
Specialising in electric bikes since 2007
Call us for the best electric bikes delivered to your door.
TEL : 02380 236 540

Ride safe

Each time ( or at least regularly ) you ride your LifeCycle electric bike make sure you check that it's safe. Check the tyre pressures; they should be pumped up to 60 PSI for optimum performance. Take a look at the tread and if they are worn or damaged think about changing the tyre. On a car this is a legal requirement, but on a bike while it’s not compulsory yet this is your safety we are talking about so why would you not do it? The tyres are the only thing in contact with the road and even then only a very small part of them so make sure you keep them in good condition.
Be aware that riding an electric bike is slightly different than riding a pure crank driven bike; motorists might not be expecting that sudden turn of speed when pulling away from traffic lights for instance. And being quiet when ridden, pedestrians may also not hear you approaching at higher than normal speeds or may misjudge your speed when attempting to cross the road. As with all bike riding common sense is what is needed, don't be hurtling along at 20mph on your 25Kg bike on the pavement outside a school for instance.
Visibility is the key so make sure your lights are working, if necessary change the batteries, they are quite cheap and it’s not worth risking an accident because someone doesn’t see you for the sake of a couple of batteries.
It’s amazing how many badly lit cyclists there are where their lights are so dim that they can hardly be seen, or sometimes the bikes have no lights at all. On electric bikes it’s even more important, because electric bicycles go that much faster. How little they must value their lives or maybe it’s just because they can see OK they don’t realise that through a car windscreen there can be many reflections, plus car headlights coming the other way or their windscreen can sometimes blind drivers, or the screen can get all misted up and the poor cyclist doesn’t get noticed. Bright flashing lights are legal and should be used at all times.
It is always up to us to make ensure our safety and that other road users see us at all times. Think about high visibility jackets or gilets, reflective bands, bike clips etc anything to help other road users notice you.
Now think about your journey. You are just as important as any other road user, so hold your place on the road and don’t ride in the gutter. Apart from anything else that’s where puncture are lurking waiting to get your tyres.
At Traffic lights or anywhere else that you have to stop never be alongside another vehicle, especially a lorry of van. These vehicles often have very poor vision on their left so they may not see you, and when the lights change they may turn left and collide with you.
This is a very common cause of accidents so I repeat, never stop alongside another vehicle. You should always stop in front or behind them, never alongside.
To stay safe you must be aware of other road users using your judgment you will be able to work out if they are likely to be turning left or right or stopping. Don’t rely on them giving you signals but they will slow down and take a position on the road ready for their manoeuvre, and by reading this it’s easy to avoid them. Soon it will become second nature to be extra aware, and it will come naturally.
If you intend to make a maneuver, make it very clear using hand signals. If you find it hard to signal with one hand while riding, well it's only practice, so find a quiet road and practice. Once you can do it you will feel much safer and more confident.
Don’t forget to check your brakes as this is the most important safety aspect of your electric bike. On the LifeCycle electric bikes, the Mountain Sport and Alpine Sport brakes are hydraulic disc brakes. There are the best brakes you can get and the most reliable, they don’t fade in wet weather and they don’t squeal they are also very easy to use, with just the lightest touch they will bring you to a stop in safety. But even they should still be checked regularly as with all brakes.
Our bikes all come with a tool kit, but if necessary get a simple set of tools and keep them with the bike at all times in case you should need them, and regularly check you brakes, or call us and book you bike in for a service or brake check. See the maintenance page for information on the toolkit you will need for routine jobs/fixes on LifeCycle bikes.
Also make sure your gears are OK and change correctly. This is very important as if they don’t operate correctly they could damage themselves and affect your safety. The usual problem is that the cable stretches, especially when the bike is quite new. This is a simple task to remedy and often does not need any tools, Just a turn of the thumb wheel on top of the gears is all that is needed. Again take a look at our maintenance page for more information.
If you are a long way from us and are not sure how to adjust your brakes or gears or any other part of your bike, please call our service department for advice. This is a free service and we are always pleased to hear from our customers and offer as much free advice as is required. You are not alone out there, we are here to help so use us to keep your bike safe and in perfect running order.