Staying the right side of the law when riding a bike can be tricky – especially as there are plenty of laws you likely have no idea exist.
Forget about cyclists jumping traffic lights, there's a whole lot of other riding that can get you into trouble, particularly if you don't know the local laws.
So if you're heading out for a ride and want to keep on the right side of the law to avoid a fine, here's our handy guide to 10 lesser-known – and in some cases, bizarre – regulations you definitely don't want to break.
1. No cycling in a swimming pool in California
How’s your underwater cycling? If it’s not up to scratch, don’t head to California to try to perfect it, because it’s against the law there and has been for more than 40 years, so the urge to try must be persistent.
Apparently, the law was passed to prevent BMX riders breaking into swimming pools when they were drained and using them as BMX parks.
2. No cycling while holding an umbrella in Japan
There’s a list of 113 cycling violations that are subject to fines in Japan. Some, such as riding without lights at night or jumping a closed level crossing, are obvious, but others less so.
You could be fined for cycling with an umbrella – it’s not clear if that’s unfurled and/or closed – or for two people riding a bike with a single seat (which is also against the law in the UK). Until recently, tandems were banned from the roads in some parts of Japan, too.
You can also be fined for cycling with headphones, using a phone or staring at a screen while riding. We’re not sure where that puts cyclists who use their phone for navigation, though.
3. No cycling without a shirt in Thailand
Presumably fed up of tourists taking their country's delightful (if rather humid) climate as an invite to disrobe in public, the Thai authorities have taken action.
It is now an offence to cycle or drive anywhere in the country without your upper body fully clothed and is punishable by a fine of around 200 baht (about £4 / $5 / AU$8).
4. No "wanton or furious" cycling in the UK
A statutory offence that's curiously worded to modern ears, this law dates back to 1861 and is the cycling equivalent of dangerous driving. It makes it a criminal offence to cycle in a way that – through misconduct or neglect – causes bodily harm to a bystander, and is punishable by up to two years in jail.
Ireland repealed this law back in 2010 and, just over 160 years later, the UK government is looking to replace it with a new dangerous cycling law.
5. No fancy riding in Galesburg, Illinois, USA
It’s true, we’ve looked it up in the Galesburg Code of Ordinances: “No rider of a bicycle shall remove both hands from the handlebars, or feet from the pedals, or practice any acrobatic or fancy riding on any street.”
6. No riding a bike over 65mph in Connecticut, USA
You’d probably need to adopt the supertuck position (now banned, along with everything from narrow handlebars to long socks, by the UCI – but that’s a different story) and take lessons from Tom Pidcock to get close to these speeds. However, the law is nonetheless clear: in Connecticut, you may not exceed 65mph (104kph) on a push bike. Um, OK.
7. No riding a bike without a bell in New South Wales, Australia
A case of NSW taking a rigid, enforcement approach to cycling safety. In this corner of Australia, your bicycle must be equipped with an audible warning device. No exceptions, no excuses, or suffer a hefty AU$106 fine (£64 / $78). It's not as bad as the penalty for being caught riding without a helmet, but steep nonetheless.
Don’t think because you’re not a native, you’re exempt either. The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic places a bell on its list of minimum equipment for international use of a bike.
8. No riding a bike no-handed in Colorado, USA
Being able to take your hands off the handlebars is a handy skill to learn for those times when you need to take off (or put on) a jacket or unwrap a sandwich. But beware, good bike riders of Colorado, USA, you may not.
According to the Colorado Statutes: “A person operating a bicycle shall keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.” There are similar laws elsewhere, including in Australia.
9. No riding a bike at night without pedal reflectors fitted in the United Kingdom
Yup, this one is a cast-iron fact. So your fancy road bike needs pedal reflectors fitted if you’re going to be riding it at night in the UK. These must be coloured amber and positioned so that one reflector is plainly visible to the front and another to the rear of each pedal.
10. And don't try selling a bike in the UK without them
And if you’re buying a new bike in the UK, it must come fitted with pedal reflectors, as well as spoke reflectors, a bell, and front and rear reflectors. That’s why your fancy new bike comes with a load of bits that you immediately remove.
Kids’ bikes are exempt if the saddle can’t be raised over 635mm from the road surface, although they’re arguably most in need of extra visibility.
Plus, the left brake lever must operate the rear brake and the right lever the front brake, so no bikes set up Continental style.
