Do cycle lanes have speed limits?

[RoadBikeRecommendation]

Nice tailwind on the seafront this evening meant my speed was just a smidge under 30mph so opted to stay on the road instead of using the first part of the cycle path. The surface isn't great and there were plenty of slower riders and kids about. Couldn't believe even though I was almost doing the speed limit still got shouted at from a passing car telling me to get in the cycle lane (with accompanying hand gestures).

Anyway back on topic. Is there an official speed limit for cycle lanes? Further down the seafront in a clear section of the cycle path I was up in the high 30s (mainly to catch said motorist and pass him. . . .I'm not petty).

 

[HLaB]

Some off road cycle paths have advisory speed limits (of say 15mph) and its recommended that in excess of 18mph you use the road but there are no official speed limit for on road cycle lanes.

 

[Red Light]

Speed limits do not apply to bicycles anyway, only motor vehicles. There are no speed limits therefore for cycle lanes although its worth being aware that the maximum design speed for a cycle track is quite low.

 

[sabian92]

Speed limits do not apply to bicycles anyway, only motor vehicles. There are no speed limits therefore for cycle lanes although its worth being aware that the maximum design speed for a cycle track is quite low.

Partially true.

In Royal Parks there are speed limits for bicycles and you are able to be penalised for speeding.

Sorry to be a pedantic so-and-so

But other than that, no. Bikes don't have a speed limit on any road they use so in theory you can do 80mph down your local high street and it's totally legal.

 

[Pauluk]

Although there is no speed limit for bicycles (except when local laws may be applied by councils in some areas like parks) the Police may still prosecute you for a related offense such as furious cycling/pedaling, always assuming they can reasonably prove it

 

[gambatte]

the Police may still prosecute you for a related offense such as furious cycling/pedaling, always assuming they can reasonably prove it

Always wondered about this, as anything over 35mph I seem to have max'd out and given up on the pedalling and I'm gaining speed with the gradient and my position on the bike

 

[Recycler]

I've always worked on the basis of working to the limit that applies to cars. Most of the time it's no problem (!) but when I'm in a 20mph zone it only seems fair to work to that.

 

[Recycler]

. Bikes don't have a speed limit on any road they use so in theory you can do 80mph down your local high street and it's totally legal.

Try that and they'll do you for "Wanton and Furious driving."
http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/prosecution/pbd_policy.html#_27

 

[Pauluk]

Think the only time I'm in danger of breaking the road speed limit is either going down a really steep hill or if I got my braces accidentally wrapped round a car door mirror

 

[Berties]

I went along a private mod road last night and they had one of the smiley face speed reminders it said 27 it just mad me smile ,it is a 30 zone so I will I'm to get it to look sad, no harm trying!

 

[MattHB]

I've always worked on the basis of working to the limit that applies to cars. Most of the time it's no problem (!) but when I'm in a 20mph zone it only seems fair to work to that.

Speed limits are designed around reaction and stopping times combined with the likelihood of the need to pull up suddenly.. So a motor vehicle, being much heavier should need a lower speed limit than a pedal bike (assuming ones breaks work ok). Also you're likely to do much less damage for the same reason.

I'd still stick to the 20 myself though as well, partly because I would flow in any traffic better.

 

[Pauluk]

Speed limits are designed around reaction and stopping times combined with the likelihood of the need to pull up suddenly.. So a motor vehicle, being much heavier should need a lower speed limit than a pedal bike (assuming ones breaks work ok). Also you're likely to do much less damage for the same reason.

I wondered if its just that the people writing the rule book just forgot cycles in the tables or just thought they don't go fast anyway.

 

[Recycler]

Speed limits are designed around reaction and stopping times combined with the likelihood of the need to pull up suddenly.. So a motor vehicle, being much heavier should need a lower speed limit than a pedal bike (assuming ones breaks work ok). Also you're likely to do much less damage for the same reason..

You're right that a bike would do less damage but I very much doubt that stopping distances of cars are greater than bikes. They may be heavier but they have four, considerably larger, servo operated brakes usually with ABS which are designed to bring a car to a stop from speeds in excess of 100mph. The best bike disc brakes may be pretty good but I would be surprised if the typical brakes on a road bike give the stopping power of a car.

 

[Matthew_T]

The speed limit for shared use paths is 12mph (from someone on one of my videos) but I dont know about specific cycle lanes or paths. Noone actually does the speeds set and the police will not pull you over about it unless you are cycling dangerously and weaving through people at high speeds.

 

[MrJamie]

Its fun to set a Strava segment over 5mph/10mph cycle paths so you can see how crazily fast some people go over them

You're right that a bike would do less damage but I very much doubt that stopping distances of cars are greater than bikes. They may be heavier but they have four, considerably larger, servo operated brakes usually with ABS which are designed to bring a car to a stop from speeds in excess of 100mph. The best bike disc brakes may be pretty good but I would be surprised if the typical brakes on a road bike give the stopping power of a car.

I had a quick google and bumped into an old CC thread! http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/braking-distance-car-vs-bike.59761/ It does look possible that a bike could outbrake a car, but it would definitely be a lot easier to get wrong and ABS allows cars to swerve quite heavily under braking which we cant really do at all on a bike.