Try it... it's impossible

A nice low gear helps me keep my speed down in the 30/40 zones. Remember the pitch of the engine note at 30 in 2/3, how many revs are you doing? Can you cover the rev counter and find that engine speed in neutral by the side of the road just by listening to the pitch of the engine?

Try to always ride within the prescribed speed limits around here and I'll give you 10 secs before some tw@ in a cage starts tailgating you. The same ones that'll try to overtake you everywhere (including on the outside of bends ) and then slow to a crawl when a) they realize traffic in front is slow and not so easy to overtake; b) terrain starts to go up... oh how I love leaving them for dead on the uphills...

Originally Posted by scooby2102

It finally twigged when I realised I was pulling away from them and had to keep slowing down

Helpful general guide I was told. If youre in a built up area its 30mph unless its signed otherwise. If there are no reminder signs every other[ish] lampost its a 30. If there are, then its whatever the reminder sign says.

Out of built up area, no signs usually = NSL. Again if its other there will be reminder signs of the limit.

I was told... if you can see street lights and no signs then its a 30...

Around here: in town = 50 km/h (31 mph) unless lower limit imposed by signalling, out of town = 90 km/h (56 mph) unless signal, motorway = 120 km/h (75 mph), unless blablabla... in town sometimes the limit can be ridiculed down to 20 km/h (12.5 mph) if some dumb@ss thinks it's appropriate... of course you'll never see anyone abiding it.

Originally Posted by lynw

Helpful general guide I was told. If youre in a built up area its 30mph unless its signed otherwise. If there are no reminder signs every other[ish] lampost its a 30. If there are, then its whatever the reminder sign says.

Out of built up area, no signs usually = NSL. Again if its other there will be reminder signs of the limit.

^ Sound advise. Unfortunately, there are some places it doesn't apply. I was on unfamiliar roads that by all rights, should have been at least 40, if not NSL. No repeaters/streetlights for ages, so I assumed I'd missed the 40/NSL sign and sped up. I then noticed the 30 repeater which cropped up as the built up housing started appearing again. Isle of Wight is a nightmare for it too (although to be fair, they are quite good with repeaters); loads of roads that should be NSL that are 30/40.

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

...
It's ludicrous, cars overtaking you (which on a bike is hugely dangerous; if they spoon the overtake up and are going to have a head on, they'll go for the softer option and plough into you).
...

...must remember this one...

[Sid Squid]

I'm really not interested what the legal limit is, the speedo tells you nothing.

I ride and drive at a rate which is appropriate to the circumstance, this is the only important factor.

Persons who feel otherwise are those whose skills are insufficient to make an appropriate decision, and if that very basic element of the necessary road skills is lacking, it is unlikely to be the only questionable aspect of the skillset.

True Sid.

But, I know that here, if you get reefed doing more than twice the limit, they get very excited about things altogether.

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

I'm really not interested what the legal limit is, the speedo tells you nothing.

I ride and drive at a rate which is appropriate to the circumstance, this is the only important factor.

Persons who feel otherwise are those whose skills are insufficient to make an appropriate decision, and if that very basic element of the necessary road skills is lacking, it is unlikely to be the only questionable aspect of the skillset.

well said.

thats always been my attitude. Whether in a car /van/ 7.5 ton/ pushbike or Motorbike.
Its whats right for my mode of transport and the road condidtions that i care about.

Saying that i did have to ride all the way home (some 30s but mainly 40s and 50s) behind a bike cop last week. And on some of those 50s i normally open up to a ton
It was the most boring ride home i'm had in ages.

Gotta say this tho, bike cop was actively looking for cgaers on the phone as he went. If he had a doubt he would slow down and look right in at them to be sure before he carried on his way. Not in any aggresive manner, just doing his job well i'd say.
Wish there were more like him about in rush hour traffic.