparel.)
* Only ride two abreast on roads with low traffic volumes and a wide shoulder (within such shoulder). When riding side by side the rider on the right hand side might have to swerve into the rider riding on the left hand side (in order to abort the tar as a result of either a pothole, a brick, or inconsiderate use of the road by motorized traffic).
* When riding side by side accept that whomever is riding on your right might have to smash into you.
* Crosswinds are dangerous - especially in gusty conditions - shield weaker riders by letting them ride on the leeward side.
* Ensure your pump is securely fastened to your bike and that your water bottle will not jump out of its cage. A pump falling within a bunch of riders will cause general havoc.
* Many riders freewheel momentarily when they get out of the saddle - or to go over a rise / up a hill – slowing down, thereby creating a concertina of chaos in a tightly bunched peloton. Keep the pace at all times!
* Converse and chit-chat to your buddies in a coffee shop. Whilst out on the road rather focus on your training, and staying out of harm’s way.

The biggest complaint by drivers are that cyclists are inconsiderate road users. Are you part of the problem, or solution?

Hand signals

When riding in a bunch, the lead riders have a responsibility to timeously warn others of hazards. It is just as important that the rest of the riders in the bunch remain focused, look and respond to these basic hand signals:
* Patting the left cheek with the left hand indicates that there is an obstruction (e.g. a parked car, slower riders or runners) on such side, and vice versa. Allow your fellow riders enough time to move over with you, or slow down.
* Pointing to an obstruction (potholes, glass, stones, etc) warns the bunch to take avoiding action by moving from such direction, but you must allow the rider next to you time to move over with you.
* A forearm & hand vertically extended (stop sign) indicates that the bunch must slow down or stop for a traffic light, stop street or anything that requires the group to stop.
* An arm extended with flat hand moving from side to side indicates loose gravel, stones or broke glass spread over a large area, and
warns the bunch to take evasive action by adjusting the paceline. Allow the rider next to you time to move over with you.
* Two fingers pointing down swinging from side to side indicates a railway line ahead. Be very cautious to only cross the tracks at
90 degrees.
* A hand in the air warns & indicates to others that you have a problem (puncture / mechanical) and need to stop. Keep within the paceline as long as you can, and only pull off to the side of the road once you have space to do so.
Re/joining : should you have left the bunch - for whatever reason - indicate your intention when re-entering the group by pointing to the ground in front of the wheel of the rider behind you, for him/her to allow your re-entry, but re-enter the bunch only when you have been given adequate space!

Single-track etiquette

* If you see trash on a ride, pick it up.
* Lower your tyre pressure.
*Bells are a great way to let your fellow trail users know that you're approaching.
* Keep groups small and manageable.
* Mud is stronger than gravity. You’ll find that mud can bring the bicycle to a
standstill, even though you are going downhill and when expecting mud:  
  o mount a fender.
  o lather up your mountain bike's chain with grease (grease prevents mud buildup longer)
  o spray your bike with Q20,
  o use a cooking spray on your tyres to prevent mud build-up.
  o whenever your may come across a puddle - the bigger the better - ride through it. 
  o stay on the trail  and ride through mud, not around it. The last thing you want to do is widen a muddy trail!

Did you know?

  o you can go further in mud with a singlespeed than with gears , as simple mechanics will take more abuse.
  o you can go further in mud with disc brakes than rim brakes, as rim brakes collect mud.
  o if you're going to ride mud, low-tech pedals seem to work better.
  o roadie converts to mtbing should focus more on downhills, as in mtbiking's – unlike road events - downhills  are not a time to rest, but time to concentrate on staying within the correct line.

Pre-ride checklist.

*  Wipe  your bike's frame, and lookout for any cracks. Frame failure  - likely if you've crashed - is really not that rare.
*  Clean braking residue from your rims, and inspect sides for wear. Deep grooving is a serious problem.
*  Check spoke tension, and whether the wheel runs true. Wobbly rims indicate loose spokes, and danger.
*  Maintain proper tyre pressure (often set out on the sidewalls) and replace balding or cracked tyres.
*  Feel for play within the wheelhubs. Bearings must be gently adjusted to address too much play.
*  With the front brake applied, rock your bicycle to feel for any play within the headset's steering bearings. *  *  Adjust the headset to remove play, but be carefull not to overtighten.
*  Hold onto the cranks feel for lateral play within the bottom-bracket bearings. Adjust untill excess play is removed.

Check key parts:

• pedals
• both cranks,
• main blade's spider bolts,
• stem bolt,
• derailleur bolts,
• brakes (including fastening bolts),
• seat-post and seat bolts,
• Check your speedo, pump and watercage – you don’t want to lose it along the way!

i) Apply a drop of chain lubricant (wipe all excess). Inspect your chainrings for broken teeth.

ii) Examine cables for fraying. Over time cables will bed into their casings, creating a ‘stretched’ feeling. Replace such components.

iii) Make sure your handlebars have end plugs as open-ended bars can injure you even more in a crash.

iv) If you use clipless pedals, check your cleats for wear. Worn-out cleats are evidenced by difficulty dis/engaging your pedals, and will release under hard pedalling. A spurt of Q20 will work wonders for the locking mechanism!