You're all breaking the law!

[Shut Up Legs]

C

as it will be a cold day in hell before you ever get pulled up by the police for not having reflectors on your bike.

Or a normal day in Australia.

 

[steveindenmark]

I was mildly amused to find that even carbon road bikes come with a little bag of reflectors and a bell, which I'm guessing is to comply with the aforementioned point of sale regulation.

I bought a bell for my carbon road bike.

I use 2 lights to the front and 2 to the rear and thought a bell would be more useful than reflectors.

I was right.

 

[jefmcg]

As for a bell...... again the law says: "Bikes at the point of sale have to be fitted with bells, but there is no law saying they must be fitted to bicycles no longer on shop display." So, basically, it seems that the bike shop can take the bell off a display bike once it is sold and no longer on display!!

No, it has to be fitted with a bell at the point of sale; that is the moment that the bicycle changes hands. After that, the dealer can't remove the bell, as it is now your bell on your bike. You could give it back to him (or ask him to remove it), but that is your decision as the new owner.

 

[jefmcg]

NSW (Australia) has introduced fines for not having a bell - $106.

To get an idea of how serious an offence this is - the fine for going 10km over the speed limit is $109.

 

[MistaDee]

Many motorists don't see my lights, head torch or high vis.. Im pretty sure reflective pedals does not change everything.

 

[bikeman66]

Then the seller hasn't broken the related point-of-sale regulation, but it doesn't change duty of the rider who rides it at night.


I've put pedals with amber reflectors onto a 1983 bike, mainly because I like the particular pedals. Am I a bad person?

......so you have made a decision to actually fit pedals with reflectors on to a bike which, at night, as approached from the rear, will make it obvious you are a cyclist!

According to your posts in another thread regarding back lights........this will give motorists early warning there is a "bloody cyclist" ahead, and give them a few precious seconds to prepare insults and to plan how they can cut you up or perhaps even clip you with their wing mirrors most effectively!

The two situations don't go together.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I use 2 lights to the front and 2 to the rear and thought a bell would be more useful than reflectors.
I was right.

How do you know, Steve?

Many motorists don't see my lights, head torch or high vis.

How do you know, Mr D?

 

[Dogtrousers]

The only thing that really bothers me about this is if I were to get rear-ended, despite showing several rear lights and having retro-reflectives on my clothing and shoes, an insurance company could bring up my technical illegality.

 

[snorri]

As part of a bike refurb. project I decided to relace the broken pedal reflectors and went along to my lbs for replacements. The shop owner quickly found the reflectors but was obviously struggling to find suitable nuts and washers.
It seems he regarded me as a bit of a cheapskate, he told me "Most people just fit new pedals".
Aye right!

 

[bikeman66]

The only thing that really bothers me about this is if I were to get rear-ended, despite showing several rear lights and having retro-reflectives on my clothing and shoes, an insurance company could bring up my technical illegality.

That's the grey area I guess. I'm the same......I don't think I could be too much more visible on the road at night, despite a lack of wheel, rear and pedal reflectors. If anyone arse-ended me, it would be because of their own lack of attention, not because of my lack of visibility.......but some lawyers would turn that around in the blink of an eye I suppose.

 

[steveindenmark]

How do you know, Steve?

How do you know, Mr D?

Because there are no reflectors on my pedals and I am still here to tell the tale.

People move when I ding my bell on the cycle path.

Conclusive proof I was right. I believe.

 

[steveindenmark]

The only thing that really bothers me about this is if I were to get rear-ended, despite showing several rear lights and having retro-reflectives on my clothing and shoes, an insurance company could bring up my technical illegality.[/QUOTE

If you could show me an example where this has happened I would consider your point as valid. But it comes under the "What if" syndrome, which is never ending and rarely proven.

 

[Brand X]

Following on from the thread on rear lights, I had a read of the current Highway Code. Rule 60 says thus,

Rule 60
At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you to be seen. Flashing lights are permitted but it is recommended that cyclists who are riding in areas without street lighting use a steady front lamp.

OK regarding front and rear lights but, your cycle MUST have a a red rear reflector. Mine doesn't. It was supplied brand new last year without one. What about the amber pedal reflectors? My bike did come with them but I have since changed the pedals for the clip-less type so the bike is not ridden with the pedal reflectors anymore.

I can't find anything about I must have a bell though.

So what shall I do?

A) Fit reflector to the rear and swap the pedals for the flat ones with amber reflectors
B) Stop riding the bike immediately
or
C) Hand myself in to the nearest police station

I guess that law was written before clipless pedals became a big thing, but being a driver more often than a cyclist, I can say those amber strips on the pedals can be a lifesaver for dopey bicycle riders who are riding in low light wearing army surplus camo jackets; the up and down motion of the reflectors is eye-catching in the dark.
Shoes with reflective strips in the heels maybe?

The red rear reflector IS essential, the same as on a motorcycle: If your rear light fails and you don't notice, the red reflector acts as a back-up.

 

[I like Skol]

People move when I ding my bell on the cycle path.

[ANECDOTE="I Like Skol"]When riding on a shared cyclepath with my 10yr old son riding in front we came a cross a group of pedestrians spread out across the entire path (a converted railway so reasonably wide). As we approached I clearly instructed my son to slow down and wait until they knew he was there so he could pass. They obviously heard this (as intended) and one of the party whipped round and aggressively asked "Why don't you have a bell?"
I couldn't be arsed with the obvious answer that I have a voice and my usual method of saying 'excuse me' or 'please can I get past' seems much more polite than someone furiously pinging their bell which can be misinterpreted as 'Get out of my f'in way!'[/ANECDOTE]

 

[si_c]

Given my bikes were originally manufactured prior to 1985 (MTB excepted) they are exempt from the pedal reflector requirements, although I have a red rear reflector on each of the mudguards.

I was initially quite skeptical about how effective the pedal reflectors would be, however I was riding with Mrs C earlier this year, and she has pedal reflectors, and I was astonished as to how attention grabbing they actually are. Far more visible than the red reflector or lights she was using, which I put to the up and down movement of the lights. So much so that I'm seriously considering some PD-T400s for my commuter.