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Are Fixies Legal?
In Georgia (as well as most states from what I have read) all bicycles must have at least a rear brake capable of locking the wheel and causing a skid. If bikes have a front brake, then they must also have a rear brake.
How are you fixie-riders getting around that? |
Avoid the po-po.
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Originally Posted by ironnerd
(Post 20909550)
If bikes have a front brake, then they must also have a rear brake.
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Originally Posted by ironnerd
(Post 20909550)
How are you fixie-riders getting around that?
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The secret is, probably no one cares. Some places like NYC have cops out ticketing cyclists (and everyone else) in a harassing sort of way. If your town is like that, they might get you for it, but only because they were going to get you for something. My city and county will only do you for speeding on a bike trail and enforcement is like a few weekends a year. This is the kind of law that will only be enforced on you if you cause a big loss that draws the police and inspires them to throw the book at you. There are lots of laws on the books like this... the stretchy dog leashes we all like to complain about are illegal here, the law requires a <6ft lead, but they're still for sale and widely used. No one is getting cited unless their dog bites a face off. A driver who buzzes a cyclist <3ft is going to be ignored unless he buzzes the cyclist <0ft and then gets caught.
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Originally Posted by ironnerd
(Post 20909550)
In Georgia (as well as most states from what I have read) all bicycles must have at least a rear brake capable of locking the wheel and causing a skid. If bikes have a front brake, then they must also have a rear brake.
How are you fixie-riders getting around that? Ga. Code Ann., § 40-6-296§ 40-6-296. Lights and other equipment on bicycles; helmets by persons under 16 years of ageCurrentness(a) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a light on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of 300 feet to the front and with a light on the back which shall emit a red light visible from a distance of 300 feet to the rear. Any bicycle equipped with a red reflector on the rear that is approved by the Department of Public Safety shall not be required to have a light on the rear of the bicycle.(b) Every bicycle sold or operated shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level pavement.(c) No bicycle shall be equipped or operated while equipped with a set of handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate his or her hands above the operator’s shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area.(d)(1) No person under the age of 16 years shall operate or be a passenger on a bicycle on a highway, bicycle path, bicycle lane, or sidewalk under the jurisdiction or control of this state or any local political subdivision thereof without wearing a bicycle helmet.(2) For the purposes of this subsection, the term “bicycle helmet” means a piece of protective headgear which meets or exceeds the impact standards for bicycle helmets set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the Snell Memorial Foundation.(3) For the purposes of this subsection, a person shall be deemed to wear a bicycle helmet only if a bicycle helmet of good fit is fastened securely upon such person’s head with the straps of such bicycle helmet.(4) No bicycle without an accompanying protective bicycle helmet shall be rented or leased to or for the use of any person under the age of 16 years unless that person is in possession of a bicycle helmet at the time of the rental or lease.(5) Violation of any provision of this subsection shall not constitute negligence per se nor contributory negligence per se or be considered evidence of negligence or liability.(6) No person under the age of 16 failing to comply with any provision of this subsection shall be fined or imprisoned.Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-296 (West) There does not seem to be any specific requirement that the brake be mounted on a particular wheel. And FWIW, the requirement is identical to California's. |
I believe Oregon's statutes read the same. Now Portland has a lot of brakeless fix gear riders. Haven't heard of any court cases n recent years but I have not had my ears close to the ground.
I ride fix gears with good brakes, front and rear, and have since I started 43 years ago. I enjoy passing the brakeless riders going downhill. (Still something of a kid at heart. I find downhill speed fun!) I also know well how much the old injuries of my twenties hurt now that I am in my later sixties. Ben |
Here is the requirement in Texas:
"(a) A person may not operate a bicycle unless the bicycle is equipped with a brake capable of making a braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement. (B) lamp that emits a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle." So, you can also be ticketed for not having a tail light, but I never have been. The brake requirement is worded in such a way that it only makes sense when applied to a rear brake. Therefore, a cop could probably ticket me for only having a front brake on my fixed gear, unless I could somehow demonstrate the ability to skid my bike on dry clean pavement without high siding my bike first. |
Pretty interesting (stupid as ****) how these brake laws are so focused on making bikes skid, which is kinda the opposite of making bikes stop.
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As a resident of Savannah, Ga. there are plenty of fixed gear riders, even the ultra stupid brakeless riders. To my knowledge, nobody has ever been ticketed for this. Most local law enforcement is very strict on the light laws though. I would imagine a lot of police officers don’t actually know what the law specifically states about this, so as long as a cyclist isn’t endangering themselves or others, there won’t be an issue. As far as the lights, I have been told by more than one officer, that they look very carefully for a bike riding after dark, to have both a light and a red rear reflector. (Same requirement as car taillights, mind you). I don’t know if anyone has hd issues with front lights though. I’ve shard the opinion that all bicycle front lights should have a certain output (brightness) to be road legal, but that’s another discussion. I put out 5,000 lumens, so I’m good anyway.
i don’t know how the laws are enforced in Atlanta or some of the other smaller cities like Augusta, Athens, etc. But I would say you won’t have any issues riding a fixed bicycle here. Of course my city is a bit different because of the high number of bicycle commuters. also, FYI, I only have a front brake on my SS commuter. |
I only have a front brake on my FG, but it's an ultegra caliper with koolstop pads and I can make it skid. (I'd rather not, though.)
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99% of my riding is in the Roswell/Alpharetta/John's Creek area. I have never seen a cop hassling a cyclist here, about anything. Except once when I was stopped entering the Greenway at night, but that wasn't traffic code related.
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Originally Posted by TejanoTrackie
(Post 20909637)
Here is the requirement in Texas:
"(a) A person may not operate a bicycle unless the bicycle is equipped with a brake capable of making a braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement. (B) lamp that emits a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle." So, you can also be ticketed for not having a tail light, but I never have been. The brake requirement is worded in such a way that it only makes sense when applied to a rear brake. Therefore, a cop could probably ticket me for only having a front brake on my fixed gear, unless I could somehow demonstrate the ability to skid my bike on dry clean pavement without high siding my bike first. |
Ok... A lot of fun answers. It was kind of a "hmmm...." question, so don't take it too seriously. Still... If they don't have a brake, they're not actually legal.
I don't think a cop is ever going to hassle a cyclist on a fixie - unless he plows into someone. I also don't think any bike shops will get raided for selling non-compliant bicycles. For the most part I figure it's just a law that does not get enforced much, if at all. And let's be honest... we get away with stuff because we are on bikes. I've been known to exceed the posted speed limit, maybe not come to a COMPLETE stop at a stop sign, and I may have passed a cop...on the outside of the lane...while exceeding the speed limit by quite a bit (not ticket... he just laughed). These are all things we could get a ticket for, but we kinda get a pass because we're on a bike. And skidding the rear wheel is from Uniform Vehicle Code, not Georgia. Muh bad, y'all. And I'm not actually a fixed-gear cyclist (clutch the pearls), I'm just reading a book on Bicycles and he Law, and the question popped into my head, so I asked it here. |
Originally Posted by seamuis
(Post 20909671)
As a resident of Savannah, Ga. there are plenty of fixed gear riders, even the ultra stupid brakeless riders. To my knowledge, nobody has ever been ticketed for this. Most local law enforcement is very strict on the light laws though. I would imagine a lot of police officers don’t actually know what the law specifically states about this, so as long as a cyclist isn’t endangering themselves or others, there won’t be an issue. As far as the lights, I have been told by more than one officer, that they look very carefully for a bike riding after dark, to have both a light and a red rear reflector. (Same requirement as car taillights, mind you). I don’t know if anyone has hd issues with front lights though. I’ve shard the opinion that all bicycle front lights should have a certain output (brightness) to be road legal, but that’s another discussion. I put out 5,000 lumens, so I’m good anyway.
i don’t know how the laws are enforced in Atlanta or some of the other smaller cities like Augusta, Athens, etc. But I would say you won’t have any issues riding a fixed bicycle here. Of course my city is a bit different because of the high number of bicycle commuters. also, FYI, I only have a front brake on my SS commuter. Dave |
Originally Posted by seau grateau
(Post 20909644)
Pretty interesting (stupid as ****) how these brake laws are so focused on making bikes skid, which is kinda the opposite of making bikes stop.
In other news: |
Also, I think you could argue that any fixed gear bike, by its nature, has a rear brake. It probably won't get you out of a ticket (let's face it, if a cop wants to write you a ticket, they're going to write you a ticket) but I think it's a valid argument.
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i once got pulled over in seattle on my brakeless fixie for running a red light. the cop was mostly focused on my bike rather than the law i actually broke (running the light) and was sweating me for not having brakes. i told him i did, in fact, have a rear brake. it was a foot brake. he asked me to demonstrate, so i did a couple skids for his entertainment and he let me go.
i don't recall what the actual brake laws were up there, but i remember seeing a few fellow fixies running brakes that weren't even hooked up. iirc, the law just stated you must have a brake, and didn't go into where it had to be located or if it actually functioned as a brake. |
I kinda remember discussion about a guy that went to court, told the judge that he could use his legs to skid therefore they qualified as brakes.
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The problem with not running a brake relative to the law happens after you get hit or run over.
No brake means that you broke the law - the guys insurance doesn't pay for your injuries or bike, you get ticketed, a motorist could have run you over from behind but you don't have a brake and so the whole thing is your fault, etc. -Tim- |
Originally Posted by jlafitte
(Post 20910223)
I kinda remember discussion about a guy that went to court, told the judge that he could use his legs to skid therefore they qualified as brakes.
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Originally Posted by TimothyH
(Post 20910289)
The problem with not running a brake relative to the law happens after you get hit or run over.
No brake means that you broke the law - the guys insurance doesn't pay for your injuries or bike, you get ticketed, a motorist could have run you over from behind but you don't have a brake and so the whole thing is your fault, etc. -Tim- |
FWIW, British cycling regulations for bicycles ridden on the road have required a brake on both front and rear wheels on all bicycles, including childrens' bikes, since the early '30s; British law also regards a fixed-wheel/fixed-gear with a lockring as a sufficient rear brake. They still require a front brake, though, and a cyclist was convicted and sentenced to 18 months after killing a pedestrian while riding a brakeless fixed-gear in 2016. Here's the link.
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never had an issue, don't think they give a flip long as you aren't weaving through traffic or blasting red lights. they must have more important things to worry about.
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if i ever manage to catch a ticket for riding brakeless i'll blow it up and hang it in my garage.
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