Road racing, Illegal?
Author
Discussion

deltaf

Original Poster:

6,806 posts

275 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
Now, i understand that racing on the highway is ilegal, for drivers at least.
Why therefore are cycle races allowed on our roads?
Surely some of the idiots ive just seen need a good kicking for their behaviour.
Why is it that cyclists races are sanctioned on the roads but not for cars?

gone

6,649 posts

285 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
deltaf said:
Now, i understand that racing on the highway is ilegal, for drivers at least.
Why therefore are cycle races allowed on our roads?
Surely some of the idiots ive just seen need a good kicking for their behaviour.
Why is it that cyclists races are sanctioned on the roads but not for cars?


Deltaf, I am surprised you have asked that questionas it is fairly obvious.

Cyclists in these situations weigh around about the 10 to 13 stone mark. They rarely travel at over 40mph. If they fall off, they ususally only hurt themslves or those in their immediate vicinity in the race.

Cars racing on the road are capable of huge speed and devastating consequences if they get it wrong.

That is why cyclists and Masochists do things like that on the road (London Marathon to illustrate the point)

deltaf

Original Poster:

6,806 posts

275 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
I dunno mate, i wouldnt want a 13 stone cyclist ploughing into me at 40....
It just seems a rather odd state of affairs when its allowed....and look at all the manpower used and disruption too.
Thanks for the rapid response tho.


Dwight VanDriver

6,583 posts

266 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
D.

Cycle Racing (Time Trials) on the Highway is in fact strictly regulated by the Cyclists Union (or other named body that escapes me at the moment.)

They in fact have to give notification to the Authorities, numbers involved, route, time and date etc., who can then object to have cancelled/ modified.

So its not just an R's up head down jaunt.

Vehicle racing on the Highway strictly forbidden by law, unless you organise an F1. jobby round Brum when special dispensation can be obtained.

DVD

scuffham

20,887 posts

296 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
all I am going to say is that we get them all the time though here.

Total ignorant w4nkers, think they own the road, if your taking a strole (like people do on country lanes) they basically run you off the road, and if you are in a car, they expect you to pull over!

now I know why I need a bull bar on the front of my 4x4!

andygo

7,267 posts

277 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
They also ride about 7 abreast and gett really narked when you want to overtake them.

Also, one of the reasons cars can't race on the road is because they exceed the speed limit. Well I've seen bikes going well over 30 mph downhill in a 30 zone. How come they are not nicked for speeding?

Its a load of bollo ks

andygo

7,267 posts

277 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
They also ride about 7 abreast and gett really narked when you want to overtake them.

Also, one of the reasons cars can't race on the road is because they exceed the speed limit. Well I've seen bikes going well over 30 mph downhill in a 30 zone. How come they are not nicked for speeding?

Its a load of bollo ks

Tabs

1,068 posts

294 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
In my younger days I used to do a lot of time trials, setting off at minute intervals. We used to ride towards the centre of the road to build the traffic up behind us, and then pull over and catch the slipstream.

cptsideways

13,816 posts

274 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
It's because you are individually timed, not against each other, daft I know.


As for speeding...... I've been apprehended for exceeding the speed limit down Guildford North Street. Think we clock 45mph down there on a good day. However you can't be done as pushbikes dont have speedos.

Mind you we had those little electronic ones with a max speed readout !!

Before anyone says bikes can't stop I had disc brakes all round.

scuffham

20,887 posts

296 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
cptsideways said:
Before anyone says bikes can't stop I had disc brakes all round.


so?

you have naff all contact patch with the road = shit stopping distance (compaired to a car)

Big_M

5,602 posts

285 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
They regularly do time trials on the A12 in Essex - which is not the safest of roads at the best of times. Two have been killed in the last couple of years.

cptsideways

13,816 posts

274 months

Sunday 18th April 2004
quotequote all
scuffham said:

cptsideways said:
Before anyone says bikes can't stop I had disc brakes all round.



so?

you have naff all contact patch with the road = shit stopping distance (compaired to a car)


Contact patch over weight is what matters, would that be the same case with a motorbike then? which can outbrake a car massively eg 2g (except on a bend in the wet ok)

Northernboy

12,642 posts

279 months

Monday 19th April 2004
quotequote all
deltaf said:
Now, i understand that racing on the highway is ilegal, for drivers at least.
Why therefore are cycle races allowed on our roads?
Surely some of the idiots ive just seen need a good kicking for their behaviour.
Why is it that cyclists races are sanctioned on the roads but not for cars?


Erm, have you never heard of the RAC rally?

That's on public roads too.

The other points are valid, too. A cycle race is much less dangerous for those not involved. They also are controlled by the police, to make sure they are run safely.

streaky

19,311 posts

271 months

Monday 19th April 2004
quotequote all
scuffham said:
Total ignorant w4nkers, think they own the road, if your taking a strole (like people do on country lanes) they basically run you off the road, and if you are in a car, they expect you to pull over!

Apart from the antics of the racing cyclists, it's the marshals that get my goat. They appear to think they have the right to leap out in front of traffic and stop it to allow their cyclists out. This happened to me several times on the A556 in Cheshire.


cptsideways said:
As for speeding...... I've been apprehended for exceeding the speed limit down Guildford North Street. Think we clock 45mph down there on a good day.

cptsideways - try that down Guildford High Street!

Northernboy said:

Erm, have you never heard of the RAC rally?

That's on public roads too.

Northerboy - by definition, rallies are NOT "races". Unless the road is private or is closed by an Order in Parliament (eg. The Great Orme and Brighton Prom. in RACs of old), the timing of any timed road section must take the prevailing speed limits into account. The RAC Rally (as it was named) has no competitive stages over open public roads.

Streaky

cptsideways

13,816 posts

274 months

Monday 19th April 2004
quotequote all
streaky said:

cptsideways said:
As for speeding...... I've been apprehended for exceeding the speed limit down Guildford North Street. Think we clock 45mph down there on a good day.


cptsideways - try that down Guildford High Street!


I have I just never got caught (early AM I hasten to add) wet cobbles cause slight technicalities with stopping for the new barrier though.

my mate had a slight technicality with turning left by the Star though, I seem to recall he ended up in the pubs doorway after a night ride. It was rather amusing.

deltaf

Original Poster:

6,806 posts

275 months

Monday 19th April 2004
quotequote all
Northernboy said:

deltaf said:
Now, i understand that racing on the highway is ilegal, for drivers at least.
Why therefore are cycle races allowed on our roads?
Surely some of the idiots ive just seen need a good kicking for their behaviour.
Why is it that cyclists races are sanctioned on the roads but not for cars?



Erm, have you never heard of the RAC rally?

That's on public roads too.

The other points are valid, too. A cycle race is much less dangerous for those not involved. They also are controlled by the police, to make sure they are run safely.


Yes ive heard of the rac rally, im talking about racing for "ordinary" folks.

cazzo

15,749 posts

289 months

Monday 19th April 2004
quotequote all
Hmmm on my bike tax disc it says, for class of vehicle, "Bicycle" does this mean I can race it on the highway?

Flat in Fifth

47,757 posts

273 months

Monday 19th April 2004
quotequote all
streaky said:


Northernboy - by definition, rallies are NOT "races". Unless the road is private or is closed by an Order in Parliament (eg. The Great Orme and Brighton Prom. in RACs of old), the timing of any timed road section must take the prevailing speed limits into account. The RAC Rally (as it was named) has no competitive stages over open public roads.

Streaky


IIRC cycle races / time trials on open public roads come under a similar(ish) regime to road rallies with competitive sections. Motor Vehicles (Competition and Trials) Regulations 1969 refers.

However it is noted that road closures for cycle races seem to be more easily obtainable than those for motor sport.
The duration of the closure order is usually less than that for a rally but nevertheless.



scuffham

20,887 posts

296 months

Monday 19th April 2004
quotequote all
cptsideways said:

scuffham said:


cptsideways said:
Before anyone says bikes can't stop I had disc brakes all round.


so?

you have naff all contact patch with the road = shit stopping distance (compaired to a car)



Contact patch over weight is what matters, would that be the same case with a motorbike then? which can outbrake a car massively eg 2g (except on a bend in the wet ok)


sorry, that's total BS.

you seem to be ignoring all sorts of stuff, like COG of a push bike, (and motorbike for that matter)

no std road going bike can out-brake a simmilar performace road car, period

just try it, against something as mundane as a 106 or the like....

wiggy001

6,984 posts

293 months

Monday 19th April 2004
quotequote all
deltaf said:
Now, i understand that racing on the highway is ilegal, for drivers at least.
Why therefore are cycle races allowed on our roads?
Surely some of the idiots ive just seen need a good kicking for their behaviour.
Why is it that cyclists races are sanctioned on the roads but not for cars?


Because cycles don't have a numberplate, and are therefore exempt from all road law.