First road rides in Moscow: building confidence around cars

Make the task smaller

A passing car can make you tense up and drift towards the kerb. You do not need to prove courage by choosing a busy Moscow road. Your first aim is to control the bike while keeping enough attention for your surroundings. Speed and distance can come later.

This guide is for adult riders. Below are the key points of Russia’s Traffic Rules, section 24. Rules you learnt in another country may differ, and this is not a complete account of every exception.

Start away from traffic

Practise braking, turning and looking behind in a flat area where vehicle traffic is excluded and cycling is permitted. An empty car park is not automatically traffic-free. Check for moving vehicles and pedestrians before treating a space as a practice area.

Next, choose a short familiar route without complicated junctions or fast exit lanes. Some roads are quieter early in the morning, but low traffic does not remove risk: vehicles still appear, and visibility may be poor. Prefer daylight. An apparently empty fast road is not a good beginner route.

A calm experienced companion can help you understand unfamiliar traffic layouts. Ask them to ride at your pace and stop to discuss decisions. A group you have to chase is a different experience. If you do not speak Russian, agree on basic warnings beforehand, including “stop” and “car behind”.

Position: predictable, with room for hazards

Section 24 directs riders over 14 towards cycle infrastructure first. Riding along the right edge of the carriageway—the part of the road used by vehicles—is allowed under specified conditions, including where suitable cycle infrastructure is absent or cannot be used. Riding on a pavement also has conditions; it is not an unrestricted alternative.

Where your route legally uses the carriageway, follow its right edge without riding through broken drain covers, holes or rubbish just to stay close to the kerb. Leave space to control the bike. Hold a consistent line instead of ducking into every gap between parked cars and reappearing in traffic.

Allow for a parked car’s door opening. Do not squeeze alongside doors. Before moving around an obstruction, check behind and signal your intention. If there is no safe opportunity, slow or stop rather than forcing through. Avoid passing a lorry or bus on its right near a turn: the driver may not see you.

Junctions and road exits

Before a junction, put away distractions, keep your hands ready on the brakes and read the signs and signals. Work out who must give way. A green light does not prove that a turning driver has noticed you.

Watch vehicles turning right across your path and vehicles coming from driveways. Judge the vehicle’s movement, not just the driver’s face. Eye contact is not a guarantee. If you cannot understand the situation, stop somewhere safe and let the danger pass.

Fast exits can create crossing conflicts even without a conventional junction. Leave these off your first route. Do not cut diagonally across several lanes to stay on a through road. Plan a clear legal option or stop before the difficult section and change your route.

Read BikeJam’s hand-signal guide in Russian, or its English adaptation, before riding. Signal early and return your hand for control. Signalling does not give you priority.

Russian rules to review

Section 24 sets conditions for using cycle infrastructure, the right carriageway edge, the shoulder and pavements. These are not interchangeable options. Where riding near pedestrians is permitted, do not endanger or obstruct them; dismount if riding causes that problem.

Walk your bike across pedestrian crossings: riding across them is prohibited. Left turns and U-turns are restricted on roads with tram traffic or several lanes in your direction; check the exceptions separately. Check working brakes and steering too. Lighting requirements also appear outside section 24, including section 19 and the vehicle-admission provisions.

Being seen and looking behind

Use working white front and red rear lights, especially in poor visibility or at dusk. Check that bags do not hide them. Bright clothing can help in daylight; reflective details return light from headlights. Neither guarantees that every driver sees you.

A mirror can help monitor approaching cars but has a limited view. It does not replace a check before changing position. Practise a brief shoulder check while holding a straight line, then return your eyes forwards. Traffic and the surface ahead keep changing while you look behind.

What to do now

1. Practise smooth braking, turns and brief shoulder checks in a traffic-free area. Keep your line throughout.
2. Plan a short daylight route without fast exits. Check the permitted riding space, brakes and lights, and identify safe places to stop.
3. Ride it with a patient companion. Discuss one difficult moment afterwards and repeat the familiar route before adding more complexity.