Have you got pedal reflectors on that thing, Sir?

As reported in Bikebiz, PCSOs will soon be able to issue on-the-spot fines if your bike doesn’t have a full complement of reflectors.

Unless you’re in Scotland…

Well, you are, in theory, in breach of the law.

Well, if them’s the rules, I guess it’s a fair cop. But you wouldn’t be very happy about it, would you. 🙁

they would have to catch me 1st

My understanding (and I may well be wrong, it’s happened before in 1987 I think 🙂 ) is that they’re only required on bikes bought ‘complete’ so if you’ve built up a frame you’re exempt.

Can anyone clarify?

what a ****ing joke.

Pedal reflectors – really???

I have never seen the PCSOs in my home town ever stop a cyclist riding on the pavement despite the signs which say it is an offence punishable by a £50 fine. I have a feeling those signs cost more to put up than any revenue from fines will manage. So this news does not concern me in the slightest.

well they won’t be able to see me in my stealth ninja outfit riding my black bike in the gutter so they can stick it

I have debated putting the rear reflector and wheel reflectors back on my road bike. I know it looks a bit lame, but perhaps better to be seen than worry about how uncool reflectors look.

Not sure about the pedal reflector thing. I’ve got those plastic Shimano clip-on reflector things, but they are pretty cumbersome.

My understanding (and I may well be wrong, it’s happened before in 1987 I think ) is that they’re only required on bikes bought ‘complete’ so if you’ve built up a frame you’re exempt.

You’re on about bikes as supplied from shops. Construction regs, basically.

USAGE regs are the same for everyone, and are very clear as in the link in the OP

whats a PCSO? dont think we have them in Scotland.

only between sunset and sunrise?

and how many of our lights are BS stamped?

You wonder if they’ll bother.

got to catch me first…..

You know those ‘get yourself legal’ roadside things where they give out free lights and sam browne belts?

Has any one of those ever given away free pedal reflectors?

or those bits that go on your spokes for visibility from the side?

How will they hand out fines if they dont know your name? Its not like they can take your reg number like a car?

This strikes me as a very easy way to look busy and to blame the cyclist again. I agree that many dont have suitable lights etc but when you have proper lights, reflectors arent going to make much difference. How about targeting all the idiots who drive around with fogs and sidelights on blinding everyone, or worse, just sidelights in the pitch black.

You wonder if they’ll bother.

If they’re all like the fat, lazy nobbers we have in Brizzle; I’d guess no.

I would like to see the PCSO measure the light output of 2 and 4 candela.

So all SPD style pedal systems won’t be road legal.

there’s been a number of them hanging around at junctions in London along with real policepeople. they look like they’re there just to warm the pavement.

Permanently Confused Stationary Object.

So all SPD style pedal systems won’t be road legal.

They never were (between sunset and sunrise), this is about being able to issue on the spot fines, not changing the requirement for the reflectors.

Pedal reflectors are pretty useful because of the the eye picks up the movement quickly. Reflective areas on overshoes / trousers clips / tights do the same though.

OEM Crank Bros pedals always used to come with a wierd plastic platform with a reflector fitted so they were legal to sell on a new bike.

OEM Crank Bros pedals always used to come with a wierd plastic platform with a reflector fitted so they were legal to sell on a new bike.

there are shimano clip on ones too, i use a pair on my commuter

like these:

IIRC, the law was that a bike had to be sold with them fitted. Not specific re them being used on the bike, a bit like the bell ‘law’.

So all SPD style pedal systems won’t be road legal.

Also many flats, if I remember DMR’s use to come with a ‘competition only’ sticker.

no good for clipless road pedals though

qwerty – Member
So all SPD style pedal systems won’t be road legal.

Time come with them bolted through the ends

no good for clipless road pedals though

SPD-sl come with a reflector that screws into the gap underneath, and I’d bet reasnoble money anyone else who’s fitted pedals to OEM bikes will have similar systems.

I don’t think I’ve ever bought pedals without reflectors!

Wasn’t there an exemption for “bicycles modified for racing” or similar?

Presumably the otherwise unemployable womble has to catch me first? And I cant recall many lights being BS marked.

I’m with CFH on this.

I hack around Lonjon on either fixie (no reflectors) or foldie (reflectors) and never been stopped yet. I do wear those yellow snap clips on my right leg though, mebbies they think “that’ll do”

I assume this is Bikebiz just stirring things up. As in it won’t actually be enforced…

I can’t believe they’ll seriously try and enforce it – far too many people riding SPDs for a start. Plus they can’t ignore the fact there aren’t any night-legal SPDs available for us to buy even if we wanted to…

If they can prove a cyclist ever came to harm or harmed someone else because they didn’t have pedal reflectors I’d be amazed.

A brief look at collision data would surely show that enforcing laws around driving and drinking/mobile phone usage/speeding would have a much more significant effect on road safety for all road users.

Would screw up commuting for a lot of people, which is dead against Government’s push to increase cycling rates, and puts paid to the Dunwich Dynamo for one 🙁

Probably plenty of coppers commuting to work will be breaking the law too 🙂

Maybe get some scotch reflective tape and put a couple of small patches on the back of your shoes / seatstay / rims? Hopefully these will show willingness to comply – spirit rather than letter of the law?

http://www.apetape.co.uk/Category/reflective-tape-3m-scotch-adhesive

Reading through the link it seems the requirement is not new, but a PCSO’s ability to enforce it is. (Presumably it previously need a ‘proper’ officer).

Plus they can’t ignore the fact there aren’t any night-legal SPDs available for us to buy even if we wanted to…

Yes they can. Compliance with the law is not optional based upon convenience.

I can’t believe they’ll seriously try and enforce it – far too many people riding SPDs for a start. Plus they can’t ignore the fact there aren’t any night-legal SPDs available for us to buy even if we wanted to…

I think we covered that pretty well, all the major brands do an OEM reflector bracket, and its not beyond the average man to arraldite some onto most pedal bodies except eggbeaters if you really were stuck!

http://www.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/SI/Pedals/SM-PD58/SI-PD58F-004-ENG_v1_m56577569830706616.pdf

A bike without pedal reflectors:

http://ukcyclerules.com/2011/02/17/met-police-cycle-officer-in-suspected-criminal-offence/

And if you refuse to pay, they will have to call the police, in between which one can cycle off into the sunset. I always thought it was illegal to impersonate a police officer.