Why cyclists should not escape 20mph limits

The rerouting of a cycle race in Wales draws no sympathy from Will Gore

If the rerouting of the Welsh cycling race tells us anything, it’s surely not that the 20mph limit is inappropriate but that it ought to apply to pedal power as well as cars (Getty)

Petrol heads will have been thrown into confusion by the news that a cycling race in Wales has had to be rerouted. Usually, cyclists would be top of motoring enthusiasts’ list of pet hates. But on this occasion, with the cause of the changes being an even greater pet peeve, 20mph speed limit zones, boy racers might for once find themselves on the same side as their Lycra-clad nemeses.

The annual Junior Tour of Wales runs across the bank holiday weekend and would have been over a distance of 237 miles. However, organisers say the widespread introduction of 20mph zones in the principality last year has ruined the planned route because support vehicles won’t be able to keep up with the cyclists if they stay within the speed limit.

The reduced speeds on Welsh roads have already caused no end of controversy, with some drivers outraged at the idea of other road users’ safety coming above their desire to get through residential areas 20 seconds more quickly. Signposts have been defaced, a petition against the reforms garnered nearly half a million signatures, and a recent survey suggests that few drivers adhere strictly to the slower speed all of the time.

The tears of Wales’s cycling community will presumably add damp grist to the mill of those who want to see the old 30mph limit reinstated in all but the most sensitive of areas.

Never mind that the data suggests there have been fewer people injured on the roads since speeds were reduced. And never mind that slower cars make less noise and – if properly driven – emit lower pollution levels. And let’s put aside the fact that grumbles about lower speed limits infringing on ancient liberties are actually based on nothing more than not being able to cope with the most minor of inconveniences.

If the rerouting of the Welsh cycling race tells us anything, it’s surely not that the 20mph limit is inappropriate but that it ought to apply to people using pedal power just as much as it does to those who have the benefit of a battery or an engine.

As things stand, cyclists are not obliged to stick to any speed limits. They must ride safely – which might bring speed into play – but it is an odd loophole, especially as lower speed zones become more commonplace. And sure, it might be a teeny bit annoying for cyclists to have to fit speedometers but presumably not much more tiresome than having to take measures to combat saddle sore, which I imagine comes with the territory.

What is my skin in this game, you might ask? I don’t currently have a bike but I’m all for cycling as a means of getting from A to B – and indeed, as a responsible leisure pursuit. I do have a car but I try not to overuse it – and such is my thrifty focus on efficient fuel consumption that I am a nerdy adherent to speed limits everywhere.

I’m also a pedestrian and a resident on a relatively busy suburban road. Just outside my house, the speed limit is 30mph, and – in a recent development – it falls to 20mph about 150 yards down the hill. That change has been hugely welcome, since it seems to have moderately reduced the number of idiot drivers who think 40mph is a reasonable speed for that stretch.

But not everyone complies with the restrictions. Smashed wing mirrors of parked cars are still a regular sight, and I’m still compelled to mouth the words “slow down!” to motorists who are overdoing it, which I’m sure is a very normal thing to do. And naturally I do it to cyclists too as they whizz along in their peloton, shouting their own warnings to any pedestrian who might be around and who outrageously hasn’t realised that the local cycling club has designated this road a key part of their practice route – despite it being lined with houses, a school, a sports centre and a children’s playground.

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable people on residential roads. Motorists and cyclists alike should remember that – and speed limits should be strictly enforced against both groups, including in 20 mph zones. If that means cycle races being rerouted or run on closed roads then so be it. To misquote Queen, you may like to ride your bicycle, but you shouldn’t be able to ride it wherever and however you like.