Any Irish cyclists see the new rules of the road book?

novembercp

What kind of plonker wrote the cycling section?

http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/8342-0.pdf

BICYCLE CHECK LIST - includes the following gems:
"• Handlebars - square with the frame and level with the saddle. Movement should be neither too stiff nor too loose"
Have they ever seen a road bike?

"• Wheels - get expert advice if buckled or out of alignment"
That seem sensible but they fail to mention that the following is in any way related.
"• Spokes - have loose ones tightened and damaged ones replaced"
What happens if someone who does not know their stuff starts tightening spokes?

"• Brake Shoes - closed ends should face the front"
There are very few bikes on the road today which have brakle shoes which can "face the front.

Pete Owens

Presumably the same plonker who came up with the suicidal advice.

"You should keep to the left on the roundabout and be aware that drivers may not see you easily.

...

You should take extra care when cycling across exits and may need to signal to traffic
behind you that you are not leaving the roundabout."

You couldn't make it up.

Unfortunataly it also says::

"A pedal cyclist must use a cycle track where one is provided unless there is an
obstruction in the track or because of an emergency situation confronting the cyclist."

novembercp

I didn't want to mention the bit about cycle lanes as it just made my blood boil. I am consoled by the facts that: (a) there are so few cycle lanes here (none on my regular routes) that it will hardly ever arise (b) The Rules of the Road book is considered 'an interpretation of the law' and is not the law as such.

I love the bit about roundabouts. It is indeed likely " that drivers may not see you easily" if you always "keep to the left on the roundabout"

How do you "signal to traffic behind you that you are not leaving the roundabout." ?

I'd love to take the author(s) for a spin some day - probably would have to loan them a bike as they presumably haven't owned one for about 30 years.

The whole cycling section can be summarised as "You are welcome to cycle on the roads as long as you don't get in the way."

Is there a UK equivalent? What's it like?

Tourist Tony

If you search on Highway Code and CTC you will see that we have just had a very effective campaign against such changes, and have largely won. Contact the CTC for more details. I am sure they will be glad to give advice.

Jeremy Parker

Pete Owens wrote:

Presumably the same plonker who came up with the suicidal advice.

"You should keep to the left on the roundabout and be aware that drivers may not see you easily.

[snip]
i]"

There was a new edition of the British Highway Code, out yesterday (27 Sept), I think. I haven't seen it yet.

The old edition said that you may **feel safer** keeping to the left on roundabouts. However, it does not say that you will be **be** safer, and just above the "feel safer" rule, a rule refers you to the "correct procedure" for negotiating roundabouts, i.e., the procedure for any vehicle.

There was considerable fuss about the draft of the new edition, which appeared in the spring. The CTC's campaign concentrated on just the worst sections, which would have made using bike facilities quasi compulsory, and didn't make a fuss about the more trivial horrors.

I was at the "Velo City" conference in Dublin in 2005. One reason the Dubliners invited us over was to try to get some additional muscle to fight the then new facility compulsion law. It didn't work. Sorry.

One session was a talk by a Dublin garda (?sp). He was brilliant. In the question period somebody asked him, "Do you plan to actually enforce this law?" He answered, "What do you think?" Various people in the audience said what they thought. He just smiled.

I gather that Northern Ireland has its own Highway Code, which usually tracks the British Code pretty closely, but might not be identical.

Jeremy Parker
London

Cunobelin

"• Handlebars - square with the frame and level with the saddle. Movement should be neither too stiff nor too loose"
In any other case two brakes, one acting on the front wheel, the other on the rear wheel.

Have they ever seen a recumbent trike??

Anonymous

Cunobelin wrote:

"• Handlebars - square with the frame and level with the saddle. Movement should be neither too stiff nor too loose"
In any other case two brakes, one acting on the front wheel, the other on the rear wheel.

Have they ever seen a recumbent trike??

This is a cycling forum not a nutters debating society.

Jeff Jones

Jeremy Parker wrote:

There was a new edition of the British Highway Code, out yesterday (27 Sept), I think. I haven't seen it yet.

We had a story on it here: http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/cyclists-win-with-new-uk-highway-code-12658

novembercp

This makes interesting reading.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1963/en/ ... 89y1963a21
I know most forum users are UK-based, but not all. Also I know many of you come cycling here (very welcome too) so I think it's worth posting. Many of our laws are similar to UK ones too, from the time when we shared the same laws.

For example, it specifies size of lighting surface, height of lights from the road (12" to 3'), etc. Does not mention flashing lights though, as far as I can see it doesn't say that these are not acceptable (but the law is from 1963!). Also doesn't say if pedal cycles may have more than one front or rear light, though elsewhere it says that motorcyles (I think) may not have more than two and they must be of a similar size and power. Interesting as I as thinking of using a traditional tungtsen light and a flashing LED together

Bought a light from BikeHut recently (returned it 'cos it fell apart, but that's another story). On the packaging it says that when flashing, it doesn't meet the relevant British Standard and should not be used in flashing mode on the public highway! Not much use anywhere else, is it?