Was I caught by an electric bike?

On 06/03/11 12:52, Erik Vastmasd wrote:
I caught a glimpse of on Sun, 06 Mar 2011
07:11:19 +1100, writing in aus.bicycle:

The RTA have some restrictions on the motor capacity which I think
something like over 200W??? motors have to be registered.

That is correct and there is the further restriction of not being
allowed to exceed 20kph.

25km/h I think, plus the motor cuts out at speeds over that or is
supposed to, so if you are cycling along the flat at 30km/h the motor is
not assisting.


Although there is a movement pressing to allow for unregistered electric
bicycles in excess of 200w.

well hopefully they will up the power to 250W, wait and see

On Mar 6, 2:34*pm, "Theo Bekkers" wrote:
"Geoff Lock" glock@home wrote

On 6/03/2011 7:08 AM, Rob wrote:
On 5/03/2011 4:55 PM, Geoff Lock wrote:
The postie bike I saw in Canterbury had the motor in the rear hub. It
was hardly noticeable and at first I thought it was one of those hubs
which had the brakes built into it - you know the ones I mean, where you
pedal backwards and the brakes kick in - dunno what the correct name is
for them.

Ah! back peddle brakes?

Yeah? You having me on, aren't you?

Except for the spelling, no. Back pedal brakes, also known as coaster brakes
were pretty much standard on most bikes when I was a kid.

Theo

Aah, those were the days....

Tony F

On Mar 6, 1:40*pm, Geoff Lock glock@home wrote:
On 6/03/2011 7:11 AM, Rob wrote:

On 5/03/2011 2:03 PM, Erik Vastmasd wrote:
I caught a glimpse of Geoff Lockglock@home on Sat, 05 Mar 2011
05:27:17 +1100, writing in aus.bicycle:

Well, a coupla days ago, I was saying how I was caught at the lights by
a female on a girly bike with a basket up front.

I just read this in the Sydney Morning Herald.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/we-want-la...ists-embrace-e....
The RTA have some restrictions on the motor capacity which I think
something like over 200W??? motors have to be registered.

Max for ANY motor is 200W - more than that and you need to register the
vehicle.

Uner the Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Act 1999

ROAD RULES 2008

"bicycle" means a vehicle with 2 or more wheels that is built to be
propelled by human power through a belt, chain or gears (whether or not
it has an auxiliary motor), and:

* * *(a) includes a pedicab, penny-farthing and tricycle, but

* * *(b) does not include a wheelchair, wheeled recreational device,
wheeled toy, or any vehicle with an auxiliary motor capable of
generating a power output over 200 watts (whether or not the motor is
operating).

The SMH article above talks of moves to take it to 250W to bring us into
line with the Europeans so that we can import more models.

Yeah, but the police enforce the Act, not the standard, which only
applies to importers and sellers of new bikes.
So the 200W limit stays.

That is correct and there is the further restriction of not being
allowed to exceed 20kph.

Where ? There is no such law in the SA Motor Vehicles Act.
It's impossible to enforce anyway as bikes are not required to have
speedometers.

In aus.bicycle on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:20:51 -0700 (PDT)
person wrote:
On Mar 6, 1:40Â*pm, Geoff Lock glock@home wrote:
On 6/03/2011 7:11 AM, Rob wrote:
The SMH article above talks of moves to take it to 250W to bring us into
line with the Europeans so that we can import more models.

Yeah, but the police enforce the Act, not the standard, which only
applies to importers and sellers of new bikes.
So the 200W limit stays.

The rumour is that the NSW legislation will change, but the bods I've
talked to say it's a year away minimum.


That is correct and there is the further restriction of not being
allowed to exceed 20kph.

Where ? There is no such law in the SA Motor Vehicles Act.
It's impossible to enforce anyway as bikes are not required to have
speedometers.

Doesn't matter. Like all speed restrictions you are responsible for
not breaking the law. No speedo or no working speedo is irrelevant.

Zebee
- who owns a legal motorcycle with no speedo. And has had no
speeding tickets on it, but knows lack of a speedo won't nullify
the ticket.

On Mar 25, 4:04*pm, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
In aus.bicycle on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:20:51 -0700 (PDT)

person wrote:
On Mar 6, 1:40*pm, Geoff Lock glock@home wrote:
On 6/03/2011 7:11 AM, Rob wrote:
The SMH article above talks of moves to take it to 250W to bring us into
line with the Europeans so that we can import more models.

Yeah, but the police enforce the Act, not the standard, which only
applies to importers and sellers of new bikes.
So the 200W limit stays.

The rumour is that the NSW legislation will change, but the bods I've
talked to say it's a year away minimum.



That is correct and there is the further restriction of not being
allowed to exceed 20kph.

Where ? *There is no such law in the SA Motor Vehicles Act.
It's impossible to enforce anyway as bikes are not required to have
speedometers.

Doesn't matter. *Like all speed restrictions you are responsible for
not breaking the law. *No speedo or no working speedo is irrelevant.

Zebee
*- who owns a legal motorcycle with no speedo. *And has had no
* *speeding tickets on it, but knows lack of a speedo won't nullify
the ticket.

Can't find anywhere in SA Motor Vehicles Act referring to speed limits
for bicycles.

The speed fine legislation only refers to "motor vehicles".
You can still get busted for "failure to be in control of a vehicle"
or "reckless driving" though.

Motorcycles not fitted with speedometers are NOT legal on public roads.

person wrote:
On Mar 25, 4:04 pm, Zebee wrote:
In aus.bicycle on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:20:51 -0700 (PDT)

wrote:
On Mar 6, 1:40 pm, Geoff Lockglock@home wrote:
On 6/03/2011 7:11 AM, Rob wrote:
The SMH article above talks of moves to take it to 250W to bring us into
line with the Europeans so that we can import more models.

Yeah, but the police enforce the Act, not the standard, which only
applies to importers and sellers of new bikes.
So the 200W limit stays.

The rumour is that the NSW legislation will change, but the bods I've
talked to say it's a year away minimum.



That is correct and there is the further restriction of not being
allowed to exceed 20kph.

Where ? There is no such law in the SA Motor Vehicles Act.
It's impossible to enforce anyway as bikes are not required to have
speedometers.

Doesn't matter. Like all speed restrictions you are responsible for
not breaking the law. No speedo or no working speedo is irrelevant.

Zebee
- who owns a legal motorcycle with no speedo. And has had no
speeding tickets on it, but knows lack of a speedo won't nullify
the ticket.

Can't find anywhere in SA Motor Vehicles Act referring to speed limits
for bicycles.

The speed fine legislation only refers to "motor vehicles".
You can still get busted for "failure to be in control of a vehicle"
or "reckless driving" though.

Motorcycles not fitted with speedometers are NOT legal on public roads.

I would not be so sure with that statement and I am certain you are wrong

person wrote:

Can't find anywhere in SA Motor Vehicles Act referring to speed limits
for bicycles.

At least at one time, "no speed limits in the ACT apply to
cyclists on or off the road." - see archived article from
http://web.archive.org/web/200404210.../about/law.htm

However, in recent times I have seen speed limit signs up on
certain shared paths in the ACT. And in Brisbane. The safe
assumption is that these are enforcable. But maybe they're a
bluff, like the "Pedestrians beware of trucks crossing" signs
on some footpaths.

I do wonder about the applicability of general traffic speed
limits to bicycles in individual states. In my experience, it's
no use asking the police because they don't know (although
doubtless some are prepared to assume they do).

John

On 6/04/2011 6:45 AM, John Henderson wrote:
person wrote:

Can't find anywhere in SA Motor Vehicles Act referring to speed limits
for bicycles.

At least at one time, "no speed limits in the ACT apply to
cyclists on or off the road." - see archived article from
http://web.archive.org/web/200404210.../about/law.htm

However, in recent times I have seen speed limit signs up on
certain shared paths in the ACT. And in Brisbane. The safe
assumption is that these are enforcable. But maybe they're a
bluff, like the "Pedestrians beware of trucks crossing" signs
on some footpaths.

I do wonder about the applicability of general traffic speed
limits to bicycles in individual states. In my experience, it's
no use asking the police because they don't know (although
doubtless some are prepared to assume they do).

John

Like to see what your local politician can come up with, if you wrote to
them. That would give them something to do.

On 6/04/2011 6:45 AM, John Henderson wrote:
person wrote:

Can't find anywhere in SA Motor Vehicles Act referring to speed limits
for bicycles.

At least at one time, "no speed limits in the ACT apply to
cyclists on or off the road." - see archived article from
http://web.archive.org/web/200404210.../about/law.htm

However, in recent times I have seen speed limit signs up on
certain shared paths in the ACT. And in Brisbane. The safe
assumption is that these are enforcable. But maybe they're a
bluff, like the "Pedestrians beware of trucks crossing" signs
on some footpaths.

In NSW, if it is a speed limit sign, it must be obeyed.

From Road Rules 2008, Regulation 21

"Speed limit where a speed limit sign applies

21 Speed limit where a speed limit sign applies

(1) The speed limit applying to a driver for a length of road to
which a speed limit sign applies is the number of kilometres per hour
indicated by the number on the sign.

....."


I do wonder about the applicability of general traffic speed
limits to bicycles in individual states. In my experience, it's
no use asking the police because they don't know (although
doubtless some are prepared to assume they do).

From my reading of the Road Rules 2008, it would appear that in NSW, a
cyclist is simply just a driver of a vehicle and is subject to whatever
the Road Rules dictates in regards to speed limits.

On Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:23:09 +1000, Geoff Lock glock@home wrote:

On 6/04/2011 6:45 AM, John Henderson wrote:
person wrote:

Can't find anywhere in SA Motor Vehicles Act referring to speed limits
for bicycles.

At least at one time, "no speed limits in the ACT apply to
cyclists on or off the road." - see archived article from
http://web.archive.org/web/200404210.../about/law.htm

However, in recent times I have seen speed limit signs up on
certain shared paths in the ACT. And in Brisbane. The safe
assumption is that these are enforcable. But maybe they're a
bluff, like the "Pedestrians beware of trucks crossing" signs
on some footpaths.

In NSW, if it is a speed limit sign, it must be obeyed.

From Road Rules 2008, Regulation 21

"Speed limit where a speed limit sign applies

21 Speed limit where a speed limit sign applies

(1) The speed limit applying to a driver for a length of road to
which a speed limit sign applies is the number of kilometres per hour
indicated by the number on the sign.

...."


I do wonder about the applicability of general traffic speed
limits to bicycles in individual states. In my experience, it's
no use asking the police because they don't know (although
doubtless some are prepared to assume they do).

From my reading of the Road Rules 2008, it would appear that in NSW, a
cyclist is simply just a driver of a vehicle and is subject to whatever
the Road Rules dictates in regards to speed limits.

In NSW a bicycle is considered a "vehicle" and the general road rules
apply unless a "bicycle" is specifically identified, ie give way, stop
red lights....same rule apply as to cars and truckes.
Ride like your life depended on it !