Breaking the speed limit cycling?

martinbourke11

Just wondering what the rules of the road/ people's opinion are on this? wish i could break the speed limit on the flat but to no avail:(, though have endless fun seeing how high my club mates and i can get on those new digital speedos you see entering built up areas? we have also chatted about what would happen if your were clocked on a decent or doing over 50kph on a downhill road into a village? my max speed in wicklow 200 was 75kph after wicklow gap, close to the speed limit:D
SO anyone ever heard of cyclist being prosecuted? obviously its not the cleverest thing entering a rural village over 50k, but would i be breaking the law???? if so what would happen if caught??? penalty points for cyclists?

RexHamilton

As far as I'm aware, the speed limit applies to motor vehicles only. I do stand to be corrected on that though.

errlloyd

Different thing entirely, but my aunt got a speeding ticket in a sailing boat once in the states.

Oink

only guessing here, but I'd say they can get you for dangerous driving.

buffalo

I have a friend, who said a Garda gave out to her for speeding, that she was breaking some notional national cycling speed limit of 25mph (40kmph). To which I replied that I've never heard of such a thing, and it must be nonsense.

Has anyone ever heard something similar, or know if there's a grain of truth in there somewhere?

DirkVoodoo

I'd be more concerned about my own safety than getting a fine.

Descending off the Wicklow Gap is one thing, trying to break the speed limit entering a village, is probably stupid and reckless. Lots of chances for traffic to be pulling out of parking spots, side roads, pedestrians, etc.

martinbourke11

going for a rhetorical question to be honest, not interested in going through someones windscreen, just a chat among lads in the club wondering is there a law?

Dermot Illogical

martinbourke11 wrote: »

going for a rhetorical question to be honest, not interested in going through someones windscreen, just a chat among lads in the club wondering is there a law?

Not for speeding on a bicycle, no.
Speed limits are there for motorised traffic.

DirkVoodoo

martinbourke11 wrote: »

going for a rhetorical question to be honest, not interested in going through someones windscreen, just a chat among lads in the club wondering is there a law?

As above, I don't think a Garda speed trap will stop you for being a few km/hr over the speed limit, however if you are descending dangerously into a built up area or some other form of "reckless endangerment", then yes I'd imagine you would be stopped.

Just apply common sense.

funkyjebus

Speed limits only apply to mechanically propelled vehicles.

They could get you lots of other ways though, reckless endangerment, etc.

Kav0777

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Just apply common sense.

..or ask yourself "What would Fintan O'Toole do?"

wanderer 22

Kav0777 wrote: »

..or ask yourself "What would Fintan O'Toole do?"

Turn left?

check_six

No requirement for a speedometer on a bike. No way of knowing how fast you are going (theoretically).No need to worry about those speed limits. You could always gauge your effort by cycling at the pace the motorised traffic is going, but who's to know if that would put you over the limit! 30KPH zone, how are ya!?!

Guard: "Do you know how fast you were going there?"
Bike Guy: "Nope." <smug grin>

Guard: "What's your strava username?"
Bike Guy: "...Oh dear..."

Maybe the authorities should round up all the KOMs on Strava and lock 'em up for the good of the rest of us!

Ole Rodrigo

Kav0777 wrote: »

..or ask yourself "What would Fintan O'Toole do?"

Sure common sense is just whataboutery under a different guise

Bikerbhoy

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

As above, I don't think a Garda speed trap will stop you for being a few km/hr over the speed limit, however if you are descending dangerously into a built up area or some other form of "reckless endangerment", then yes I'd imagine you would be stopped.

Just apply common sense.

Do you reckon they might whip out the stinger ? ?

Kav0777

ror_74 wrote: »

Sure common sense is just whataboutery under a different guise

What about whatifery ?

check_six

Bikerbhoy wrote: »

Do you reckon they might whip out the stinger ? ?

Being directed into a glass strewn cycle track might be as effective!

Friend of mine got stopped by means of patrol car overtaking him and then swinging across his path. He braked vigourously to avoid catastrophe.
I don't think it was a very sensible way of stopping someone. (I can't remember what it was they wanted to talk to him about, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't on the way home from a bank robbery.)

elduggo

if the speed limit applied then progress would also have to apply. lots of freds getting done for going too slow

Cerdito

I set off a speed camera close to Aachen in Germany. It was in a 30kph zone on a steep descent just before a narrow bridge.

Would love a copy of the photograph.....

Bigus

martinbourke11 wrote: »

Just wondering what the rules of the road/ people's opinion are on this? wish i could break the speed limit on the flat but to no avail:(, though have endless fun seeing how high my club mates and i can get on those new digital speedos you see entering built up areas? we have also chatted about what would happen if your were clocked on a decent or doing over 50kph on a downhill road into a village? my max speed in wicklow 200 was 75kph after wicklow gap, close to the speed limit:D
SO anyone ever heard of cyclist being prosecuted? obviously its not the cleverest thing entering a rural village over 50k, but would i be breaking the law???? if so what would happen if caught??? penalty points for cyclists?

Thinly veiled "I have a racing bike and did the Wicklow 200 with a top speed of 75kph" thread

mondeo

It's not a requirement to have a speedo for your bicycle therefore how would you know you were over the limit? I can get over 30kph on my bike in those 30 zones easily however I dont fear prosecution for it.

I see alot of cyclists breaking red lights which I do myself when the road is wide enough to get away with it. I dont even actually know if a cyclist can be done for a red light? Can they?

Dermot Illogical

mondeo wrote: »

I see alot of cyclists breaking red lights which I do myself when the road is wide enough to get away with it. I dont even actually know if a cyclist can be done for a red light? Can they?

Yes, and the more the merrier.

rab!dmonkey

mondeo wrote: »

I dont even actually know if a cyclist can be done for a red light? Can they?

Yes, but you'd have to be very silly to be caught doing that. Just walk past them.

martinbourke11

Bigus wrote: »

Thinly veiled "I have a racing bike and did the Wicklow 200 with a top speed of 75kph" thread

damn you:mad:

biomed32

A friend of mine got pulled over for speeding on his bike, I dont think anything came of it but it sounds like, if caught you might get some hassle.

Wishbone Ash

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

Speed limits are there for motorised traffic.

funkyjebus wrote: »

Speed limits only apply to mechanically propelled vehicles

AFAIK the vehicle must be constructed with a speedometer. Some mechanically propelled vehicles/motorised vehicles do not come equipped with a speedometer and therefore the driver can't be convicted of speeding. (Generally the vehicles in question are not capable of reaching the lowest speed limits anyway so it's hypothetical).

cdaly_

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

AFAIK the vehicle must be constructed with a speedometer. Some mechanically propelled vehicles/motorised vehicles do not come equipped with a speedometer and therefore the driver can't be convicted of speeding. (Generally the vehicles in question are not capable of reaching the lowest speed limits anyway so it's hypothetical).

How-to-make-a-racing-lawn-mower/ :cool:

magicbastarder

i once broke the speed limit going down knockmaroon hill at the side of the phoenix park - and passed a cop with a speed camera in the process. he pumped the air with his fist in encouragement as i passed.

martinbourke11

magicbastarder wrote: »

i once broke the speed limit going down knockmaroon hill at the side of the phoenix park - and passed a cop with a speed camera in the process. he pumped the air with his fist in encouragement as i passed.

that's what i was hoping for when i started this thread

Capt'n Midnight

errlloyd wrote: »

Different thing entirely, but my aunt got a speeding ticket in a sailing boat once in the states.

http://afloat.ie/inland/inland-waterways/item/17669-waterways-ireland-issues-a-special-notice-to-mariners-for-2012

A vessel or boat shall not be navigated on the Shannon Navigation at a speed in excess of 5 kph when within 200 metres of a bridge, quay, jetty or wharf, when in a harbour or canal or when passing within 100 metres of a moored vessel or boat.

Vessels navigating the Shannon-Erne Waterway should observe the general 5 kph speed limit which applies along the waterway. This is necessary in order to prevent damage to the banks caused by excessive wash from vessels.

Vessels navigating the Erne System should observe the statutory 5 kt / 6mph/10kph speed limit areas.

Even if you can't get done for speeding there is the offence of "cycling furiously". Though I'm not sure if that only applies in the UK or here too.

Mint Sauce

I have heard of cyclists being pulled in by concerned officers on the final decent on the London to Brighton. Most of route is on open roads, and ROTR are to be obeyed. Some of them were going over 50mph/80kph, with myself recording 75kph. Didn't seem interested in me though.

petethedrummer

magicbastarder wrote: »

i once broke the speed limit going down knockmaroon hill at the side of the phoenix park - and passed a cop with a speed camera in the process. he pumped the air with his fist in encouragement as i passed.

Did you get her airbourne on the speed ramps?

magicbastarder

probably - but that's not the best place to be tearing down on the bike; it's stupidly narrow for the amount of traffic it carries.

the cops around there did seem to be cyclist-friendly (am talking about eight years ago); the traffic would often get bad enough in the morning that there would be a traffic cop at the junction here, but any time a cyclist approached, he'd stop all other traffic, wave the cyclist through, and then resume with the motorised traffic.