Is my Bike a "Cycle"

[Blurb]

Strictly yes according to unnamed police officer in central London.

So question is as follows... The A201(?) Farringdon road through central London is shut southbound for major repairs. However, there is still a through route south... Marked with cones.. In which a sign says No Ahead Except Cycles.

The coned area is a bus lane in which motorcycles are specifically permitted. There are no little pictures of a bicycle. I would say the intention is clearly for bicycles because no one officiating traffic in London gives a flying f about motorbikes... However, letter of the law is a cycle includes motorbikes.

So... What would you do? and does anyone know a bylaw that explains cycles in more detail.

I drove down it this morning and will wait adequate time to see if I get a ticket. I'll let you London riders know the outcome unless anyone can add their 2 pennies.

Yes... I am being pedantic and I don't care!

[Sid Squid]

Yes and no.

The term 'cycle' doesn't specifically mean pushbike or motorcycle, and is also part of the term 'quadricycle' better known as car to most of us.

Your motorcycle is a bicycle, (look at your tax disc - that's the taxation class), that just means it has two wheels.

You can't use a cycle lane, or a bus lane that has the pushbike symbol. The remaining bit of road through the roadworks you refer to - what specifically is the signage?

[Blurb]

That's just it, the only signage (currently) is the circular No Ahead Except Cycles. The path that remains is made of cones and directs the cycles along a road that was formerly a bus lane which permits motorbikes.

So my reasoning is... It permits unspecified cycles and there will be no bus lane camera that would accidentally snap me.

The coned area (from the limited width) is clearly intended for a cycle powered by a suicidal idiot rather than a v-twin however, if they havnt specified bicycles then why should I detour?

Similarly a sign saying no left turn except cycles... Would a motorbike be permitted to make the turn.

ALL OF THIS assumes the absence of a picture.

[Sid Squid]

Well seeing as the lane in question ordinarily allows motorcycles, I can't see how there would be any restriction in your using it. As to the use of 'cycle', in UK road signage that always means a pushbike, but language wise it isn't specifically that.

So, legal wise and as to whether you'll be getting your collar felt for using it, ummm...

I dunno.

HTH.

[monkey]

I think you're asking for trouble by using that route.

[Sir Trev]

If the width is clearly laid out for push bikes I'd say you were asking for trouble riding a motorcycle down there.

[ChrisCurvyS]

Look on YouTube - there's a guy who tests this after hearing 'a friend of a friend' got off a ticket for riding in a bus lane after pointing out the word 'cycle' on his V5.

The guy deliberately rides down the lane in front of a copper, pulls out the V5 and explains, and the cop smiles and basically says: 'Nice try but no'. I'll find the vid tonight if I get chance.

[Spank86]

The law on cycle lanes states "entry by motor vehicles is prohibited"

So basically if it has an engine propelling it then it can't enter no matter what sort of cycle it is.

[ChrisCurvyS]

Here we go -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6cXE7cdLF8&feature=related

[Spank86]

Yup, unfortunately the wording in the law is pedal cycle not bicycle.

[ChrisCurvyS]

Aye. Few pub rumours about legal loopholes turn out to be true...having said that, I stuck a 2pm under my tongue after drinking 12 pints before riding home and passed a breathalyser no problem when I got pulled.

[Spank86]

Could be real, could be that breathalysers are just notoriously unreliable.

[Davies]

I cross that road every day and noticed that they have now put a blue bicycle sign up and marked the bus lane with a sold white-lined temporary cycle lane. They probably realised that their signage was a bit iffy and have now made it clearer.