Avid Marlborough cyclists Peter Halligan, left, and Duncan Mackenzie think the 100kmh speed limit on Taylor Pass Rd needs to be reviewed.

Two prominent Marlborough personalities are calling for the speed limit on Taylor Pass Rd, outside Blenheim, to be reviewed as it becomes increasingly popular with cyclists.

Avid road and mountainbiker Peter Halligan, who is a founder of the GrapeRide in Marlborough, said the 100kmh speed limit from the edge of town over the Taylor Pass was unnecessary and posed a danger.

"Just because it's a rural road doesn't mean it should get a 100kmh limit. It's a very technical road," he said.

The former police officer said he had attended fatal car crashes on the road in the past, but admitted he had not heard of any similar incidents in the past 10 years.

"We used to get a lot of young petrol heads who would come up to the [Taylor] dam and then race each other back to town. You still get it as you can see by the [skid marks on the] road at the turnoff to the dam."

Top Town Cinema owner and fellow cyclist Duncan Mackenzie backed Halligan's concerns and said the route had become hugely popular with cyclists.

He felt the part of road which most needed a speed reduction was from the start of the 100kmh section up to the dam.

"People are pretty well behaved after the Maxwell Rd intersection, but up to Taylor Dam is a problem."

Riding the road was not a problem for experienced riders, but for many others it was daunting to share it with vehicles travelling at high speed, Mackenzie said.

Halligan raised the issue at a Bike Walk Marlborough working group meeting. The group's facilitator Robin Dunn said while most motorists were well behaved, reducing the speed limit was sensible because of the road's popularity with both road and mountainbikers.

"We can certainly look at putting a proposal together [to present to Marlborough District Council] if members of the public approach us about it," he said.

Marlborough Roads highway manager Frank Porter said the speed limits were set by a council bylaw. To change them required the bylaw to be reviewed, which had been done in Marlborough about 18 months ago.

"It's quite a complicated process. The decision was made not to review them until 2017, but if something is urgent and pressing a submission could be made for council to consider," he said.