Ogsarg

So yesterday I rode over to the coast on State HWY 129, which is a 2-lane road with a good shoulder most of the way. As you get near Watsonville, it is mosty straight and flat and the shoulder is a good 6-8 feet wide. I'm riding along and I notice a Highway Patrolman parked next to a building. As I go past he gets on his loudspeaker and I hear blah, blah, blah, 15 miles per hour. I couldn't make out the first 2-3 words but the 15 miles per hour part was very clear.

At first I thought he was just letting me know how fast I'm going but then realize I'm probably about 20. I don't have a speedo so don't know for sure but based on gearing and cadence I know I'm doing well over 15.

So then I start wondering what that was all about. Was he telling me to reduce speed to 15? Is there some kind of shoulder speed limit for bikes? I've certainly never heard of anything like that. I can't imagine what else he might be saying.

In any case, I did not slow down and he did not pursue me so I guess I'll never know what his intention was. I briefly looked for bike speed limit laws in CA but didn't see anything for public roads other than not exceeding the speed limit for cars.

indyfabz

"Dial it up to 400 watts and drope the hamer. You're only going 15 mph."

trailangel

He was telling you that you were going 15 mph.

rumrunn6

when I was a young man ... before radar, police gave tickets by estimating your speed or tailing you. then later, tickets would have something like this: "speed estimated & confirmed with radar" anyway, cops are experts at judging speed. they sit there all day watching cars go by, with radar, so they know what 15 mph looks like, etc. so he could probably tell you were faster than 15 even if your bike didn't register on the unit

tagaproject6

That's "a cheeseburger with no onions, large fries and a large orange drink"

livedarklions

You have to go slow there lest you get overcome with garlic fumes.

Lazyass

There's one officer I've passed a couple of times in the morning sitting in his speed zone spot who told me how fast I was going. It was all in fun, I'm sure he was bored.

Speedway2

That`s impressive....not the fact that you were going 20mph but the fact that the cop could tell the dif between a car doing over 15 vs a bike.

burnthesheep

I always "turn it up to 11" when I see one of those "your speed is" signs....he was just having fun.

Wheever

Me too! I've gotten a couple of them to do the red flash, even! I was so proud! (Downgrade, limit was 25, I was doing something over 30.)

jp911

I would think a bicycle would be really hard to hit with the radar that police are using. You need a decent area to hit with the radar (front or rear of the car). I guess a torso might be big enough...

Ogsarg

Your confusing Watsonville for Gilroy. The only fields near there are strawberries and Raspberries.

Flip Flop Rider

lol!

livedarklions

I must've gotten the garlic caught in my spokes a bit up the road.

You're absolutely right, I am.

jefnvk

To be brutally honest, he was probably yelling out your speed for the fun of it, which was probably less than you thought. My fat bike is my only bike that doesn't have a computer, it always amuses me how much I overestimate speed on it til I go back and look at Strava.

Nah, I set off the guns on the side of the road all the time that show you how fast you're going. Doesn't happen on all of them, but you can definitely tag a bike.

thumpism 

There was a well-known stretch of one city street with a slight downgrade into a shallow dip that was the bane of many motorists. I rode through it once with a patrol car parked at the curb and he yelled out, "You're doing eighteen!" I was pleased with that.

veganbikes

I don't have a Speedo either but I have considered it. I just have a feeling it wouldn't quite attract a mate as well as I would like it too.

I never listen to cops so typically all I hear is "blah blah blah" because that is generally all they are saying. 15 is a fine speed though so if that is what you had I would be happy.

MikeyMK

You guys have speed limits? Wow.

FinalDistance

yeah too early !

friday1970

And some flapjacks! Too early for flapjacks?

bruce19

But then, there's the psychometric concept of inter-rater reliability.

bruce19

Then there's artichokes and Castroville.

bruce19

BTW has anyone been to San Juan Bautista? Love that little town. A great Mexican restaurant.

rumrunn6

had to look that up but then reading it hurt my head cuz I have a cold. maybe the cop was asking for Tylenol? to go further off track, I once got a 60 mph radar ticket while I was going 30. wanna know how? was tagged by 2 cops simultaneously & one unit was reading the other unit. had to sit down with a clerk magistrate & show them that the ticket writing cop even put in writing that there was another cop with radar simultaneously in the opposite direction. plus I explained I knew the area well, well be fore they put in traffic lights due to all the head on collisions so I was driving absolutely the speed limit. also my court date was a 3 hr drive in a snow storm & told the clerk I wouldn't have driven all that distance in those conditions if I weren't completely innocent. DISMISSED!

Rootman

"Go faster! At this rate I you won't get me my doughnut in time. Your're only going 15 miles an hour".