road.cc live blog: Stop Highways England banning cycling on the A63, Froome racing is “super bad” for cycling says Tony Martin, Aussie speed awareness campaign pulled (and more)

@Backladder Do locals never drive to Thornhill for the cafe, community centre, school, vets etc.? Yes, this is "proper countryside" and maybe most people simply drive the fair ways to the big town (Dumfries!). The countryside is difficult when it comes to transport choices. I do know that in many places where it's made less unattractive people do choose the car less often. I'm not convinced more than a couple of the locals would walk on that road. Kids and older people cycling there seem rather unlikely also. But maybe they're hardy folk? Recreational cyclists - as evidenced by the folks on here - will likely cycle anyways, probably even if it was banned!

@jackcycles I can hear the Pub Landlord - "I'm sick of all those cells going to foreigners! I want to see Great British bike thieves in Great British prisons!" Given Mr.Farage has made a big thing about security while simultaneously refusing the offer of it * ... ... I'm guessing he'll be for blaming his pet hates for "an epidemic" of bike theft. Then refusing to use the police budget to tackle cycle crime, taking a millions from some dodgy donor "to fix crime", after which he'll refuse to answer any questions about what it was spent on **... * Apparently because it wasn't commensurate with his ego - sorry, his public profile - because "I'm bigger than the leader of the opposition!" ** AFAIK the latest explanation for the donations is "none of your business". Looking forward to the next report of eg. a judge receiving a large "personal gift, no strings attached" from the mob and offering the same explanation!

New Northwave winter boots, in Snow White? Don't they realise how filthy our roads are in winter?? Silca Omata, lovely retro computer, but about £400 too expensive.

@Eton Rifle you're walking around blind without a stick. Violent crime is up massively under Khan, and recently people don't even bother reporting it any more.... What's the point? It's been deprioritised in favour of policing twitter. Just this evening it was reported that legendary comedian Paul Whitehouse was the victim of an attempted mugging in Islington while using a cash machine, it's completely out of control. I'm sure that Khan does get threats from nutters, but my point was that so does Farage, and he doesn't get the same level of publicly funded protection despite having a higher profile. So it's completely below the belt to allege some kind of wrongdoing in funding his own. Per telegraph: "Crime has soared in London in recent years. There were nearly 100,000 thefts or attempted thefts in the capital in 2025, compared with about 45,000 in 2019, Home Office data show. During Sir Sadiq Khan’s tenure as Mayor, knife crime has increased by nearly 72 per cent, sexual offences are 63.2 per cent higher and “theft from the person” – which covers theft and attempts to take items directly from a victim – has more than tripled to nearly 100,000 incidents."

"haven’t got out there yet! " Well worth a visit, but plan your route carefully, there are a few diabolically steep hills on the back roads or if you want to ride to the Lowther golf ball.

@jackcycles So you haven't noticed that knife crime (and violent crime generally) has declined in London whilst Khan had been mayor? Oh and to respond to your whine about Khan having to have personal security? It's because of racist cunts making credible death threats against him. Are you sure you aren't amongst them?

@chrisonabike This is out in the countryside and without Drumlanrig castle being in the neighbourhood it would be empty of both cyclists and pedestrians most of the time.

You've missed out "of".

@Backladder if we had any sense we'd realise that "shared use" is "buying too cheap" in many places. Single small space for both - get not many of either (and everyone is disgruntled). Although ... out in the countryside I believe the Dutch often *only* build "shared use". But they make nice wide cycle paths that people can *also* walk on. But where there will be lots of walkers? A footway *and* a cycle path.

@Rendel Harris oh it's not that I would expect anything other than cheery waves, especially from the friendly and hospitable fine people of Scotland, but honestly it wouldn't seem right to slow down hard working motorists if I wasn't engaging in an activity that added value to the economy. As the adage goes, "don't bite the hand that feeds you". Cycling infrastructure has been provided over generations through the blood, sweat and tears of hard working people, and it seems such a shame to (hypothetically of course) stick two fingers up at the productive in society. Additionally I wouldn't want to slow right down on the shared use track. I have a motto of "full gas always"... No time to lounge around I'm afraid, I'm a busy man!