Blog

1. The basics
Obey give way rules, road signs and markings. Use hand signals. Pass other people safely and without startling them. Keep left when it is safe to do so. No more than two riders side-by-side. Do not ride while distracted or impaired. Do not ride on footpaths (exceptions apply). Scan for hazards and be ready to deal with them. Wear a helmet, have the correct lights and reflectors and check your brakes!

After our chat with George, we got to thinking.. how do we change the prevailing attitudes surrounding cyclists? Turns out we are not the only ones thinking about this and there has been much research conducted on the subject. The New Zealand Transport agency published their study in October 2017 and it had some interesting findings.

At The Safer Cycling Foundation, we firmly believe cycling is important for a variety of reasons; environmental, physical health and mental well-being crop up frequently. We have found a group that not only demonstrates the truth of this, but also took the time to show us how much more cycling provides to their members.

Intersections are among the most dangerous places on the New Zealand road network. A report published in 2013 stated that in the previous 5 years in urban areas 46% of deaths and serious injuries happened at intersections.

George Bennett probably doesn’t need much introduction to cycling fans in New Zealand. At 31 years old he has represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, ridden in 14 Grand tours and 6 Classics.

Here at Safer Cycling we tend to hear a lot about how the cyclists are at fault. How the cyclists don’t obey the road rules. How the cyclists don’t deserve to be on the roads. We are aware there are two sides to every argument and that cyclists are not perfect but we wanted to try and show why we do what we do

The New Zealand Road Code recommends that motorists “Give cyclists plenty of room when passing them. Ideally, allow at least 1.5 metres between you and the cyclist.” However, this lacks the force of the law and despite a long-standing campaign by Cycling Action Network, the government is yet to take any action.

Niamh Fisher-Black, at not quite 21 years old, is hailed as the world’s best young female rider. She recently finished 9th overall in the Giro d’Italia Donne where she also took out 1st place in the Young Rider Classification

Anyone who has ever visited Amsterdam knows that the city belongs to the cyclists. The city is equipped with an elaborate network of cycle-paths and lanes that are safe and convenient.

Popular options like public transit and ridesharing, now carry the risk of potentially exposing passengers to COVID-19. As a result, more people have taken to cycling and bike shops across the country are seeing record sales.