Cycling

About This Project

Cycling can be a great way to travel all year round. Check out our riding tips to make sure your bike is roadworthy and that you are safe.

Cycling Projects

Cycle skills training in Schools

Roadsafe Taranaki works with the School Community Officers from the NZ Police to deliver cycle skills training at schools in South Taranaki and Stratford primary and intermediate schools.

Included in this campaign is how to fit your helmet correctly, basic cycle maintenance, road rules, signalling when riding a bike and safe riding practices.

Let’s Go

New Plymouth District Council has a dedicated team that supports sustainable transport options, one of which is cycling and travelling by scooter. To view the amazing projects and work they are involved in go to their website http://www.letsgo.org.nz/

Tips for safe riding on the road

• See and be seen – by riding in a visible position on the road, using lights and reflective material at night and wearing brightly coloured clothing.
• Communicate with other road users – by using eye contact, hand signals and checking over your shoulder before making a move.
• Scan – for anything that may affect you such as:
  • Parked cars – try to see if there is a driver in the parked car and keep enough distance to clear an unexpected opening door
  • Potholes, gaps, uneven surfaces and debris on the road
  • Children, large crowds or pedestrians who may cross the road without looking (they can’t hear you)
  • Cars turning into or out of side streets – use eye contact to make sure they have seen you
  • Listen – for what is happening around you. Using earphones will limit your ability to hear possible hazards.
• Be predictable – by riding in a straight line, not darting in and out of parked cars, and always use hand signals to let drivers know your intentions.
• Obey the road rules – as disobeying road rules directly affects the way cyclists are treated every day on the streets by other road users. Read the road code for cyclists.
• Ride a road worthy bike – check your brakes work and your tyres are pumped before every ride.
• Be courteous and smile – it is an effective way to improve attitudes and ensure people on bikes get treated well by motorists.

Plan a cycle route that you are comfortable with – there are often quieter streets that run parallel to a main road, walkways that connect quiet streets, or parks you can ride through. Careful planning of your route can help avoid a main road or even a daunting hill.