New Legal Speed Limit: What should it be?

[e_kid]

Hi all,

Assuming the UK government came to their senses and decided that the legal speed limit (15.5mph) for ebikes should be increased (maybe a silver lining of Brexit?), what do you think the new speed should be?

Genuinely interested in what ebike users think a fair limit would be.

Thanks!

 

[Gaz]

Genuinely interested here too. I came down from Beachy Head a couple of days ago and nudged 40mph, which was way too fast for my liking, but on the other hand, there's a 1/4 mile stretch on my HTW route which is very congested with cars and vans, and if I could nudge 20mph I'd like to think I'd be less of a hindrance and vehicles would hopefully be less likely to try and squeeze in front of me as we approach a mini roundabout.

Gaz

 

[Ducknald Don]

Round town I'm comfortable with 15mph, in fact cars are often caught out as I'm faster than they expect, especially if there is a gradient involved.

Out of town the limit is quite frustrating and I can't see why it shouldn't be 20 or even 25mph.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The problem is the difference between riding on the roads and on cycle paths. At the moment, we can use both. 15 mph on the road is probably too slow, but 20 mph on a cycle path is definitely too fast. Not for the cyclists. I'm thinking about people with dogs on long leads and with kids not looking where they're going, let alone all the ones tacking towards you while their heads are looking at their phones.

 

[greyfox69]

15 mph on the roads and on cycle paths is plenty, too many folk on cycle paths with headphones on, they cannot see or hear you approaching even with a loud bell, I have to resort to shouting. slowly does it

 

[e_kid]

Some interesting points of view already!

When I asked the question I didn't even take 'cycle paths' into consideration, as I almost always cycle on the road. I've noticed that what constitues a 'cycle path' varies dramatically from city to city and area to area, and i don't think most are fit for purpose, because, as has been pointed out in the comments above, you end up mixing with dog walkers, schools kids, joggers with headphones, etc, but that could be an entirely different rant/topic in itself.

Perhaps there should be different speed limits for cycling on the road, and cycling on paths, as people have different requirements.

Genuinely interested here too. I came down from Beachy Head a couple of days ago and nudged 40mph, which was way too fast for my liking, but on the other hand, there's a 1/4 mile stretch on my HTW route which is very congested with cars and vans, and if I could nudge 20mph I'd like to think I'd be less of a hindrance and vehicles would hopefully be less likely to try and squeeze in front of me as we approach a mini roundabout.

Gaz

I often think this. I also hate it when a car is stuck behind me and doesn't want to overtake, and a long que of traffic builds up behind me. If we could reduce the relative speed between cars and bikes it would be much easier for them to overtake us, if necessary at all.

Round town I'm comfortable with 15mph, in fact cars are often caught out as I'm faster than they expect, especially if there is a gradient involved.

Out of town the limit is quite frustrating and I can't see why it shouldn't be 20 or even 25mph.

I feel the same, although I would be comfortable with 30 mph (with disc brakes), which, as it happens, is still not quite as fast as touring cyclists. My thinking is that if they can cycle at those speeds, why cant we?

The problem is the difference between riding on the roads and on cycle paths. At the moment, we can use both. 15 mph on the road is probably too slow, but 20 mph on a cycle path is definitely too fast. Not for the cyclists. I'm thinking about people with dogs on long leads and with kids not looking where they're going, let alone all the ones tacking towards you while their heads are looking at their phones.

Nail hit on the head.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I came down from Beachy Head a couple of days ago and nudged 40mph, which was way too fast for my liking,
Gaz

You must have had a good parachute, most people get to about 120 mph before they hit the rocks (water if the tide's in).

 

[Gaz]

You must have had a good parachute, most people get to about 120 mph before they hit the rocks (water if the tide's in).

Good brakes on these Whyte bikes Dave

Gaz

 

[Gringo]

I want all the advantages of an electric motorbike with none of the social & legal responsibilities, it don't need any government body telling me what's safe as I know best.
And another thing, other people shouldn't be on MY cycle paths anywho

 

[Nealh]

20MPH is a nice speed to toot a long at. Though what ever hypothetical speed is suggested others will always want more.

 

[Benjahmin]

All the sports cyclists I see are doing way more than 20mph, head down and tunnel visioned. Perhaps the cut off limit could be raised to this but with a requirement for disc brakes as mandatory.
As D8 said, cycle paths are a problem, but then this is a personal responsibility issue. Again many unassisted cyclists charge along with no regard to others.
Unfortunately this is liable to come with mandatory helmet wearing attached, which - no doubt- will have EN numbers (or somesuch) numbers attached. That'll put an end to all those nice snowboarding helmets.

Overall, I think a rise to 20mph is likely to increase the number of people using e-bikes to commute. Gotta be a good thing hasn't it?

 

[anotherkiwi]

I think that there could be different speed limits for e-bikes as there are for cars. In fact in the Spanish Basque Country there is exactly that - cycle paths are limited in many sections to 10 km/h, 5 where there are pedestrians. In Irun bicycles and cars are limited to 30 km/h on the street and so on. This is a bit strange because:
1. most bicycles don't have speedos
2. bicycles don't have number plates so can't be fined by speed cameras...

If you are pedaling, drivers (the ones not looking at their phones...) perceive you as a cyclist and can not judge your speed correctly. I have experimented with your suggested speed of 35 km/h and cars will almost always pull away from stop signs cutting you off.

Solution: daytime running lights help a lot, they see you more as a moped and 9 time out of 10 stay put. I always ride Number Two with the lights on, they are hard wired to the battery.

I have said in other similar threads there is only one solution to the problem: infrastructure. And as usual the Dutch are leading the way with inter city bike super highways destined for speed pedelecs - 28 mi/h.

For the moment I am happy with the current speed limit because you are only limited to that speed when assisted, beyond assistance you are only limited by the legal speed limit of the section of road you are on. Very easy for me to attain downhill on my current non motorised steed...

 

[LeighPing]

Solution: daytime running lights help a lot, they see you more as a moped and 9 time out of 10 stay put.

Yes DRL, Daytime Running Lights, which you now see on many bikes and cars, would make a welcome contribution to road safety. Pedestrians and vehicle drivers seem to see you more perceptively. They tend to react better to your presence. Although, I'm not entirely sure why that is? Perhaps it helps them to gauge your speed and distance better.

 

[flecc]

I feel the same, although I would be comfortable with 30 mph (with disc brakes), which, as it happens, is still not quite as fast as touring cyclists. My thinking is that if they can cycle at those speeds, why cant we?

That's not true, 30mph not as fast as touring cyclists! Touring cyclists don't ride at anywhere near 30mph on the flat. Nearer 20mph is the best they usually ride at.

The current one hour world record is under 32 mph, riding a top class dedicated track bike on a smooth cycle track in lycra etc with perfect conditions.
.

 

[Trevormonty]

There is no speed limit in NZ YET. Mosts bikes are 15 or 20mph as they are built for Europe or USA market. We will eventually use one of these speeds, if UK does change their limit it will most likely be 20mph.

 

[Danidl]

I want all the advantages of an electric motorbike with none of the social & legal responsibilities, it don't need any government body telling me what's safe as I know best.
And another thing, other people shouldn't be on MY cycle paths anywho

... And of course I want the right to drop my untreated sewerage anywhere I want, I expect totally unpolluted fresh water, the right to build my home from straw, to have no planning restrictions foisted on me oh and no taxes!.

 

[Danidl]

That's not true, 30mph not as fast as touring cyclists! Touring cyclists don't ride at anywhere near 30mph on the flat. Nearer 20mph is the best they usually ride at.

The current one hour world record is under 32 mph, riding a top class dedicated track bike on a smooth cycle track in lycra etc with perfect conditions.
.

.. I'm somewhat intrigued as to what the perfect conditions in lycra are. My mind is boggling!!!!

 

[flecc]

.. I'm somewhat intrigued as to what the perfect conditions in lycra are. My mind is boggling!!!!

In shiny skin hugging lycra and a streamlined helmet, the perfect cycling conditions are still air at an ideal temperature for peak efficiency.
.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Meanwhile on 20th century bikes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_record_(recumbents)

Note the absolute record with fairing is 92.432 km in one hour.

Then there is the flying 200 meter record 115.5 km/h in 2012 for trisled. You can buy a similar vélomobile today for road use for 16,500 AUD if you can handle a 16 meter turning circle... And if there are no speed bumps on your local roads...
http://trisled.com.au/hpv/avatar-2/

 

[Gaz]

In shiny skin hugging lycra and a streamlined helmet, the perfect cycling conditions are still air at an ideal temperature for peak efficiency.

With Melanie Sykes congratulating me at the end of it with a bag of chips and two pints of Boddingtons

(At least in my perfect cycling conditions)

Gaz