What happens when a cyclist breaks the speed limit?

[Dan77]

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...

In that given scenario I'm not at or above the speed limit because I am being cautious due to all the pedestrians around.

 

[Rusty Nails]

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.

In Cardiff there is a drive to replace 30mph limits to 20mph in many city centre areas. It is not about accident hotspots.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

In Cardiff there is a drive to replace 30mph limits to 20mph in many city centre areas. It is not about accident hotspots.

All of Glasgow's city centre is a 20mph zone. In the rare event that I'm there with my car, I seem to be the only driver respecting that limit.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

In Cardiff there is a drive to replace 30mph limits to 20mph in many city centre areas. It is not about accident hotspots.

It was a joke.

We've got the most 20 mph zones in the Country according to some reports. They were going to add others, until they realised nobody ever got over 20mph on them anyway, and that's not meant as a joke.

 

[Ridgeway]

In the spirit of national speed limit zones and cycling speeds i have a nice local decent that i now know quite well:

You'd need a high speed group to top out much higher or some huge gears.

I can't see the rozzers minding too much here to that, probably they'd clap as you passed.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Speeds are OK if the road is OK - your brakes are good enough (!!) and there is no-one about

There is a hill heading into Moore (near Warrington) - I think it is called Delph Lane - and if I go down it exceeding 30 is normal - 40 as well. On a road bike even faster.
Problem is that at the end is a bridge
Turns out that it is a canal bridge - a very humped bridge
followed by a sharp right on a much narrower road.
If you took that bridge at any serious speed you would leave the ground and land just before you hit the hedge or a tree

Speed limit 60

so the speed limits are one thing - sensible speed for the circumstances is another.

First time I went down that hill I braked hard at the bottom and still was scared stiff when I saw what came next!

 

[hatler]

Myself and Adrian triggered that speed camera. He was on a Brompton and wearing a top hat. I like to imagine someone from the Sussex Constabulary would have smiled at that.

And I managed that too with mini on the trailer-bike. I recall we had just overtaken a car.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Having got a bit bored with this thread I thought I'd see what it's like in other countries.

In Germany, as in the UK, signed speed limits only apply to motor vehicles. But there seem to be quite a few other regulations relating to excessive speed that do apply to bikes. And you can get points on your licence for cycling offences. https://translate.google.com/transl....bussgeldkatalog.org/fahrrad-geschwindigkeit/

In Finland road speed limits do apply to cycles. If there is a bike path alongside the road the speed limit is the same as the road, but there have been moves to make it 25km/h https://translate.google.com/transl...oraile-turvallisesti/tunnetko-pyorailysaannot

I then got bored again.

 

[tyred]

What's the rush?

 

[classic33]

What's the rush?

Get to the bottom of the hill. You've put the effort in getting up there, enjoy the benefit.

 

[mjr]

I was once told that there is no law in this country specifying that we drive on the left.

Never take legal advice from them!

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/5-6/50/section/78

 

[mjr]

Correct: the speed limits for motor vehicles are there to keep us safe(r) from those motor vehicles.

Speed limits were first introduced to keep the roads safe, but not in the way you might think: they were intended to stop motorists cornering too fast and damaging the road surface, resulting in walkers and, more importantly to lawmakers, horses falling.

Other reasons have been added since, leading to the list of 7 reasons in https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/section/1

 

[andrew_s]

I've a mate who got told off by the police for 56 mph in a 30 limit (bottom of Leckhampton hill in Cheltenham).
A police car pulled alongside after he'd turned left, and he was told through the window "Do you know how fast you were going? Fifty beeping six; if you'd been in a car, I'd have nicked you".
The more serious telling off was from the tandem stoker (wife).

 

[classic33]

Speed limits were first introduced to keep the roads safe, but not in the way you might think: they were intended to stop motorists cornering too fast and damaging the road surface, resulting in walkers and, more importantly to lawmakers, horses falling.

Other reasons have been added since, leading to the list of 7 reasons in https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/section/1

Corner too fast at 4mph!

 

[Baldy]

What happens when a cyclist breaks the speed limit?

The bike vibrates itself to bits and the rider goes splat in the middle of the road. Simple.