Children cycling “wrong way around roundabout” latest target of ex-Reform councillor who claimed cyclists should give way to cars – but critics argue he’s delayed safety scheme; Regent’s Park bike jam splits opinion; Cyclist v Tank + more on the live blog

Alright Ed Hill, I think it’s time to set Facebook down for a wee while, you’ve had far too much screen time this week.

Yep, that’s right, everyone’s favourite Devon-based expelled Reform/Advance/Independent councillor and former driving instructor is at it again.

Earlier this week, we reported that Hill, who’s gone through more parties than a Tour de France rider in Paris, filmed himself navigating the entrance to a side road in Exeter, which features a cycle path, in order to claim that people on bikes should give way to vehicles at the “dangerous” junction.

The plethora of videos he uploaded to Facebook about the Pinbrook Road cycle lane, of which he claimed to “hardly see anything at all” from the wheel of his camper van, were, rather predictably, titled ‘I Could Have Killed a Cyclist Today… But Whose Fault Would It Have Been?’

And now, days later, he’s turned his attention to another piece of cycling infrastructure in Exeter, which he says causes cyclists – including children – to ride against the flow of traffic to continue along the bike lane.

“Today, while observing this junction, I didn’t witness a single cyclist intending to take the third exit follow the roundabout in the normal direction of travel,” Hill said in his latest post.

“Instead, every cyclist I observed taking that exit cut across and cycled against the flow of traffic around part of the roundabout. This included parents cycling with their children. That should concern everyone, regardless of whether you drive, cycle, or walk.

“If people are routinely choosing to cycle against the flow of traffic rather than follow the intended route around a roundabout, we need to ask why. Good highway design should make the safest route the obvious and natural route. So, how could this design be improved?”

> Cycle path “creating a constant stream of arguments between drivers and cyclists” should be altered “so cyclists give way to vehicles”, demands councillor expelled from Reform UK

He continued in the comments: “When an electrician comes to your house, you don’t expect them to leave live wires hanging out of the wall if they haven’t finished the job. This is the equivalent, when a new section of road or cycle path is built, you should expect it to connect safely to the existing carriageway.

“The end of this cycle path invites cyclists to cross the road, so as you are crossing you start to look for the next part of the recommend path as indicated by the sign circled in red, but you then discover a pavement that is not inviting to cyclists, meaning that going the wrong way around 1/4 of the roundabout becomes the most obvious route. Don’t worry I will write to DCC officers about all of this, but asking for opinions on social media is a good sanity test.”

Hmm, not sure about that, Ed.

In any case, the independent Devon County Councillor asked the “sanity test” that is social media why cyclists are riding against the flow of traffic, and he got his answer. In short – it’s because he’s helped delay active travel safety improvements to the roundabout thanks to a row over a ‘cycling-only’ road in another part of Exeter.

Earlier this year, we reported that the future of Dryden Road, a low-traffic route which has been closed to motorists since the pandemic, has been left up in the air after it was revealed that active travel funds could be used to reopen the ‘cycling only’ road to motorists.

> “Sacrificing safety for drivers’ benefit”: Plan to reopen ‘cycling only’ road to motorists using active travel funds branded a “disgrace” – as council dismisses protected bike lanes as “impractical, costly, and unviable”

That move was branded a “disgrace” by cycling campaigners, who have accused the council of risking “sacrificing safety for drivers’ benefit”.

Hill has been one of the councillors pushing for Dryden Road to be reopened to drivers during the protracted saga, which has been beset by confusion, controversial redesigns, and a stop-start consultation process, leading to delays on work on other schemes in Exeter.

But instead of getting these kinds of improvements moving along, Hill is more interested in engaging in “Facebook culture wars”, cycling campaigners says.

“You know that small thing you have been going around in circles on HATOC for the entire time you have been a councillor. This is the project that has been delayed because of it,” James Maddison pointed out in the comments.

“Perhaps speak to the officers first instead, this project is in the design pipeline. That would be much more useful of everyone’s time, as you voted to approve the funding and development of this project.

“Instead you are again attempting to create a Facebook culture war and showing your inability to do your jobs as an elected official correctly. Your actions on Dryden have consequences and this is one of them.”

> “A line in the sand”: Cycling club joins campaign to keep controversial LTN closed to drivers, warning ‘reopening’ will lead to scrapping of other active travel schemes

For context, Hill – who we’ve been told used to work as a driving instructor – is a former Reform UK member who is now the independent councillor for Pinhoe & Mincinglake following his expulsion from the party in July 2025 for publishing a letter about free school meals citing names of all Devon’s Reform councillors without their consent.

He then joined the now-dissolved Advance UK party, but was also expelled from that in May of this year following a ‘grooming gang row’ according to Devon Live.

“He may end up getting censured by the council if he pushes his luck,” James told road.cc. If only…

It should probably come as no surprise, since it’s still the summer and all, that Regent’s Park is, ahem, fairly busy with people on bikes at the moment.

And one clip of that two-wheeled congestion, filmed at 7am on Tuesday morning, has divided opinion within the cycling community:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by James Colley (@the.broader.colley)

“As a cyclist I cannot think of anywhere more boring to ride,” soup_3458 wrote on Instagram, while The Yorkshire Wheeler simply said: “Looks like hell”.

Others were more enthralled by the spectacle, with justjevens writing: “One of the things I miss most about living in London. Awesome community. If it’s on your doorstep and beats stopping at traffic lights every 15 metres, it’ll do.”

“‘That looks boring’: people who have never been there,” added badgercyclist. “7am is a bit late and busy though. Time for coffee!”

Oh, good idea…

I’ll admit that this is probably the most bizarre ‘cyclist holding up traffic’ clip we’ve ever seen on the live blog.

It comes courtesy of TankHistoria, an online resource for – you guessed it – tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, who appeared to be on a 70-tonne, gun-toting version of a classic car rally when they happened upon a cyclist enjoying a leisurely ride along a rural path:

 

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A post shared by TankHistoria (@tankhistoria_)

To be honest, I doubt he was holding them up too much, although that hill definitely slowed his progress. Best not to read the comments on that one, it turns out some people reckon holding up a few old tank enthusiasts means you deserved to be hit by a car driver out on the road. Delightful.

If the rumours around the Tour de France team buses are to be believed, this new Cube range will be raced by NSN next year, with the brand reported to have agreed a deal which will see them reunite with Biniam Girmay (who raced Cubes during his Intermarché days) in 2027:

> Cube unveils 2027 range with lighter Litening Aero C:68X leading the charge