{"id":26452,"date":"2015-04-04T11:19:51","date_gmt":"2015-04-04T10:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/?p=26452"},"modified":"2015-04-04T11:19:51","modified_gmt":"2015-04-04T10:19:51","slug":"stay-well-equipped-across-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2015\/04\/04\/stay-well-equipped-across-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Stay well equipped across Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are planning some bike trips across Europe, you should think about the law of the country you\u2019re riding in \u2013 don\u2019t let the police catch you without your mandatory bicycle equipment!<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

France<\/strong><\/h2>\n

At the home of Le Tour, cycling is surprisingly regulated. This may be because of the huge amount of cyclo-tourism Le Tour generates. A bike must have a bell, and rear and front reflectors after dark. Helmets aren\u2019t compulsory, but cyclists must wear at least a high visibility gilet if cycling after dark outside urban areas.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

How strictly these laws are enforced greatly depends on the police officer and how he assesses the situation. If you\u2019re climbing the Alp D\u2019Huez and a nostalgic Gendarme is reminded of Pantani in his prime, he\u2019ll probably ignore the lack of bell on your handlebars, wipe the tears away and wave you on.\u00a0If you\u2019ve just skidded to a halt on your fixie at a caf\u00e9 in urban Marseille, he may be tempted to reach for his baton and mess up your Mohican.<\/p>\n

Italy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You\u2019re required to wear a reflective vest or belt starting half an hour after sunset until an hour before sunrise. You also need to put this on before riding through a tunnel.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no requirement to wear a cycle helmet in Italy, but they helpfully specify that your bike must have tyres<\/em>. A bell is also mandatory. Your bike must have at least 7 reflectors, front rear, one on each wheel, on your pedals etc, and front and rear lights. If you find yourself in heavy traffic \u2013 you\u2019re required to get off your bike and push. Viva Italia!<\/p>\n

Spain<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Outside of a city, the police could arrest you for not wearing a helmet. In urban areas, you can ride without one. The Spanish insist your bike must have a bell, front and rear lights and a rear reflector \u2013 but only when cycling at night, through tunnels, and under weather conditions that reduce visibility significantly. Speaking of Spain – you should check our original feature about cycling in Seville.<\/p>\nWatch it now!<\/a>\n

The United Kingdom<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bikes must be fitted with a bell at the point of sale, but you can take it off when you leave the shop. Bells are only useful for getting pedestrians out your way when you\u2019re cycling on a pavement – which is illegal in the UK.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Bikes ridden at night need front and rear lights, flashing or steady. All bicycle pedals must be fitted with reflectors front and back, but this is almost impossible with clipless pedals. The police rarely enforce this law, so be polite and they\u2019ll let you go. You don\u2019t need to wear a helmet in Britain.<\/p>\n

Germany<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bicycles must have a bell or horn, non-blinking front headlamp, and a red rear taillight that stays lit when stationary, but may blink. You must have front and rear reflectors and at least two yellow reflectors on each wheel. Wheel reflective sidewalls are an acceptable alternative. In good visibility daylight, you may use bicycles without lights. Helmets are required for children under 13 years old.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Bizarrely, if you wear a helmet, German law recommends that air ducts should be covered by mesh that protects against insects. Keeps the bees out!\u00a0Most importantly DON\u2019T TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF YOUR HANDLEBARS<\/strong>. Riding one or no-handed in Germany is illegal \u2013 and they WILL prosecute you for showing off to your girlfriend.<\/p>\n

What mandatory safety equipment could your country do with\u2026 or do without?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are planning some bike trips across Europe, you should think about the law of the country you\u2019re riding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":26457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[328,329,334,330],"tags":[],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-26452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outdoor-mountain","category-road-cycling","category-socialising-and-culture","category-urban-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nStay well equipped across Europe - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Think about the law of the country you\u2019re riding in \u2013 don\u2019t let the police catch you without your mandatory bicycle equipment!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2015\/04\/04\/stay-well-equipped-across-europe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stay well equipped across Europe\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Think about the law of the country you\u2019re riding in \u2013 don\u2019t let the police catch you without your mandatory bicycle equipment!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2015\/04\/04\/stay-well-equipped-across-europe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-04-04T10:19:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2015\/04\/opener21.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"525\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Christopher Ashley\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2015\/04\/04\/stay-well-equipped-across-europe\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2015\/04\/04\/stay-well-equipped-across-europe\/\",\"name\":\"Stay well equipped across Europe - 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