Advice: How to ride safely during bushfire season

While the 2021 has so far been free of the catastrophic bushfires that engulfed south-east Australia last year, it is still important to stay safe and think ahead while riding.

Riding through smoke like we saw last year – even miles away from the fires – can be dangerous; dangerous to your lungs, to the bike and even to your life. Here’s a few tips for riding in poor conditions.

Check the air quality online (http://aqicn.org/map/australia/) before you ride. That will give you an idea of how much crap you might inhale. If it’s a high particulate matter reading, just don’t ride. Whatever the conditions, wear a balaclava under your helmet that covers your nose, and keep the visor down just in case.

If you can’t avoid riding in really smoky areas, make sure you check your bike’s air filter more often. It will clog up faster, so avoid rich running and poor fuelling by cleaning it regularly. It’s not dangerous, but be aware of it

If you do have to ride in fire-risk areas, be aware that bushfires bring two very dangerous things to bikers as well as the roaring flames: sudden wind changes and unpredictable vehicles.

The first can literally blow you off the road; always take a safe line with a wide gap on both sides if you can. This can also help in avoiding debris on the road when visibility is poor.

Vehicles (in the form of RFS/CFA vehicles and evacuating residents) may be racing along in low visibility, on the radio or phone, and definitely not looking out for bikers. Stay very alert. Several deaths have already happened this season because of fire-related vehicle accidents.

Remember to always carry plenty of water and food, and take any necessary tools and spares. If you do find yourself stranded in the danger area of an active bushfire, find shelter immediately.

Lastly, if you do have to ride in dangerous places (and this applies to all instances, not just while riding in fire country) carry an EPIRB. Again, this season has seen catastrophic incidents because people have relied on mobile phones or UHF, which have proved as useful as a brick when the mobile towers – as much as 30km away – are destroyed by an out-of-control fire. An EPIRB will work when all else has failed.