Question for professional bicycle riders?

Question

Are you required by law to drive the posted speed limit on your bicycle? How fast can a bike go safely? How can you take up a whole lane going at a turtles pace without causing complete havoc on the road?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25695376/

Answer 1

yes, you can get a speeding ticket, if you found a cop in a bad mood that wanted to mess with it.  cyclist are required to follow the traffic laws.

i have had my bike up into the 50+mph range on steep downhills.  if the bike is tuned and sharp so it doesnt set up any vibrations or anything, i suppose the top speed would be up to what you had the nerve to do.

a cyclist shouldnt take up a whole lane.  you should claim your space, but have the curtesy to leave room for cars to work around you.  the cars have a part in this too.  you are a slow moving vehicle under the law, and just like a farm tractor or other such thing, it is the drivers that are required to make a safe pass.  cyclists are not obligated to get out of thier way.  they are obligated to pass correctly and safely.

in my opinion, a cyclist loses a fight with a car every time.  because of this, i believe every cyclist is an ambassidor for cycling.  we need to follow the rules and be polite.  nothing ticks me off more than a cyclist breaking all the rules, flipping drivers off and being a horses tail.  that just sets it in the drivers to have a chip toward bikers, and the next biker pays the price when they have a melt down.  we all need to be ambassidors of our sport and build goodwill, not ill will.

Answer 2

I'm not a professional cyclist but I have been cycling for 30 years and the few serious accidents I've had have all been the result of straightforward carelesness on the part of the vehicle driver- e.g. reversing straight into me as I cycled around a corner- and nothing I did could have prevented them. Car drivers are looking for other cars and trucks etc. not bikes and no matter what speed you travel at you will never be 100% safe which is why you have to be totally aware at all times and make every effort to ride responsibly.

Answer 3

Under the law, bicycles are considered vehicles and expected to obey all the traffic laws, including speed limit. If you are going slower than traffic, you are expected to be over to the right, and not taking up an entire lane. As for speed, it depends on the type of bicycle and the cyclist.

Bikes can go anywhere from 2 mph to 35+ mph. Mountain bikes are slower, they tend to go 10-12 mph. Road bikes are built for speed. Most cyclists, even beginners, can get road bikes to go 20+ mph on a flat road. If it's a expensive light bike and a very fit, experienced cyclist, they can go 35-40+ mph. Some of the people on the tour de France are amazingly fast. Recumbant bicycles are also very fast.

Other bicycles, such as touring, hybrid, comfort, beach cruiser, fixed gear, will go somewhere between mountain and road bike speeds.

Answer 4

in ontario a cyclist on his bike without a motor cannot get a speeding ticket.

some roads are so narrow i end up taking a whole lane anyway.

also when you do end up approaching or exceeding the speed limit cars will not have an issue giving you your space.