Cycling and the Law

As well as the obvious laws, there are £30 fines for cycling in pedestrian areas. This includes Sussex Street, the marketplace and the Grafton Centre between 10 am and 4pm, Monday to Saturday. It is an offence to cycle under the influence of alcohol. The same legal limits apply and it is legally possible for punishment to include points or restrictions on your driving licence.

Lights

By law, all bikes must carry two British Standard compliant reflectors and lights; white on the Front and red on the back. You cannot rely on a flashing LED – these should be used in addition and police can fine you if you only have these. Police can give £30 on the spot fines to any cyclist not complying with the requisite standards.

Cycle Helmets

You may not look cool, but every year thousands of cyclists are involved in accidents, and over 70% of injuries sustained are to the head.

Theft

There is a massive bike theft problem in Cambridge, so here are a few tips to keep your bike safe.

• Try not to leave it in vulnerable locations and always lock it up.
• Invest in a decent lock to save money in the long run otherwise professional bike thieves will find stealing it easy.
• Lock your bike by the frame to an immovable object if you can. Locking it to itself or just through a wheel is more risky
• Make sure you register your bike with Sidney and on immobilise.com as this makes it easier to trace a stolen bike. The forms and stickers are available from the Plodge.
• If you live out of college, keeping your bike in college over the holidays is probably safer. De Frev and Huntingdon have both had bikes stolen in the last years.