To Overtake or Not

[Alex321]

20mph limits are to allow everyone safe and equitable use of public space.

Cyclists ignoring them is a twattish thing to do. Does it really need to be spelled out why?

Yes, it very much does.

Please tell us exactly why you (wrongly IMO) believe it is always and automatically a "twattish" thing to do.

 

[MontyVeda]

20mph limits are to allow everyone safe and equitable use of public space.

Cyclists ignoring them is a twattish thing to do. Does it really need to be spelled out why?

i was asking about speeds below 20mph. Not sure if that needed spelling out to you.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Yes, it very much does.

Please tell us exactly why you (wrongly IMO) believe it is always and automatically a "twattish" thing to do.

Honestly, I can't be arsed. If it's not immediately obvious why not just speeding, but overtaking other vehicles obeying the speed limit, in a residential area (20 mph zones are in residential areas) then I'm sure nothing I can write will penetrate.

It's self evidently twattish.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

i was asking about speeds below 20mph. Not sure if that needed spelling out to you.

I wasn't, and I'm not following you off topic.

 

[Alex321]

Honestly, I can't be arsed. If it's not immediately obvious why not just speeding, but overtaking other vehicles obeying the speed limit, in a residential area (20 mph zones are in residential areas)

When did they change the new rules coming in to make that true?

Remember this thread started because of the new rules coming in Wales in September making the default limit for all restricted roads (I.e those with street lighting) into 20 limits instead of the current 30.

Many of those are NOT residential areas.

then I'm sure nothing I can write will penetrate.

It's self evidently twattish.

What you mean is that you don't actually know why, so you can't explain it, you just personally feel that it is "twattish".

Which is a perfectly reasonable opinion, but not one you can force on others - and it is clear from this thread that many don't share it.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Many of those are NOT residential areas.

...Restricted roads are usually located in residential and built-up areas where there are lots of people...
...We recognise not all roads with a currently at 30mph limit will be suitable to change to 20mph. These roads will be known as exceptions. Local Authorities will consider with their communities which roads should remain at 30mph and there will be 30mph signs to tell you this....
https://www.gov.wales/introducing-default-20mph-speed-limits

The idea that cyclists should not just ignore these, but overtake motorists complying with them, is utterly twattish.

 

[wiggydiggy]

...Restricted roads are usually located in residential and built-up areas where there are lots of people...
...We recognise not all roads with a currently at 30mph limit will be suitable to change to 20mph. These roads will be known as exceptions. Local Authorities will consider with their communities which roads should remain at 30mph and there will be 30mph signs to tell you this....
https://www.gov.wales/introducing-default-20mph-speed-limits

The idea that cyclists should not just ignore these, but overtake motorists complying with them, is utterly twattish.

That almost seems like a sensible approach for a council!

 

[Time Waster]

I think I've posted why and I didn't need to upset you by calling it twattish. I prefer to call it poor cycling etiquette. But then I'm polite about these things.

Since when is it good to consider cycling exceptionalism from the spirit of speeding legislation even if the letter of the law excludes us? What other safety related regulations do you think we should be excluded from?

 

[byegad]

I rarely get over 20mph, unless it's down a hill. Given 20mph limits raises expectations of pedestrians bimbling into the road I'd hang back.

 

[DaveReading]

Whats the reason for the 20 limit ? Safety and pollution ?

Both.

While studies show that 30 to 20 doesn't produce much change in exhaust emissions, the resulting reduction in acceleration/deceleration does have a significant effect in reducing particulate emissions from tyres and brakes.

 

[cougie uk]

Certainly do NOT do what I did as a kid on the hill down Beryl Road
And start to overtake and slow down so you can read his speedometer,,

In Oxton ? That's some hill. I had the KOM going up in the early days of Strava.

 

[Dogtrousers]

The question's moot as far as I'm concerned as I rarely go over 20mph. Certainly not in built up areas with loads of hazards, turnings, parked cars, pedestrians crossing and so on which is what the 20mph zones where I live are like.

But in the incredibly unlikely circumstances that I was going over 20mph by a significant amount and capable of maintaining it for some distance, making an overtake worthwhile, and it was safe to overtake, and there happened to be a car going at at or under 20 mph then ... No, I wouldn't overtake it. I'd adjust my speed to that of the car.

But it ain't going to happen.

Drivers have to put up with the fact that I'm slower than them so in the incredibly unlikely event that the tables were turned, I'd return the favour.

 

[Solocle]

In Oxton ? That's some hill. I had the KOM going up in the early days of Strava.

My Otley descent I never was in the top 10, but I was higher up until the UCI Worlds came through in 2019

I'm actually faster than about half of the pros though!

 

[DogmaStu]

For the avoidance of doubt, I'm No. 1.1

TWAT
noun
VULGAR SLANG

1. 1.
   BRITISH
   a stupid or obnoxious person.
2. 2.
   a woman's genitals.

I tend to get out into country lanes as soon as possible so I spend relatively little time in built-up areas. But, in my local 20mph zones near my home...I've just checked and I have one KOM at 35.4mph average and another at 29mph. Most of my sprint KOM's are over 30mph, the fastest at 37.2mph, and they're all over so who knows, probably more 20 and 30mph limits broken. Since moving to Yorkshire in January, I've taken over 60 of them so I'm a serial 'law-breaker' / 'twat'.

As a motorist however, I left speeding behind many years ago and I am very diligently adherent to the speed limits.

I'm comfortable with my choices.

 

[vickster]

My Otley descent I never was in the top 10, but I was higher up until the UCI Worlds came through in 2019

I'm actually faster than about half of the pros though!
View attachment 702153

He said going up not down (which you meant with descent?)

Personally I wouldn’t overtake a car doing 20 even if I could…I did overtake a learner the other day doing about 10 in a 20 after s/he pulled out in front of me and failed to accelerate. Hope s/he wasn’t on test!