Is there special provision on road law for bike races?

[AA999]

Just a general question : as motor vehicles are specifically prohibited from racing on public roads and generally special permissions have to be given even for the likes of Rally cars that use public roads between timed stages.... does the same apply for bicycle races and time trials?

Similarly any grouping of cars more than 12(?) is generally classed as illegal (or used to be I think), .....I'm guessing this law doesn't apply to groupings of other road using vehicles? (bicycles)


I know this is likely to stir up a car vs bicycle rant from some, but its not really my intention in this thread to do that (honestly!)


One of the reasons I ask is that where I live they often do bicycle time trials on one of the main 'A' roads. They used to have "cycle race" boards out to warn traffic of their presence on the road, but now they only use "cycle event" boards due to them thinking that "racing" on public roads is illegal, even for bicycles.

[AA999]

Thanks for those links. Just had a quick scan through them.
I guess its more or less the same 'law/regulations' as for motor racing on public roads:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/part/I...

[AA999]

flemke said:

In the case of that video, the cyclists who cut the corner had the "protection" of many other cyclists around and behind them.

Thats very nice of the other cyclists to have provided that for them. But not seemingly protection from the dashcam car?
But another concern on behalf of the motorist is that; was the law recently changed to make it an automatic stance that the motorist is to blame if there is an injury cause between car and cyclist? With the burden of proof required to show that the cyclist was in the wrong rather that what would often be a "knock for knock" case if it were car vs car ?

(I stand to be corrected of course)