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Preparing to Cycle this Autumn

Summer is now at an end, but that doesn’t mean that you have to give up cycling until next summer, cycling is an activity you can enjoy all year round. Autumn is a great season to explore some scenic country roads, or even to enjoy some off-road cycling through some of Britain’s beautiful woodland areas. Below are some tips that may be useful if you decide to cycle this coming Autumn.

1. Watch out for wet weather conditions
It may be difficult to believe but Autumn often sees more rain than the Great British Summer. As vulnerable road users, cyclists must be extra careful when riding in turbulent weather conditions. It is advisable that they keep as much distance between them and other road users as possible. This is because in the rain, the stopping distance of cars and cyclists increases, meaning if they don’t leave enough distance, they may find themselves going into the back of another road user.

2. Be wary of leaf covered roads and pathways
Autumn is a beautiful season. The forests turn a lovely shade of auburn and trees begin to shed their leaves. This can spell disaster for cyclists however, as a combination of these leaves and wet weather conditions means that cyclists can often run the risk of losing control on the road. It is even more important that you are mindful of leaves on concrete roads and rural cycle routes. On roads, leaves can often disguise potholes and other defects, which could end up in a cyclist being dismounted and sustaining injury. With seemingly more potholes appearing on our roads, it is more vital than ever that cyclists are able to see the state of the road on which they are riding. Likewise, on more rural routes, leaves can hide tree roots and other potentially damaging objects. These can harm a cyclist or their bike, which is the last thing anyone wants when they are potentially miles away from home.

3. Fit a mudguard
A mudguard can come in handy when the weather turns foul and helps not only to keep you clean, but also to keep your wheels as clean and safe as possible. With increased poor weather conditions, all sorts of alien objects can find their way into the road and on to your tyres. A mudguard helps to prevent any of that getting caught between the wheel and the brakes, reducing the affects that poor weather can have on your tyres and your brakes. You can further prevent any damage to your bike by ensuring that it is cleaned regularly, meaning any damage will be easy to inspect and can be fixed before it causes further damage/injury.

4. Maintain your brakes and your tyres
As well as cleaning your bike regularly, it is also an idea to pay special attention to the condition of your brakes and tyres. As previously stated, when weather conditions decline lots of foreign objects can make their way onto the roads, and these can subsequently end up damaging your tyres and/or brake pads. To avoid any unfortunate mishaps, it may be a good idea to carry a spare inner tube or a puncture repair kit in a backpack or a saddlebag, so that you aren’t left stranded if you do damage your bike.

5. Be visible at all times
The later it gets in the year, the sooner the daylight leaves us. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance, for your own safety and the safety of those around you, that you stay visible at all times. In aid of this, ensure that you have working lights attached to your bicycle for when you are cycling at night. Further, it is advisable that you make sure that you wear light reflective colours and that your bike is adequately fitted with reflectors, so that you are easily visible to other road users.

Hopefully these tips help to keep you as safe as possible when cycling, but accidents can still happen. If you are unfortunate enough to suffer an accident this Autumn that you aren’t responsible for, then Cycle-SOS may be able to help on 0808 100 999 5.

For more information about our services or to start your claim, call 0808 100 9995 and speak to one of our specialist solicitors. We’re here to help. You can email us or schedule a callback.

Written By:

Emily Pheysey

Litigation Executive

Emily has over 7 years of experience in the legal sector, handling road traffic accident claims to recover compensation and support her clients. Her focus is to ensure all clients feel comfortable and at ease with the claims process so that they can focus on their recovery.

Emily considers rapport to be an essential part of the role and strives to always provide excellent client care.

Away from work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling as much possible.

Diane Holderness

Litigation Executive

Diane is a Ministry of Justice (TOJ) Team Leader within our Cycle Department. She has 11 years’ experience managing road traffic accident claims, and 6 years’ experience managing MOJ claims.

Diane enjoys a challenge and always strives for the very best results for her customers; something that is clear in the way her team continually adapts its strategies in order to secure the most desired outcome. Diane has worked her way through the legal ranks here, and is proud to now have a strong, specialist team that is committed to customer satisfaction.

Diane believes that happy clients make a happy working environment, and it is this that ensures a productive and efficient workforce.

Nina Haddock

Chartered Legal Executive

Nina has over 30 years’ experience in the legal sector. She specialises in recovering compensation for injury claimants as a result of road traffic accidents. Her focus for each and every claim is to help her clients secure the funding that they need to pay for ongoing treatment and support.

Nina became a CILEX Fellow in 2006 and now helps her clients and their families at a time when they have been through a traumatic experience, and everything they hold dear to them appears to be changing.

One case Nina is particularly proud of is supporting a client who had successfully sought asylum in the UK, following a road traffic accident. The claim was successfully pursued through the MIB and the client was left with significant injuries. Her client was able to use the compensation to aid family members with their applications to seek asylum in the UK.

Julian Fox

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Julian qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and has worked in all areas of personal injury since 2000. Julian has a well-rounded understanding of personal injury law, having represented both claimants and defendants.

Julian always aims for maximum damages to meet his clients’ needs for injury and rehabilitation expenses, and can often secure interim payments to help meet clients’ financial needs. Julian is highly proactive in ensuring cases are progressed, ensuring a timely conclusion.

When not at the office, Julian is a keen cyclist, both on roads and virtually -he will often do an hour of ‘Zwifting’ in the mornings before starting work.

Richard Atherton

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Richard has 12 years of legal experience and qualified as a Solicitor in February 2014. He has been a Team Manager with us since 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has specialised in personal injury, handling an array of Road Traffic Accident cases, in addition to employer and public liability.

Richard prides himself on his very strong strategic and planning skills, which come into their own in complex injury cases where more technical arguments are involved. On every case, he is committed to ensuring that his clients receive full compensation for their injuries.

Away from work, Richard enjoys sport; he is a season ticket holder at St Helens Rugby Club and a Liverpool FC fan. Not only a spectator, Richard also likes going to play golf as often as he can.

Dave Gardner

Litigation Executive

Dave has over 20 years of experience in the legal sector. His specialism is personal injury and he has dealt with hundreds of cycling injury claims during his career. Excellent client care and communication is paramount to Dave. He prides himself on being accessible and available, attending court hearings where damages are in dispute to ensure the best outcome for his clients. One case Dave is particularly proud of is when he supported an elderly client who suffered serious injuries following a road traffic incident. The police had not taken any action against the defendant, so Dave had to be proactive and act within a 24-hour window. The case proceeded and the client was in receipt of £30,000 in damages, which he would not have been entitled to had the client not approached Dave. He is also an avid supporter of Glasgow Rangers and travelled abroad on many occasions to see them play in European competitions.

Gerard Horton

Partner

Gerard is a Senior Solicitor at Cycle SOS. In his 13 years of experience, Gerard has built a national reputation in the catastrophic injury sector, dealing with high value and complex cases. Alongside his legal role, Gerard supports several charities including Headway Central Lancashire, Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre and spinal injury charity, Back Up.

Julia Eyton

Partner

Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Cycle SOS team.

Specialising in representing those who have had life changing injuries, Julia handles some of the most serious and complex personal injury cases both within Cycle SOS and nationally.

She often works on high value claims and is skilled in winning complex liability cases.

NADIA KERR

Partner

Nadia has over 30 years of legal expertise and has represented hundreds of vulnerable road users. With a focus on ensuring timely rehabilitation, speedy repair or replacement of bikes and kit, and securing fair compensation, Nadia is committed to advocating for justice and client rights. Alongside her legal career, Nadia actively participates in national campaigns to benefit vulnerable road users and acts as a Trustee/Director for the national cycling charity, Cycling UK. Nadia was named in Cycling UK’s ‘100 women’ and was a founding member, now running a women’s cycling group, TeamGlow in South Manchester. Among her many achievements, Nadia takes pride in her spot on BBC Breakfast, where she provided expert commentary on long term government funding for pothole repairs.

Caroline Morris

DIRECTOR OF SERIOUS INJURY

Caroline has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years, recovering more than £56 million in damages during that time, to help clients rebuild their lives after injury.

Caroline is committed to achieving rehabilitation options early, meaning her clients benefits from the best care and treatment at the earliest stage possible.