Tour de France chaos as Contador test positive

"'Ello, 'ello, 'ello. Had our expensive bike stolen have we, sir?" "Maybe you should consider yourself fortunate to have been able to buy one sir? And think of those less privileged, sir. Also there are some would argue that you shouldn't be on the road because you don't pay road tax, as well as slowing motorists, sir." "I hope we didn't retaliate or use any foul or threatening language, sir. We will be checking doorbell cameras just in case, sir. We don't condone that type of behaviour."

Can you imagine if it was a car jacking incident with one of the thieves using a hire car, they'd just hired? Call me cynical, but I can't believe the Met wouldn't contact the hire car company a little quicker.

That brings it home rather too forcefully, just a few streets and half a mile away from my door. Thankfully an extremely uncommon event around here, in fact I can't actually recall such a thing happening in East Dulwich in the two decades since we moved to this particular (and particularly lovely) neighbourhood. Not that that is any consolation for the rider of course, for whom many sympathies. Absolutely disgraceful reaction from the police, imagine if someone had been pulled from their car by thieves who had then driven off with it, five will get you ten that the area would have been flooded with squad cars, they'd probably have sent the chopper up as well. It's an indication of how far down the priority list cyclists and bicycles are; most forces/officers seem to regard bikes as, in the phrase so beloved of motoring forums, "children's toys" and prioritise their theft accordingly.

If ever you needed proof of how seriously police treat bike theft, this is it. One of the bike hackers paid for a lime bike rental and two months on, nothing. Make a rude gesture and it's game over, tracked down in a matter of days.

I've ridden the first half of this route doing the Five Ferries, which can be done in a single day if you want or at a much more leisurely pace. Ferry chasing does lead to a sense of adventure though! Don't recall the Boguillie being that bad a climb, the one out of Tighnabruich (carry on past Kennacraig, get the ferry from Tarbert on the Five Ferries) was much worse to my memory. Never taken a bike to Islay as yet, but been there a few times. Port Charlotte is lovely and the food and people at the hotel are always great too.

@Mr Blackbird No they don't- it's just a police dodge designed as part of the 'get the driver off killing a cyclist, or at worst a joke suspended sentence' procedure. It's rather like the stupid police attempt to insist on incriminating videos being removed from social media, when what they really don't like is the public being allowed to see how indisputable the evidence really is. Daniel Thomas has now been charged with criminal damage or some similar charge for slashing a dinghy out in the middle of the Channel- the video was livestreamed and has since been shown on TV to countless people. Are the police saying 'he can't possibly have a fair trial now, we'd better let him go'? No, they aren't- they only use that dodge when the people who have been KSI'd/ offended against are people they don't like: and cyclists are among those

Worse than that - they used all those pastel shades!

I'm not sure you can occupy a petard. It would have to be an unusually large one. And you'd presumably have to remove its contents first, which would render it benign anyway.

An espresso version would be better, to put the top of the mug somewhere near the bike. (Or maybe a Sheffield stand...)

Actually, will we need the space for the latest version of flying taxis? 🤔 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwz0z5dppxypo Won't you think of the ageing millionaires?