Live blog: Alex Dowsett’s top tips for a rapid commute, three riders taking on Britain’s 100 best climbs (and riding between them) in 29 days, driver ‘forgets’ he’s not a bike + more
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Wed, Jun 20, 2018 13:49
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Jack is group editor across road.cc, off.road.cc and ebiketips, overseeing all three sites in the F-At Digital group to make sure everything’s up to scratch. He’s been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of road.cc including tech, news and video, and also contributed to ebiketips before being named editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town, and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master’s degree in print journalism, and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it’s a long story).
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Latest Comments
chrisonabike 6 minutes ago
Was this a Fifa-style offer eg. "We're planning to come and make money * anyway, but if you make it official you get a cut"? * Probably from venture capital but at any rate mostly not from people directly paying for a ride. Point being: the priorities don't align well with "contributing to the good of the place".
chrisonabike 8 minutes ago
It was a lane, and indeed a "mandatory" one, and does have intermittent blocks and wands, although I'm pretty sure those don't make a cycle track unless continuous? (I admit that I'm hazy on the exact Uk definitions but I suspect the definitions are hazy also)? As you note lanes are out, but cycle tracks may be in, if you're in class 2 or 3. So the chap was out of order, but I am more inclined to blame the lack of provision first and then the rules. This was in a part of town where there's a massive space between buildings, not even filled by what was 2 lanes in each direction, with median...
Rendel Harris 11 minutes ago
@belugabob Much of it down to effectively bribery I'm afraid, with no overall authority for controlling them London's councils struck individual deals - £1.3M with Forest bikes in Richmond, a staggering £93M over five years with Lime and Voi in Haringey, for example. Can't kill the golden egg goose!
Surreyrider 13 minutes ago
This is beyond sad. Condolences to all who knew him.
belugabob 27 minutes ago
Quele surprise, Rodney...🙄
belugabob 29 minutes ago
This all stems from the decision to allow dockless bikes - given that the Boris bikes used tricks, it's a bit puzzling
AidanR 43 minutes ago
Absolutely tragic. Bike racing should not be fatal.
Rendel Harris 52 minutes ago
@chrisonabike Was it a cycle lane, i.e. just paint, or a cycle track separated from the road by a barrier, even if just a kerb or orcas and wands? IIRC mobility scooters may not use lanes but they may use tracks?
Beachboy 1 hour ago
There has never been a cyclist accident during the TT. The reason cyclists are banned is not for their safety, but for the safety of the wannabe racers who ride faster than their ability. And I cannot find any accident information outside of TT, so again the ban is also about racy boys not wanting to worry what is around the corner. I have only ridden across once, and usually prefer the coast road, but the one time I did, I had three oiks in a Mini try to run me off the road, and I had cameras on the front and back, they came back for a look so I got a clear number, but the Police showed no interest at all. All works out well, it is a small Island.
chrisonabike 1 hour ago
Hang on, isn't that a third slice of the pie that some people regularly come on here to bisect? Do you mean that a utility cycle * isn't a meaningful journey either? * Possibly made by someone in a mobility vehicle or wheelchair to use the Dutch grouping of these things. Just since i noted someone using a "cycle facility" in a mobility vehicle this evening. Although IIRC that is not legal in the UK; however there appeared to be no arseholery intended and though the cycle lane isn't in good nick it may have been a better bet than the narrow footway.
5 thoughts on “Live blog: Alex Dowsett’s top tips for a rapid commute, three riders taking on Britain’s 100 best climbs (and riding between them) in 29 days, driver ‘forgets’ he’s not a bike + more”
To be fair the vast majority
To be fair the vast majority of the overtakes I get are of this variety. I can definitely recommend the thumbs up and wave also. If you commute or otherwise travel the same route at the same time a lot, over time you can help build the goodwill in the local area. Also I think if there is a line of cars and the first overtakes well, some highly visible thanks can encourge those following to do the same.
Morgoth985 wrote:
Completely agree!
Morgoth985 wrote:
This is true, and most overtakes are at least reasonable, but the problem is that it only takes one bad overtaker to kill you, and there are still a lot of them out there. If you are a novice cyclist, and you get passed badly at least once every ride, you are likely to give up and go back to the car.
The reverse of what you say about good passing being copied by the following drivers is also true of bad passes. I’ve lost count of the number of times the first driver in a convoy passes me dangerously close, to be followed by the other five.
While I take your point about most drivers being not too bad at passing, we need all of them to be good, so that cyclists don’t feel their lives are threatened on every ride.
Burt, I don’t disagree with
Burt, I don’t disagree with any of that, and I’m conscious that I might just be lucky in having a slightly lower density of nutcases in my area than elsewhere. I’ve still had enough close passes that I don’t minimise the issue by any means. I’m just saying that positive reinforcement of good behaviour is one tool among several that we can adopt to change attitudes.
Alex Dowsett in not having a
Alex Dowsett in not having a clue about safe cycling shocker.
Advising that cycling right behind someone in their slipstream and then shoot out quickly only to then count to three and simply pull back in front of them is a good idea is fucking bullshit. You don’t know the person in front, slipstream if you are in a chaingang or you’ve asked for a tow and they’ve ok’d it, optherwise stay the fuck off someone elses back wheel, it’s not wanted and it’s dangerous.
Sorry but advice like that comes from a cretin with no idea whatsoever about safe cycling, stick to what you know because safe commuter cycling isn’t one of them!