Rules and safety
Where an adult cyclist may ride, why you get off and walk at a pedestrian crossing, and how to signal your manoeuvre to other road users in advance.
cycling every day: a guide for adults and children
Netlujkovu: calm, confident cycling every day
A bike easily becomes part of everyday life: you ride it to work and to the shops, go out with the kids at the weekend, head to the park on a warm evening. To keep those rides enjoyable, a few habits are enough: know where you are allowed to ride, switch your lights on in time, and give the chain and brakes some attention every few weeks. We have gathered these habits into a clear guide without unnecessary jargon.
Safety on a bike is not about heroics but about small things: a charged light, checked brakes and the habit of getting off at a pedestrian crossing. Each takes a minute, and together they make the ride a calm one.
Four directions
Lights and visibility
When front and rear lights are required, how reflectors and bright clothing help, and why at dusk you are harder to see than you think.
Bike care
How to keep the chain, tyres and brakes in good shape yourself, what to leave to a mechanic and how to protect your bike over the winter.
Children on bikes
Where younger and school-age children may ride, how to choose a bike that fits their height, and what to teach them before their first rides on their own.
Guide sections
- Sections
The four sections of the guide: rules for cyclists, safety and visibility, bike care, and children on bikes.
- Guides
How to get your bike ready for the season: what to prepare, steps with sample cases, mistakes and a checklist. Plus the article catalogue.
- Questions
Short answers on where you may ride, how to cross the road, how to care for the chain and where children can ride.
- Collections
Reading routes: your first season riding in town, cycling with a child, autumn rides at dusk.
- Reference
Glossary: types of paths, pedestrian zone, hand signals, frame, drivetrain, brakes, tyre, seasonal service.
- New
A timeline of the guide's publications: what came out and when, with topic labels.
- Archive
A chronological list of pages with a topic filter and a note about the address kept from the former website.
Before the first ride of the season: five steps
Tyres and brakes
Press each tyre with your thumb: if it gives easily, pump it up to the pressure printed on the tyre sidewall. Then squeeze both brake levers and try to push the bike forward; the wheels should not turn.
Chain
Turn the pedals backwards and listen. A dry squeak and orange rust mean it is time to wipe and lubricate the chain. Remove excess lube with a rag, or dust will quickly stick to it.
Lights and reflectors
Check that the front and rear lights work and charge the batteries. Look over the reflectors on the wheels, pedals and frame: cracked or dirty ones reflect noticeably less light.
Helmet
Put on your helmet and tighten the straps so it sits snugly and does not slip forward onto your forehead or back. A helmet that has taken a hard knock is best replaced, even if you cannot see any cracks.
Route
Before you set off, plan your route so that most of it runs along cycle paths and shared paths. Keep the first ride after winter short and unhurried so you can get used to the bike again.
The essentials in brief
Are you a shop or a rental service?
No. Netlujkovu is a guide, not a service. We do not sell, rent out or repair bikes, and we do not advertise manufacturers or workshops. Our aim is to explain clearly how to ride and look after a bike yourself.
Where can a ten-year-old ride?
Under clause 24.3 of the Russian traffic rules, cyclists aged 7 to 14 ride only on sidewalks, footpaths, cycle paths and shared cycle-pedestrian paths, and within pedestrian zones. A child of this age may not ride on the roadway. Rules differ by country, so check your local traffic rules.
Do I need to get off at a pedestrian crossing?
Yes. Under clause 24.8 of the rules, when crossing the roadway at a pedestrian crossing, a cyclist must get off and walk the bike alongside, following the rules for pedestrians.
Do I need lights in the evening?
Yes. Clause 19.1 of the rules requires the bike's front and rear lights to be on in the dark and in poor visibility. Reflectors and light-coloured clothing also help drivers spot you from a distance.
About the project
This domain used to host a different website, and later some unrelated spam pages appeared on it. None of those pages have been kept, and we are not trying to restore them. The guide has no connection to the former resources; the name simply came with the domain and means nothing for the guide's content.
We write for people who cycle for errands and for pleasure: adults who have recently switched to two wheels, parents teaching their children to ride, and anyone who wants to keep a bike in good order without visiting a workshop for every little thing. There is no advertising, no rankings and no prices here, only calm explanations checked against the traffic rules and practical care tips.
Sources
- Road Traffic Regulations of the Russian Federation, sections 19 and 24
Information on the rules follows the text of the Russian traffic rules as of the date the material was prepared; it is worth checking the current version before you ride, and riders elsewhere should check their local traffic rules. Care tips are general: if your bike's manual says otherwise, follow the manual, and leave complex repairs, especially brakes, to a mechanic.