speed limits for bikes?

shakey88

Is there a speed limit for bikes on the road?
There is 30 mph speed camera on a hill near where i live an i always try to set it off by caning it down.So far i've got up to 38 mph as i pass the camera.
Am i breaking the law?

Rich158

In one word, yes. Speed limits apply to all road users, not just motor vehicles

shakey88

ok thanks.Can i get points on my driving licence if caught speeding on my bike then?

Slow Downcp

No - but you can get fined.

Old Pedaller

This has been debated in our group in the past and nobody seemed too sure. However don't worry - as income from motoring speed offences falls we can rest assured that lower limits will be brought in for cyclists, and enforced, to make up the deficiency.

There's a cycle path near me with a 15 mph limit on it. I've never seen it enforced ,and it is very hard to stay below that speed due to the downhill, but no doubt it wil be at some point. Our DA had a slide show many years ago from someone who had toured in America and we saw the photos of the speed traps on the cycle paths there. I can't remember what the limit was but probably unrealistically low for anyone who actually wants to cycle as a serious means of travel between two points.

Can anyone from the US enlighten us?

andy_wrx

In a word, no. Speed limits like this apply to motorised vehicles so don't apply to bicycles, or to horses and carts, etc.

There is the offence of 'riding furiously' or 'dangerous or inconsiderate cycling'

However, if you are stopped by plod trying to set-off the 30-limit sign, I wish you luck trying to argue with him at the side of the road...

See 'April/May 2005' q about halfway down here, on Drink/Riding but also speed limits and speed cameras
http://www.rjw.co.uk/ctc/q-a-from-cycle-magazine

As for 15 signs, or the 20 limit in Richmond Park in London, these are not speed limits as defined in the Road Traffic Act, but are down to local by-law, so it depends on the wording of that as to whether it applies to bicycles or not.

Beeblebrox

I think I once read that all cycle paths (or paths that aren't banned for cyclists, in parks, for example) have a maximum cycling limit of 15mph. However as you can see this is completely unsourced, so take that with a pinch of salt.

As for cycle lanes or cyclists on the road, there is no maximum as it isn't motorised - as andy_wrx said.

As not everyone has cycling computers (or cycling computers with batteries *ahem*) I can't see how it could be properly enforced.

chuckcork

I would point out that the 15mph limit on the path in Richmond Park would be more for the safety of the other users than for the cyclist....if you hit someone on that while doing 25mph you could kill them.

At any speed above that better to be on the road.

sub55

Rich158 wrote:

In one word, yes. Speed limits apply to all road users, not just motor vehicles

wrong

derekwatts

andy_wrx wrote:

There is the offence of 'riding furiously'

Fantastic! How do they tell? Facial expression? Cadence perhaps?

markos1963

I want to be done for riding 'Furiously' what a fantastic thing to be charged with.

spen666

Rich158 wrote:

In one word, yes. Speed limits apply to all road users, not just motor vehicles

In one work b*ll*cks

Speed limits on the ordinary highway apply to MOTORISED vehicles not to pedal cycles

LingfieldXC

surely you could just remove your computer and say you didn't know you where going over the limit.

boybiker

LingfieldXC wrote:

surely you could just remove your computer and say you didn't know you where going over the limit.

For some bizarre reason my helmet starts whistling when i go over 30, at least I assume its my helmet :? :?

spen666

LingfieldXC wrote:

surely you could just remove your computer and say you didn't know you where going over the limit.

That would be no defence - can you imagine if motorists did the same.


The reality is there is no speed limit on ordinary roads for pedal cycles

chuckcork

LingfieldXC wrote:

surely you could just remove your computer and say you didn't know you where going over the limit.

So what if you did have a computer on your bike?

Speed cameras are no good unless they are correctly set up and calibrated, and the hand held ones additionally have to be used by a trained officer for any use to be made of it as evidence.

Why would a cycle computer, set up by an amateur with possibly incorrect settings be any different, when occasionally (as I'm sure all have experienced) they go on the blink or out of alignnment and don't record properly anyway?

boybiker

spen666 wrote:

LingfieldXC wrote:

surely you could just remove your computer and say you didn't know you where going over the limit.

That would be no defence - can you imagine if motorists did the same.


The reality is there is no speed limit on ordinary roads for pedal cycles

Er yeah but no but.... motor vehicles are required to have to have a speedo fitted by law, bicycles are not, therefore it would be a valid defense to say you didn't know you were speeding because you didn't have a speedo.

spen666

boybiker wrote:

spen666 wrote:

LingfieldXC wrote:

surely you could just remove your computer and say you didn't know you where going over the limit.

That would be no defence - can you imagine if motorists did the same.


The reality is there is no speed limit on ordinary roads for pedal cycles

Er yeah but no but.... motor vehicles are required to have to have a speedo fitted by law, bicycles are not, therefore it would be a valid defense to say you didn't know you were speeding because you didn't have a speedo.

The whole issue of computers on bikes is irrelevant

Whether you have one or not matters not a jot as the law re speed limits does not apply on ordinary roads to pedal cycles

STEFANOS4784

spen666 wrote:

LingfieldXC wrote:

surely you could just remove your computer and say you didn't know you where going over the limit.

That would be no defence - can you imagine if motorists did the same.


The reality is there is no speed limit on ordinary roads for pedal cycles

But bicycles aren't required by law to have an accurate speed reading device

roger_merriman

since for most part the speeding laws don't apply to a bike, bar the odd bylaw, it's something of a non issue.

i'm not at all sure that having no means to tell speed, would carry any weight this said i don't know that any one has ever been to court over speed limits on a bike,

on the road

I think the OP is just showing off!

dondare

derekwatts wrote:

andy_wrx wrote:

There is the offence of 'riding furiously'

Fantastic! How do they tell? Facial expression? Cadence perhaps?

Although speed limits do not apply to bicycles, it's probable that exceeding one would be considered evidence of furious cycling if you were called to account..

cougie

Few years back - a policeman speed trapped me and my mates out cycling - he shouted out how fast we were going (then again we did sprint to see what we could do).

It was on a 30mph road - and flat - so we werent likely to make him have to do paperwork.

on the road

Interesting, what if someone was doing 1 mile an hour over the speed limit?

chuckcork

on the road wrote:

Interesting, what if someone was doing 1 mile an hour over the speed limit?

They don't really do anything about motorists travelling considerably in excess of that, so why would a bicycle raise undue alarm?

dondare

on the road wrote:

Interesting, what if someone was doing 1 mile an hour over the speed limit?

I'm sure that would qualify for no more than "quite cross"; as opposed to "furious" cycling.

on the road

Cunobelin

on the road wrote:

Interesting, what if someone was doing 1 mile an hour over the speed limit?

A much promoted myth - ACPO guidelines are that in a 30 mph you need to be doing 35 for a fixed penalty and 50 for a summons. Generous margins.

Gav888

Ok, there is alot of confllicting advice on here, so I emailed Suffolk Constabulary (my local) and asked if there are speed limits for pedal cycles, and that I could - with training, exceed 30mph in a 30mph zone, and would I be braking the law? Below is the response.

"There are no enforceable speed limits for pedal cycles. There are other offences which include careless / dangerous cycling. For example cycling on the pavement or down a one way street which could be deemed to be careless or dangerous. "

Martin Barnes-Smith
Suffolk Constabulary
A/Supt - Operations

I guess that answers it for Suffolk anyway....... I will be keeping the email just incase

turbodog

Let not ask questions and enjoy it while we can :-)

Otherwise our government will introduce stupid speed limits....

dondare

Gav888 wrote:

Ok, there is alot of confllicting advice on here, so I emailed Suffolk Constabulary (my local) and asked if there are speed limits for pedal cycles, and that I could - with training, exceed 30mph in a 30mph zone, and would I be braking the law? Below is the response.

"There are no enforceable speed limits for pedal cycles. There are other offences which include careless / dangerous cycling. For example cycling on the pavement or down a one way street which could be deemed to be careless or dangerous. "

Martin Barnes-Smith
Suffolk Constabulary
A/Supt - Operations

I guess that answers it for Suffolk anyway....... I will be keeping the email just incase

That is a non-answer. Could a cyclist exceeding the speed limit for motor vehicles be accused of dangerous, or indeed "wanton or furious" cycling on that basis alone?