In ,
Martin Underwood typed:

This does beg the question of why they are exempt ...

They're not exempt. It's just that the law specifies 'motor vehicles'.

"Bob Wood" wrote in message
...
In ,
Martin Underwood typed:

This does beg the question of why they are exempt ...

They're not exempt. It's just that the law specifies 'motor vehicles'.

All right, I should have phrased my comment better: "This does beg the
question of why speed limits do not apply to bicycles". Looks like the law
is too specific and should be changed to "any wheeled vehicle".

I presume the prohibition on crossing a zebra crossing which has people on
it or going through a red light DOES apply to bicycles, despite many
sightings to the contrary!

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 22:00:51 -0000, "Martin Underwood"
wrote:

All right, I should have phrased my comment better: "This does beg the
question of why speed limits do not apply to bicycles". Looks like the law
is too specific and should be changed to "any wheeled vehicle".

Only if it is required for a bicycle to be fitted with a calibrated
speedometer, in my mind. And anyway, most average cyclists don't
exceed 30mph, and as most (though not all) 20mph limits have traffic
calming, it's also often challenging to exceed that.

Given that you couldn't catch a cyclist on a speed camera without
registration plates, and so anyone being charged with the offence
would need to be caught by a police officer, it makes more sense in my
mind to retain "cycling furiously" and apply that to anyone who is
using irresponsible speed on a bike.

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

"Martin Underwood" wrote in message
...

I presume the prohibition on crossing a zebra crossing
which has people on it or going through a red light DOES
apply to bicycles, despite many sightings to the contrary!

I was once fined for cycling through a red light.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...
"Martin Underwood" wrote in message
...

I presume the prohibition on crossing a zebra crossing
which has people on it or going through a red light DOES
apply to bicycles, despite many sightings to the contrary!

I was once fined for cycling through a red light.

I'm not sure what to be more shocked about, that some copper could be
bothered to catch you, or that you admit that cyclists routinely ride
through red lights?

--
Everything above is the personal opinion of the author, and nothing to do
with where he works and all that lovely disclaimery stuff.
Posted in his lunch hour too.

"Paul Weaver" wrote in message
...
"John Rowland" wrote in message
...

I was once fined for cycling through a red light.

I'm not sure what to be more shocked about,
that some copper could be bothered to catch you,
or that you admit that cyclists routinely ride
through red lights?

I'd imagine someone with your evident lack of logic must go through life
permanently shocked.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

"Huge" wrote in message
...
"Jeremy Parker" writes:

[26 lines snipped]

My only claim to fame is that I have a licence from the state of
New
Jersey to ride a bike on their freeways. It's good for life.

A very short life, I imagine, should you choose to exercise the
right.

California felt it was better to do a study than to rely on the
imaginations of the ignorant. As a result they opened up about 1000
miles of freeway.

"The road to Paradise is through Intercourse."

Well, I lived to the south of Paradise, so of course I got to the two
in the opposite order. Actually, you would only want to go that way
on a bike - it's well known bike touring country. In a car you would
proably do better to take route 30

Jeremy Parker

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 18:00:24 -0000, Jeremy Parker
wrote in :

My only claim to fame is that I have a licence from the state of New
Jersey to ride a bike on their freeways. It's good for life.

Leading to the political accolade, "Further right than a cyclist
on the New Jersey Turnpike."

--
Ivan Reid, Electronic & Computer Engineering, ___ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Room 40-1-B12, CERN
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

So, to the question. Are cyclists *legally* obliged to stick
to road speed limits? (I know, in practice they are usually
difficult to exceed anyway).

Ralph Smyth, Co-ordinator of the City branch of the London
Cycling Campaign says that they do. he's a barrister.

Interesting. Speeders are prosecuted under section 89(1)
of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which states:

A person who drives a motor vehicle on a road at a speed
exceeding a limit imposed by or under any enactment to
which this section applies shall be guilty of an offence.

The points to prove for this offence a

1. drove a motor vehicle on a road
2. at a speed exceeding limit imposed by enactment

Since pedal cycles are not motor vehicles, it would seem
that cyclists cannot commit this offence.

I'd be genuinely interested to know the basis for Mr
Smyth's opinion.


Matt Ashby
www.mattashby.com

Martin Underwood wrote:
I think you really would have to be "cycling furiously" to break even
a 30
mph limit. The fastest I've managed on the flat is about 22 mph and
downhill
I chicken-out at about 30 mph - which feels like about 60 would do in
a car!

I dunno -- I used to regularly hit 35 on the way down Blackheath Hill
without in many meaningful sense 'cycling furiously' (I was
freewheeling most of the way). Braking for the lights at the bottom was
often, um, interesting.