Bike Safety & Riding Skills Guide

Knowing how to pedal is only part of knowing how to get around by bike.

Starting comfortably, stopping with control, understanding what is happening around you and finding a route that suits you can all change how riding feels.

At Pedal Set Go, we teach practical bicycle skills for everyday journeys. This guide brings together the foundations we work on with new, returning and experienced riders across Sydney.

You don’t need to master everything at once. Start with the skills and situations that matter to you, practise in a suitable environment and build from there.

See & Be Seen | Be Predictable | Communicate | Ride Kindly

How we approach bike safety and riding skills

Our teaching connects Control, Observation, Communication and Positioning, together with understanding who needs to give way.

Control helps you manage the bike. Observation helps you understand your surroundings. Communication gives other people information about your intentions. Positioning helps you find space, see what is happening and give other people a better opportunity to see you.

When riding on the road, we bring these skills together through four useful questions:

Where do I need to look?

Where do I need to be?

Who do I need to communicate with?

Who needs to give way?

These aren’t separate tasks to memorise once. They are connected habits we practise in increasingly varied situations.

Looking behind is more useful when you can hold your line. Signalling is more useful when you have checked that a movement is safe. Choosing your position is easier when you have noticed the road narrowing before you reach it.

Skills support safety. They don’t excuse unsafe behaviour.

This guide is about giving you useful choices, not making you responsible for somebody else’s actions.

People driving must follow the road rules, give way when required and leave appropriate passing space. In NSW, the minimum passing distance is one metre where the speed limit is 60 km/h or less, and 1.5 metres where it is higher.

You do not have to earn consideration by riding perfectly or wearing particular clothing.

Read the NSW guidance on overtaking, including minimum passing distances.

Before you ride: check yourself and your bike

Choose a bike you can manage comfortably, with controls you can reach and operate. Your setup should support your current skills, mobility and confidence, rather than meet somebody else’s idea of how a rider should look.

Check your helmet fits correctly and is fastened. Secure loose clothing, shoelaces and bags so they cannot catch in moving parts.

Give yourself time to prepare. Notice whether you are tired, uncomfortable or distracted, and adjust your plans where needed.

The ABCD bike check

We teach a simple check before riding:

A — Air. Check tyre condition and pressure. Follow the tyre and wheel manufacturer’s guidance, taking account of the bike and load.

B — Brakes. Check each brake separately, then check that you can reach and operate the controls comfortably.

C — Chain. Check that the chain is seated correctly, moves freely and is appropriately lubricated. Belt-drive bikes need the equivalent checks for their system.

D — Drop. Where appropriate for the bike, a gentle lift and small controlled drop can help reveal unusual rattles or loose parts. This is not a substitute for checking that wheels, handlebars, the saddle and accessories are secure. Ask for assistance with a heavy bike.

A quick check helps identify problems; it does not replace servicing. Don’t ride a bike with an unresolved fault affecting its brakes, steering or structural security.

Our bike maintenance courses can help you understand your bike, recognise problems and learn useful everyday care.

Build control before adding complexity

A suitable traffic-free space gives you room to practise without also managing traffic. Work on individual skills, then combine them as they become more comfortable.

Starting and stopping

Hold the brakes while getting on or off, and choose somewhere with stable footing and enough space.

Before moving away, look around, choose a suitable gear and set a pedal in a useful starting position. In our lessons, that usually means set the pedal; a pedal raised to roughly the one-to-two-o’clock position, ready to help you start smoothly.

Pedal. Set. Go.

When stopping, use your brakes to slow the bike rather than trying to stop it with your feet. Keep your feet supported on the pedals while braking, then place a foot securely on the ground after the bike comes to a stop.

Bike design, saddle height and individual needs affect the technique. We help riders find a reliable way to start, stop and support their bike without rushing.

Braking with control

Get to know the brakes on the bike you are actually riding, particularly when borrowing, hiring or changing bikes.

On a bike with front and rear brakes, practise using both together with controlled, progressive pressure. Avoid grabbing the levers or relying only on the rear brake. How much pressure you use depends on the bike, surface, speed and load.

Cover your brakes as a regular riding habit.

This means keeping your fingers ready over the brake levers while maintaining a secure hold on the handlebars. Covering the brakes does not mean continuously squeezing them.

Having your fingers ready removes the extra movement needed to reach the levers before braking. When you need to respond quickly, that matters.

The number of fingers needed and the lever position should suit your hands and brakes. We help riders find a setup that allows effective braking without compromising their grip.

Sudden stopping: build the habit before you need it

An emergency is not the best time to learn how to stop.

That is why we practise controlled stopping as an everyday skill, then build towards stopping more quickly. The aim is to make the useful actions familiar before you need them urgently.

For everyday riding, we teach starting and stopping from a stable seated position where the bike setup and rider allow it. During braking, keep both feet on the pedals rather than putting them down early or stepping forwards off the saddle.

Use your brakes to stop the bike. Then put a foot on the ground to support yourself.

Keeping your feet supported on the pedals helps you maintain a stable position and brace through the stop.

When you need to stop more quickly, apply both brakes promptly with controlled pressure. Brace through your arms and legs to resist your body moving forwards, and move your hips back, staying low over the saddle or moving further behind it as needed.

The harder the stop, the more important appropriate body position becomes. Moving your weight back and controlling brake pressure help manage the forward weight transfer and reduce the risk of tipping over the handlebars. Avoid locking your elbows or snatching at the brakes.

Once stopped, keep the brakes engaged and place a foot down to support yourself.

The habits we practise during ordinary stops are the habits we are building for unexpected ones.

Keeping the brakes ready, maintaining a stable position and using the brakes rather than your feet to stop are not just beginner exercises. They are foundations for retaining control when something changes suddenly.

Practise gentle stops first in a clear, traffic-free space. Build towards firmer stops with an instructor, adapting the technique to your bike, mobility and conditions.

Using gears: comfort and control

Gears don’t need to feel complicated. They are there to help riding feel comfortable and manageable.

The aim is a steady pedalling rhythm with enough resistance to feel connected to the bike, without struggling to push the pedals or spinning your legs unnecessarily fast.

Choose a gear that suits what you’re doing.

A lower, easier gear reduces the effort needed to turn the pedals, helping with starting, climbing hills and riding slowly.

As your speed increases, a higher gear can provide more useful resistance so you can continue pedalling comfortably rather than spinning too quickly. Harder isn’t automatically better: choose what feels manageable for your speed and the conditions.

Gear choice supports other riding skills too.

At Pedal Set Go, we help riders find a comfortable gear when practising signalling, looking behind and holding a steady line. The aim is to make these movements feel easier and more controlled, without also fighting the pedals.

Think ahead.

Change into a suitable easier gear before a hill becomes difficult or before coming to a planned stop. That helps you prepare for the climb or your next start. Stopping safely always comes first, so don’t worry about changing gear during an emergency.

Check how your bike’s gears work.

With conventional derailleur gears, where the chain moves between different-sized cogs, keep pedalling forwards while changing. Briefly ease the pressure on the pedals rather than pushing hard through the change.

Many internal hub gears, housed inside the rear wheel’s hub, allow changes while stationary or coasting. You may need to ease off or briefly pause pedalling. Follow the guidance for your particular system.

Practise somewhere quiet until you can operate the controls without looking down.

You don’t need to memorise every gear combination. Start by noticing: does this feel too hard, too easy, or comfortable for what I’m doing?

Riding slowly: control and consideration

Being comfortable riding quickly doesn’t necessarily mean you feel steady riding slowly.

Slow riding brings balance, steering, gear choice and braking together. It helps you adjust your pace to the people and space around you, without needing to speed up to feel in control.

That matters when climbing a hill with somebody who needs more time, riding with children or moving through a busy shared space.

Riding together isn’t only about keeping up. It also means being able to slow down for each other.

Practise in a clear, traffic-free space. Look ahead, choose a manageable gear and work on coordinating your pedalling, steering and brakes.

The aim isn’t to ride as slowly as possible everywhere. It’s to have the control to choose an appropriate pace, including recognising when to stop, wait or get off and walk.

Slow-riding skills make Ride Kindly practical: giving other people time and space without putting pressure on them to hurry.

Observation: look early, look around, look again

Observation is more than checking directly in front of your wheel.

Look far enough ahead to notice changing surfaces, intersections, driveways, parked vehicles and people who may enter your path. Keep checking nearer details too.

Before changing position, moving away, turning or passing something, check the space you intend to use and what is approaching from behind.

A useful routine is to look, assess, communicate where needed, then check again before moving. Situations can change between your first observation and your action.

Mirrors can help you gather information. They still have limitations, so learn what yours shows and where you need additional checks.

We practise looking behind while holding a steady line. Where movement is restricted, we work with the rider on suitable equipment and observation strategies.

See the NSW guidance on hazard awareness.

Communication: help other people understand you

Clear communication is useful to people walking, driving and riding around you.

Hand signals communicate an intended movement. Your position, speed and body language provide information too.

Give people time to understand your intentions rather than signalling at the same moment you move. A signal is information, not permission to move into an occupied space.

NSW requires a right-hand signal for a right turn, except when making a hook turn. We also teach useful left-turn signals and other communication, while maintaining control of the bike.

Read the NSW guidance on hand signals and bicycle road rules.

Let people see that you are observing

Sometimes a deliberate head turn or change in the direction of your face can be an acknowledgement:

I know you’re there.

This is what we sometimes mean when we talk about “eye contact”. It does not have to involve literally looking into somebody’s eyes. You might already have seen a vehicle in your mirror, then use a comfortable head movement to make your awareness visible.

We teach this as part of body communication, not as a guarantee of another person’s response.

A glance, wave or apparent eye contact does not prove somebody has understood you or will give way. Keep observing what they actually do.

Positioning: choose space to see and be seen

Riding as close to the kerb as possible is not always the most useful position.

The road edge may contain drains, debris or broken surfaces. Parked vehicles can obstruct sight lines, and riding too close to them can put you within reach of an opening door.

Choose your position deliberately, taking account of the road layout, traffic, surface and what you need to do next.

Primary position

Primary position means riding centrally in the traffic lane you are using.

It can be appropriate where the lane is too narrow for somebody to overtake within it with sufficient clearance, when approaching or travelling through an intersection, or when preparing to pass an obstruction.

The purpose is visibility, space and predictable movement, not confrontation.

Check before moving into position. Holding a clear position does not guarantee that another road user will respond safely.

Secondary position

Secondary position is further left within the lane, while remaining clear of hazards.

It may be appropriate where there is genuinely enough space for another vehicle to pass safely. It does not mean riding in the gutter or squeezing alongside parked cars.

You can be considerate without giving up the space you need.

Stay outside the door zone

The door zone is the space an opening vehicle door can occupy.

Allow enough clearance for a door to open, with additional room where conditions require it. Door widths vary, so don’t treat a fixed distance as a guarantee.

Look ahead and plan your movement early. Avoid weaving into short gaps between parked cars and then emerging again.

If you cannot pass with suitable clearance, slow down, wait somewhere visible or choose another option rather than squeezing through.

Intersections: understand priority and keep your options open

At an intersection, ask what controls the movement: signs, signals, road markings, the layout and the applicable give-way rules.

Don’t assume that the larger road always has priority, or that arriving first automatically means going first.

Approach at a speed that allows you to assess the situation and stop if necessary. Keep checking for vehicles, people walking and other riders, including where a cycleway crosses a side street.

Having priority does not guarantee that somebody else has seen you or will give way.

The NSW intersection guide explains the different situations.

Turning right: there is more than one option

A direct right turn involves observing, signalling, choosing an appropriate position and giving way where required before completing the turn. It is a skill worth practising with support.

A hook turn can provide another option at an intersection where it is permitted. Rather than moving across to turn directly, you cross to the far side, wait clear of through traffic and pedestrian crossings, then complete the second part of the turn when permitted. At traffic lights, wait for the green signal governing that second movement.

Read the NSW explanation of bicycle hook turns.

You can also stop somewhere suitable, get off and use an appropriate pedestrian crossing, or choose a different route.

You do not have to make the most demanding manoeuvre to demonstrate confidence.

Roundabouts and larger intersections

Approach with a plan for your position, destination and give-way responsibilities. Don’t allow another vehicle’s presence to rush your decision.

Multi-lane roundabouts and complex intersections introduce additional decisions and rules. Choosing another route or walking through a suitable crossing is a reasonable option while building your skills.

Take particular care around trucks and buses

Large vehicles have significant blind spots and need extra space to turn.

Avoid moving into the gap between a large vehicle and the kerb, particularly near an intersection. A vehicle may move away from the kerb before turning back across that space.

Wait behind a turning vehicle rather than trying to squeeze alongside it. Avoid waiting immediately in front of a large vehicle where the driver may not see you.

Seeing a mirror or the driver is not proof that they have seen you.

NSW’s turning guidance includes advice about long and oversize vehicles.

Sharing paths: give people space and time

On shared paths in NSW, people riding must give way to people walking and keep left unless impracticable.

Giving way can mean slowing substantially or stopping. It is not simply ringing a bell and continuing at the same speed.

Let people know you are approaching early enough to avoid startling them. A bell or friendly voice can help, but somebody may not hear you, understand your intention or be able to move.

Leave generous passing space. Wait where the path is narrow or sight lines are limited. Allow for children, dogs, mobility devices and changes in direction.

A useful question is:

Would somebody else feel comfortable with the speed and space I’m choosing?

See the NSW guidance on bicycle lanes and shared paths.

Riding with other people

How you ride together depends on the purpose of the ride, the environment and the people taking part.

For a family journey, social outing or supported guided ride, choose a route and pace that suit the people riding, rather than expecting everybody to keep up with the fastest person.

Agree who is leading, how you will communicate and what to do if the group becomes separated. When riding with children or people who need support, make sure they know who is looking out for them.

Stay connected, with room to stop.

Riding together makes it easier to share directions, communicate and offer reassurance. Thoughtful positioning can help with visibility too. For example, riding alongside a child where conditions allow can make the pair more noticeable while keeping support close by.

But being in a group does not guarantee that every rider has been seen.

Leave enough space to react and stop if the person ahead slows unexpectedly. Keep your view of the road ahead, avoid overlapping wheels and communicate changes in speed or direction.

Notice when the group starts stretching out.

On a hill, somebody’s comfortable pace may be much slower than another person’s. Slow-riding skills help stronger riders adjust their pace without losing control or riding away from the people they are accompanying.

When large, unplanned gaps develop, it becomes harder to communicate and keep track of each other. Traffic may move between separated riders, including vehicles turning into a side street or driveway.

The concern is not simply that the group has been split. It is that somebody behind may feel pressured to sprint, hurry through an intersection or make a decision they would not otherwise make.

Instead, pass a message forward. Riders ahead can ease their pace where safe or stop somewhere suitable to regroup.

Help the group stay connected by adjusting the pace ahead, not by expecting the people behind to chase.

Keep making your own decisions.

Following another rider does not mean it is safe or permitted for you to follow them through an intersection. Check for yourself and obey the signals and give-way rules that apply to you.

Don’t close gaps dangerously to prevent other road users moving between riders. Group size, spacing and formation need to suit the conditions; some rides are better managed as smaller supported groups.

If you become separated, use the agreed regrouping plan. Staying together is never a reason to rush a crossing, continue against a signal or compromise somebody else’s space.

The aim is to keep people supported and decisions unhurried.

Choose a speed that gives you options

An appropriate speed depends on what is happening around you, not only on how confident you feel handling the bike.

Leave enough time and space to respond to a person stepping out, a narrowing path, a turning vehicle or an unexpected surface change.

If you cannot see far enough ahead to stop within the available clear space, slow down.

This matters on any bike. On an e-bike, a motor-assistance limit is not a recommended speed for a busy path.

High-visibility behaviour: more than clothing

We teach high-visibility behaviour: choosing a visible position, observing, communicating and moving predictably.

Lights, reflectors and clothing work alongside these skills. They do not replace them.

Think about the background, weather, light conditions and sight lines. Fluorescent materials can help in daylight; retroreflective details return light from headlights after dark. Reflective details on moving legs can also help reveal the movement of a person riding.

In NSW, riding at night or in hazardous weather requires a white front light and red rear light, each visible from at least 200 metres, plus a red rear reflector visible from at least 50 metres in another vehicle’s low-beam headlights.

Check that lights are working and unobstructed. Aim them to help people see without dazzling other road or path users.

Read the NSW bicycle equipment requirements.

For the fuller explanation, read How to Be More Visible on a Bike: It’s More Than Hi-Vis.

Adapt to weather, surfaces and your own energy

Wet conditions can affect grip, braking and visibility. Allow more space, brake earlier and make steering and speed changes smoothly.

Take particular care with wet paint, metal covers, leaves and rail tracks. Avoid riding through water when you cannot see the surface underneath.

Where tracks cross your route, choose a safe approach that crosses them as close to a right angle as practicable. Check around you before changing direction. Walk the bike where that is the more manageable option.

Strong wind, heat and fatigue can also change what is sensible for a journey. Take a break, change the route or stop riding when conditions are beyond what you can comfortably manage.

Read the NSW advice on riding conditions and fatigue.

Get familiar with e-bikes, cargo bikes and carrying loads

A different bike deserves a little practice, even when you already ride regularly.

Before joining traffic, get familiar with its weight, controls, assistance settings, braking and turning space. Start with a manageable level of assistance.

Secure bags and other loads using suitable equipment. Keep straps clear of wheels and avoid hanging shopping from the handlebars.

Check the manufacturer’s limits and instructions for carrying children or other passengers. Practise controlling the bike before adding a passenger or substantial load.

The fundamentals remain the same: control, observation, communication, positioning and understanding priority.

Route choice is a riding skill

The route you know from driving or catching a bus may not be the route that works best by bike.

Consider traffic speeds, hills, crossings, path surfaces, lighting and where different parts of the network connect. A slightly longer route may be more comfortable and enjoyable.

We encourage riders to use several sources: council cycling maps, route-planning tools, local knowledge and what they observe on the ground.

The Transport for NSW Cycleway Finder is one useful starting point.

Check how a suggested route works in practice. A line on a map does not tell you everything about a crossing, hill or road surface.

Walking a section, choosing another connection or combining riding with public transport can all be good decisions. Check current bicycle carriage conditions for the service you plan to use.

Becoming a confident rider does not mean you have to ride everywhere.

Ride Kindly: look after the journey, not just the destination

Kindness is part of how we share streets and paths.

Giving somebody room. Slowing before passing. Acknowledging another person. Allowing time for a manoeuvre. Parking where access remains clear.

These are small, practical choices that can make a journey feel more welcoming.

Ride Kindly also means looking after yourself.

Feeling pressured, frightened or frustrated is understandable. You don’t have to pretend otherwise, and you don’t have to continue riding while shaken.

Find somewhere suitable to stop, take a breath and decide what would help. That might mean allowing traffic to pass, taking a break, choosing another route or ending the ride.

Our aim is to help people feel more comfortable, keep their attention available for what is happening around them and make their next decision without unnecessary pressure.

Kindness does not mean excusing unsafe behaviour, giving up the space you need or engaging with somebody who is hostile. You can be considerate and maintain clear boundaries.

And it is not only for people travelling the same way as us. Many of us walk, ride, drive and use public transport at different times.

We can respond to a particular behaviour without blaming everybody who travels that way.

We want riding to feel good, not simply to get us from A to B. Kindness is part of that, for ourselves and for the people around us.

Know the NSW rules that apply to your journey

This guide explains practical skills, but it is not a substitute for the current road rules or individual instruction.

Some useful distinctions are:

Helmets and equipment. Riders must wear an approved, correctly fitted and fastened helmet unless a lawful exemption applies. A bicycle needs an effective brake and a working bell, horn or similar warning device.

Bicycle lanes and paths. An on-road bicycle lane must generally be used when it runs in your direction, unless impracticable. Using a separate bicycle path is generally optional. Check the signs and layout rather than assuming every cycling facility has the same rules.

Footpaths. Footpaths are different from shared paths. Children under 16 can generally ride on footpaths unless prohibited. There are specified exceptions for older riders, including supervising children, carrying a child under 10 as a passenger and medical-certificate provisions.

Pedestrian crossings. Generally, get off and walk across pedestrian crossings unless bicycle crossing lights permit riding. Follow the applicable signals.

Traffic controls. Obey traffic lights, signs and give-way requirements. A painted bicycle symbol or coloured surface does not, by itself, tell you who has priority.

For current information, use the NSW bicycle safety and road rules hub, including its guidance on riding near pedestrians and footpath exceptions.

Put the skills into practice with Pedal Set Go

Reading can help you understand a skill. Practising it with useful feedback helps you discover how it works for you.

Our lessons are progressive, but they are not a race through a checklist. We demonstrate, practise, ask questions and build on what you can already do, adapting to your goals and needs.

Learn to Ride supports people who are not yet riding independently.

Back On Your Bike helps riders refresh control skills and rebuild confidence.

Confident City Rider brings observation, communication, positioning, route choice and decision-making into real riding environments.

You don’t need to be new to riding to have something useful to learn.

Explore Pedal Set Go bike lessons in Sydney.

See & Be Seen | Be Predictable | Communicate | Ride Kindly