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Dominating front pages of our local paper these days, the Gloucestershire Echo, is the story of how a cyclist was pulled over and `ticked off` by police for travelling at an apparently `dangerous 23mph on a 40mph road. You have to wonder what the world is coming to when police have that much time on their hands that they can stop cyclists for excessive speed. He wasn`t cycling dangerously, he had a helmet, it wasn`t raining - is the crime rate really that low that they have this much time on their hands?
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I think a good case for sueing plod for unlawful detention is in there somewhere.
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My brother and I were onced stopped while on our bicycles for riding *with* lights to be greeted by the comment "Well done lads"
Yeah thanks - well worth you stopping mate - now go do something difficult like catching criminals - remember them?
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Antony,
Local newspapers, like a few national papers, concentrate on 'interesting' tales rather than reporting news. I very much doubt that your local paper reported the facts about the speeding cyclist, it printed a story to suit it's readers. Your criticisms of the police, based on a story, are unjustified. As for Guy Lacey's remarks, the police offered you compliments and encouragement, it probably took only a few seconds of their time, and it worked. You remembered !
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Guy,
Your post reminded me of the time (at age 20ish) when I got done for riding two on a push bike. I was with an old friend from school who had joined the army at the same time I went to sea at 16, and it was the the first time we had seen each other since, (both well the worse for wear). We both got £10 fines (1976ish) and then he got another week in the glass house for being done by a civil court.
Bill
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As a teenager I bought a speedo for my bike that showed up to 45mph. It was useless since even going down moderate hills in the Yorkshire Dales I was off the end of the scale with ease. The shop reluctantly took it back. On some hills I used to overtake cars and would estimate speeds in excess of 70mph. Thankfully there aren't many cops about in that patch.
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My brother had a friend who was stopped on a BSA Bantam, by plod who claimed he was doing 55mph. He asked for a signed statement to that effect, as he was trying to sell the thing; it need hardly be said that they would do nothing so decent as oblige, but they considerably reduced the reported figure!
Could a push-bike beat even a small motor bike?
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Yes a push bike can be faster. I remember having a sports moped in the unrestricted days, it was flat out and held back by the engine at about 65mph and it would go faster down the same hill with the clutch pulled in. Due to increased wind resistance I reckon my pedal bike was faster down there. Oh yes, the spot, Devil's Bridge on the Pateley Bridge to Grassington Road.
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Lance Armstrong averaged over 30mph during the time trials in the Tour de France. When I was cycle racing the best time over 10 miles being posted was sub 19 minutes which is >30mph which would show up a Honda Express with 15 stone passenger anyday.
As for me not forgetting the kind policeman who disregarded my civil liberties to tell me (patronise me) I was doing something right - it didn't stop me from riding the wrong way through 1-way streets, no lights, jumping red lights and cycling while intoxicated when a student in London! (please see earlier threads)
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Guy - you're spot-on mate - I remember those days on our Reynolds 531-framed racing bikes coming down off Exmoor etc at hedonistic speeds - remember those electronic speedos on the RH fork leg? We just had no fear then! Coming down a hill somewhere (can't remember where) I remember seeing 65 mph indicated and it sure felt fast!!
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The last time I "saw" 65 mph on my pushbike was a gorgeous sunny morning in the Ardennes circa 1986, creaming down a magnificent hill I had spent half an hour climbing up the other side of. The speedo was all I saw, everything else was a gorgeous blur of icy tears. That was on a state of the art, for the time, bike, and boy was I scared.
Memories, not even (off)white van man who left me with a limp shortly thereafter can take them away!
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........and we worry about cars travelling at these speeds. At least cars have a chance of stopping if someone steps out in the road (not on the downhill mountain run, but on country roads and in town)
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