John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.
He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.
Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.
John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.
He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.
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41 comments
"Ah ok, thanks.
It could have been one of the metal poles that contributed to his sad death, seats like you say.
Considering some drivers don't even go to jail for killing a rider, let alone charged with inv manslaughter / murder i think inv manslaughter is way over the top."
struggling a bit as this probably a tough time for those directly involved but do agree that when you look at the speed that very serious charges have been brought against cyclist who possibly should have known better and then you compare this to the typically weaker charges brought against drivers who would have known better but have killed cyclists then its does make you question or continue to question if the Police and CPS are consistently acting in the best interests of the more vulnerable road users
edit removed cyclist age as not sure where got that from
Thing is, what we as cyclists fight for is equality on the road, you can't expect to pick and choose when you can pass off behaviour as something a pedestrian or animal might do to explain something like this and when we should be viewed as road users when someone in an Astra squeezes a cyclist into a verge.
As soon as you get on a bike you are a road user wether you like it or not, and you have a responsibility to act in a way that respects other road users by not forcing them into emergency stops and the like.
Is there really any need for that?
The human body is both incredibly resilient yet hopelessly fragile at the same time. Some people have been smashed to pieces, yet have survived and recovered as best they ever could but the lightest blow in the wrong place can (and has) kill a person.
The guy wasn't "clearly" fragile and seeing as you are neither omnipotent, obviously have no medical qualifications (nor access to his medical records), didnt knew the guy at all so have no idea whatsoever of his 'fragility' therefore all you've said is speculation, conjecture and distasteful.
Sympathies to the family and friends and a black mark for the reputation of cyclists. My guess is that the perpetrator was some bloke who ocassionally rode a bike rather than a cycling enthusiast (cyclist).
But without at least believing the courts are fair could we be called a civilised country?
How is this not as bad as racism and sexism?
The anti-cyclist slant that the legal system is coming out with here is absolutely disgusting.
If a car driver doesn't look properly, pulls out of a junction and hits a cyclist, they aren't ever charged with anything more than careless driving.
Makes you wonder if the PSV driver is covering his back (ass) But a very sad situation when someone looses their life! My sympathy and condolances to the family.
PC Deborah Gray apears to be very badly briefed and probably a bit credulous. I'm not quite sure why somone with such a low rank in Essex Police is allowed to embarass the force by displaying a canteen culture attitude to road safety and vulnerable road users.
Is the fact that this so called spokesperson is only a PC and indication the fact that she is young and inexperienced. or experienced but not very bright. It's hard to tell. Maybe she's been set up. Ordered to make stupid comments to limit her career or perhaps she is the ultimate careerist prepared to spout any kind of moronic nonsense in return for a leg up the greasy pole.
I don't live in Essex but those of you that do should make a not of her name and that quote and be prepared to remind Essex Police and her of that statement whenever it is necessary.
It may be road collisions or it may the type of victim blaming that goes with sexual assault. Change the vulnerable group and you pretty much have a caricature of a Police officer reminding women not to go to certain places, to wear only certain types of clothes and to be more safety conscious because Essex Police can't be bothered to do their jobs properly.
"I know we are paid to protect you and uphold the law but that sounds like too much hard work basically you are on your own so look after yourselves while we have a nice cup of tea."
Sincerely
Latest junior PC with no common sense.
Essex Police
Coaches and mini buses require seat belts. Public transport vehicles such as your typical omnibus which is hop on hop off are not required to offer belts. Neither are trains or tube trains. Ignorance all round it seems today. If the police are going to be willfully stupid we could at least not compound things by doing the same?
You're new to the internet, ain't you boy?
My deepest sympathies to the gentlemans family.
No amount of casting of blame here, there and everywhere will bring this gentleman back.
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