Ever set a speed camera off?

chronyx
chronyx Posts: 455
edited March 2008 in Commuting chat
:lol: Is it even possible?

Not that ever would. Ahem. :twisted:
2007 Giant SCR2 - 'BFG'

Gone but not forgotten!:
2005 Specialized Hardrock Sport - 'Red Rocket'
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Comments

  • dav1
    dav1 Posts: 1,298
    Ive tried to set off one of those signs that flashed "slow down" before, often fly past one nice and fast and did it once.

    Later found it it goes of for every car but rarly detects me on a bike.
    Giant TCR advanced 2 (Summer/race)
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  • jpembroke
    jpembroke Posts: 2,569
    There's one of those flashing '30mph Slow Down' signs at the foot of Leckhampton Hill on the way in to Cheltenham. It's practically impossible not to set it off.
    I'm only concerned with looking concerned
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Theres one of the 30mph flashers on Brislington Hill on the way back into Brstol. If you get the lights right then you can top 30 and still fail to set the thing off, there is a sunken drain just after so you got to get your line right otherwise your bus fodder. :cry:
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Gambatte
    Gambatte Posts: 1,453
    chronyx wrote:
    :lol: Is it even possible?

    Not that ever would. Ahem. :twisted:

    Yep, SP30, £60 fine and 3 points. :(


    Not on the bike tho' :wink:




    IGMC :P :P
  • Belv
    Belv Posts: 866
    A couple of signs that show your speed have appeared around my way recently. Below 30 and your speed is displayed in green, 31-33 and your speed is displayed in orange, 34+ and your speed is displayed in red.

    I am ashamed to say i have yet to have my speed displayed in anything but green (28mph). :oops:
  • andrewc3142
    andrewc3142 Posts: 906
    I used to drive a fair bit in Germany, between Poland and the UK. On the autobahns they had those signs which show your speed. Some had a camera, some not and it was easy to tell one from the other from a goodly distance. So you'd see people ease off a bit and then, once they realised there was no camera, try to get the highest number flashing up. Of course, I'd never do such a thing.
  • discurio
    discurio Posts: 118
    andrewc3142 wrote:
    I used to drive a fair bit in Germany, between Poland and the UK. On the autobahns they had those signs which show your speed. Some had a camera, some not and it was easy to tell one from the other from a goodly distance. So you'd see people ease off a bit and then, once they realised there was no camera, try to get the highest number flashing up. Of course, I'd never do such a thing.

    this is your personal scoreboard
    I'm not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information
  • Fuzz Monkey Five
    Fuzz Monkey Five Posts: 194
    I keep trying near me but have never achieved it. Great speed camera at the end of a down hill slope, the limit is 30mph, so I guess the trigger speed is 35-38mph
  • Eat My Dust
    Eat My Dust Posts: 3,965
    I don't think it's possible. There's a speed camera at the bottom of a large(ish) hill on my morning commute that I usually go through at 38mph+ and I've never set it off.
    SNAPS
  • Parkey
    Parkey Posts: 303
    Just a thought, is it possible for a cyclist to set off a red light camera?
    "A recent study has found that, at the current rate of usage, the word 'sustainable' will be worn out by the year 2015"
  • Eat My Dust
    Eat My Dust Posts: 3,965
    Parkey wrote:
    Just a thought, is it possible for a cyclist to set off a red light camera?

    You'll need to ask some of the RLJers about that one I'm afraid!!
    SNAPS
  • Parkey
    Parkey Posts: 303
    Eat My Dust wrote:
    Parkey wrote:
    Just a thought, is it possible for a cyclist to set off a red light camera?

    You'll need to ask some of the RLJers about that one I'm afraid!!

    Yeah, I wasn't about to try personally.
    "A recent study has found that, at the current rate of usage, the word 'sustainable' will be worn out by the year 2015"
  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    Yes, it is possible to set off a speed camera on a bike. There have been a few reports in the papers over the years. One story, that I remember, was a guy who set one off regularly, thinking that he would be untraceable, but he passed the camera at the same time of day and the police waited for him one morning. IIRC he was doing somewhere in the mid 40's mph.

    I tried setting one off, in Castlemilk, for a while. The fastest I managed was 44.5 mph (downhill with a strong tailwind), but it failed to fire. :cry:
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    Crapaud wrote:
    Yes, it is possible to set off a speed camera on a bike. There have been a few reports in the papers over the years. One story, that I remember, was a guy who set one off regularly, thinking that he would be untraceable, but he passed the camera at the same time of day and the police waited for him one morning. IIRC he was doing somewhere in the mid 40's mph.

    I tried setting one off, in Castlemilk, for a while. The fastest I managed was 44.5 mph (downhill with a strong tailwind), but it failed to fire. :cry:

    What did they do to him?
  • Eat My Dust
    Eat My Dust Posts: 3,965
    BentMikey wrote:
    Crapaud wrote:
    Yes, it is possible to set off a speed camera on a bike. There have been a few reports in the papers over the years. One story, that I remember, was a guy who set one off regularly, thinking that he would be untraceable, but he passed the camera at the same time of day and the police waited for him one morning. IIRC he was doing somewhere in the mid 40's mph.

    I tried setting one off, in Castlemilk, for a while. The fastest I managed was 44.5 mph (downhill with a strong tailwind), but it failed to fire. :cry:

    What did they do to him?

    They should have given him a prize!!
    SNAPS
  • karl j
    karl j Posts: 517
    I seem to recall someone somewhere on here giving a very fine sounding scientific reason why a cyclist can't set off a speed cam.

    but as i'm not a scientist it may have been complete bollx i suppose :?

    But to answer the original question - no i haven't
    Morning route (when i don't get the train)

    Evening route ,
  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    Mal Volio (aka Fixed Phil back on C+) is into the necessary field, and his opinion is that there's more than enough metal in most bikes to set off a speed camera.
  • Eat My Dust
    Eat My Dust Posts: 3,965
    BentMikey wrote:
    Mal Volio (aka Fixed Phil back on C+) is into the necessary field, and his opinion is that there's more than enough metal in most bikes to set off a speed camera.

    How dare you!! I had to cover my carbon steads ears while I read that last post!! (yes I read out loud!) :oops:
    SNAPS
  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    BentMikey wrote:
    Crapaud wrote:
    Yes, it is possible to set off a speed camera on a bike. There have been a few reports in the papers over the years. One story, that I remember, was a guy who set one off regularly, thinking that he would be untraceable, but he passed the camera at the same time of day and the police waited for him one morning. IIRC he was doing somewhere in the mid 40's mph.

    I tried setting one off, in Castlemilk, for a while. The fastest I managed was 44.5 mph (downhill with a strong tailwind), but it failed to fire. :cry:

    What did they do to him?
    I can't remember - it was quite a while back. I did a quick Google, but I can't remember enough details to find anything. I think, and this is only a fuzzy memory, that he was only given a stern talking to.
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    A while ago I saw a scanned newspaper cutting of an OAP who got caught at 65mph on his recumbent, the cops were impressed and didn't tell him off at all, apparently. Crikey, I don't like the idea of going that fast on a bicycle!!
  • richardast
    richardast Posts: 273
    Eat My Dust wrote:
    BentMikey wrote:
    Mal Volio (aka Fixed Phil back on C+) is into the necessary field, and his opinion is that there's more than enough metal in most bikes to set off a speed camera.
    How dare you!! I had to cover my carbon steads ears while I read that last post!! (yes I read out loud!) :oops:
    Don't worry. Your carbon fibre bike is just as likely to trigger a Gatso camera, even without any metal bits on it.
  • Eat My Dust
    Eat My Dust Posts: 3,965
    richardast wrote:
    Eat My Dust wrote:
    BentMikey wrote:
    Mal Volio (aka Fixed Phil back on C+) is into the necessary field, and his opinion is that there's more than enough metal in most bikes to set off a speed camera.
    How dare you!! I had to cover my carbon steads ears while I read that last post!! (yes I read out loud!) :oops:
    Don't worry. Your carbon fibre bike is just as likely to trigger a Gatso camera, even without any metal bits on it.

    Like I said I've been through a 30mph camera at 42 and nothing :cry:
    SNAPS
  • richardast
    richardast Posts: 273
    Any idea why it's a 30 mph zone?
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    Most speed camera's won't go off anyway as there is no camera in or not set up - most round my way are like that.

    The speed advisory signs are the ones to go for !!!
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    Ooops trigger happy !
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    karl j wrote:
    I seem to recall someone somewhere on here giving a very fine sounding scientific reason why a cyclist can't set off a speed cam.

    but as i'm not a scientist it may have been complete bollx i suppose :?

    But to answer the original question - no i haven't

    Something about the lack of weight concentrated in a particular part of the road for a particular period of time? Probably complete tosh, but didn't they try this on Top Gear? It took a TVR Chimera or something similar to blaze through at around 170mph.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • karl j
    karl j Posts: 517
    cjcp wrote:
    Something about the lack of weight concentrated in a particular part of the road for a particular period of time?....

    So, perhaps if i eat all the pies and then pedal Very Slowly...
    Morning route (when i don't get the train)

    Evening route ,
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    karl j wrote:
    cjcp wrote:
    Something about the lack of weight concentrated in a particular part of the road for a particular period of time?....

    So, perhaps if i eat all the pies and then pedal Very Slowly...

    Tried that too. Didn't work. :)
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    cjcp wrote:
    karl j wrote:
    I seem to recall someone somewhere on here giving a very fine sounding scientific reason why a cyclist can't set off a speed cam.

    but as i'm not a scientist it may have been complete bollx i suppose :?

    But to answer the original question - no i haven't

    Something about the lack of weight concentrated in a particular part of the road for a particular period of time? Probably complete tosh, but didn't they try this on Top Gear? It took a TVR Chimera or something similar to blaze through at around 170mph.

    Top gear did actually manage to outrun the camera:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73roQxiNQBQ

    I've always loved the TVR's, just a shame it would be quite difficult and dangerous to do 170MPH on most roads over here!

    I've never managed to set a camera off as there aren't any nice one's on hills near where I live. I have managed to activate the "Your speed" signs, registered about 20-21MPH on a flat :-)
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  • Jon8a
    Jon8a Posts: 235
    Might start a whole new debate with this one but do you think it's a good idea speed on a bike? Surely you'd be up in arms if car drivers were talking this way. Double standards?

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