Episode 3 of the “CycleCast” is online.

@mctrials23 Yes, all of that and especially (I'm sure you meant this under the training understanding/advancements) huge blocks of altitude training which effectively legally simulates doping with EPO.

Another perhaps more extreme example of this is in athletics. Despite improvements in training and nutrition, shoes and kit, faster tracks, more nations taking part, increased funding and increased financial rewards the following world records still exist : Women's 100m & 200m (Florence Griffith-Joiner, 1988), Women's 400m (Marita Koch, 1985), Women's 800m (Martina Kratochvilova, 1983).

It is shocking how desperately stupid drivers can be. I've seen someone try to go around police blocking the road to drive up the highway towards where it was clearly blocked by multiple fire trucks filling bambi buckets on hovering helicopters. I've seen drivers (plural) who can't understand how to get around a collision blocking the road ahead where all they have to do is go around the block. Pit cones out to block a lane? Better make sure no one can squeeze their car between them because they will.

@Rendel Harris I'm frankly astounded that its taken this long to break many of the records and its just a testament to how ridiculous doping was. - training properly from a young age - diet changes - no long off season and "racing yourself back to fitness" - bike tech, aero bikes, better tyres, aero socks, skin suits etc - fuelling up to 3x the amount on the bike vs what they used to do - Recovery after rides - Training understanding/advancements Its amazing that we have had to change all this before we are beating guys who were doped up to the gills.

I tend to judge people by their actions rather than their words. At least he cycles and is not, to my knowledge, a die-hard vehicular cyclist nutter. Whatever happens he would struggle to be a worse candidate than Shaun Bailey. That was the chap who was caught campaigning in Brentwood, yes, the one in Essex where no one had the vote. Oh, and do we know if this will be a FPTP election or has it been rolled back to transferable vote?

@chrisonabike There seem to be three frameworks when it comes to speed limits. Framework 1 is the approach introduced in 1934. It doesn't see speed limits as traffic-calming measures, but as a legal tool for identifying and dealing with reckless drivers. You measure traffic speeds to establish what constitutes normal driving behaviour, assume most drivers are reasonable and have an aversion to crashing or running someone over, and set the limit accordingly. Exceptions should genuinely be exceptional, so that drivers take them seriously when the do differ from the norm. Framework 2 is closer to the approach that existed before 1930: you simply set a speed and expect everyone to drive at it. This seems to be the framework the Welsh Government claims to favour, set a lower limit and expect compliance, often without changing the road or substantially increasing enforcement. The WG guidelines actually said don't take any account of traffic speeds as a variable when it comes to making exceptions, if you like to link me to a study that says that's a good idea, I'd like to read it. This is also how I used to assume speed limits work, as something you just *set*. Framework 3 recognises that Framework 1 falls apart when you use Framework 2, but argues that this is acceptable as long as the average speed falls somewhat. This seems to be the reality of what is being used today: high, sometimes extremely high, non-compliance is considered an acceptable price for a marginal reduction in average speeds. The problem is what happens in the long term when non-compliance is effectively designed into the system: speed limits become useless for identifying genuinely dangerous drivers, speeding becomes normalised and more socially acceptable, and pedestrians are given signs telling them to expect speeds that drivers are routinely travelling above.

@Bill H ".....but he is a genuine utility cyclist." That's good to hear, but telling two different groups things that are diametrically opposed doesn't do much for his credibility or honesty.

I think Andy Burnham has offered some hope in the last few weeks by threatening renationalisation of some industries, highlighting Brexit's disastrous effects on trade and public funding and calling out the downside of Thatcherism (if that viewpoint becomes more widely acknowledged most senior Tory politicians will have no clothes). And to Kier Starmer's credit he did take steps to improve the relationship and trade with the EU. But let's not get too excited too soon. The big problem is that lots of things need fixing but many aren't prepared to pay more towards it or can't afford to pay more towards it. Incidentally, I was discussing modern politicians with my wife this morning. They often seem to be self seeking, uninterested in detail, not very capable and mainly focussed on soundbites and their careers. Has it always been like this? Or is it just that we are older? It always seemed that politicians of the 70's, 80's and 90's had a deeper sense of responsibility and obligations of duty towards the electorate. But maybe they didn't. Discuss.

I met James Cleverly on a ‘Movers and Shakers’ ride organised by the Redbridge LCC. The ride ended at the then new Hogs Hill race track, which was replacing the lost East Way track in Hackney Wick. My main recollection was JC being angry with Lord Victor Adebowale for being allowed to ride the circuit sans helmet. The rest of us had to borrow lids but the good Lord got an exemption for his hair. JC otherwise came across as perfectly pleasant and he has lived an interesting life. Whether that qualifies him to be mayor I don’t know, but he is a genuine utility cyclist.

@Itsumishi Thanks for the reminder, have added that in - promise I meant it's the first custom bike that Canyon has made for him, although I certainly misremembered that DirtySixer made quite a few huge bikes for basketball players when writing this article :)