7. Requirements For A Bicycle To Be Legal
At the 2018 AGM a question was asked about what is required to make a bicycle legal it was agreed that a post would be made on the Forum to deal with some of the issues raised.
This note is for guidance only you are responsible for your own ride at all times. It is your responsibility to ensure your bike is roadworthy and legal. You must obey the Highway code at all times
There are some simple requirements relating to lights, bells and brakes. These are the ones that were causing concern:
Your bike must have two efficient braking systems that operate on each wheel. A fixed wheel can count as one system, but a fixed wheel bicycle must have a front brake
Between subset and sunrise (not when it gets dark!) a bicycle must have:
a. A front and rear light
b. A red rear reflector
c. Four amber reflectors fitted to the front and rear of the pedals
There is no requirement to have a bell (but all new bicycle must be supplied with one)
Apart from that and a general statement about bicycles being properly maintained there are no other requirements
Lights are a complex area and if your need more information CUK has a useful page https://www.cyclinguk.org/lighting-regulations which explains the technicalities about flashing and other forms of lighting.