Do you really feel safe when you ride your bike around the city? Safety should be no problem for cyclists in the city, because the routes are short, street lamps are everywhere and cars are allowed to drive at most 50 km/h. In addition, most German cities now have more or less well-developed cycle paths. But does that really provide enough safety for people on bikes?
Many cyclists don’t feel safe in the city. But why is that?
Road traffic isn’t as fast as it is outside town on the country roads, almost everywhere there’s enough light to spot obstacles and there are more and more cycle paths. But even so, bicycle accidents happen in cities every day. One reason for the lack of safety is dense traffic. On city streets it’s usually busy; the mix of cars, pedestrians, trams, bicycles, pushchairs, dogs and so on makes the situation often unclear and complex. And if poor visibility and wetness or ice come into play, safety for cyclists suffers even more. According to statistics, in 2021 alone more than 80,000 cyclists were involved in an accident; children, young people and seniors are particularly at risk.
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Safety and cycling are therefore a sensitive topic; especially in the city it can quickly become dangerous. Here are our 6 best tips to make riding in the city safer. |
1. More safety on your bike through side visibility
Unfortunately, some cyclists still rely on street lighting and ride without bike lights through the city. That’s not only illegal, it’s also reckless! Many bikes today have very good lighting, and that’s a good thing. But when it comes to bike lighting , most riders only think about the headlight in front and a red little light at the back. For rides outside town that may make sense, but at junctions – and a city has plenty of those – you often have to deal with people from the side such as pedestrians, other cyclists or cars and they see the lights poorly if they only shine forward and backward.
That’s why your bike should definitely have the required cat’s-eye reflectors in the spokes or the also approved light strips around the tyre.
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For even more safety, everyone who rides a lot in the city should make sure their bike lights shine to the side. |
Also daytime running lights, position lights and brake lights on bikes are no longer rare and are absolutely recommended even in daylight, because they significantly increase safety.
Bike lights that are visible from the side significantly increase safety for cyclists in the city! Image © Sigma Sport
💡Bike lighting for more safety in the city💡
Front bike light | Rear light | Battery bike lights | Reflectors
2. Good visibility helps keep you safe on your bike!
When you’re out on your bike, you should absolutely not miss anything that happens in dense city traffic. And that’s especially difficult because of changing light conditions! Imagine you’re riding along a road: between the buildings it’s shady, on the cross street the bright sunlight blinds you, under a tree it suddenly gets darker and for a moment you can’t see anything… Constantly fiddling with glasses while riding distracts you from traffic. Especially if your city has tram tracks, you really should always be able to see what’s in front of you. How can you ensure more safety?
We have three safe solutions ready for you:
- Choose a bike glasses with lightly tinted lenses . A light tint balances changing light conditions and therefore protects your eyes.
- With some bike glasses you can swap the lenses. That way you can see through darker lenses on sunny days, and lightly tinted lenses are ideal for less bright days.
- Wear a city helmet with a flip-up visor, so you can adjust your field of view to the light with one hand movement.
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Our tip: Clear bike glasses also help when your eyes are watering while riding. With watering eyes you can’t see properly anymore; clear glasses block the wind and ensure good visibility. In rain, clear glasses also improve your view. |
A bike helmet with a visor is a great idea! The lightly tinted visor balances changing light, so you don’t miss anything, and that makes riding in the city significantly safer! Image © Lumos
3. A heavy bag on a bike becomes a safety risk
Many people who ride through the city have a lot with them. You can of course transport work documents or shopping on the bike, but there’s one thing you should pay attention to: your luggage must always be secured properly!
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In the city you need your full attention for the road, so you should avoid distractions. This also includes storing your luggage securely. |
You mustn’t lose anything, because what falls off is usually run over by the next car within seconds! On the other hand, you also don’t want something to be stolen from you. Everything should be packaged in an anti-theft way!
Good bike bags, a bike basket plus bungee strap or a backpack are safe ways to transport things. Many city bikes also have a nice front basket, but handle it with care! The heavier you load it, the more it can change the bike’s handling and even affect your line!
Bags & baskets for safe transport on your bike
Bike bags | Backpacks | Bike baskets
Choose the RIGHT messenger bag for riding!
The more sporty your riding position is on the bike, the more problematic it becomes to carry a messenger bag. If you ride fully upright on a city bike or Dutch bike, you don’t have to worry, but for a bent-over riding position, messenger bags aren’t suitable. The heavier the bag becomes, the greater the force with which it will eventually slide off your back to the side. A sliding bag is annoying; it distracts you and can even pull you off the straight line.
If you want to ride a bike with a messenger bag, it should definitely be one made for cyclists. These bags have an extra strap that prevents the bag from slipping, so your bag won’t take you off course!
A bike bag/messenger bag is a safe solution for transporting items on your bike. Image © Chrome Industries
4. The safety check for your bike
We don’t want to accuse you of neglecting your bike. But based on experience, performance bikes like road bikes, trekking bikes or MTBs are kept in better condition than the old bike for the 4 km through the city to the office. And that catches up with you sooner or later!
- Brakes that don’t work properly are really dangerous! You should keep an eye on the wear on the brake pads or brake rubber blocks and replace them in time! Even brake rotors wear out and have to be replaced at some point.
- Fit tyres are also particularly important. Worn tyres have no grip anymore. You can’t ride safely into a corner with them; on wet roads it gets slippery and you can’t brake reliably. There are all-weather tyres you can ride year-round in cities with a moderate climate. For cities where a lot of ice and snow is expected, however, we recommend equipping the bike with winter tyres.
- Also make sure to check tyre pressure from time to time. Many cyclists struggle with almost flat tyres; that costs unnecessary power! But it’s not just that – if the tyres have very little air, the bike may be unstable in the worst case.
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We’d strongly recommend an extensive annual safety check! |
↪Bike parts for more safety on your city bike ↩
Brake pads | Brake blocks | Tyres | Winter tyres | Pumps
5. High-Vis is in!
An urban Look in muted colours is nice and all, but unfortunately you’re not safe when you ride with that. If you want to ride your bike through the city, you should fully enjoy your love of bright colours, because the louder the outfit, the better you’ll be seen. Red, yellow or neon green, the more colourful the better! Neon colours stand out especially well, but at least your outerwear should be light.
Our tip: Today there is bike clothing that doesn’t look different from normal leisure wear or even office outfits. But it’s cut for cyclists and is therefore particularly comfortable in the saddle. Bike jackets and -trousers are also often equipped with reflective elements. That means you’re especially easy to see at night, in twilight or in bad weather, which is important for your safety!
Play it safe and wear a jacket that lights up completely in headlight beams! Image © Assos
6. Road safety is the be-all and end-all!
When you’re riding your bike in the city, a roadworthy bike is an absolute basic requirement! The required equipment includes not only the bike lights described above; your bike should also have other safety-relevant attachments!
This makes your bike roadworthy:
- Bike lights approved according to StVZO
- White reflector at the front, red at the rear
- Side reflectors on the wheels
- A bike bell
- Two brakes
- Non-slip, securely bolted pedals with yellow reflectors
In the Bike Blog there’s an article that explains the necessary equipment in detail. It’s really worth reading this article and upgrading your bike accordingly, because without these bike parts it’s not only your safety that suffers; you could also run into trouble up to and including fines!
Bike safety for advanced riders
We don’t want to go into another tip here, because it goes without saying that “no helmet” simply isn’t an option. The bike helmet is and remains the most important safety measure.
But there are a few situations where a couple of simple measures can significantly improve safety.
How to get to work well on your bike is explained in our article “Riding to work”.
"Better with the bike to work" – read now.
The winter is a special challenge for cyclists and riders. You can find out how to get through the cold season safely in various articles. We look at the point of winter tyres, explain which accessories help you ride more safely in winter and also that “bike clothing for winter” is an important point.
- Bike clothing for winter
- Does your bike need winter tyres?
- Riding through winter
- Cleaning your bike in winter
- Bike in the rain
Also important: More safety for your beloved bike! Find out how in our article “Lock your bike properly”.
Title image © Metehan Demirkaya on Pexels
