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I was riding my tallbike West, down Santa Monica Blvd (at Barrington Ave.) when a cruiser came up behind me and asked me to pull over. The two officers were some sort of traffic investigation team who had just came from a bike/vehicle accident scene and were very CVC savvy. The one in charge pulled out his CVC book and found the chapter regarding tallbikes being illegal [21201 (c)] in about 30 seconds. The officers were actually very respectful and polite, while I was clearly (and knowingly) in the wrong. The other officer (the one issuing the ticket) was stoked on my bike. Secretly, I think he wants one now.
In the end, I received a "fix it" ticket. Check it out.
A "fix-it" ticket.
Well, just be glad you're not driving a rig, got cited at a scale for a safety-violation, and have to return to that same scale to get the ticket written off.
@Lee
Haha, that is an excellent idea. "You think the tallbike was illegal? You ain't seen nuffin yet!"
@Barleye
This is probably the best idea I've heard thus far. The officers asked the make of the bike, after looking at it for a second. The only thing I could say in reply was, "Which part? There are like five bikes there." If it was painted, they'd have no way of knowing it was the same bike, right? Do you think this would avoid a stiffer citation if I were to get pulled over again?
I wonder if adding some sort of pole with a toe clip on it that you could hook your foot into and support yourself like on a stilt (those are legal right) while stopped then hook it back onto (or make it some sort of long reach kickstand like device) the bike would solve it? you would be able to support the bike with one very long "shoe" on the ground. you could even put a shoe on the bottom.
Dude, we (you) should make a time lapse hoax of you "disassembling" the bike and putting it back together as two regular bikes. We could have a fake movement and a website (tootallbikes.com) and everything.
It would be funny if you end up with two complete bikes and just keep insisting that you only used the parts from the original bike. We can provide a demo on how to "divide" a wheel to get two wheels from one. A whole generation would believe in magic again and fairies and sprites and elves would return from the forest to live amongst us again.
i agree wth 'marino' above, swap your 'really white bike' with another 'really white bike' that is still legal, you could claim that you took it to brassknucles "CHOP-SHOP".
install pedals on lower crank,
show then you can safely climb down and put a foot down on lower crank pedal and beat the ticket, or else every other tall bike in LA is doomed
I think showing up on a different bike, or even just taking a picture of yourself next to a white bike would cover your bases. Like the police offers will 1. show up when you go in to prove its fixed and 2. remember exactly what it looks like. Hell, you could take a pink and orange bike with you and tell em you had to paint it from all the welding you had to do to take it apart.
If you don't ride there, make sure you tell em you drove because driving cars is much cooler then riding bikes, obviously. Then wink at the judge and give him the thumbs up. Stand there smiling and waiting for this:
Will there ever be a day when tall bikes are legal?
Gay marriage is legal now.
Is the law against tall bikes discriminatory? An ordinance implemented by a bunch of Bible-thumping, conservative wackos who refuse to understand the alternative-lifestyle that is tall biking?
Bike Build Day's are still legit...
It is legal to build these 'Tall Bikes', as it is legal to ride them in 'a closed course'. Come on down & build em', Where you ride is up to you.
Dude, you could have easily photoshopped the 10mph to something decently faster...
The fact that this is even happening, right now, in LA (tall people getting politely cited for riding tall bikes) furthermore proves that 2008 is the year of the bike.
i just had a thought about this. Where in the CVC does it actually say the tallbike is illegal. Here is what spook was cited for:
(c) No person shall operate upon a highway a bicycle that is of a size that prevents the operator from safely stopping the bicycle, supporting it in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground, and restarting it in a safe manner.
It doesn't say anything in that paragraph about having to remain on the bicycle at a stop. When you stop the bike and get off it, you are still supporting the bike in an upright position as long as you don't lay it down. When the light changes you can climb right back up and safely start riding again.
True, Dan.
I man, it seems odd to make highweels (or penny-farthings) illegal, and this is pretty much what you need to do with one of those at a stop... unless you can trackstand it... I've never seen that happen,. and would like to.
i'm going to continue riding my tallbike and use that as an argument if they try to ticket me. my interpretation is that i'm not doing anything wrong. Until the CVC says i must remain on the bike at a stop with at least one foot on the ground, climbing off the bike at a stop is prefectly legal in my opinion.
Or, if you're tall enough, use a step through frame or a mixte for the top bike, you might be able to reach the ground. Also, the law doesnt specify an angle that is considered "upright"...
I just went and looked at my tallbike, and from what i can tell it's legal. I have two front headlights (one on each frame), two rear blinkies (on each frame), a rear reflector, reflectors on both pedals, an orange reflector on the front wheel, and a red reflector on the rear wheel. Because it's a fixed gear, i am able to "make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement", and i am able to stand next to the bike at a stop and keep it in an upright position. I will now ride it without fear of a ticket.
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Ridazz Roulette!
The story:
@speedybrian2000
show up on stilts..
I think showing up on a different bike, or even just taking a picture of yourself next to a white bike would cover your bases. Like the police offers will 1. show up when you go in to prove its fixed and 2. remember exactly what it looks like. Hell, you could take a pink and orange bike with you and tell em you had to paint it from all the welding you had to do to take it apart.
