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Driving without insurance? Probably don't go down a cycle lane in front of police...; Trainline adds bicycle bookings to app; Canadian cyclist clears cycle lanes with homemade cargo bike snowplow; G's presents; Larry's late gifts + more on the live blog

The final live blog before Christmas... as we're here in the UK it's wet and mild... but still, come join Dan Alexander by the fire as we drink mulled wine and enjoy all things cycling...
23 December 2022, 17:07
Cycling home for Christmas
2022 snow Christmas Tree Broll shot

Merry Christmas to all of you from everyone at road.cc!!! Have a great weekend...

23 December 2022, 12:26
Driving without insurance? Probably don't go down a cycle lane in front of police...

In fairness, that headline could probably include insured drivers as well...

Anyway, they really don't come easier for South Wales Police than this...

Anyway, plenty more from this genre...

> Jeremy Vine films motorist driving down Hyde Park cycle path

> London cyclist films bike lane motorist driving straight at oncoming riders

> Cyclist despairs as Amazon van driver takes cycle lane shortcut before parking on pavement

23 December 2022, 16:57
If you are... here are some of our last-minute top tips...

23 December 2022, 16:54
Who's doing the Festive 500?

Apologies all, just been finishing up something special for Boxing Day...

Anyone doing the Festive 500 this year?

Polls

23 December 2022, 14:58
Wout van Aert to prioritise winning Flanders or Roubaix, Worlds and Tour stage wins over the green jersey
Jumbo-Visma Tour de France Jonas Vingegaard Wout van Aert Sepp Kuss Tiesj Benoot Christophe Laporte (A.S.O. / Pauline Ballet)

[A.S.O. / Pauline Ballet]

Speaking to Sporza at Jumbo Visma's 2023 team presentation, Wout van Aert said he's after more big wins next year, and isn't too bothered about giving the three-week-long battle for the green jersey at the Tour de France a miss... or at least be a tad more conservative in when he burns his matches...

"Green was a great adventure, but stage victories are more memorable and the World Championships (two weeks after the Tour) is the higher goal," he explained. "That's why I don't want to focus on the points for green from the start. That can become a goal during the Tour, but I will choose my days much more and in the final week you still have many opportunities. You can then make choices and it is much more sensible that way.

2022 TdF Stage 20 time trial wout van aert Zac Williams/SWpix.com

"I want to win the Ronde and/or Roubaix. So that goal has not changed. They are high, but also logical ambitions. And I am extra motivated after what happened this year."

23 December 2022, 14:55
Geraint Thomas' Geraint Thomas curse strikes again

Yesterday it was the Giro d'Italia account dropping him a follow, today it's many enthusiastic 'fans' after a Christmas giveaway... 

23 December 2022, 13:26
Floating bus stops
23 December 2022, 12:59
Trainline adds bicycle bookings to app

A Christmas gift from the Trainline as discovered by road.cc contributor Laura...

 Whilst booking directly with rail operators adding one of the limited few bike spaces has long been an option... it seems booking through Trainline for those sweet sweet savings has until now meant ringing up to add your bike spot to the booking. No more!

23 December 2022, 10:33
Giro d'Italia's monstrous TT
23 December 2022, 09:01
Canadian cyclist clears cycle lanes with homemade cargo bike snowplow

As our US-based readers face weather that puts last week's very British snow-related meltdown into perspective, here's some ingenious cargo bike versatility from a cyclist up in Canada...

Credit where it's due a cargo bike snowplow is almost certainly a better choice of ride than 25mm summer tyres for your ride into town... I mean, I can only imagine that's the case... who would be silly enough to ride across snow and ice on 25mm rubber? Yeah, how stupid...

23 December 2022, 09:24
Geraint's giving out Christmas presents

Unfortunately you're too late if a set of Tour numbers was on your Christmas list (I mean, why wouldn't it be?)... they've gone to a great cause and will be used to raise funds for the Velindre Cancer Centre... 

23 December 2022, 09:29
Larry Warbasse cracks Christmas

Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.

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30 comments

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ktache | 1 year ago
0 likes
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Hirsute replied to ktache | 1 year ago
0 likes

Well I suppose they have a lot of cars per household, so it makes sense to have 27 car park spaces per household.

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BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP | 1 year ago
6 likes

Cycling uninsured down a cycle lane - reminds me of a time I was marshalling a led ride in central London. It was a Sunday and there were families and children and all sorts on the ride. A taxi driver took exception to this and drove right at a section of the ride. We all scattered and a few fell off their bikes. What the idiot hadn't noticed was that there were also 2 police cyclists with us. The smartly blocked the cab and yanked him out. He was missing various 'documents' so back up was called and his cab was confiscated. 

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Watson_robert | 1 year ago
0 likes

Just for Info, Canada isn't in the US

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mattw replied to Watson_robert | 1 year ago
1 like

Watson_robert wrote:

Just for Info, Canada isn't in the US

Yet. They tried several times.

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ktache replied to mattw | 1 year ago
0 likes

Durin the war of 1812 forces moved both ways across the border.

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Rendel Harris replied to Watson_robert | 1 year ago
0 likes

Watson_robert wrote:

Just for Info, Canada isn't in the US

To be fair, the writer doesn't say or imply this, the article says our US-based readers are facing some really heavy snow this week, here's how "a cyclist up in Canada" deals with it. 

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perce | 1 year ago
15 likes

I'm hoping my next door neighbour will be a bit more considerate this Christmas. Two o'clock this morning banging on the walls. God only knows what he was doing. I'd have been pretty miffed if he woke me up - luckily I was up anyway playing my saxophone. No self awareness some people.

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Rendel Harris replied to perce | 1 year ago
4 likes

My neighbours had a cement mixer in the garden all through Christmas night last year, I was livid. If they'd turned it on I'd have been even crosser.

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hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
10 likes

Happy Pagan Tree Ritual Worship Season

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eburtthebike | 1 year ago
5 likes

If the car driving down the cycle path was seized a month ago for no insurance, and it still doesn't have insurance, how did the driver get it back?

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wtjs replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
5 likes

If the car driving down the cycle path was seized a month ago for no insurance, and it still doesn't have insurance, how did the driver get it back?

For the same reason that we don't believe that a driving ban will be applied, or that if it is then driving while disqualified will result in a 'custodial sentence'. The 'legal process' simply can't be bothered, and has no appetite for removing the basic human right to drive what you like, where you like, when you like and collide with whichever cyclist you like- all with no regard for nanny-state over-regulation like driving licences, MOTs, insurance or VED

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Tom_77 replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
3 likes

eburtthebike wrote:

If the car driving down the cycle path was seized a month ago for no insurance, and it still doesn't have insurance, how did the driver get it back?

I'd assume that the driver insured the car, got it back from the police, and then the insurance was cancelled - either by the driver or the insurance company.

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Rendel Harris replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
4 likes

eburtthebike wrote:

If the car driving down the cycle path was seized a month ago for no insurance, and it still doesn't have insurance, how did the driver get it back?

You can acquire car insurance for periods as short as a single hour, day, week etc. Seems stupid that the police would let it go on such a policy, but I guess if the requirement for return is simply to show that the car is insured and so legal to drive away they have to?

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stonojnr replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
0 likes

Probably the driver they stopped, isnt the registered car owner, and the owner is insured, so just reclaims the car.

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ktache | 1 year ago
1 like

Not he article, more the picture.

Look at the happy Santa's riding their bmxs.

And that happy lady has managed to find a bobble hat large enough to fit over her helmet.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/23/reasons-to-be-chee...

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SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
7 likes

Quiet here today!

How about I kick off a discussion?

Cycle helmets, road tax insurance...

Or failing that, can I say Happy non-sectarian winter holiday to one and all, thanks for the lively discussions once again, see you all back here on the 3rd January?

broken heart

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eburtthebike replied to SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
9 likes

Bah humbug! and other festive non-denominational, non-confrontational season's greetings.

That's me making a late bid for being nice so that Father Christmas brings me the present I want; an election.

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essexian replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
3 likes

I'm of an age (61) where I would love an election again. 

Its been years. My wife is frustrated at the lack of a decent poll. 

Have a nice time everyone. Christmas day looks a good one for knocking a dent in the Rapha 500. 

 

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OldRidgeback replied to essexian | 1 year ago
2 likes

essexian wrote:

I'm of an age (61) where I would love an election again. 

Its been years. My wife is frustrated at the lack of a decent poll. 

Have a nice time everyone. Christmas day looks a good one for knocking a dent in the Rapha 500. 

On first sight I thought you'd written erection  1

 

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mark1a replied to OldRidgeback | 1 year ago
0 likes

Well, you know, auto-correct...

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Rendel Harris replied to mark1a | 1 year ago
8 likes

mark1a wrote:

Well, you know, auto-correct...

One of the greats who departed this year, Barry Cryer: "I got my liquid Viagra mixed up with the Tippex, I woke up with a massive correction..."

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Sriracha replied to OldRidgeback | 1 year ago
0 likes
OldRidgeback wrote:

essexian wrote:

I'm of an age (61) where I would love an election again. 

Its been years. My wife is frustrated at the lack of a decent poll. 

Have a nice time everyone. Christmas day looks a good one for knocking a dent in the Rapha 500. 

On first sight I thought you'd written erection  1

 

Indeed, and given the etymology of "poll" ...

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Hirsute replied to SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
6 likes

//www.podcastmerch.co.uk/82890-home_default/exploding-heads-you-cant-even-say-merry-christmas-any-more-jumper-sweatshirt.jpg)

 

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SimoninSpalding replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
3 likes

We are so woke and keen on cancel culture here that you'll get banned just for posting that highly inappropriate and discriminatory picture!

yes

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Clem Fandango replied to SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
6 likes

Sorry, been sitting at an established red for ages....

Anyway.  Happy winter holiday one & all.  You lefty, tree hugging, wokerati, lycra clad, tax dodging, pedestrian killing, cyber bullies.  1  Hope you all have a good Christmas & New Year.  

And let's be careful out there 

*starts humming the theme from Hill Street Blues*

 

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Bentrider replied to SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
9 likes

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practises of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practise religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2017, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society are equally of merit.

This wish is made without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee. This greeting is subject to amendment, clarification or withdrawal. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others and no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress these greetings may bring to those not wishing to share in the holiday spirit.

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ktache replied to Bentrider | 1 year ago
4 likes

And a Happy Winterval to you all.

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JustTryingToGet... replied to ktache | 1 year ago
3 likes
ktache wrote:

And a Happy Winterval to you all.

Nice local one, love it

Merry yuletide everyone, even the PBUs... I'm ready for the spirit of Christmas to envelop me... by which I mean increasingly dubious concoctions of sugar and alcohol

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Awavey replied to SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
2 likes

its still the 23rd, so its Happy Festivus (a holiday for the rest of us), as is traditional let us begin with the airing of grievances...

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