Too Fast?

capt_slog

sfichele wrote:

nweststeyn wrote:

I was stopped and 'advised' by a police car who had sat behind me on a country road (speed limit 60) that because I was cycling over 30mph (on a slightly downhill straight with no trees to obscure the road) I was cycling too fast to allow traffic to overtake safely.

WTF and from a cop! Just goes to show the general ignorance and views of non cyclists. Unless you are riding in the gutter and at less than 10 mph, then you are going too fast and are in the way.

Not sure but doesn't this apply to things like caravans and tractors who are holding up the traffic? Aren't they supposed to get out of the way periodically to let the traffic pass?

To answer the original post.... I can see their point, 40mph is fast for a bike when you consider the brakes and the size of the tires and their contact area with the road etc.

I'm not saying it's too fast, it's a matter of perception. Most people think of their own pace on a bike from when they had one (if ever) as a kid. The story on here recently about the job centre employee who thought that it would take "hours" for the poster to get 6 miles to a job is a case in point.

sfichele

Johnpsanderson wrote:

As long as you aren't breaking the speed limit, or riding at speeds beyond that which conditions allow (fog/ice/rain) I struggle to see how anyone could say you were going 'too fast'. Speed doesn't cause accidents - inattention, carelessness, mechanical failure and INAPPROPRIATE speed cause accidents...

^^ THIS.

Sure, there are times when it's unsafe to go fast due to the conditions, traffic or because you are passing through junctions etc, but on a clear open stretch of road I think you should be going as fast as you like, providing the idiots driving cages give you room

DavidBelcher

Aggieboy wrote:

Are you allowed to put descriptions on here of your milky white naked body, bathed in soft fridge light, seductively bending over to place your hands around the full fat??

"....this isn't just popping downstairs for a glass of milk whilst in the altogether; this is popping downstairs for a glass of M&S milk whilst in the altogether...."

David

DavidBelcher

sfichele wrote:

So I've had a bit of criticism or raised eyebrows from non-cyclists and friends about going 40+ mph on a bike.
A lot of people seem to think this is too fast on a public road for someone who isn't clad in armour and has rim brakes etc. Incredibly had responses like "surely, a bike isn't designed to go that fast" :shock:

Thoughts?

Wonder what fraction of them have at some point moaned about being legitimately collared by the Old Bill for going over the prescribed speed limit in a motor vehicle? "Compare & contrast", etc.

David

sfichele

DavidBelcher wrote:

Wonder what fraction of them have at some point moaned about being legitimately collared by the Old Bill for going over the prescribed speed limit in a motor vehicle? "Compare & contrast", etc.
David

Are you saying that you shouldn't speed in a car and therefore shouldn't speed on a bike? Because 40 mph isn't speeding when the speed limit is 50 mph! Or are you saying that the moaners can feck off because most car drivers routinely speed.

veronese68

sfichele wrote:

DavidBelcher wrote:

Wonder what fraction of them have at some point moaned about being legitimately collared by the Old Bill for going over the prescribed speed limit in a motor vehicle? "Compare & contrast", etc.
David

Are you saying that you shouldn't speed in a car and therefore shouldn't speed on a bike? Because 40 mph isn't speeding when the speed limit is 50 mph! Or are you saying that the moaners can feck off because most car drivers routinely speed.

I read that as being the latter. The motorists should get off their high horse as the altitude is obviously affecting their ability to realise what utter tosh is spewing out of their mouths.

jordan_217

Watching the Dauphine recently, one of the Eurosport commenators said the fastest they had descended was 110 KPH. I think it was Sean Kelly.

He then went on to say that a Swiss rider went past him like he was going backwards, and he just couldn't hold his wheel on the descent. He surmised the Swiss rider must of being doing in excess of 120 KPH :shock:

40 MPH, as long as your safe, crack on. 70-75mph WTF, you are a foooking lunatic! (or a Pro Tour rider!)

jordan_217

^^^hmm, methinks it was Brian Smith, and not Sean Kelly.

airbag

nweststeyn wrote:

Straight road, plenty of visibility, confidence in your own ability? Go as fast as you like. Just make sure you only hurt yourself if it goes wrong and there isn't a problem. People are too quick to judge other peoples enjoyment.

This I agree with. I'm not sure who I hate more - those who couldn't give a toss about their actions endangering others, or those who care so much about others' safety they'd happily reduce you to a pig in a cage, on antibiotics. (thank you radiohead). Seriously, what possible justification do you have for stopping a grown adult from making their own decisions when the only person hurt is them? -No, cost to the NHS doesn't count, 'free' means a lot more than 'not costing anything'. Okay I'll grant you when you're parent you have someone who requires you to stay alive, but not all of us are...

(sorry, but at least I refrained from alluding directly to the h-word. Oops, too late)

tim_wand

Technically you cannot be prosecuted for "Speeding" on a bicycle because you do not have to have a functioning speedometer by law (as motor vehicles do), and therefore cannot reasonably know your speed.

However you can and will be prosecuted for riding "Frantically", which is at the totally subjective view of a police officer if they feel you are riding inappropriately for the conditions, road and traffic.

I was once threatened with this charge in Castleton after coming down Winnats and over taking several cars, one of which was a Marked Police car, if I had braked I would have lost control completely, but that kind of proved their point!!

Luckily the Copper had a sense of Humour and told me if I could get back up it that quick he'd let me off, needless to say thank god he was joking.

dw300

airbag wrote:

This I agree with. I'm not sure who I hate more - those who couldn't give a toss about their actions endangering others, or those who care so much about others' safety they'd happily reduce you to a pig in a cage, on antibiotics. (thank you radiohead).

Strong username to metaphor ratio!