Speed Cameras

[MichaelB]

This post is not for people to give me their opinions on whether I shoud or should not be doing this. Its not about cars. Its not a rant. Its a fact only post please.

Right I went past a speed camera today, which I have made a cycling ambition to set off, nearly crashing into the back of a van who had slowed down for it and still couldn't set it off. I was going quick! As I say I nearly ended up mating with a van who was going considerably slower than me yet probably just less than or exactly 30mph. I slowed down after the speed trap btw.

Can bikes just not set these things off or something? I didn't have a computer so I cant say exactly how fast I was going but I know I was doing more than 30mph from experience.

Is the lack of metal causing a problem? How fast do you have to go to set one off. Surely a motorbike will set one off and there isn't a great deal on one of them either. Should I try a bit of tinfoil on the back?

I have never managed it in a car either but that is by design!

<cue the MichaelB you're a ******/you give cyclists a bad name/you're a troll/you're a... posts - dont waste your time; I dont care>

 

[DiabloScott]

Are you talking about those little trailers they park along side the road with a "YOUR SPEED IS XX" sign on them? I've been able to get them to measure me most of the time.

I THINK the way they work though is they report the fastest moving vehicle in the field of view, so if you're being passed by a car it'll be the car's speed, not yours. Try it again when you're the only one on the road. I know for sure police radars can pick up bicyclists too.

 

[cucamelsmd15]

If youre talking about the red light cameras, yes, a bike can set them off. Anything that crosses their field of vision will trigger the flash. Obviously, you wont be getting mailed a ticket unless you have a license plate on your bike. I cant have one, because it weighs 210 grams, and thats 210 grams I cant afford. [/weight weenie]

As far as the radar, they usually use a radar gun pointed in the general direction of traffic. They will clock the car closest to them. For instance, if the trailer (around here, they use trailer set ups), is on the left side of the road, it will clock the car on the left side of the road before it clocks the car on the right side of the road if they were equal. The radar is dumb, and only clocks the object giving it the greatest response, which is usually the object closest to its point of aim.

Can it clock a bike? Sure...... but its probably going to clock a car first, because it generates a bigger blip on the screen, so to speak, than you do on your bike.

 

[cucamelsmd15]

I THINK the way they work though is they report the fastest moving vehicle in the field of view, so if you're being passed by a car it'll be the car's speed, not yours. Try it again when you're the only one on the road. I know for sure police radars can pick up bicyclists too.

Just for what its worth, if your sheriff, city or state police have lasers, they can pinpoint you in a crowd, based on the reflectiveness of the vehicle (they usually aim for headlights or a bumper). If you get clocked by a laser gun, no need taking it to court....

 

[izzythedan]

Are you talking about those little trailers they park along side the road with a "YOUR SPEED IS XX" sign on them? I've been able to get them to measure me most of the time.

I can't get one of them too measure my speed on the Vespa, let alone a bicycle.

 

[the beef]

I always set them off with my bike, it's entirely possible. Me and my friends once had a foot sprinting contest in the street using the speed camera to clock our top speeds.

 

[wheelist]

This post is not for people to give me their opinions on whether I shoud or should not be doing this. Its not about cars. Its not a rant. Its a fact only post please.

Right I went past a speed camera today, which I have made a cycling ambition to set off, nearly crashing into the back of a van who had slowed down for it and still couldn't set it off. I was going quick! As I say I nearly ended up mating with a van who was going considerably slower than me yet probably just less than or exactly 30mph. I slowed down after the speed trap btw.

Can bikes just not set these things off or something? I didn't have a computer so I cant say exactly how fast I was going but I know I was doing more than 30mph from experience.

Is the lack of metal causing a problem? How fast do you have to go to set one off. Surely a motorbike will set one off and there isn't a great deal on one of them either. Should I try a bit of tinfoil on the back?

I have never managed it in a car either but that is by design!

<cue the MichaelB you're a ******/you give cyclists a bad name/you're a troll/you're a... posts - dont waste your time; I dont care>

Go Mike!

Try covering yourself in tinfoil - not just your back - and sprint like fock.

I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of you in the local rag under the headline:

"Metal Mickey's Massive Momentum Mission goes Mental."

Nuff respec'

 

[jcjordan]

In South Australia they would put a car with a camera on the down slope of South Road on a fairly regular basis. As this is a 60km/hr zone it was a piece of cake to crank it up and set the camera off. If it was dark enough you would even get the flash. All I can think of is the poor bloke who has to go through the photos having to look at my **** in Lycra

 

[cydewaze]

They sell this stuff that you spray on your license plates (photoblocker or something) that increases the reflectiveness of the plate and obscures the image for the red light cameras. I haven't tried it, because I'm the sort of person who will lock up the brakes (and probably one day get rear-ended) rather than buzz the light.

 

[saviourag]

This post is not for people to give me their opinions on whether I shoud or should not be doing this. Its not about cars. Its not a rant. Its a fact only post please.

Right I went past a speed camera today, which I have made a cycling ambition to set off, nearly crashing into the back of a van who had slowed down for it and still couldn't set it off. I was going quick! As I say I nearly ended up mating with a van who was going considerably slower than me yet probably just less than or exactly 30mph. I slowed down after the speed trap btw.

Can bikes just not set these things off or something? I didn't have a computer so I cant say exactly how fast I was going but I know I was doing more than 30mph from experience.

Is the lack of metal causing a problem? How fast do you have to go to set one off. Surely a motorbike will set one off and there isn't a great deal on one of them either. Should I try a bit of tinfoil on the back?

I have never managed it in a car either but that is by design!

<cue the MichaelB you're a ******/you give cyclists a bad name/you're a troll/you're a... posts - dont waste your time; I dont care>

haha, this is one of my ambitions too. I passed at 50km/h in a 45km/h zone and didn't trigger it off, but I'm sure they're setting them a little bit higher than the actual speed limit to avoid a lot of moaning. I'll try going faster next time at night, so I can see the flash.

 

[poweredbysweat]

Maybe you're going too fast to set it off. So fast that it doesn't see you!

 

[rearviewmirror]

I tried setting off a Gatso on my bicycle in the UK and Holland, it never worked... they managed to never miss my motorcycle though. I don't know if a bicycle can set off a Gatso....

 

[nomotornozen]

I can't get one of them too measure my speed on the Vespa, let alone a bicycle.

I can set them off with my motorcycle (my real bike), but they will track a larger object if it comes into range.