TigoniEscapes
A rider in a red jacket on an electric mountain bike on a dry trail

E-bikes and cycling

E-bike safety: how to ride safely on rural roads

Practical e-bike safety for countryside riding in Kenya: helmets, braking on murram and wet red earth, sharing roads with lorries and boda bodas, and group riding.

Journal · Published

E-bikes are easy to ride, but their extra weight and speed call for a few good habits, especially on rural roads like Tigoni's. These are the safety rules we use on every guided ride.

Wear a helmet, always

A properly fitted helmet is the single most important piece of safety equipment. It should sit level on your head and not move when you shake it. Helmets are provided on our tours.

A woman in a helmet riding an electric mountain bike with canyon cliffs behind
E-bike riding, Colorado, USA (illustrative)

Brake early and gently

E-bikes weigh more than regular bikes, so they take longer to stop. Use both brakes together, start braking earlier than you think you need to, and avoid grabbing the front brake hard, especially on loose surfaces.

Respect the surface

Murram (gravel) roads can be loose, and red earth turns slippery after rain. Slow down on bends and descents, keep your weight back on downhills, and walk the bike through anything that looks too slick.

A red dirt road curving between tea fields under a blue sky in Tigoni
Tea farms, Tigoni

Share the road

Country lanes around Tigoni are used by tea lorries, tractors, cars, boda bodas, pedestrians and livestock. Ride on the left, in single file, and assume drivers have not seen you. Give extra room to animals and children.

An old pickup parked on a country road beside rolling tea fields in Tigoni
Country road, Tigoni

Riding in a group

  • Keep a safe gap to the rider in front.
  • Call out hazards such as potholes, vehicles and animals.
  • Do not overtake on bends.
  • Follow the guide's instructions at junctions.

Look after yourself

Drink water, wear sunscreen, and add a layer if you get cold on descents. Tell your guide if you feel unwell; at altitude, it is easy to underestimate the effort.