Safety

Helmets

Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. Get a helmet at any of the following stores. Doing so dramatically reduces the risk of head injury in the event of a crash while bicycling. Be sure to wear a helmet every time you ride. Here are two ways to acquire your own:

  • Buy Online -
    When you sign up for a Hubway Annual or Monthly Membership, you can add a helmet to your purchase while registering. We'll mail it right to your front door!

  • Purchase from Subsidized Helmet vendor-
    The City of Boston and the Boston Public Health Commission are working hard to ensure helmets are accessible and inexpensive so you can wear a helmet every time you ride. See the helmet retailer page for subsidized locations.

    • Your local bike or sporting good shop is likely to sell helmets too!

Bicycle Education

Take a bike safety class today! The municipalities of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville in conjunction with MassBike want to make your experience with Hubway as safe and enjoyable as possible. They offer a number of free education classes at locations across the Metro Area. Spend an hour and learn the tips and tricks of urban cycling from certified instructors.

Safety Features

Hubway bikes are designed with many built-in safety mechanisms, including:

  • Front and rear flashing LED lights,
  • Wheel reflectors
  • Reflective sidewalls on both front and rear tires,
  • Adjustable seat height,
  • Step-thru frame for lower center of gravity, and
  • Plastic casing around cables to prevent tampering.

Riding Tips

There’s more to safety riding than a well-tuned bicycle. Respect yourself and fellow road users by following these tips:

  • Always wear a helmet.
    Helmets dramatically reduce the risk of head injury in a bicycle crash. You can purchase a helmet at any of these locations.
  • Obey all regulatory signs
    and traffic lights.
  • Never ride against traffic.
    Ride with traffic to avoid potential incidents.
  • Use hand signals
    to communicate with other cyclists and motorist of what you intend to do.
  • Ride in a straight line
    to the right of traffic and at least 4 feet away from parked car doors.
  • Be alert!
    Don’t ride distracted.

More information is available:

Pre-Ride Checks

Hubway maintains every bike to ensure they are in good condition and working properly. It’s always a good idea to give the bike a look over before starting a ride. Check the following before you set off on your ride:

  • Air
    Push each tire hard against a curb. If you can flatten it, it needs air.

  • Wheel Spin
    Lift each wheel up and give it a slow spin (spin the back wheel forward so the pedals don’t move). Check that the wheel spins freely and doesn’t rub against the brake pads or anything else.

  • Tires
    Turn each wheel slowly and look for cuts, bulges or bubbles in the tire.

  • Shifting
    Try all of your gears to make sure the chain shifts smoothly between gears.

  • Brakes
    Check that both brakes are functional and feel strong.

  • Loose Parts
    Pick up the bike and shake it. You shouldn’t hear anything rattling.

Bicycling Laws

To be a safe cyclist, it’s important to know and follow the law. For more information on the laws governing cycling in Massachusetts, visit the Same Roads, Same Rules page at MassBike.

Severe Weather Policy

The safety and well-being of our members is extremely important to Hubway, therefore Hubway may temporarily suspend service in times of severe weather. If weather threatens member safety, Hubway could close temporarily and no bikes could be rented. Bikes in use at the time of closure should be returned to any Hubway station and all usage fees still apply.

Closure and re-opening information will be posted to TheHubway.com, Facebook.com/Hubway, and on Twitter @Hubway. Registered members will additionally be informed of closures and re-openings via email.