Start Cycling To Work

Here are a few tips on cycling to work.

Prepare your Bike
Make sure your bike is in good working order. Check your brakes, tyres and wheels are in good condition. A little oil the chain and moving parts makes a big difference. The correct tyre pressure makes cycling easier. Consider taking your bike to your local bicycle shop for a service. If you are riding at night you’ll need lights. All cyclists in WA are required to wear a helmet.

Which Way to Go - Plan Ahead
Choose your route carefully and take your time. Take a test ride to work on the weekend. Use the safest, if not necessarily the shortest route. This probably will be a combination of quiet streets and dual-use paths. Obtain one of the maps produced by the DPI Cycling Unit which shows you the dual-use paths and quiet streets around Perth - and start exploring.

What to Carry
It's a good idea to carry a change of clothes, toolkit, pump, a puncture repair kit and a lightweight rain jacket in your bag. Fit a carry rack or use a light backpack.

Your Rights and Responsibilitiess
Always ride with courtesy towards other road users. You have the same right to use the road as others, and you must follow the same rules. Ride defensively; be aware of what is happening around you, be noticed and be predictable. Make sure you ride with the flow of traffic and give clear hand signals. Don't rush! Be cautious and aware at all times. Don’t get caught up in others people’s ‘Road Rage’. Be a responsible rider.

What to Wear
Dress to be seen. Bright fluoro colours such as orange and yellow work best in daylight, while white clothes together with lights and reflectors maximise your chance of being seen at night. Be especially careful at intersections. Round-a-bouts can be particularly hazardous for cyclists. Make eye contact with drivers so you know they have seen you.

Be comfortable. Loose-fitting shorts without a large seam in the seat can be a cheaper (and a more modest) alternative to Lycra cycling knicks. Perth's temperate climate means a T-shirt or light, long-sleeved shirt can be worn almost year round. Sunscreen and sunglasses are recommended. A light sweater protects against the cold, and a light plastic or water resistant cotton top should be kept handy for wet days. Resign yourself to getting wet sometimes, and compensate by cycling with the utmost care and having dry clothes and shoes at your destination.

Parking your Bike
Lock your bike securely with a quality lock. Take off easily removable accessories - before someone else does it in your absence. Park in secure areas, such as your place of work, suburban railway station lockers. Bike theft happens in the city so be sure your bike is not left out in the open.

Facilities at Work
If you are going to shower at work don’t forget to take a towel and toiletries. Does your workplace have a lock up for bicycles?

Using the Train
Combining your journey with the train is a great way to get to work if you live too far from work to ride the whole distance. All Perth train stations have U-rails or bike lockers. You can take your bike on the train as long as you are not traveling towards Perth City 7am to 9am or away from the City 4:30pm to 6:30pm on weekdays.

Take it Easy
Ease yourself into riding to work. You might like to ride in one day and ride home the next. Combine your bike ride to work with public transport or park a distance from the city and ride to work from there. Ride every second day or once a week. Once you start you want to cycle more.

Ask a Fellow Cyclist
Ask your cycling work colleagues for advice on cycling to work. They might be able to give you some valuable tips on routes to work, where to park your bike and what facilities are available in your building. You may be able to team up with fellow cyclist and ride together.

More brochures and fact sheets are available at the Department of Transport Cycling website. Click here.
See the ‘Riding to Work’ Fact Sheet.

Enjoy your cycling and take care.