If you like to move around Barcelona on bicycle like us, you need to keep 2 basic points in mind in order to avoid some risk situations.

1. Take care of the maintenance of your bicycle

The maintenance of your bicycle is very important for your security, especially if you have to pedal every day, and it’s more simple than the maintenance of a motorized vehicle, so you don’t have any excuse for not looking over your own bicycle. It’s important to maintain it clean and greased; in addition you need to check that the brakes work perfectly. The tires have to have clear treads. If they are worn they could lose the adhesion to the road and it might be dangerous, mostly when it rains.

These are some of the most important points to keep in mind. As time goes by you will learn more about your bicycle, even though at the beginning, if we have to assemble and disassemble anything it’s important to take note or make some photos of every step that we make. And if you don’t feel quite confident with your mechanical qualities, you should consult a professional.

2. Keep the ordinance in mind

You should take into account that the rules about circulating with a bicycle according to the city ordinances can vary depending on the city you’re in. This is very important if we don’t want to get a fine, but also to avoid dangers for us and for others (especially for the pedestrian). Something really basic about of Barcelona is that whenever possible, we always circulate in the bike lane. We can circulate on the sidewalk if we don’t have any bike lane near or if circulating on the road is dangerous. Nevertheless, it needs to be wider than 5 meters and not have too many pedestrians. If one of these two points are not present, it’s better to walk with the bicycle. We can also circulate on 30km/h roads. We will be able see that these are duly signalized, and it’s recommendable to circulate in the middle of the road so that we more visible for the motorized vehicles.

Even if the helmet, the bell and the lights are sometimes not obligatory elements, we will avoid risk situations if we use them.

If you follow these simple tips, you will avoid dangerous situations and you will continue enjoying your bicycle as always.