Is racing on the road illegal?

[Pale Rider]

I've been wondering for some time if racing a push bike on the road is illegal.

Leaving sportive rules aside, if say, six cyclists start from point A at the same time and race to point B, what laws are broken?

It may be I'm confusing official disinterest/blind eye turning with legality, but apart from an arcane charge such as 'wanton and furious riding', I can't immediately think what laws the group of riders in my example would be breaking.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

if say, six cars/mortorcycles/lorries/white vans/dog carts/pony and traps/runners/greyhounds/horses start from point A at the same time and race to point B, what laws are broken?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

more helpfully and less snarkily http://www.southeastcycling.co.uk/news/cycleracingadmin2.htm

 

[Pale Rider]

more helpfully and less snarkily http://www.southeastcycling.co.uk/news/cycleracingadmin2.htm

According to that, cycle racing on the road is legal if you tell the coppers in advance and do it nicely.

 

[shortone]

A set of signs inforcing a court order to prevent car cruising and racing on the road has had to be put on our industrial estate (Hams Hall, Coleshill). Up until the court action the police could only move them on and give them tickets for the iliegal mods on there cars.

 

[Matthew_T]

Isnt a club ride effectively a race? After all, you are all highly paced and cycling together to get from point A to point A?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Isnt a club ride effectively a race? After all, you are all highly paced and cycling together to get from point A to point A?

No. Nobody wins a club ride

 

[Rob3rt]

Isnt a club ride effectively a race? After all, you are all highly paced and cycling together to get from point A to point A?

No!

 

[Matthew_T]

No. Nobody wins a club ride

Tell that to some members

 

[VamP]

Isnt a club ride effectively a race? After all, you are all highly paced and cycling plodding along together to get from point A to point A?

FTFY

 

[400bhp]

No. Nobody wins a club ride

Everyone on a club ride is a winner.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Strava would be guilty of encouraging racing if this was the case, they have a scoring and ranking system and titles for the top... sounds like racing to me

 

[Trickedem]

A fast paced dash to the breakfast cafe on a FNRTTC could be construed as racing in some eyes. There is even a prize for the winner

 

[Kookas]

What is racing?

Speeding laws don't apply to bikes, so if you, in your racing, hit 40mph in a 30, the cops can't do much unless there is a bylaw.

You'll have to stop at red, which will kill your buzz a bit, but so will all the other riders.

How would the council know a group of cyclists were 'racing' and not just commuting quickly within close proximity of each other?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Isnt a club ride effectively a race? After all, you are all highly paced and cycling together to get from point A to point A?

I've done some club runs that have had me wondering. From what club members have told me about what goes into organizing the club TT's it sounds like theres a lot of paperwork, risk assessments etc, but once you've gone through that its ok.