When you start cycling, you tend to think that you can just grab your bike and head off on an adventure. But that’s not quite true. For maximum enjoyment, you need to take a few precautions and equip yourself with the right accessories before getting on your bike.
Safety always comes first, so let’s start there. Never forget to wear a helmet on your outings. Helmets minimize the severity of a fall and ensure your physical integrity, ride after ride.
Similarly, make sure you’re visible enough to motorists. Don’t hesitate to wear fluorescent vests when riding at dawn or dusk, in cloudy or foggy conditions. Last but not least, use lights on the front and rear of your bike. You can turn them off when the sun is up, or when it’s back!
Another important chapter in the guide for seasoned cyclists: refuelling. Never forget to take water with you. Even if you don’t necessarily realize it when your hair is blowing in the wind, pedaling dehydrates you, and it’s absolutely essential to make up for these water losses. Count on at least one water bottle per hour of effort. If your workouts last longer than 2 hours, you can always refill your water bottles at specific points (parks, bakeries, restaurants, cemeteries…) and this will enable you to continue on your way. And don’t forget to take what are generally known as “solid refreshments”. These include cereal bars, almond paste, fruit, gels and compotes. On our Les Bornées outings, we regularly advise you to take a solid feed every 20 kilometers. This will prevent you from experiencing what is known as “cyclist’s hunger”, which is sure to drain you of all your energy.
Like all cyclists, you’ll be faced with a very specific mishap: a puncture. To avoid finding yourself on foot far from home, make sure you’re equipped with an inner tube, a tire removal kit and an inflation solution (CO2 bomb or hand pump). You’ll then be able to set off again without delay!
Finally, because all precautions are never enough, don’t forget to take with you a telephone, a means of payment and some form of identification. You’ll then be able to contact someone close to you in the event of a problem (or if you’ve just had a flat tire for the 6th time in a row…), to have your bike repaired urgently in a cycle store, or to find your way back because you’re lost. Your identity card will enable emergency services to identify you in the event of an accident. You can also use your means of payment to stop for a coffee along the way!
And if you’re afraid of riding alone, the Les Bornées group is for you. Join us in our various towns and benefit from our group of cyclists all over Europe.
