I own 6 GPS devices. But I think mobile phones will make them all obsolete. You can easily install an app that functions as a GPS. The only real disadvantage is battery life, unless you have a phone with a ginormous battery as I do and consequently use as my main GPS, mostly for work.
GPS is a questionable proof of speed. GPS gives a very accurate time signal, but its accuracy is far from objective if it is not a military device. The more considerable latitude or altitude, the more inaccuracy. On top of that, on video, we can see the moment of measurement of the speed of... police vehicle. We need to find out what that vehicle did before that video was taken, and we can't see the logging messages of the GPS device to asses how many samples were taken to average that speed. Roughly the same distance is also questionable as at the beginning of the video, the last cyclist was about the size of my mouse cursor, and at the end, that cyclist was twice more prominent. Quick math - the police vehicle was twice as fast as those cyclists during measurements. That gives some idea about the speed of the police vehicle on the approaching cyclists to take a measure. We did not hear signals, nor did we see flashes. So they did not need to speed over the speed limit. The whole situation is a warning signal to drivers in that area to scrutinise evidence as they could be a victim of similar situation.
Daniel, 2 of my friends and I got pulled over several times when we were 15 - 16 they even went to see my dad as we were clocked at 45 in a 30 they decided in the end if we didn't stop they would charge us with dangerous riding and without due care and attention we never had speedometers and we were on fixed wheel racing bikes. lol
Can't help but be reminded of the old Jasper Carrott joke about Reliant Robin owners being desperate to be caught speeding just to prove they can go that fast.
My mark one escort was clocked at 80 kph in a 60 kph zone, the officer asked if I was "trying her out". I said err, yeah sure, not admitting I was doing the ton 2 minutes earlier!
Remember the Reliant Robin that was in the daily's years back 9 Mar 1994 - Colin Slack, 25, he was sent down for four months. I meet him once he was so fanny still had a the newspaper cuttings.
I was pulled over for exceeding the speed limit on my skateboard about 30 years ago. Eventually the officer said they were more concerned about my lack of ppe. Thank you for your video.
As with a cyclist, skateboarders have no speedometer, so there is no way you could have known whether you were exeeding the speed limit or not, ans as such could not have been held culpable for your speed.
I know someone who got a ten shilling fine for riding his bicycle in a furious manner. He was very proud of it and pleased to show you the court paperwork 😂
In 1977 a West Indian cyclist was stopped in Brixton for riding a bike without lights. At Magistrates Court he was fined £5. The Magistrate commented 'It would have been £10 if it had been dark!'
I knce set off a speedcamera on my bike. Granted i was going down the side of a mountain on a straight very steep road. My breaks were practically glowing by the time I reached the bottom
Funnily enough, a local bloke, Nxxxx Cxxxx, was stopped by the police, way back in the early seventies, and was subsequently charge with riding a bicycle at excessive speed, and riding under the influence of alcohol. He received fines on both counts, and his driving licence was endorsed by the county court. In direct consequence, he lost his job. Now, Nxxxx did not think himself hard done by. He accepted the penalties like a man, and got on with his life. There were far fewer whinging Karens back then, and the police did more than "offer a word of advice"!
Thanks for this video, and the others. When I was about 15, way back around 1960, I was cycling down a steep hill, and going too fast to pedal, when I was passed by a police car, with blue light and bell on, and was signaled to stop by the passenger. No chance with just block brakes. I had to pass the police car when it pulled in. When I got to the bottom, and going a bit slower, I managed to stop and the passenger got out and had a rant at me. He started to take my details when the driver, an older officer, came up and quietly told the younger officer I was not required to comply with speed limits. The younger one took some convincing, but eventually said that he thought it stupid. The older PC said, 'Don't be an idiot,' and told him to get back in the car. He then repeated the words to me, saying that, fun though it was to cycle that fast, it was very dangerous as other drivers would not expect a cyclist to be travelling at that speed. I became a police officer and the older PC became a sort of model for me. Know the law (I became a bit of a pain that way) allied to a bit of understanding, and always be pleasant, even to snotty-nosed kids who were acting stupidly.
The only time I've done about 40mph was on a somewhat steep and long downhill. I tapped the brakes a bit and could feel the brakes becoming gummy from the rim getting covered in brake pad rubber, grabbing more in some spots than others. I didn't dare slow down more than necessary to give me enough time to see potholes, manhole and drain covers coming. By the time I stopped at the bottom, my wheel rims were black from brake pad rubber. If I had tried braking more on the way down, I doubt I would have had any brakes left. I never went down that hill again. Far too exhausting to climb on one side, far too scary to get down from on the other.
Not just cyclists .. I was once stopped in Leeds for doing 30mph (downhill) on Rollerblades on my way to work in a 20 mph limit. The PC offered advice, and I must say I had to agree with him... I scared myself. Never did it again.. changed my route to avoid the hill. Yes I had all the protective gear but if I had collided with a pedestrian they might well have been severely injured.
In Norway cyclists are included in the law defining a "Vehicle" as "contraption meant to travel on road without use of rails" and that "vehicles" must obey speed limit. Yes, they have been ticketed and can even have licence (for car!) revoked for periods as punishment for excessive cases.
@@chriswalker2753 A lot have a speedo linked to the wheel but it is not compulsory. They are also limited to 6km/h when passing pedestrians during sharing of sidewalk. Nobody ever obeys this and often they hit pedestrians instead trying to push past. I agree that without a compulsory speedo it is kinda silly but I think the point is to "try" as they are not ticketed for minor transgressions.
So a follow-on question. If the cyclists were not breaking the speed limit were the Police. They were clearly driving at 39 MPH by their own admission but if the cyclists weren’t breaking any laws the Police can’t argue that they were driving in response to a crime?
And, worse than that, were they endangering the cyclists by "tailgating" them to make this video: as I pointed out on the twitter thread at 40mph bikes are able to stop within 5 car lengths, whereas the highway code lists car stopping distances as 9 car lengths. Setting aside for a moment that this is probably a quite pessimistic estimate for modern cars, given the car was following at a distance of around 3 car lengths, this would indicate that the car risked being unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the rear cyclist in an emergency braking situation for the group.
@@dnbattley they were not tail gating, they were a good distance, cycles can stop in 5 car lengths you say and cars 9, i can stop from 70mph in that distance thanks, the highway code for stopping distances has not been upgraded in a very long time, brakes are more efficient these days and can stop on a dime.
Police can do what would otherwise be known as speeding when on duty, generally. It doesn't have to be a crime as such that they are attending. The law is so open on this that they can speed within the last few minutes of being on duty to get back home for dinner. Ish.
The traffic laws here in Germany are worded peculiarly in that POSTED speed limits apply to all traffic participants, but GENERAL speed limits only apply to motor vehicle operators, which means that if you ride your bicycle past a 30 kph sign you have to stick to 30 kph, but if you're in town and no particular speed limit is posted you can go however fast you want even though drivers have to stick to 50 kph.
The netherland has cyclist sticking to speed limits within city limits/build up areas but outside those you are free to go any speed. (goodluck going 60+ kph/40+ mph for very long)
Do you have any idea if electric motor augmented bicycles have to abide by different rules (because they are motor vehicles) in Germany compared to non motorised bicycles?
@@Cloudman572 Depends on how "augmented" they are. Germany follows what appears to be a harmonized EU directive which says e-bikes that have up to 250 W continuous rated (this gives a lot of leeway on actual peak power) output of pedal assist (unpedaled electric propulsion only permitted as a "pushing assist" up to 6 kph, ebikes will usually have a button for this) and a cutoff at 25 kph are treated like bicycles, e-bikes that have up to 4 kW of pedal assist and a cutoff at 45 kph are treated like 50cc scooters (and therefore require an insurance plate and a helmet at all times and aren't permitted to use bike paths anymore), but at that point you might as well just buy an actual electric scooter. Enforcement especially on the former is lax however, I doubt you'd ever get shit for having 500 W of pedal assist or a 30 kph cutoff unless your bike looks completely ghetto-rigged, you ride like a complete maniac or you get into a collision and a legal battle.
@@Turbobuttes Thanks very much for that info. Those laws seem well sorted. I live in one of the small number of UK cities trialing both e-bikes and e-scooters but I have no idea of the rules, not super worried as I don't use them however knowledge is always good.
It's exactly the same in the UK, rule 69 of the highway code says that cyclists MUST (signalling a legal requirement) obey all traffic signs (defined in section 64 of the road traffic act 1984). If there isn't a sign, they don't have to do anything, although a sign includes things like road markings and almost anything else that could signal to, inform, or restrict a road user.
As a 59-year-old British cyclist, I didn't know this. I've always kept within the speed limits thinking the same laws applied as driving a motor vehicle. In the new 20mph areas I can easily stick to that speed, but a constant line of vehicles persist in overtaking me because I'm riding a bike, which I find unusual. I shall continue as I've been doing, though, and not exceed the speed limits on signs.
Honestly if your going a tad slower than the vehicles your probably golden as the police are more likely to pull the vehicle for speeding than a cyclist, I say this because I would do that too.
Drivers will usually seek to overtake cyclist knowing that they're able to move with ease to the front of traffic, while the driver's themselves would rather move up ahead quicker so they don't lose out on a favourable spot to beat possible incoming traffic. Take note that drivers don't act the same with motorcyclist as they do with cyclist and this may be due to acceleration after a red light turns green. Cyclist pick up speed as slow as drivers with L's on they're backs and nobody likes tailing a (slow) learning driver so the temptation to overtake is greatly magnified. Not only that but bike lanes need to be utilised or else they're a waste of taxpayers money.
@@justjosh2757 Speak for yourself. I normally (so long as I don't cock up clipping my foot in) end up having to slow down so I don't end up running into the cars in front when we pull away from traffic lights/junctions. I agree that a lot of cycle ways are a waste of tax payer money, but this is because they are generally really badly designed. If they're properly designed then they will get used - if you just stick up a blue sign on a footpath and declare it a cycle path then you've ticked a box but not really addressed the issue. It's like taking a single track road and giving it an M number and calling it a motorway!
you deserve to be honked if your deliberately being slow as people may have appointments/funerals etc to go to or if you cant get up to a certain speed limit maybe bikes arent for you?
2:20 Got that covered down under. Laws here apply to "all road users", then any additional limitations are applied separately, like lower limits for larger trucks etc.
Most cyclists who ride at speeds close to or beyond the speed limit will normally have a small computer like a Garmin or Wahoo that will track their speed via GPS or sensors on the bike. Those that dont normally arent that fast and arent the sort of folks that would want to go that fast on that bike as they are more recreational or utility cyclists. I.e cycling for fun/moderate exercise or commuting/shopping etc etc
Also, gps units have problems with dense tree cover, high rise cities, need charging and lag significantly, ie they very accurately tell you the speed you were doing, rather than now. Not a good recipe for a legal requirement.
My late father was a driving instructor and received a total of two fines during his lifetime. A £2 parking fine on a family holiday to Morecambe in 1979, and a fine of 10/6 from a magistrate for speeding on a pushbike in 1956 when he was 14.
Some years ago, I was pulled over for doing 38mph on my bike (riding down a steep hill in a 30 limit). It was a quiet early Sunday morning and there were few people about. The police were very reasonable. They pointed out that, whilst I was not actually breaking the law, the damage I could do to myself or anyone I hit would likely be serious. All perfectly fair, so I apologised and we went our separate ways. No harm, no foul and I did take it a bit easier afterwards.
@samirdoncic6395Do try to keep up with the modern world. We all have little handlebar-mounted computers these days that give speed, pedalling cadence, distance travelled, etc, etc.
Refreshing to see a video like this about cyclists with just pragmatic and factual based reactions. Both by the presenter and in the comments :-) civility isn’t dead it seems! :-)
Indeed. It's just common sense. Personally, as an amateur cyclist, I know very well the dangers, and I keep to the speed limit. Wearing always my helmet and gloves and a yellow shirt. I'm making sure my lights always work.
I was caught by a speedtrap coming down a hill in Switzerland, was travelling at 80 Km/h in a 60 Km/h zone coming down a hill with strong wind from the rear. Police bloke was laughing his head off. He told me he could not fine me as bikes do not have a speed indicator. It was in 1974.
@@derekheeps1244True. I think by a "speed trap" they mean where the police / camera is positioned in a place where drivers are likely to speed "accidentally", such as just after, say, an 100 km/h speed limit changed to a 50 km/h limit. But I agree, drivers (and cyclists) should always obey the speed limit and then "speed traps" won't be an issue!
In NL cyclists are placed above everyone else. If a cyclist runs into a car, the car driver is held liable. This has become a larger problem with common cyclists now reaching sufficient speed to cause serious harm to themselves or pedestrians or other cyclists they hit. Cyclist attitudes have become even more reckless since the law was changed that the car driver is always liable no matter what happened. Meanwhile at our village market square, cyclists storm around a blind corner into a thick crowd at 30+ kph, and we are not allowed to say that it's a problem.
@@sitruchtims9392actually, in this case it is. If there is no legal requirement for cyclists to have a functioning,accurate speedo whilst riding on the road, they cannot be expected to properly assess how fast they are going. That is literally why motor vehicles have them.
That's what I keep saying. I've never seen a cyclist with any kind of speedometer. If its a law it needs to be a standard issue on all cycles it applies to, and it should be illegal to sell a cycle without it.
1974, Hathersage hill, Derbyshire i was clocked going downhill at 48mph on a bicycle by a stationary roadside speed camera and flagged down by an officer at the side off the road about 400 yrds further along. What followed was the lecture of a lifetime that concluded with "the only reason i am not booking you is i would be laughed out of the station" as a kid it had a profound effect. Little did i know at the time he was talking out of his posterior.
@@saxon-mt5bythe fact that the highway code didn't mention it doesn't matter, the road traffic act (1888 + updates) at the time specifically only mentioned speed limits for motor vehicles. Bikes have always had to be covered by wanton and furious driving (originally for horse and cart) from 1835. Just wish I could ride fast enough to be wanton and furious, I keep trying to get the happy/sad face machine to go grumpy down my road. It told me my speed walking a few weeks back but won't pick me up on a bike.
My issue is the stopping distance if their cycles at 39mph, are the cycles able to stop within a reasonable distance and are they maintained so that the cycles can stop effectively and efficiently.
That's sensible, speed limits is effectively the one major road rule cyclists don't have to abide by. Zebra crossings and red lights however gotta be stuck to. Hopefully the idiots who blow through red lights just because they're on a pushbike learn that sometimes, they're insane for doing that, really...
On the chain gang weekend run.😁 I'm not fast enough these days to run with the fast boys. They continually take turns on the front. Though 39mph is a really moving, even for a professional team TT.
It was on the A386, the long and near straight descent from High Dartmoor, the video is of the group passing through Mary Tavy village, it is a long and steep hill, the sort that the Pros would hurtle down at about 60mph ;-)
In Germany cyclist need to obey the speed limit except if it's the one with comes with the town exit sign. That's due to poor wording. Explanation: Under the German law there are multiple words for traffic participants defined, here 'Kraftfahrzeug' (motorized vehicle) and 'Fahrzeug' (vehicle) are important. With these two the law can differentiate between bycicles and cars for example. The usual speed limit sign is described as to be obeyed by all vehicles, but the town exit sign (which in Germany means speed limit after it is 100 kph (60 mph) if not noted otherwise) is only applicable to motorized vehicles. Meaning that a bycicle (or any other wheeled non-motorized vehicle) is allowed to go over 100 kph (60 mph) when exiting a town in Germany but in all other instances needs to obey the speed limit.
As someone who has biked in big city traffic, I'll add another factor based on speed. Lightweight and often with only two thin tires, bikes brake poorly in an emergency. I saw that when I was biking fast down a hill on a busy Seattle arterial at rush hour. A car on a side street, obviously not seeing me, pulled part way out into the arterial. I faced a terrible decision. If I attempted to steer around her, I'd move into the road traffic and could be hit from behind. Instead, I chose to lock both my brakes. I went tumbling over my bike. I could have been badly hurt, but fortunately I flipped 180 degrees and landed on my back rather than my head. I skidded to a stop short of her car. That was a close call and drives home my point. Bicyclists should never regard themselves as merely another vehicle on the road. Every vehicle on the road can kill you and it matters not if you are 'in the right.'
My road bike has hydraulic rim brakes and I can lock the wheels if i want from 40kph. By modulating the brakes you can stop very fast. Also, newer bikes (and MTB's) have disk brakes and can brake instantly
@@UnbeltedSundewno, in the real world. Brake and tyre technology is pretty good. Technique is key though, you have to know how to stop a bike quickly and safely, you can't just squeeze and hope
I've been stopped for speeding on my bike three times and got a telling off. Also, how as a cyclist with no speed indicator, are you supposed to comply with speed limiting by-laws?
Hi BBB. A good few years ago, at about one in the morning, I was cycling down a steep hill in Bushey Hertfordshire and according to my speedo I was doing 42mph in a 30 limit. No sooner as I'd clocked it, there was a 'whoop whoop' police siren behind me, blues and twos, so I pulled over and stopped, and to my surprise, out jumped a friend and neighbour - a police officer who was laughing at me saying he had clocked me at 44 mph in a 30 limit. "Good grief! Give me a ticket! I won't be able to prove it otherwise!" "Can't do that. Can't bust a cyclist for exceeding the speed limit" Drat already! I was going to hang any documentation regarding conviction in the downstairs toilet!
I've done that. It was nerve-shattering, especially as it was going to be steeper further on (the road leading into Weymouth from the East). Then I watched the Tour de France and saw the speed they got up to on the mountain stages going downhill. I mentally freaked out. Discretion over valour ruled after that.
@@achitophel5852only 42mph? Have managed 60mph down Elm Grove in Brighton before, taking the left hand corner at the bottom at 40mph. Obviously very vigilant
@@achitophel5852 💯%😲😬😱My bicycle had a speedometer that only went up to 39mph (40 years ago) I over clocked it going a long steep road going into Belfast with a tight turn and junction at the bottom. My mate and I did it several times but my chain fell of the cogs twice and at that speed with a rattling chain swinging about was enough for me 😲🤣 Scary stuff but hey! Great memories all the same...less cars back then.
Interesting video and highly informative channel. Unfortunately the Highway Code itself confuses the matter at rule 69 (Rules for cyclists) by stating that cyclists must obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals. A speed limit sign is a recognised traffic sign within the meaning of the legislation. I suspect there will be a test case soon!
@BlackBeltBarrister care to comment on this? When showing speeds you referenced a vehicle speed and their exclusions but I've checked - bicycles are actually considered vehicles under the Road Traffic Act too. It is a bit odd they haven't included for bicycles but that table which is often referred to is more concerned about the weight of the vehicle I suppose. In my very slim experience in law, I might argue that Rule 69 takes primacy unless there are bicycle specific exclusions elsewhere I'm unaware of.
I’m interested in this, if the same rules apply to motorists would a cyclist be charged with death by dangerous driving if they were doing 40 in a 30 and had kill a pedestrian. If it didn’t would this open a can of worms for the drivers the that have been charged with this have they cases squashed
Well I just found what a cyclist can be charged with if they cause a death by cycling If bodily harm is caused, cyclists can be prosecuted for wanton and furious driving under the 1861 offences against the person act, for which the maximum penalty is two years imprisonment Apparently a person named Matt Briggs’s is campaigning for a change in the law to make it the same offence as a motorist
It's very much a free for all with cyclists nowadays. . .riding through red traffic lights, pavement riding etc. When I was a kid, it was odds on that you'd be pinched for having no lights on at night, riding two up and other misdemeanors!! 😮
Most motorists hate cyclists, I don't, as a motorist and cyclist I'm chuckling 😂 Its fun and good exercise and it's free and as long as people cylcle sensibly long may it stay that way.
I'm not sure it's true that most motorists hate cyclists (though it certainly feels like it at times). I think it's more true to say most bad motorists hate cyclists.
I'm ancient (nearly 80) back in the 60s BL=Before Lyrcra) I used to be an amatuer racing cyclist. I can remember taking part in an organised road race here in the Peak District. At the start of most of these events there was a restriction on the particpants required by the organisers, & was often preceeded by the commissaire car to control speed & safety. The race that I recall was stopped by a police officer (riding a Velocette motorcycle) because we were exceeding the speed limit (30mph) through the village (big village almost bordering on the size of a small town). He asked us to exercise care & pointed out that whilst we were not breaking the law we should exercise care in a built up area for the safety of ourselves & others.
I cycle around 100 miles a week to and from work and on the whole I’ve never really had any issue with drivers. I’m also a driver and when on my bike I follow the rules as if I would driving. I don’t jump lights, I use cycle lanes/paths when available and I’m always polite and give way to motorised vehicles.
I'm guessing they mean give way when appropriate e.g emerging from a junction with a giveaway sign or perhaps allowing a car to turn left instead of charging up the inside as Jeremy Vine might feel entitled to do
Same. I just started driving after cycling for years and I was shocked at the level of entitled cyclists holding up massive queues of cars when there is a cycle route available. If I hear a car behind me I wave it past as there is usually plenty of space for both me and the car.
Many years ago, my brother was pulled over for speeding on his bike by the cops. They didn't know that he couldn't be prosecuted for speeding. They were belligerent when he pointed it out to them.
In nz cyclists have to comply with speed limits. Many years ago a younger brother, 13 year old, was pulled up by the traffic police for doing just on 40mph on the Main Street whilst on his way to college! He was immensely proud of this fact! A common thing in those days was for the police to remove the front wheel of your bike and then tell you to pick it up the next day. It was a right sod carrying the front of your bike all the way home! 😳
With no requirement to have a speedo, how are you supposed to be required to stick to the speed limit? Has this actually been tested in court? As an immigrant to NZ who rides to work I genuinely would like to know the answer to this. Pretty sure I've exceeded 50kph in a strong norwester without really trying.
In the UK you just have to inform local police and then you can have a 12 car time spaced race on public roads. Only thing is you still have to obey speed limit.
How many motorists will complain they where being held up by them riding two abreast even though no car shouldn't be able to keep up let alone overtake!
In Norway, speed limits apply to any vehicle driving on the road. Some vehicle categories have an overall max speed limit, that overrides the speed limit of the road. But the limit for the road applies to all vehicles.
@@ahnilatedahnilated7703 are you complaining that I wrote "vehicle" where it should have been "vehicles"? If so, I'm sorry but English isn't the primary language in Norway. Or, are you trying to say that a bicycle isn't a vehicle? A vehicle is defined as a means of conveyance that is designed or used for the transportation of people or goods. This can include a wide range of conveyances such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, trains, and bicycles. While the normative definition of a vehicle in traffic codes might not include bicycles everywhere, it does in Norway.
Another advantage of riding abreast of each others is the increased visibility of the “pack” and as a motor vehicle driver is is quicker to overtake if they are abreast than in a long line of single file cyclists which again improves the safety of all involved.
another advantage is that when someone comes down in the opposite direction your cycling in youll get knocked over and have a well learnt lesson not to do it!
@@Lee.Willcox Running red lights is against law, so they should not do it. But cyclists going over zebras/pedestrian crossings when pedestrians crossing really annoys me as it is dangerous and discourages walking. As a cyclist my only collision with another vehicle was when I braked at a zebra and was hit from behind by a cyclist!
I think you can assume that someone who can stamp a bike along at a steady 39mph does know a bit about bikes, it’s different altogether from jumping lights in the city
Don't you believe it! usually self obsessed with speed . Going fast on a bike does not make you intelligent . If they were , they would use a veladrome . much safer .
Very interesting again. I just wondered if an electric cycle was a MOTOR vehicle? Also just an observation - you mentioned that motorists get annoyed when cyclists ride two abreast, however in this case, if a motorist wanted to overtake these cyclists, he would be exceeding the speed limit! Best Wishes Pete.
In my distant cycling days (1960's) I used to delight in overtaking the motor vehicles keeping to the 30 limit. I was ably assisted by approx 1.5 miles downhill towards my town centre. Possibly a reckless teenager but thrilling none the less!
Haha basically this is not new used. Only a few cyclist can hit that speed. Think it is wrong for the police to put a video out. Probably 95% of people cannot hit 30mph, even going down the hill! Now people will think all cyclist they see are zooming at 40! What is the problem is motor bicycles disguised as bicycles!
@@christophery8927 even the average 60 year old road cyclist can hit 40mph down hills in devon, don't even have to pedal because their so steep. They have to speed otherwise they won't get up the hill the other side of the dip.
The rules and regulations (by laws) introduced by councils on cycling are often laughable. Where I live the speed limit was 25MPH on cycle paths (at which point people used them) and it was then reduced to 15MPH. At that point almost everyone started using the roads to train again as you need to be pushing it to get fitter. When I was racing (time trials etc) I used to train at 23MPH roughly for cardio training and do hill sprints for speed training (sprint uphill then coast down the other side and repeat) I could maintain 23MPH for near 5 hours before glycogen depletion. Also the word you were looking for was "peleton". Training peletons are usually 2 wide and no more than 8 cycles long so cars can overtake when safe to do so.
Your cycle paths have speed limits? Reminds me of when I was training for a time trial, doing 58km/h (36mph) on the road when some lady in a 4x4 slowed down to yell at me to get on the path (it was a "shared" path, but to call it a footpath would have been generous, it was barely 1 person wide). Apparenly I wan't going fast enough. On the other end of things, last week I was shouted at by a pedestrian (to "slow down") while going through a village doing
@@JohnSusanSchofield A road is simply a piece of infrastructure to aid in conveying traffic (ie people). There is nothing to say for what purpose it must be used. They're not directly owned by anyone, but corperately owned by all so an individual does not get to dictate what a road is for. I saw plenty of people in cars in Dartmoor last week who were there for nothing else other than to drive around for fun and to see things, maybe go for a walk & stretch their legs. Should they not be there either? Should people not drive to the cinema because it's just a leisure activity too? Just because you might not find enjoyment in cycling around or exercising, doesn't mean anyone else can't (or shouldn't).
Unfortunately for me some cycle paths aren't actually designed for speeds over 12mph and some are literally just pavements that have a sign saying shared use path. Also 23mph for 5 hours is more than what a pro would do in solo training.
I have been fined for speeding in Richmond Park, on horseback, you were allowed a hand(steady) canter but no galloping, it was only enforced by the mounted section of the Met. £20 in the early 2000’s as I remember, no points though 😂
Grand as ever, Daniel; many thanks. It seems to me that what constitutes a careful and competent cyclist may be in need of definition.... but like most things in law, a 'maybe'. In this particular matter seems the police (some might say unusually) were aware of their powers and actually lack thereof and handled it sensibly. (I love 'wanton and furious cycling', kind of a get-out to make things more inclusive when it was realised that cycles do not constitute vehicles!). Good encouragement too as nothing reckless should ever be condoned And I had a wee giggle when you said 'vicious cycle', don't know whether intentionally!
Actually bicycles are vehicles, just not motor vehicles. Wanton and Furious cycling was an offence necessary for stopping them scaring horses. Plenty of police officers have tried to stop bicycle time trials using this, not sure they have ever succeeded.
@@hairyairey You have rather made my point for me. And yes, people have been convicted of wanton and furious cycling. (Of course it is not police officers who 'succeed' in convictions it is CPS but I'm sure you knew that).
I suppose it also depends *where* you got cautioned. If youre absolutely ripping it around a busy high street, retail park or shopping mall where there are lots of pedestrians then you probably deserved more than just a caution.
@@Rose.Of.Hizaki it was on a quiet, Hill road that back then saw maybe 10 cars an hour. It's much busier now and there is now a school on it, but nothing much back then.
I admire their competence and fitness Falling off a cycle at that speed for any reason is going to cause significant injury. Secondly a motorist coming in the opposite direction would find it difficult to assess the speed of the cyclist and may well make a turn into a junction in front of the cyclists believing they had plenty of time. Speed in isolation is not dangerous but no one uses a road in isolation these days.
Just yesterday, I was on my bike on a roundabout and some white van man from the left saw me but decided to pull out anyway and “gauge his speed”. He then did manage to stop before he hit me and it caused everyone on the roundabout to panic break when he did. As mentioned in the video, it is just people not concerned for anyone else’s safety and possibly not even their own.
As a cyclist, you still have to obey speed limit signs. Rule 69 of the highway code says that cyclists MUST (signalling a legal requirement) obey all traffic signs (defined in section 64 of the road traffic act 1984). This includes, but is not limited to, speed limit signs and traffic lights.
When i was a teen i got pulled over after doing 40+ down a hill. The policeman said if i had a speedo and knew my speed he could maybe do something. Instead i got a chat about safe cycling and reminded this wasn't a free pass. If i was being an idiot or putting others at risk this wouldn't have been a nice friendly chat.
@@keithhandley8515 You still have to keep on mind that you can't endanger the public. If that would be the case, police could step in. While the speed isn't a factor, the circumstances could be and it could end up badly
That reminds me when I was a student. I had an old bike that would shake if I went over 15mph (which was my normal comfortable speed). Out of sheer curiosity I pedalled as hard as I could, downhill in Singleton Park in Swansea and managed to get 29.99mph but not the 30 I was trying for. I didn't repeat the exercise as the bike was shaking too badly.
@@raisagorbachovthen how have I hit 45? I'm definitely not fit and my bicycle wasn't best best 🤣. Like yeah had a modified rear cassette but still the powe came from me and gravity
One very relevant point overlooked and one that, as a motorcyclist, was drummed into me on advanced riding courses is, that other road users including pedestrians, would not expect cyclists to be travelling over the speed limit. The Highway code needs urgent updating to make speed limits compulsory for all road users, even horses!
@@donshackley5244 How ridiculous of you to want better education on crossing a road for pedestrians! especially when they just updated the rules to allow them to do it on a whim heh. Sadly common sense was buried a few years back, probably around the same time smart phones became a thing and Facebook and Twitter was gaining popularity.
Hmm, how does this apply to electric assisted pedal cycles? is the 'Electric motor' , in this instance, regardless of whether it's being employed, or not, defined as a 'Motor' vehicle?
This really is a very isolated situation, to maintain 30mph on a bicycle is quite an effort. Personal responsibility is something that needs more emphasis. Cars have required speedometers for decades and yet almost every car driver will break the speed limit on a regular basis. Perhaps will noting the finer points of this particular incident, it should be put in perspective and the data shows the speed of cyclists is not the most serious issue on the roads.
This was on a flat , profesonal cyclist in a Pelleton only average 29 mph , so for the cyclist in the video to do 40mph on a flat I find it hard to belive
Maintaining that sort of speed really is not hard, I am a big guy but i could easily maintain 25mph on the flat on an old mountain bike with road tires as it all comes down to the gearing used and with a tail wind i could average 30 and down a hill much much more, so people on a dedicated light weight road bike will easily maintain that speed
Well how about that. I thought I'd got lucky about 35 years ago as a teen. I was doing just over 40mph (on a gentle downhill) going into my hometown in the 40 limit on my bike. A cop pulled me over and didn't give me a ticket but just told me to "not be so bloody stupid". I always thought he spared a ticket because of how shit scared I was! 😅
The same sort of thing happened to me in 85-87, too, and the officer thought we (two of us on 2 bikes) were doing 50mph+, but little did he know we both didn't even have working brakes. What fun days
Since this is going out to a global audience I’d recommend being more explicit early in your video about what jurisdiction you’re discussing. It’s mind-blowing how many people I’ve met who are adamantly wrong about local laws based on some legal-niche video they watched about a completely different place.
I remember like 12 years ago where I used to do 40-45mph downhill on my mountain bike where there was cars parking on both sides of the road and a popular bus route both ways and it was a thrill for me when I was like 14. Definitely a stupid thing to do that but I wanted to max out my bike 😂
I really enjoy your channel. I hope you can help voice your concerns about vehicles on our roads with illegal registration number plates and how DVLA need to take urgent action. Thank you
Most modern bikes are now equiped with disc brakes, which have significantly improved their braking performancene in all weathers. The type of tyres used can also have an effect on braking however. Much the same as with cars of course.
@@zednotzee7 yes I agree with you my bike has disc brakes but I'm still not convinced it could stop as efficiently as my motorbike or car . But yes better nonetheless 👍
@@myturkishlife1777I stopped from just under 40 mph to zero pretty quickly at the weekend. Hydraulic disks are pretty impressive with a light bike and grippy tarmac.
@@PiOfficial ABS does not make a vehicle slow more rapidly. It does not increase brake power or tyre grip, but prevents wheel locking. A skilled driver can stop just as fast with no ABS provided the surface is predictable. It does enable a less skilled driver to use maximum available braking power.
I have done several cycling courses, including the same cycling course that Police cyclists do when I was a Cycle Responder for the Ambulance Service and I was told in no uncertain terms that speed limits DO apply and so do the speed limits applied to other Emergency Vehicles (so 30 in a 20 zone for example).
As a young man I was regularly clocked 50mph and was even clocked at 55mph! As did all the cyclists in my club…… We used to wait at the top of some hills to let the cars go down so we didn’t have to overtake them!
I was passed myself by a cyclist while driving downhill and obeying the 20mph speed limit. I'm not sure if it's better or worse for cyclists that they now travel at close to the same speed as the cars within urban areas.
Worse, when people attempt to overtake us while we’re travelling at the speed limit of 20 or even worse, 30 it can put us in danger. Drivers more often than not pass too slow and too close in those circumstances not to mention that they must be breaking the limit themselves to get passed.
@@manu-tonyo9654In most circumstances nobody should be undertaking. I hope you realise that many of us cyclists also drive and encounter both bad riders and drivers often.
A cycle race in Wales (Junior Tour) has had to be shortened and rerouted because of 20mph speed limit in Wales. Apparently even if the racing cyclists are allowed to go faster than 20mph, the support cars are not. So they've had to change the race..
Back in the early sixties when I was in boarding school in Bath, a fellow cycling chum was reprimanded by the police for cycling down Lansdown hill (30) at 48 mph, something that we had both done on a regular basis as we raced each other. Oops!
I'm sure that 48mph is the fastest a bike is capable of. On the London to Brighton bike ride on a road bike, with everything set up optimally, I just couldn't get over 48mph on the last downhill bit. I needed new underpants after that.
On road, it usually needs a very steep hill, a good tuck and a very smooth fast spin. But given that I’ve had an MTB over 50, both on and off road, it can be done. 52 off road feels faster than three times that in a car.
On an average day, there are 5 people killed by motor vehicles with an additional 77 seriously injured. I think it's because the council / police have greater issues at hand here than your wife who just suffered discomfort for a couple of weeks.
The problem i have with this law is the danger to vulnerable road users , pedestrians , horse riders , common sense has to prevail in areas of high risk .
There are places where the speed limit is reduced for a very specific reason i.e. near where I live there are several joining roads with high walled or banked sides creating a hazard so the speed limit is reduced through that section - it would be just as dangerous for a cyclist to exceed the limit as any other type of traffic.
Cycle lane's are nomally blocked by parked car's in gloucester , they never get in trouble for it . Majority of vehicle driver's are overweight , i hav an six pack from riding , road user's hate the fact i'm fit . Pot hole's are a problem , have 2 swerve them , most don't give me 2 metres space , so thousand's break that law an don't get punised , reason why i jump red light's . I carry my huge chain an lock ,ready to stike car's if they violate my space an it working, mad max spike's on bike wud be great
The law doesn't state that cyclists should ride over the limit at all times though does it, it just says that the limit doesn't apply. In-fact the law does deem dangerous or reckless cycling to be an offence, and I would imagine that blasting past a group of horse riders at 40mph would constitute at least reckless. Common sense does and always does apply. It applies to everyone though. So just as a cyclist should consider slowing their pace down on certain stretches of road, a pedestrian should consider where they choose to cross such a road. Roads *are* dangerous. There is no combination of laws that will change that. By using a road you knowingly put yourself in a degree of danger. The laws and regulations are there to limit that level of danger as much as is reasonably possible. Personally I don't see how not applying the speed limit to cyclists causes more danger to vulnerable road users. It's the same as national speed limit. Just because a road is technically 70, doesn't mean you should drive down it at 70. Use your noggin and adjust your speed accordingly. That idea applies to everyone on the road, cyclists included
In continental europe, all vehicles are subject to road rules. Single file with enough spacing in front and back is the safest way for group rides. Not only increases it the safety margin when being overtaken, it also allows for space to maneouver left and right. Keep in mind that the rule of thumb says an untrained rider needs 1.5m space to each side facing other vehicles or pedestrians as a safety margin. Motorcyclists have usually a lot better discipline during group rides, but they also trained for their license.
I've been overtaken by cyclists in 20mph zones. Once where there was an approaching car and the cyclist squeezed in the gap. The essential 1.5m gap apparently doesn't apply in that case. I've even had people say it's different because the cyclist is light. Physics doesn't care if 100kg hits 1500kg or 1500kg hits 100kg. She's a harsh mistress.
It’s about choice and awareness. Someone coming from behind you is not the same and disrupted air is not pushing you all over the road. *1.5 minimum, the same space as a car which means the other lane.
@@Cous1nJack Yes, there's a difference between slowly passing and blasting pass - fully accept that. However, passing at any speed when there is oncoming traffic is dubious. I lifted off to avoid the impending sandwich. When one road user causes another to react to avoid a dangerous situation it should at the least be a point to reflect. Today I was behind a cyclist doing 10mph for a bit in London. Happy enough to follow - it's baking hot and the bike wasn't a racer. Passed when it was safe and all happy.
Remember, it is only sensible that a truck will be allowed a lower speed limit than a car because of the energy difference they represent. A cyclist (with equipment) won't amass as much as 300lbs (normally) and is self propelled (less than 1HP or 746 Watts). I hope you see a difference. And ofcourse, even on foot, we have to be responsible. Would we be sprinting through a restaurant? I am agreeing with the podcaster here.
Excellent and informative as always. I presume from this that an electric bike would count as a motorised vehicle. Which should also mean they should also be fitted with speedometers.
E-bikes may or may not also be Pedal-assisted bikes (pedelacs). Some e-bikes aren't pedal-assisted. Also in the EU (also applied to the UK when it was still in the EU, but I don't know the situation now) pedelecs are required by law to be limited to 25kph. Anything over that is considered to be the equivalent of an electric motorbike and requires tax and insurance and a licence and subject to the laws of electric motorbikes. @@neillmorris1469
Then they are motorcycles. Almost certainly not complying with the appropriate construction rules, nor registered, taxed or insured. I was in Bristol a couple of weeks ago, and the place was infested with them, almost all doing food deliveries. The riders all wore ninja-style masks so they can't be identified, and they commonly exceed 40mph by my estimate.
Yes, if an ebike does not comply with the ebike regs, then it is classed as a motorbike, which requires you to get it registered and insured. The issue tho at the moment is that most forces will have a policy to not follow these people due to the recent incidents.
I think a lot of modern ebikes are literally following how mopeds started but for some reason are not categorised the same way. Maybe they will in the future or maybe the law will change in some other way
Ebikes are either not capable of breaking the speed limit or are classed as motorcycles, and are illegal as they don't comply with the laws around them
I noticed you mentioned bylaws, so I was wondering if you wouldnt mind covering a piece regarding aggresive and fast cycling say on a canal towpath. Something that has been a massive bone of contention between boaters , cyclists and other towpath users. Where and who could take action against any poor standards where pedestrians are and have been at risk? And best means and sources for the need to take legal action. And how to obtain and have enforced a speed limit to protect the more vulnerable towpath user.
Nah you have to pedal quite hard and have tall gearing to get up to those speeds on a bike even on very steep declines, once you get up to that speed though then it's fairly easy to maintain the speed.
@@Markcain268 What type of bike were you riding, and how long and steep was the decline, where exactly? Ps Your bike is effectively invisible to slow down signs!
@@JP-hr7ch its a mountain bike and I have to ride down a really steep hill to get home, it's actually difficult to walk up it, and those slow down signs and speed signs do work with bikes unless you ride in the gutter, in fact there's a video on here somewhere of some guys clocking their running speed on one lol
@@Markcain268 That's about top speed for a mountain bike with a non-standard 48 tooth front sprocket down a really steep hill, it is an amazing feeling though. And is actually far more enjoyable compared to doing it on a faster road bike.
My concern is many 30 zones remain where they have not yet become 20 and these areas have schools some of which there is no pavement along the road. Cyclists need to be just as considerate with pedestrians and children maybe more because unlike a car they aren't as expected to come along the road. We have a second nature when looking out for motors but cyclists and scooters can take us by surprise.
I’m not entirely convinced that your lack of spatial awareness is a cyclist’s responsibility. And if we all applied your level of ‘what if-ery’ no one would step outside their door. Given the amount of effort it takes to get anywhere near 39 MPH, the typical built-up suburban school surrounds is unlikely to see cycling at that pace.
@@kurtklingklang5918 In other words you want to ignore the reality that there are a mass amount of irresponsible drivers and riders that cause others to sudden react in order to avoid incidents. It doesn't matter what vehicle we have there is responsibility to respect other road users even of the government has failed to address the current flaws of the highway code.
As a cyclist it is my responsibility to be aware of spatial awareness of pedestrians - in the traffic hierarchy pedestrians sit above bikes so it is my responsibility to make sure I take care around pedestrians. It would be hypocritical not to and then to demand that cars/lorries took more care around me.
Bikes usually do not have a speedometer so it is pretty hard to judge your speed and impossible to follow strict speed limits. For that reason generally rule for cyclist is to not go faster then that you can stop for any reasonable trafical reasons and not put yourself or anyone else in danger by riding to fast.
I'm surprised at that speed limit not applying, when I was a kid 30 years ago I had a speedometer on my bike, even then you could pick them up in any bike shop and they weren't expensive. Was a simple tachometer type device, you fastened a device to the spokes which span past a pickup as the wheel went around, showing you your speed.
This will probably become common in Wales very shortly as the Welsh Politbureau has decreed that the present 30mph limits are due to be replaced by a nationwide 20 mph limit from 17th September.
Bikes haven’t really changed that much in 40 years, neither have hills, or gravity. The only difference now is we have grumpier entitled car drivers and dashcams.
Your right, bikes have changed a lot. 44 years ago we had single gear butchers bikes that weighed 4 x as much as a racing bike today that can have in excess of 21 gears. The other thing is 44 years ago you didn’t have Lycra clad “athletes” riding in large groups at higher speeds. On top of that you also didn’t have the volume of cars, vans and Lorry’s on the roads either. It’s a combination of both that has resulted in the hostility between cyclists and motorists. One things for sure if you kill someone with a pushbike then expect a jail sentence. This precedence has already been set.
something I've discovered very quickly while cycling is that drivers view you as an inherently slower vehicle, and will always speed up to overtake you - this has caused issues for them on 20MPH roads as I'm normally cycling at at least 18MPH so they can't overtake me within the speed limit (I've seen at least one person get fined this way). drivers: you don't always need to overtake!!
20 mph limits can at best only be advisory because there is no specification for vehicle speedometers at that speed ; specification only begins at 25 mph .
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Measure your speed: amzn.to/3sDJ9u2
All bikes should have to be fiited with one by law.
I own 6 GPS devices. But I think mobile phones will make them all obsolete. You can easily install an app that functions as a GPS. The only real disadvantage is battery life, unless you have a phone with a ginormous battery as I do and consequently use as my main GPS, mostly for work.
GPS is a questionable proof of speed. GPS gives a very accurate time signal, but its accuracy is far from objective if it is not a military device. The more considerable latitude or altitude, the more inaccuracy. On top of that, on video, we can see the moment of measurement of the speed of... police vehicle. We need to find out what that vehicle did before that video was taken, and we can't see the logging messages of the GPS device to asses how many samples were taken to average that speed. Roughly the same distance is also questionable as at the beginning of the video, the last cyclist was about the size of my mouse cursor, and at the end, that cyclist was twice more prominent. Quick math - the police vehicle was twice as fast as those cyclists during measurements. That gives some idea about the speed of the police vehicle on the approaching cyclists to take a measure. We did not hear signals, nor did we see flashes. So they did not need to speed over the speed limit. The whole situation is a warning signal to drivers in that area to scrutinise evidence as they could be a victim of similar situation.
Daniel, 2 of my friends and I got pulled over several times when we were 15 - 16 they even went to see my dad as we were clocked at 45 in a 30 they decided in the end if we didn't stop they would charge us with dangerous riding and without due care and attention we never had speedometers and we were on fixed wheel racing bikes. lol
@@2EOGIYYes
But........The Parasites in Government consider *Anything with GPS controlled systems is a BOMB* 😂😂😂😂
Can't help but be reminded of the old Jasper Carrott joke about Reliant Robin owners being desperate to be caught speeding just to prove they can go that fast.
"I got the number Sarge, the Chassis Number!"
"I've got the number sarge.... the chassis number."
That sketch was hilarious 😂😂
My mark one escort was clocked at 80 kph in a 60 kph zone, the officer asked if I was "trying her out". I said err, yeah sure, not admitting I was doing the ton 2 minutes earlier!
Remember the Reliant Robin that was in the daily's years back 9 Mar 1994 - Colin Slack, 25, he was sent down for four months. I meet him once he was so fanny still had a the newspaper cuttings.
I was pulled over for exceeding the speed limit on my skateboard about 30 years ago. Eventually the officer said they were more concerned about my lack of ppe. Thank you for your video.
As with a cyclist, skateboarders have no speedometer, so there is no way you could have known whether you were exeeding the speed limit or not, ans as such could not have been held culpable for your speed.
@@jamspandex4973 that can't be true, what if I remove my cars speedometer?
@@fiskfisk33Cars are required to have speedometers
@@jamspandex4973if I install a speedometer on my bike - which is not that uncommon - I don’t suddenly become subject to speed limits.
I know someone who got a ten shilling fine for riding his bicycle in a furious manner. He was very proud of it and pleased to show you the court paperwork 😂
In 1977 a West Indian cyclist was stopped in Brixton for riding a bike without lights. At Magistrates Court he was fined £5. The Magistrate commented 'It would have been £10 if it had been dark!'
Furious ! .Too frak'n funny man
I knce set off a speedcamera on my bike. Granted i was going down the side of a mountain on a straight very steep road. My breaks were practically glowing by the time I reached the bottom
I got a parking ticket from a casino in Vegas after locking it up to their railings. Framed it😊
Funnily enough, a local bloke, Nxxxx Cxxxx, was stopped by the police, way back in the early seventies, and was subsequently charge with riding a bicycle at excessive speed, and riding under the influence of alcohol. He received fines on both counts, and his driving licence was endorsed by the county court. In direct consequence, he lost his job.
Now, Nxxxx did not think himself hard done by. He accepted the penalties like a man, and got on with his life. There were far fewer whinging Karens back then, and the police did more than "offer a word of advice"!
Thanks for this video, and the others. When I was about 15, way back around 1960, I was cycling down a steep hill, and going too fast to pedal, when I was passed by a police car, with blue light and bell on, and was signaled to stop by the passenger. No chance with just block brakes. I had to pass the police car when it pulled in. When I got to the bottom, and going a bit slower, I managed to stop and the passenger got out and had a rant at me. He started to take my details when the driver, an older officer, came up and quietly told the younger officer I was not required to comply with speed limits. The younger one took some convincing, but eventually said that he thought it stupid. The older PC said, 'Don't be an idiot,' and told him to get back in the car. He then repeated the words to me, saying that, fun though it was to cycle that fast, it was very dangerous as other drivers would not expect a cyclist to be travelling at that speed. I became a police officer and the older PC became a sort of model for me. Know the law (I became a bit of a pain that way) allied to a bit of understanding, and always be pleasant, even to snotty-nosed kids who were acting stupidly.
The only time I've done about 40mph was on a somewhat steep and long downhill. I tapped the brakes a bit and could feel the brakes becoming gummy from the rim getting covered in brake pad rubber, grabbing more in some spots than others. I didn't dare slow down more than necessary to give me enough time to see potholes, manhole and drain covers coming. By the time I stopped at the bottom, my wheel rims were black from brake pad rubber. If I had tried braking more on the way down, I doubt I would have had any brakes left.
I never went down that hill again. Far too exhausting to climb on one side, far too scary to get down from on the other.
Not just cyclists .. I was once stopped in Leeds for doing 30mph (downhill) on Rollerblades on my way to work in a 20 mph limit. The PC offered advice, and I must say I had to agree with him... I scared myself. Never did it again.. changed my route to avoid the hill. Yes I had all the protective gear but if I had collided with a pedestrian they might well have been severely injured.
Usain Bolt can run at 27mph...with scissors!!
30mph on Rollerblades must feel close to breaking sound barrier lol.
That must have been terrifying lol. That's a mad speed to be doing on rollerblades 😂
You "might" of injured a pedestrian by changing your route...
Tell him to swivel . Its fun end of
Surely to require them to comply with a speed limit they would also require them to have instrumentation.
Which would need to display within tightly controlled accuracies.
They all would off had speedos 😂😂😂 . But I’m a cyclist and if they where going 20 everyone would get pissed .
@@JC-un4bgpardon?
@@JC-un4bg It's ok I got your back as I am that one driver that does 20mph in a 20mph zone so they will blame me instead :D
yes...and your point is?
In Norway cyclists are included in the law defining a "Vehicle" as "contraption meant to travel on road without use of rails" and that "vehicles" must obey speed limit.
Yes, they have been ticketed and can even have licence (for car!) revoked for periods as punishment for excessive cases.
Are speedometers compulsory on bicycles in Norway? If not, how are cyclists supposed to know their speed?
Which is ridiculous.
@@chriswalker2753 A lot have a speedo linked to the wheel but it is not compulsory.
They are also limited to 6km/h when passing pedestrians during sharing of sidewalk. Nobody ever obeys this and often they hit pedestrians instead trying to push past.
I agree that without a compulsory speedo it is kinda silly but I think the point is to "try" as they are not ticketed for minor transgressions.
Puntastic! Yes, we are now "up to speed" about this and the "viscous cycle" of events you referred to. Thanks, Dan.
So a follow-on question. If the cyclists were not breaking the speed limit were the Police. They were clearly driving at 39 MPH by their own admission but if the cyclists weren’t breaking any laws the Police can’t argue that they were driving in response to a crime?
I was gonna say this, I find it funny the police possibly broke the law to tell off some cyclists that were not breaking the law 😂
@@theonlysunaz7121you’re
And, worse than that, were they endangering the cyclists by "tailgating" them to make this video: as I pointed out on the twitter thread at 40mph bikes are able to stop within 5 car lengths, whereas the highway code lists car stopping distances as 9 car lengths. Setting aside for a moment that this is probably a quite pessimistic estimate for modern cars, given the car was following at a distance of around 3 car lengths, this would indicate that the car risked being unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the rear cyclist in an emergency braking situation for the group.
@@dnbattley they were not tail gating, they were a good distance, cycles can stop in 5 car lengths you say and cars 9, i can stop from 70mph in that distance thanks, the highway code for stopping distances has not been upgraded in a very long time, brakes are more efficient these days and can stop on a dime.
Police can do what would otherwise be known as speeding when on duty, generally. It doesn't have to be a crime as such that they are attending. The law is so open on this that they can speed within the last few minutes of being on duty to get back home for dinner. Ish.
The traffic laws here in Germany are worded peculiarly in that POSTED speed limits apply to all traffic participants, but GENERAL speed limits only apply to motor vehicle operators, which means that if you ride your bicycle past a 30 kph sign you have to stick to 30 kph, but if you're in town and no particular speed limit is posted you can go however fast you want even though drivers have to stick to 50 kph.
The netherland has cyclist sticking to speed limits within city limits/build up areas but outside those you are free to go any speed. (goodluck going 60+ kph/40+ mph for very long)
Do you have any idea if electric motor augmented bicycles have to abide by different rules (because they are motor vehicles) in Germany compared to non motorised bicycles?
@@Cloudman572 Depends on how "augmented" they are. Germany follows what appears to be a harmonized EU directive which says e-bikes that have up to 250 W continuous rated (this gives a lot of leeway on actual peak power) output of pedal assist (unpedaled electric propulsion only permitted as a "pushing assist" up to 6 kph, ebikes will usually have a button for this) and a cutoff at 25 kph are treated like bicycles, e-bikes that have up to 4 kW of pedal assist and a cutoff at 45 kph are treated like 50cc scooters (and therefore require an insurance plate and a helmet at all times and aren't permitted to use bike paths anymore), but at that point you might as well just buy an actual electric scooter. Enforcement especially on the former is lax however, I doubt you'd ever get shit for having 500 W of pedal assist or a 30 kph cutoff unless your bike looks completely ghetto-rigged, you ride like a complete maniac or you get into a collision and a legal battle.
@@Turbobuttes Thanks very much for that info. Those laws seem well sorted. I live in one of the small number of UK cities trialing both e-bikes and e-scooters but I have no idea of the rules, not super worried as I don't use them however knowledge is always good.
It's exactly the same in the UK, rule 69 of the highway code says that cyclists MUST (signalling a legal requirement) obey all traffic signs (defined in section 64 of the road traffic act 1984). If there isn't a sign, they don't have to do anything, although a sign includes things like road markings and almost anything else that could signal to, inform, or restrict a road user.
As a 59-year-old British cyclist, I didn't know this. I've always kept within the speed limits thinking the same laws applied as driving a motor vehicle. In the new 20mph areas I can easily stick to that speed, but a constant line of vehicles persist in overtaking me because I'm riding a bike, which I find unusual. I shall continue as I've been doing, though, and not exceed the speed limits on signs.
Government analysis of road speeds for 2022 published last week shows that over 80% of drivers exceed 20mph limits so that's not really surprising.
Honestly if your going a tad slower than the vehicles your probably golden as the police are more likely to pull the vehicle for speeding than a cyclist, I say this because I would do that too.
Drivers will usually seek to overtake cyclist knowing that they're able to move with ease to the front of traffic, while the driver's themselves would rather move up ahead quicker so they don't lose out on a favourable spot to beat possible incoming traffic.
Take note that drivers don't act the same with motorcyclist as they do with cyclist and this may be due to acceleration after a red light turns green.
Cyclist pick up speed as slow as drivers with L's on they're backs and nobody likes tailing a (slow) learning driver so the temptation to overtake is greatly magnified. Not only that but bike lanes need to be utilised or else they're a waste of taxpayers money.
@@justjosh2757 Speak for yourself. I normally (so long as I don't cock up clipping my foot in) end up having to slow down so I don't end up running into the cars in front when we pull away from traffic lights/junctions.
I agree that a lot of cycle ways are a waste of tax payer money, but this is because they are generally really badly designed. If they're properly designed then they will get used - if you just stick up a blue sign on a footpath and declare it a cycle path then you've ticked a box but not really addressed the issue. It's like taking a single track road and giving it an M number and calling it a motorway!
you deserve to be honked if your deliberately being slow as people may have appointments/funerals etc to go to or if you cant get up to a certain speed limit maybe bikes arent for you?
2:20 Got that covered down under. Laws here apply to "all road users", then any additional limitations are applied separately, like lower limits for larger trucks etc.
How can you cycle within a speed limit if there is no legal requirement for a speedometer on a bicycle?
Not legally obliged to, that's the point.
@@justifying6455 Couldn't agree more, an equivalent of an MOT for sure.
@@justifying6455and how would you like that to be funded?
Just be sensible
As should people walking along a road, horses, etc - you are joking I hope 🙂
A point you didn't make is that bikes typically don't have speedometers. How do you keep to speed limit if you don't have a speedo?
True up to a point but an awful lot of cyclists do indeed have computer gizmos or mobile phone apps on their handlebars that show their speed.
@@vatsmith8759however you’d have to prove it was calibrated, most cycle computers use gps which would not be admissible.
Most cyclists who ride at speeds close to or beyond the speed limit will normally have a small computer like a Garmin or Wahoo that will track their speed via GPS or sensors on the bike. Those that dont normally arent that fast and arent the sort of folks that would want to go that fast on that bike as they are more recreational or utility cyclists. I.e cycling for fun/moderate exercise or commuting/shopping etc etc
@@Rose.Of.Hizaki Exactly! 😀
Also, gps units have problems with dense tree cover, high rise cities, need charging and lag significantly, ie they very accurately tell you the speed you were doing, rather than now. Not a good recipe for a legal requirement.
My late father was a driving instructor and received a total of two fines during his lifetime. A £2 parking fine on a family holiday to Morecambe in 1979, and a fine of 10/6 from a magistrate for speeding on a pushbike in 1956 when he was 14.
One more offence and they'd have taken his proficiency badge away...
No one cares
52.5 pence for speeding, bring back old money I say!
@@drivingistheproblem1685That would of been a lot of money back then, especially for a 14 year old.
I actually know what 10/6 means. Now I'm depressed.
Some years ago, I was pulled over for doing 38mph on my bike (riding down a steep hill in a 30 limit). It was a quiet early Sunday morning and there were few people about. The police were very reasonable. They pointed out that, whilst I was not actually breaking the law, the damage I could do to myself or anyone I hit would likely be serious. All perfectly fair, so I apologised and we went our separate ways. No harm, no foul and I did take it a bit easier afterwards.
@samirdoncic6395Do try to keep up with the modern world. We all have little handlebar-mounted computers these days that give speed, pedalling cadence, distance travelled, etc, etc.
A pedestrian in Bristol was very seriously injured when hit by a cyclist on a crossing, and that was less than 38 mph.
@@rob5944Virtue signalling ahoy.
39mph on the flat is pretty impressive tbh Id drug test them first
YEAH A COUPLE OF LANCE’S 😂 BUT STILL IMPRESSIVE TO KEEP A CONSTANT 40 MPH
Probably team ineos on a training ride 🤣
It's a long, steep, wide and pretty straight downhill.
Pros.
No probable cause, no law broken
Refreshing to see a video like this about cyclists with just pragmatic and factual based reactions. Both by the presenter and in the comments :-) civility isn’t dead it seems! :-)
Indeed. It's just common sense. Personally, as an amateur cyclist, I know very well the dangers, and I keep to the speed limit. Wearing always my helmet and gloves and a yellow shirt. I'm making sure my lights always work.
Black Belt Barrister is great eh. I appreciate him.
I was caught by a speedtrap coming down a hill in Switzerland, was travelling at 80 Km/h in a 60 Km/h zone coming down a hill with strong wind from the rear.
Police bloke was laughing his head off.
He told me he could not fine me as bikes do not have a speed indicator.
It was in 1974.
no such thing as a speed trap : it is a speed check . those who obey the limits have nothing to fear .
@@derekheeps1244True. I think by a "speed trap" they mean where the police / camera is positioned in a place where drivers are likely to speed "accidentally", such as just after, say, an 100 km/h speed limit changed to a 50 km/h limit.
But I agree, drivers (and cyclists) should always obey the speed limit and then "speed traps" won't be an issue!
How on earth do you cycle at 80 km / h??!! I struggle to get past 30 km/h on my old cheap bike, 40-50 on my new one. 80 is insane!
@@dylancode downhill and with strong wind from behind.
@@Braun30 Yep, still insanely fast! I couldn't even dream of going that fast (probably I'm just not very fit 😂)
in my country cyclists have all the rights and duties of any vehicle driver and thus all laws apply uniformly
In NL cyclists are placed above everyone else. If a cyclist runs into a car, the car driver is held liable.
This has become a larger problem with common cyclists now reaching sufficient speed to cause serious harm to themselves or pedestrians or other cyclists they hit.
Cyclist attitudes have become even more reckless since the law was changed that the car driver is always liable no matter what happened.
Meanwhile at our village market square, cyclists storm around a blind corner into a thick crowd at 30+ kph, and we are not allowed to say that it's a problem.
It’s a bit hard to keep to the speed limit when a bike doesn’t have a speedometer 🚴🏽
Almost EVERY cyclist has a bike computer with the speed on it. They post it all on Strava. Nonsense excuse
@@sitruchtims9392actually, in this case it is. If there is no legal requirement for cyclists to have a functioning,accurate speedo whilst riding on the road, they cannot be expected to properly assess how fast they are going. That is literally why motor vehicles have them.
So buy one then and dont break the law. Simple.
That's what I keep saying. I've never seen a cyclist with any kind of speedometer. If its a law it needs to be a standard issue on all cycles it applies to, and it should be illegal to sell a cycle without it.
@@sitruchtims9392 since there is no law to restrict the speed of cycles there is no excuse necessary
1974, Hathersage hill, Derbyshire i was clocked going downhill at 48mph on a bicycle by a stationary roadside speed camera and flagged down by an officer at the side off the road about 400 yrds further along. What followed was the lecture of a lifetime that concluded with "the only reason i am not booking you is i would be laughed out of the station" as a kid it had a profound effect. Little did i know at the time he was talking out of his posterior.
He wasn't lying, he could have booked you for dangerous riding as if you hit anyone at that speed they would be dead, and possibly you also.
He probably wasn't; if you check an old copy of the Highway Code from that period there is no mention of 'motorised' vehicles.
@@saxon-mt5bythe fact that the highway code didn't mention it doesn't matter, the road traffic act (1888 + updates) at the time specifically only mentioned speed limits for motor vehicles. Bikes have always had to be covered by wanton and furious driving (originally for horse and cart) from 1835.
Just wish I could ride fast enough to be wanton and furious, I keep trying to get the happy/sad face machine to go grumpy down my road. It told me my speed walking a few weeks back but won't pick me up on a bike.
@@paulqueripel3493 [Fx: drapes himself lasciviously over the sofa] "I can be wanton, but it's difficult to do at the same time as being furious!".
Doesn't worry me. The fastest speed my bike computer has recorded in the last couple of years is 24mph and that was downhill with the wind behind.
Yes it's very rare for a normal cyclist to exceed 25mph (30 downhill)
I exceed that every time i'm out.. But i do live on the border of the Brecon beacons.@@JP-hr7ch
Unless you're traveling down a steep hill, or very fit and perhaps hunched over, air drag will effectively limit your bike speed.
Pump your tyres up.
Much the same
My issue is the stopping distance if their cycles at 39mph, are the cycles able to stop within a reasonable distance and are they maintained so that the cycles can stop effectively and efficiently.
How to raise the blood pressure of a car driver? Tell them cyclists can ride as fast as they like 🤣
Try undertaking most motorists going at the speed limit, I can't imagine many cyclists will be winning those exchanges
i think most car drivers would be happy if more cyclists could keep up with the traffic
@P.G.Wodelouse most car would be happy if cyclists couldn't just puck and choose what road laws apply to them
They can win, one minute cyclists are riding too fast, and the next they are holding up the traffic and going too slow.
and the cyclists can ignore stop signs and yield signs
My wife was inured by a cyclist on a zebra crossing. He was taken to court and
charged with dangerous cycling.
That's sensible, speed limits is effectively the one major road rule cyclists don't have to abide by. Zebra crossings and red lights however gotta be stuck to.
Hopefully the idiots who blow through red lights just because they're on a pushbike learn that sometimes, they're insane for doing that, really...
On the chain gang weekend run.😁 I'm not fast enough these days to run with the fast boys. They continually take turns on the front. Though 39mph is a really moving, even for a professional team TT.
It was on the A386, the long and near straight descent from High Dartmoor, the video is of the group passing through Mary Tavy village, it is a long and steep hill, the sort that the Pros would hurtle down at about 60mph ;-)
In Germany cyclist need to obey the speed limit except if it's the one with comes with the town exit sign. That's due to poor wording.
Explanation: Under the German law there are multiple words for traffic participants defined, here 'Kraftfahrzeug' (motorized vehicle) and 'Fahrzeug' (vehicle) are important. With these two the law can differentiate between bycicles and cars for example.
The usual speed limit sign is described as to be obeyed by all vehicles, but the town exit sign (which in Germany means speed limit after it is 100 kph (60 mph) if not noted otherwise) is only applicable to motorized vehicles.
Meaning that a bycicle (or any other wheeled non-motorized vehicle) is allowed to go over 100 kph (60 mph) when exiting a town in Germany but in all other instances needs to obey the speed limit.
As someone who has biked in big city traffic, I'll add another factor based on speed. Lightweight and often with only two thin tires, bikes brake poorly in an emergency. I saw that when I was biking fast down a hill on a busy Seattle arterial at rush hour. A car on a side street, obviously not seeing me, pulled part way out into the arterial. I faced a terrible decision. If I attempted to steer around her, I'd move into the road traffic and could be hit from behind. Instead, I chose to lock both my brakes. I went tumbling over my bike. I could have been badly hurt, but fortunately I flipped 180 degrees and landed on my back rather than my head. I skidded to a stop short of her car. That was a close call and drives home my point. Bicyclists should never regard themselves as merely another vehicle on the road. Every vehicle on the road can kill you and it matters not if you are 'in the right.'
bikes brake in a short distance with goo rubber , brakes and proper techniques..
My road bike has hydraulic rim brakes and I can lock the wheels if i want from 40kph. By modulating the brakes you can stop very fast. Also, newer bikes (and MTB's) have disk brakes and can brake instantly
@@carlosoruna7174 You mean in hyper ideal circumstances that don't generally occur? Yeah, so can everything.
Don't worry cyclists can and do still kill pedestrians. So not actually the lowest on the totem pole.
@@UnbeltedSundewno, in the real world. Brake and tyre technology is pretty good. Technique is key though, you have to know how to stop a bike quickly and safely, you can't just squeeze and hope
I've been stopped for speeding on my bike three times and got a telling off. Also, how as a cyclist with no speed indicator, are you supposed to comply with speed limiting by-laws?
Hi BBB. A good few years ago, at about one in the morning, I was cycling down a steep hill in Bushey Hertfordshire and according to my speedo I was doing 42mph in a 30 limit. No sooner as I'd clocked it, there was a 'whoop whoop' police siren behind me, blues and twos, so I pulled over and stopped, and to my surprise, out jumped a friend and neighbour - a police officer who was laughing at me saying he had clocked me at 44 mph in a 30 limit. "Good grief! Give me a ticket! I won't be able to prove it otherwise!"
"Can't do that. Can't bust a cyclist for exceeding the speed limit"
Drat already! I was going to hang any documentation regarding conviction
in the downstairs toilet!
I've done that. It was nerve-shattering, especially as it was going to be steeper further on (the road leading into Weymouth from the East). Then I watched the Tour de France and saw the speed they got up to on the mountain stages going downhill. I mentally freaked out. Discretion over valour ruled after that.
@@achitophel5852 I know exactly what you mean. 70 mph going downhill? Those Tour de France pedal pushers are true dyed in the wool suicidal maniacs!
@@achitophel5852only 42mph? Have managed 60mph down Elm Grove in Brighton before, taking the left hand corner at the bottom at 40mph. Obviously very vigilant
@@achitophel5852 Nice long hill that..... bit crap to ride back up though.
@@achitophel5852 💯%😲😬😱My bicycle had a speedometer that only went up to 39mph (40 years ago) I over clocked it going a long steep road going into Belfast with a tight turn and junction at the bottom. My mate and I did it several times but my chain fell of the cogs twice and at that speed with a rattling chain swinging about was enough for me 😲🤣 Scary stuff but hey! Great memories all the same...less cars back then.
A very calm and polite police officer had word with me when I was riding home from work, he just asked me to take it easy and have a great ride.
My first thought was: why the hell are the police and a cyclist driving in the oncoming lane?! Ah, yes, Britain.
Interesting video and highly informative channel. Unfortunately the Highway Code itself confuses the matter at rule 69 (Rules for cyclists) by stating that cyclists must obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals. A speed limit sign is a recognised traffic sign within the meaning of the legislation. I suspect there will be a test case soon!
@BlackBeltBarrister care to comment on this? When showing speeds you referenced a vehicle speed and their exclusions but I've checked - bicycles are actually considered vehicles under the Road Traffic Act too. It is a bit odd they haven't included for bicycles but that table which is often referred to is more concerned about the weight of the vehicle I suppose.
In my very slim experience in law, I might argue that Rule 69 takes primacy unless there are bicycle specific exclusions elsewhere I'm unaware of.
I’m interested in this, if the same rules apply to motorists would a cyclist be charged with death by dangerous driving if they were doing 40 in a 30 and had kill a pedestrian. If it didn’t would this open a can of worms for the drivers the that have been charged with this have they cases squashed
Well I just found what a cyclist can be charged with if they cause a death by cycling
If bodily harm is caused, cyclists can be prosecuted for wanton and furious driving under the 1861 offences against the person act, for which the maximum penalty is two years imprisonment
Apparently a person named Matt Briggs’s is campaigning for a change in the law to make it the same offence as a motorist
That would be an injustice to charge cyclist the same as motorist on death of a pedestrian.
The sentnces are far too lenient.
It's very much a free for all with cyclists nowadays. . .riding through red traffic lights, pavement riding etc. When I was a kid, it was odds on that you'd be pinched for having no lights on at night, riding two up and other misdemeanors!! 😮
Most motorists hate cyclists, I don't, as a motorist and cyclist I'm chuckling 😂 Its fun and good exercise and it's free and as long as people cylcle sensibly long may it stay that way.
It is the lack of responsibility that annoys most car drivers, it's time for them to join the rules covering other road users.
@@stephen579 which rules?
@@stephen579as opposed to drivers who always take care to stick to legal speed limits🙄
I'm not sure it's true that most motorists hate cyclists (though it certainly feels like it at times). I think it's more true to say most bad motorists hate cyclists.
@@stephen579... whereas all car drivers stick to the speed limits? I think not.
I'm ancient (nearly 80) back in the 60s BL=Before Lyrcra) I used to be an amatuer racing cyclist. I can remember taking part in an organised road race here in the Peak District. At the start of most of these events there was a restriction on the particpants required by the organisers, & was often preceeded by the commissaire car to control speed & safety. The race that I recall was stopped by a police officer (riding a Velocette motorcycle) because we were exceeding the speed limit (30mph) through the village (big village almost bordering on the size of a small town). He asked us to exercise care & pointed out that whilst we were not breaking the law we should exercise care in a built up area for the safety of ourselves & others.
Very cool
Safety of others does seem to be a point lost to many current sports cyclists on the road
‘Caught’ on camera tells you the intended attitude of the legal team. ‘Recorded’ on camera was what happened.
I assume this is the debate on Twitter. Why chase a bike they isn’t committing an offence.
@@Cous1nJackWhen they're treated as equal to a motor vehicle they are to be treated the same with regards to signage
The cyclists weren't speeding but the policeman was.
@@illegalopinions4082 ‘they’ - I think you mean cyclists - are treated with priority over motor vehicles.
@Cous1nJack nothing else to d 🤷♂️
I cycle around 100 miles a week to and from work and on the whole I’ve never really had any issue with drivers. I’m also a driver and when on my bike I follow the rules as if I would driving. I don’t jump lights, I use cycle lanes/paths when available and I’m always polite and give way to motorised vehicles.
I’m curious as to why you feel the need to give way to motor vehicles?
I'm guessing they mean give way when appropriate e.g emerging from a junction with a giveaway sign or perhaps allowing a car to turn left instead of charging up the inside as Jeremy Vine might feel entitled to do
I think you've nailed it. I ride as I drive too.
So, you're the one.
Same. I just started driving after cycling for years and I was shocked at the level of entitled cyclists holding up massive queues of cars when there is a cycle route available. If I hear a car behind me I wave it past as there is usually plenty of space for both me and the car.
Many years ago, my brother was pulled over for speeding on his bike by the cops. They didn't know that he couldn't be prosecuted for speeding. They were belligerent when he pointed it out to them.
I’d have quite happily accepted the ticket at the time and taken it to Court
What for doing nothing wrong
“Viscous Cycle” unintended pun 🤔 brilliantly informative always Sir 👊🏻
In nz cyclists have to comply with speed limits. Many years ago a younger brother, 13 year old, was pulled up by the traffic police for doing just on 40mph on the Main Street whilst on his way to college! He was immensely proud of this fact!
A common thing in those days was for the police to remove the front wheel of your bike and then tell you to pick it up the next day. It was a right sod carrying the front of your bike all the way home! 😳
How do cyclists train for road racing?
With no requirement to have a speedo, how are you supposed to be required to stick to the speed limit? Has this actually been tested in court? As an immigrant to NZ who rides to work I genuinely would like to know the answer to this. Pretty sure I've exceeded 50kph in a strong norwester without really trying.
@@MichaelVanataaaah, yes. Cyclists, the only group of road users permitted to race on the public highway.
In the UK you just have to inform local police and then you can have a 12 car time spaced race on public roads. Only thing is you still have to obey speed limit.
Wouldn't stop LittleHarry ruclips.net/video/K39drTOavMk/видео.html
I too was pulled over and warned about my speed on a push bike over 40 yrs ago. And coincidentally it was in Richmond Park. It was a 30mph zone then.
I think this has happened 2-3 more times in the past 5 years. There was quite a big hullaballoo about it if i remember correctly.
As far as I know, speed limits in a royal park are enforceable on cyclists. The roads are not public highways.
Riding two abreast is safe if you're near side and have your sacrificial mate cycling with you!
How many motorists will complain they where being held up by them riding two abreast even though no car shouldn't be able to keep up let alone overtake!
In Norway, speed limits apply to any vehicle driving on the road.
Some vehicle categories have an overall max speed limit, that overrides the speed limit of the road.
But the limit for the road applies to all vehicles.
But they aren't a "vehicle".
@@ahnilatedahnilated7703 are you complaining that I wrote "vehicle" where it should have been "vehicles"?
If so, I'm sorry but English isn't the primary language in Norway.
Or, are you trying to say that a bicycle isn't a vehicle?
A vehicle is defined as a means of conveyance that is designed or used for the transportation of people or goods. This can include a wide range of conveyances such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, trains, and bicycles.
While the normative definition of a vehicle in traffic codes might not include bicycles everywhere, it does in Norway.
Another advantage of riding abreast of each others is the increased visibility of the “pack” and as a motor vehicle driver is is quicker to overtake if they are abreast than in a long line of single file cyclists which again improves the safety of all involved.
They'd be even safer if they all took the bus.....
2 abreasts in one sentence. That's a good sentence.
@@stigmontgomery7901 We'd all be safer if we never went outside, what's your point?
another advantage is that when someone comes down in the opposite direction your cycling in youll get knocked over and have a well learnt lesson not to do it!
@@AdissapointedSonicyou should hand in your licence if you're that mentally unstable
Got to laugh, at least they weren't holding the traffic up.
I may be cynical, but I suspect the reason police stopped them is they were annoyed cycling group had held them up before the reached the 30mph zone.
YEAH CAN’T WIN EITHER WAY AS A CYCLIST 🚴🏻♀️ 😂
@@justinclayton3022 You are probably spot on !
@@markgt3492 I don't mind cyclists, but they piss me off when they jump red lights. Apart from that, share the roads nicely people.
@@Lee.Willcox Running red lights is against law, so they should not do it. But cyclists going over zebras/pedestrian crossings when pedestrians crossing really annoys me as it is dangerous and discourages walking. As a cyclist my only collision with another vehicle was when I braked at a zebra and was hit from behind by a cyclist!
I think you can assume that someone who can stamp a bike along at a steady 39mph does know a bit about bikes, it’s different altogether from jumping lights in the city
Although they do say that " assuming is the mother all f ups "
Don't you believe it! usually self obsessed with speed . Going fast on a bike does not make you intelligent . If they were , they would use a veladrome . much safer .
By that logic, you could assume that someone who can drive a car at 150mph knows a thing or two about cars...
@@gavwhiteley8666 Haha! i was just going to write that!
Any idiot can go fast .
Very interesting again. I just wondered if an electric cycle was a MOTOR vehicle? Also just an observation - you mentioned that motorists get annoyed when cyclists ride two abreast, however in this case, if a motorist wanted to overtake these cyclists, he would be exceeding the speed limit! Best Wishes Pete.
In my distant cycling days (1960's) I used to delight in overtaking the motor vehicles keeping to the 30 limit. I was ably assisted by approx 1.5 miles downhill towards my town centre. Possibly a reckless teenager but thrilling none the less!
Haha basically this is not new used. Only a few cyclist can hit that speed. Think it is wrong for the police to put a video out. Probably 95% of people cannot hit 30mph, even going down the hill! Now people will think all cyclist they see are zooming at 40! What is the problem is motor bicycles disguised as bicycles!
@@christophery8927 even the average 60 year old road cyclist can hit 40mph down hills in devon, don't even have to pedal because their so steep. They have to speed otherwise they won't get up the hill the other side of the dip.
The rules and regulations (by laws) introduced by councils on cycling are often laughable. Where I live the speed limit was 25MPH on cycle paths (at which point people used them) and it was then reduced to 15MPH. At that point almost everyone started using the roads to train again as you need to be pushing it to get fitter. When I was racing (time trials etc) I used to train at 23MPH roughly for cardio training and do hill sprints for speed training (sprint uphill then coast down the other side and repeat) I could maintain 23MPH for near 5 hours before glycogen depletion. Also the word you were looking for was "peleton". Training peletons are usually 2 wide and no more than 8 cycles long so cars can overtake when safe to do so.
Your cycle paths have speed limits?
Reminds me of when I was training for a time trial, doing 58km/h (36mph) on the road when some lady in a 4x4 slowed down to yell at me to get on the path (it was a "shared" path, but to call it a footpath would have been generous, it was barely 1 person wide). Apparenly I wan't going fast enough.
On the other end of things, last week I was shouted at by a pedestrian (to "slow down") while going through a village doing
To me, roads are to get me from A to B, by whatever method I choose. They are not exercise tracks.
Peloton*
@@JohnSusanSchofield A road is simply a piece of infrastructure to aid in conveying traffic (ie people). There is nothing to say for what purpose it must be used.
They're not directly owned by anyone, but corperately owned by all so an individual does not get to dictate what a road is for.
I saw plenty of people in cars in Dartmoor last week who were there for nothing else other than to drive around for fun and to see things, maybe go for a walk & stretch their legs. Should they not be there either? Should people not drive to the cinema because it's just a leisure activity too?
Just because you might not find enjoyment in cycling around or exercising, doesn't mean anyone else can't (or shouldn't).
Unfortunately for me some cycle paths aren't actually designed for speeds over 12mph and some are literally just pavements that have a sign saying shared use path. Also 23mph for 5 hours is more than what a pro would do in solo training.
I have been fined for speeding in Richmond Park, on horseback, you were allowed a hand(steady) canter but no galloping, it was only enforced by the mounted section of the Met. £20 in the early 2000’s as I remember, no points though 😂
But you probably don't need a licence for horsing?
How can you aplly the speed limit if you don't have a calibrated speedometer on the bike?
So it was just the police car driver who was speeding then
Grand as ever, Daniel; many thanks. It seems to me that what constitutes a careful and competent cyclist may be in need of definition.... but like most things in law, a 'maybe'. In this particular matter seems the police (some might say unusually) were aware of their powers and actually lack thereof and handled it sensibly. (I love 'wanton and furious cycling', kind of a get-out to make things more inclusive when it was realised that cycles do not constitute vehicles!). Good encouragement too as nothing reckless should ever be condoned And I had a wee giggle when you said 'vicious cycle', don't know whether intentionally!
Actually bicycles are vehicles, just not motor vehicles.
Wanton and Furious cycling was an offence necessary for stopping them scaring horses. Plenty of police officers have tried to stop bicycle time trials using this, not sure they have ever succeeded.
@@hairyairey You have rather made my point for me. And yes, people have been convicted of wanton and furious cycling. (Of course it is not police officers who 'succeed' in convictions it is CPS but I'm sure you knew that).
@@Pandermoaniumoh, give it a rest you clown.
@@Pandermoanium I've got a cycling proficiency badge, does that count?
@@PandermoaniumBingo!
I have my self been cautioned for my speed on a bike. It was quite an eye opening experience.
Do you mean a formal caution or just a wrist-slap at the time? Formal police caution not in principle lawful for such.
In the gym?😀
I suppose it also depends *where* you got cautioned. If youre absolutely ripping it around a busy high street, retail park or shopping mall where there are lots of pedestrians then you probably deserved more than just a caution.
@@taras6806 informal caution
@@Rose.Of.Hizaki it was on a quiet, Hill road that back then saw maybe 10 cars an hour. It's much busier now and there is now a school on it, but nothing much back then.
how do you differentiate between a motorcycle and a push bike, they are both classed as bicycles?
I admire their competence and fitness Falling off a cycle at that speed for any reason is going to cause significant injury. Secondly a motorist coming in the opposite direction would find it difficult to assess the speed of the cyclist and may well make a turn into a junction in front of the cyclists believing they had plenty of time. Speed in isolation is not dangerous but no one uses a road in isolation these days.
Just yesterday, I was on my bike on a roundabout and some white van man from the left saw me but decided to pull out anyway and “gauge his speed”. He then did manage to stop before he hit me and it caused everyone on the roundabout to panic break when he did. As mentioned in the video, it is just people not concerned for anyone else’s safety and possibly not even their own.
@@ouethojlkjnyou should also be going at a speed where you can safely stop. Your life shouldn't be in some van drivers hands.
@@kiradotee I did stop. In the middle of the roundabout.
Many motorists underestimate the speed of a cyclist. Especially at lights where a bike is often quicker through the first few metres.
Very interesting as a cyclist. As I ride a mountain bike everywhere there is no chance of me ever breaking any speed limit but interesting to know
As a cyclist, you still have to obey speed limit signs. Rule 69 of the highway code says that cyclists MUST (signalling a legal requirement) obey all traffic signs (defined in section 64 of the road traffic act 1984). This includes, but is not limited to, speed limit signs and traffic lights.
When i was a teen i got pulled over after doing 40+ down a hill. The policeman said if i had a speedo and knew my speed he could maybe do something. Instead i got a chat about safe cycling and reminded this wasn't a free pass. If i was being an idiot or putting others at risk this wouldn't have been a nice friendly chat.
Can't do nothing as speed limits apply to motorised vehicles
No, you got a "nice friendly chat" because you were a teen collared for a one-time event that the police couldn't prove.
@@kramer26 Actually because no offence was committed in the eyes of the PO.
@@keithhandley8515 You still have to keep on mind that you can't endanger the public. If that would be the case, police could step in. While the speed isn't a factor, the circumstances could be and it could end up badly
Power assisted cycles have a motor. Does this now include them being a motorised vehicle?
That reminds me when I was a student. I had an old bike that would shake if I went over 15mph (which was my normal comfortable speed). Out of sheer curiosity I pedalled as hard as I could, downhill in Singleton Park in Swansea and managed to get 29.99mph but not the 30 I was trying for. I didn't repeat the exercise as the bike was shaking too badly.
I can occasionally hit ~32mph on a long downhill - 39mph? Not a chance LOL
@@frankhooper7871 Yup. it takes somebody very fit and very dedicated to hit 39mph.
@@raisagorbachovthen how have I hit 45? I'm definitely not fit and my bicycle wasn't best best 🤣.
Like yeah had a modified rear cassette but still the powe came from me and gravity
@@jacobwhite9961 You really have to stop eating a vindaloo before a cycle ride!
One very relevant point overlooked and one that, as a motorcyclist, was drummed into me on advanced riding courses is, that other road users including pedestrians, would not expect cyclists to be travelling over the speed limit.
The Highway code needs urgent updating to make speed limits compulsory for all road users, even horses!
It will be much easier in Wales when most 30mph limits become 20mph limits.
or better education that cyclists will not always be going slow (20 mph is not slow if you try to cross 2 yards in front of one).
How is the horse going to pay the fine?
@@donshackley5244 How ridiculous of you to want better education on crossing a road for pedestrians! especially when they just updated the rules to allow them to do it on a whim heh.
Sadly common sense was buried a few years back, probably around the same time smart phones became a thing and Facebook and Twitter was gaining popularity.
I wonder if this applies to other non-motorised forms of transport - say horses. ???
Depends on whether you can fit a speedometer on your horse.
Yes, the speed limit doesn't apply to horses ether. Nor pedestrians.
Hmm, how does this apply to electric assisted pedal cycles? is the 'Electric motor' , in this instance, regardless of whether it's being employed, or not, defined as a 'Motor' vehicle?
I wonder what the stopping distance is at that speed on a bicycle?
Similar to a motorcycle.
Depends on the tyres, brakes, rider etc but not very far generally
For a cycle capable of 40mph at 40mph it's ~ 10m - the highway code gives 36m for a car ...
Does that include the distance thrown over the handlebars?
Usually zero if they hit a brick wall.
This really is a very isolated situation, to maintain 30mph on a bicycle is quite an effort. Personal responsibility is something that needs more emphasis. Cars have required speedometers for decades and yet almost every car driver will break the speed limit on a regular basis. Perhaps will noting the finer points of this particular incident, it should be put in perspective and the data shows the speed of cyclists is
not the most serious issue on the roads.
Motorist prejudice makes them blind to their own faults.
This was on a flat , profesonal cyclist in a Pelleton only average 29 mph , so for the cyclist in the video to do 40mph on a flat I find it hard to belive
@@Dajohn-w3uThey were going down hill.
Maintaining that sort of speed really is not hard, I am a big guy but i could easily maintain 25mph on the flat on an old mountain bike with road tires as it all comes down to the gearing used and with a tail wind i could average 30 and down a hill much much more, so people on a dedicated light weight road bike will easily maintain that speed
I clocked myself at 34mph , there's a fixed speed camera in my town, can't help it🤣🤣, no motor no rule🤣🤣
Well how about that. I thought I'd got lucky about 35 years ago as a teen. I was doing just over 40mph (on a gentle downhill) going into my hometown in the 40 limit on my bike. A cop pulled me over and didn't give me a ticket but just told me to "not be so bloody stupid". I always thought he spared a ticket because of how shit scared I was! 😅
The same sort of thing happened to me in 85-87, too, and the officer thought we (two of us on 2 bikes) were doing 50mph+, but little did he know we both didn't even have working brakes. What fun days
@@hardergamer fun (idiotic) times! 🤣
I smell BS@@hardergamer
Since this is going out to a global audience I’d recommend being more explicit early in your video about what jurisdiction you’re discussing. It’s mind-blowing how many people I’ve met who are adamantly wrong about local laws based on some legal-niche video they watched about a completely different place.
No speedometer on my bike
Fair play to that chain gang - cracking pace.
You don't need number plates or a drivers lisence to cycle, so where are they gonna send the fine too even if it was illegal🤷🏻♂️.
Cyclists have always been fined, I'm guessing they either give them the fine there and then or it is posted to their address.
If they actually commit a crime then they can be arrested and required to provide details just like a pedestrian would
My motorcycle is classified by the DVLA/DVSA as a bicycle, as appearing on my logbook/V5C - how are my legal obligations defined?
I remember like 12 years ago where I used to do 40-45mph downhill on my mountain bike where there was cars parking on both sides of the road and a popular bus route both ways and it was a thrill for me when I was like 14. Definitely a stupid thing to do that but I wanted to max out my bike 😂
You were doing 35 at a push 😂
@@OG-97 nope. I had a speedo on the bike and it was above 40 😂 digital one so fairly accurate
@@EnglishDrifts69GTxRED sure😂
@@OG-97 true story. Really steep hill. Like maybe 45% incline or more and constantly pedalling you can get alot of speed up very quickly
@@OG-97 Have a look at hills like the A3052 that goes down to Lyme Regis - you'll be doing 35 with the brakes on.
I really enjoy your channel. I hope you can help voice your concerns about vehicles on our roads with illegal registration number plates and how DVLA need to take urgent action. Thank you
Do the speed as long as you can do the braking , I'm not sure many bikes can stop as fast as they should be able too..
Have a great day everyone 👍
Most modern bikes are now equiped with disc brakes, which have significantly improved their braking performancene in all weathers. The type of tyres used can also have an effect on braking however. Much the same as with cars of course.
@@zednotzee7 yes I agree with you my bike has disc brakes but I'm still not convinced it could stop as efficiently as my motorbike or car .
But yes better nonetheless 👍
@@myturkishlife1777I stopped from just under 40 mph to zero pretty quickly at the weekend.
Hydraulic disks are pretty impressive with a light bike and grippy tarmac.
@@zednotzee7yes but no abs your average rider will stop in 2-3x the distance of a car with abs and half decent tyres
@@PiOfficial ABS does not make a vehicle slow more rapidly. It does not increase brake power or tyre grip, but prevents wheel locking. A skilled driver can stop just as fast with no ABS provided the surface is predictable. It does enable a less skilled driver to use maximum available braking power.
I have done several cycling courses, including the same cycling course that Police cyclists do when I was a Cycle Responder for the Ambulance Service and I was told in no uncertain terms that speed limits DO apply and so do the speed limits applied to other Emergency Vehicles (so 30 in a 20 zone for example).
Speed limits don’t apply to non MPVs. Wanton and furious cycling would be the charge if endangering others.
You need to cause physical injury for that offence.
Just riding like a loon isn’t illegal.
As a young man I was regularly clocked 50mph and was even clocked at 55mph! As did all the cyclists in my club…… We used to wait at the top of some hills to let the cars go down so we didn’t have to overtake them!
I was passed myself by a cyclist while driving downhill and obeying the 20mph speed limit. I'm not sure if it's better or worse for cyclists that they now travel at close to the same speed as the cars within urban areas.
Did they give you 1.5 metres clearance?
Worse, when people attempt to overtake us while we’re travelling at the speed limit of 20 or even worse, 30 it can put us in danger. Drivers more often than not pass too slow and too close in those circumstances not to mention that they must be breaking the limit themselves to get passed.
@@42Porter When drivers undertake 'you' then you can complain
@@manu-tonyo9654In most circumstances nobody should be undertaking. I hope you realise that many of us cyclists also drive and encounter both bad riders and drivers often.
@@manu-tonyo9654 if you mean filtering, that’s perfectly legal and drivers are taught to expect it. It’s in the Highway Code
A cycle race in Wales (Junior Tour) has had to be shortened and rerouted because of 20mph speed limit in Wales.
Apparently even if the racing cyclists are allowed to go faster than 20mph, the support cars are not. So they've had to change the race..
Back in the early sixties when I was in boarding school in Bath, a fellow cycling chum was reprimanded by the police for cycling down Lansdown hill (30) at 48 mph, something that we had both done on a regular basis as we raced each other.
Oops!
I'm sure that 48mph is the fastest a bike is capable of. On the London to Brighton bike ride on a road bike, with everything set up optimally, I just couldn't get over 48mph on the last downhill bit. I needed new underpants after that.
On road, it usually needs a very steep hill, a good tuck and a very smooth fast spin. But given that I’ve had an MTB over 50, both on and off road, it can be done. 52 off road feels faster than three times that in a car.
My partner was hit heavily by a cycle on the path at Hackney.They didn't stop. She was in pain for two eeeks.The council couldn't care less.
On an average day, there are 5 people killed by motor vehicles with an additional 77 seriously injured. I think it's because the council / police have greater issues at hand here than your wife who just suffered discomfort for a couple of weeks.
My mate was killed by a driver when crossing the road
Never realised that speeding didn't apply to cyclists. eye opener.
Don't go testing it please...
@@taras6806just need to torpedo someone important to get the rules changed
@@nonamefound68 I would suggest that overground insistence might be more effective but totally take your point, the rules do need changing for sure.
It used to be you would be arrested for furious riding regardless if you were or not
@@gingernutpreacher Sure about that?
Would this be the same for an electric pedal bicycle ? Just asking as seen one fly past me when walking me dog at way over 30 in a residential area ?
Short answer, no. An electric pedal cycle has a motor in it. Therefore it is a motor vehicle so all those speed limits for motor vehicles apply.
"Brings everyone up to speed ! " 😅
Honestly, kind of impressed they can do 40 on a push bike without a steep hill
They can't, unless with another assisting factor, eg tailwind
What do you mean they can't lol did you not watch the video
I know that road in the video. It's a steep-ish hill.
They are obviously travelling down hill.
@@lamf4846 Road bike and well positioned cyclist can do that in a slight downhill. Done it few times on a roadie. But the speed gets a bit scary.
The problem i have with this law is the danger to vulnerable road users , pedestrians , horse riders , common sense has to prevail in areas of high risk .
There are places where the speed limit is reduced for a very specific reason i.e. near where I live there are several joining roads with high walled or banked sides creating a hazard so the speed limit is reduced through that section - it would be just as dangerous for a cyclist to exceed the limit as any other type of traffic.
Cycle lane's are nomally blocked by parked car's in gloucester , they never get in trouble for it . Majority of vehicle driver's are overweight , i hav an six pack from riding , road user's hate the fact i'm fit . Pot hole's are a problem , have 2 swerve them , most don't give me 2 metres space , so thousand's break that law an don't get punised , reason why i jump red light's . I carry my huge chain an lock ,ready to stike car's if they violate my space an it working, mad max spike's on bike wud be great
The law doesn't state that cyclists should ride over the limit at all times though does it, it just says that the limit doesn't apply. In-fact the law does deem dangerous or reckless cycling to be an offence, and I would imagine that blasting past a group of horse riders at 40mph would constitute at least reckless.
Common sense does and always does apply. It applies to everyone though. So just as a cyclist should consider slowing their pace down on certain stretches of road, a pedestrian should consider where they choose to cross such a road.
Roads *are* dangerous. There is no combination of laws that will change that. By using a road you knowingly put yourself in a degree of danger. The laws and regulations are there to limit that level of danger as much as is reasonably possible. Personally I don't see how not applying the speed limit to cyclists causes more danger to vulnerable road users.
It's the same as national speed limit. Just because a road is technically 70, doesn't mean you should drive down it at 70. Use your noggin and adjust your speed accordingly. That idea applies to everyone on the road, cyclists included
The law doesn't prevent the majority of drivers breaking the speed limits, the vast majority of cyclists never get near breaking the speed limit.
In continental europe, all vehicles are subject to road rules.
Single file with enough spacing in front and back is the safest way for group rides. Not only increases it the safety margin when being overtaken, it also allows for space to maneouver left and right.
Keep in mind that the rule of thumb says an untrained rider needs 1.5m space to each side facing other vehicles or pedestrians as a safety margin.
Motorcyclists have usually a lot better discipline during group rides, but they also trained for their license.
I've been overtaken by cyclists in 20mph zones. Once where there was an approaching car and the cyclist squeezed in the gap. The essential 1.5m gap apparently doesn't apply in that case. I've even had people say it's different because the cyclist is light. Physics doesn't care if 100kg hits 1500kg or 1500kg hits 100kg. She's a harsh mistress.
It’s about choice and awareness. Someone coming from behind you is not the same and disrupted air is not pushing you all over the road. *1.5 minimum, the same space as a car which means the other lane.
@@Cous1nJack Yes, there's a difference between slowly passing and blasting pass - fully accept that. However, passing at any speed when there is oncoming traffic is dubious. I lifted off to avoid the impending sandwich. When one road user causes another to react to avoid a dangerous situation it should at the least be a point to reflect.
Today I was behind a cyclist doing 10mph for a bit in London. Happy enough to follow - it's baking hot and the bike wasn't a racer. Passed when it was safe and all happy.
Remember, it is only sensible that a truck will be allowed a lower speed limit than a car because of the energy difference they represent. A cyclist (with equipment) won't amass as much as 300lbs (normally) and is self propelled (less than 1HP or 746 Watts). I hope you see a difference.
And ofcourse, even on foot, we have to be responsible. Would we be sprinting through a restaurant? I am agreeing with the podcaster here.
Physics absolutely does care! Momentum is proportional to mass and kinetic energy to mass squared. So it absolutely does matter who is speeding
I'm overtaking someone now at 38mph while texting 🤟🤠 damn that was close 😅YEEEEEEHAAAAA
Excellent and informative as always. I presume from this that an electric bike would count as a motorised vehicle. Which should also mean they should also be fitted with speedometers.
E bikes are pedal assist only and limited to 15mph..
E-bikes may or may not also be Pedal-assisted bikes (pedelacs). Some e-bikes aren't pedal-assisted. Also in the EU (also applied to the UK when it was still in the EU, but I don't know the situation now) pedelecs are required by law to be limited to 25kph. Anything over that is considered to be the equivalent of an electric motorbike and requires tax and insurance and a licence and subject to the laws of electric motorbikes. @@neillmorris1469
@@neillmorris1469 Compliant E bikes yes, however many aren't
@@Watty7878 Lots of vehicles aren't.
@@neillmorris1469 Completely agree. I have no sympathy for such vehicle owners only innocent victims of any accidents
Many bicycles ARE motor vehicles. There is a real upcoming problem with electric bikes that do not satisfy the rules for an electric bike.
Then they are motorcycles. Almost certainly not complying with the appropriate construction rules, nor registered, taxed or insured. I was in Bristol a couple of weeks ago, and the place was infested with them, almost all doing food deliveries. The riders all wore ninja-style masks so they can't be identified, and they commonly exceed 40mph by my estimate.
They were race bikes "not" electric bikes...
Yes, if an ebike does not comply with the ebike regs, then it is classed as a motorbike, which requires you to get it registered and insured. The issue tho at the moment is that most forces will have a policy to not follow these people due to the recent incidents.
I think a lot of modern ebikes are literally following how mopeds started but for some reason are not categorised the same way. Maybe they will in the future or maybe the law will change in some other way
Ebikes are either not capable of breaking the speed limit or are classed as motorcycles, and are illegal as they don't comply with the laws around them
I noticed you mentioned bylaws, so I was wondering if you wouldnt mind covering a piece regarding aggresive and fast cycling say on a canal towpath.
Something that has been a massive bone of contention between boaters , cyclists and other towpath users. Where and who could take action against any poor standards where pedestrians are and have been at risk? And best means and sources for the need to take legal action. And how to obtain and have enforced a speed limit to protect the more vulnerable towpath user.
I easily get over 30mph just freewheeling down some of the very steep hills in my area
Nah you have to pedal quite hard and have tall gearing to get up to those speeds on a bike even on very steep declines, once you get up to that speed though then it's fairly easy to maintain the speed.
@@JP-hr7ch nope, 34 mph according to my speedo and I set off the slow down sign which lights up over 30mph
@@Markcain268 What type of bike were you riding, and how long and steep was the decline, where exactly?
Ps Your bike is effectively invisible to slow down signs!
@@JP-hr7ch its a mountain bike and I have to ride down a really steep hill to get home, it's actually difficult to walk up it, and those slow down signs and speed signs do work with bikes unless you ride in the gutter, in fact there's a video on here somewhere of some guys clocking their running speed on one lol
@@Markcain268 That's about top speed for a mountain bike with a non-standard 48 tooth front sprocket down a really steep hill, it is an amazing feeling though. And is actually far more enjoyable compared to doing it on a faster road bike.
My concern is many 30 zones remain where they have not yet become 20 and these areas have schools some of which there is no pavement along the road.
Cyclists need to be just as considerate with pedestrians and children maybe more because unlike a car they aren't as expected to come along the road.
We have a second nature when looking out for motors but cyclists and scooters can take us by surprise.
I’m not entirely convinced that your lack of spatial awareness is a cyclist’s responsibility. And if we all applied your level of ‘what if-ery’ no one would step outside their door. Given the amount of effort it takes to get anywhere near 39 MPH, the typical built-up suburban school surrounds is unlikely to see cycling at that pace.
@@kurtklingklang5918 In other words you want to ignore the reality that there are a mass amount of irresponsible drivers and riders that cause others to sudden react in order to avoid incidents.
It doesn't matter what vehicle we have there is responsibility to respect other road users even of the government has failed to address the current flaws of the highway code.
As a cyclist it is my responsibility to be aware of spatial awareness of pedestrians - in the traffic hierarchy pedestrians sit above bikes so it is my responsibility to make sure I take care around pedestrians. It would be hypocritical not to and then to demand that cars/lorries took more care around me.
Bikes usually do not have a speedometer so it is pretty hard to judge your speed and impossible to follow strict speed limits. For that reason generally rule for cyclist is to not go faster then that you can stop for any reasonable trafical reasons and not put yourself or anyone else in danger by riding to fast.
I'm surprised at that speed limit not applying, when I was a kid 30 years ago I had a speedometer on my bike, even then you could pick them up in any bike shop and they weren't expensive. Was a simple tachometer type device, you fastened a device to the spokes which span past a pickup as the wheel went around, showing you your speed.
This will probably become common in Wales very shortly as the Welsh Politbureau has decreed that the present 30mph limits are due to be replaced by a nationwide 20 mph limit from 17th September.
40 years ago I don’t think they expected cyclists to be going so fast with new technology and changes in nutrition when the laws originally written
Bikes haven’t really changed that much in 40 years, neither have hills, or gravity. The only difference now is we have grumpier entitled car drivers and dashcams.
Your right, bikes have changed a lot. 44 years ago we had single gear butchers bikes that weighed 4 x as much as a racing bike today that can have in excess of 21 gears. The other thing is 44 years ago you didn’t have Lycra clad “athletes” riding in large groups at higher speeds. On top of that you also didn’t have the volume of cars, vans and Lorry’s on the roads either. It’s a combination of both that has resulted in the hostility between cyclists and motorists. One things for sure if you kill someone with a pushbike then expect a jail sentence. This precedence has already been set.
something I've discovered very quickly while cycling is that drivers view you as an inherently slower vehicle, and will always speed up to overtake you - this has caused issues for them on 20MPH roads as I'm normally cycling at at least 18MPH so they can't overtake me within the speed limit (I've seen at least one person get fined this way). drivers: you don't always need to overtake!!
20 mph limits can at best only be advisory because there is no specification for vehicle speedometers at that speed ; specification only begins at 25 mph .
@@derekheeps1244 that's new information to me - could I have a source?