Does April 30th ring a bell to you?

That bells will soon need to be fitted to the majority of adult bicycles at the point of sale in the UK is well-known, but the ACT believes there are still some points that need clarified.

"There seems to be a lot of confusion amongst retailers, not least of all the date when it all kicks off," said Anne Killick, the ACT’s national secretary.

"It must be stressed that these are changes to the BS regs and will apply to all cycles from May 1st. The responsibility for compliance stretches across the whole supply chain including importers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.

"During the consultation process, ACT asked for time for retailers to clear through existing stocks, as was granted for the introduction of the CE mark for toys and later, cycle helmets. This request was refused and so retailers would be wise to do a full stock check before April 30th to ensure that all cycles sold after this date are fully compliant with the new law."

Pedal Cycle (Safety) Regulations 2003

New Regulations come into force on MAY 01, 2004 which will supersede the existing Pedal Cycle Safety Regulations (1984)

The 1981 BS6102 standard will be updated to the 1992 version All BS labels must show BS6102:1 1992. The deadline for this part of the regulation has been extended to December 31, 2004. All new cycles must be fitted with a bell which complies to ISO 7636:1984 (4) Tandems and delivery cycles must have a bell fitted and have brakes fully adjusted, although they remain exempt from the rest of the BS regs

(5) All new cycles sold fully assembled must have the brakes adjusted according to the manufacturers specifications.

(6) All cycles sold unassembled must have the following

a bell

a list of readily available standard tools which are required to assemble the parts correctly

any special or non-standard tools which are required to assemble the parts correctly

a full set of instructions for assembly and subsequent adjustments

The only exempted cycles are as follows and should not be misinterpreted

bicycles with a saddle height less than 635 mm (childrens)

second hand bicycles

competition bicycles – those with fixed wheels and no brakes designed purely for track use

a bicycle constructed to an individual persons specification for use in competitive events

a bicycle intended solely for use outside the UK (8) The new regulation applies across the whole supply chain – manufacturers, importers and retailers. Bicycles marked BS should comply in every respect and this includes a pair of conforming pedals with front and rear BS6102:2 reflectors. There are no exceptions to this rule, other than those outlined above.

note to retailers

It will be legal for suppliers to sell you cycles without a bell and with the old marking label, up to and including APRIL 30, 2004. These new regulations come into force on MAY 01, 2004 after which time full compliance will be needed.