What is the behaviour of cyclists towards their own safety equipment: helmet and conspicuity equipment (being highly visible)? Method: a survey was conducted in a big city (Lyon) and its surroundings. Three types of cyclists were used: children, sports cyclists and commuting cyclists. Results: helmet wearing is strongly related to cyclist type: the helmet is "always" worn by 49% of riding children, by 68% of sports cyclists and by 17% of commuting cyclists. Commuting cyclists are less likely to wear a helmet if they are female, riding mostly in urban areas, driving a car "everyday" or "never", judging the helmet to be cumbersome (after parking the bike), and not feeling "fragile". Bright coloured clothes are "always used" by 9% of commuting cyclists only. At night, the rear mandatory light is "always" used by 64% of commuting cyclists. Reasons for non-use are mostly "out of order" and "oversight". A reflective jacket is "always" worn at night by 10% of adult cyclists. Conclusion: there is much room for increasing the use of safety equipments by cyclists. Helmet wearing is put forward but conspicuity (pre-crash prevention) should not be overlooked ; additionally, cyclists' compliance with conspicuity recommendations might be easier to increase. Finally, prevention campaigns should take cyclists types into account.