What happens when a cyclist breaks the speed limit?

[Bonefish Blues]

Yeah. He was some sort of druggie in a hot BMW 7 series. All the way down the M6 to Tebay on the wrong side. Polis were on the southbound side with lights and everything. When he got near Borrowdale (the Eastern one) he ran out of petrol. Left the car in the outside lane and hotfooted it down the embankment. Plod took and age to get anywhere near him because they had to go to the next junction, by which time he had long gone.
Really scared the sh1t out of me.

What no helicopter?

Anyway, the answer to the original question is shirley this:

 

[ClichéGuevara]

What no helicopter?

Anyway, the answer to the original question is shirley this:

View attachment 589564

They turn into an 80's Ready Brek commercial?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

They turn into an 80's Ready Brek commercial?

It could happen, deffo Guv

 

[Rusty Nails]

I'm not arguing one way or another so I suggest you get whatever additional information you feel you need

All I'm doing is refuting the assertion that "cyclists don't generally exceed the speed limit and ride to the conditions". That clearly isn't the case as EVERY cyclist in the 50 person sample broke the speed limit, a significant portion of which did so by more than 50%. Your idea it's a "few speedsters" ain't right..it was 100% of all the cyclists on that road which loaded up a GPS file

As I keep saying...the issue is whether this is a problem and, if so, what should be done about it.

It was 100% of that subset of cyclists who are interested in recording stats from their rides, and who possibly like to record, compare and show others how fast they ride.

That may be a small % of cyclists.

It's only a problem when the need for speed is more important than possible harm to others, and when that speed becomes the norm rather than the exception.

 

[Solocle]

instead of speed limits, they should introduce momentum limits. Multiply your speed by the mass and you get your momentum. Here are some examples:
1.5 ton car at 30mph has same momentum as 100kg rider at 500mph.
So I guess that would be the bike's speed limit.

No, I'd go with kinetic energy. 1 tonne car @ 30 mph = 180 kJ = 100 kg cyclist @ 95 mph.

 

[a.twiddler]

Perhaps it only suggests that the more performance oriented cyclists who upload (possibly inaccurate) gps data are the ones who are more likely to see a speed limit sign as a challenge. So 50 people on bikes per month exceed a speed limit which does not apply to them anyway. How many motor vehicles pass that way in excess of the limit which does apply to them? And what about the more typical cyclists who must massively outnumber the performance cyclists, who don't record their data? Has anything happened to any of the above, even allowing for the ones who self incriminate on gps? It's a mystery, and some may say, a red herring as far as cyclists are concerned.

 

[byegad]

If you do set off the speed camera and they can identify you from the picture, do you get a copy of the picture for boasting purposes?

That reminds me off the Jasper Carrot joke about Reliant Robin Owners.

'They charge down hill in a 30mph limit where the police are parked up with the windows down shouting VRMM! VRMM! as they pass the coppers hoping to get a ticket, which they then will post in their windscreens.'

 

[nickyboy]

Seems a few oversensitive sorts here. The general thrust of the thread was that (a) Speed limits don't apply to cyclists (b) It is good fun to exceed the speed limit

All I've done is produce some (admittedly self selecting) data that shows that cyclists in certain circumstances, ride at a speed which is (a) a long way over the speed limit (b) probably at a speed inadvisable to the conditions) and asked whether the CC massive think this is a problem or not. Y'know, just to provide a counter position to the idea that breaking the speed limit on a bike is in all cases about just having harmless fun

Maybe it's just harmless fun doing 30mph past a 20mph limited primary school on a normal school day, maybe it isn't. Opinions may vary

 

[Dan77]

20mph speed limits are of course massively more likely to be exceeded by cyclists than 30mph ones.

Again it comes down to judgement and circumstances. If it's a clear stretch when riding it and you're able to take a primary position then I wouldn't be concerned about exceeding 20mph in the slightest. If it's packed at school kicking out time and plenty of vehicles around meaning I'm closer to the kerb then I'm just going to take it easy and err on the side of caution. I don't want to crash into anyone any more than they want to be crashed into.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

As they tend to impose 20 mph limits in accident hot spots, they're best avoided if possible, and if you have to use them, spending as little time as possible in the danger area is the safest option, therefore going fast is a safety measure.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

20mph speed limits are not just about safety.

They're also about helping to enable all road users to use our communal space equitably without fear or intimidation, including unpredictable children and those with physical or visual impairment.

Cyclists exceeding them can be as intimidating as motorised vehicles. Perhaps moreso in some circumstances, as there's no warning of approach.

 

[matticus]

Cyclists exceeding them can be as intimidating as motorised vehicles.

I think "can be" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.

If you compare like-for-like, it's pretty clear which is the more intimidating. And it's by a considerable margin.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

If you compare like-for-like, it's pretty clear which is the more intimidating. And it's by a considerable margin.

In general I agree, largely due to the speed of motor vehicles. But specifically, at low speeds by motorist standards, and in close proximity, I think a cyclist can be just as intimidating. Of course, this is purely personal opinion!

 

[Solocle]

20mph speed limits are of course massively more likely to be exceeded by cyclists than 30mph ones.

Again it comes down to judgement and circumstances. If it's a clear stretch when riding it and you're able to take a primary position then I wouldn't be concerned about exceeding 20mph in the slightest. If it's packed at school kicking out time and plenty of vehicles around meaning I'm closer to the kerb then I'm just going to take it easy and err on the side of caution. I don't want to crash into anyone any more than they want to be crashed into.

If you're at or above the speed limit, why should the weight of traffic move you out of primary position? Unless there's a significant number of motor vehicles going fater than you are...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It’s America but still amusing


View: https://youtu.be/ONNv1gZmnRg