Welcome to Tuesday on the road.cc live blog with Simon MacMichael, Jack Sexty and the rest of the team.
Timber! Part of Bristol – Bath cycle route to close for 5 days, Banned by the UCI – Graeme Obree talks tech, Brailsford Super Bowl warm down, Welsh hit and run arrests, Bank Junction plans revealed + more
All today’s news from the site and beyond
Tue, Feb 05, 2019 20:18
SUMMARY
5 February 2019, 20:18
Two arrested following hit and run crash in Monmouthshire that left three cyclists injured
Two people have been arrested following a hit and run crash in Monmouthshire that left three cyclists injured.
The incident happened at around 4pm on Sunday on Llanllowell Lane in Llanllowell, reports BBC News.
One of the injured riders is in a critical but stable condition at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, while another was treated there for a serious injury but later released. A third was treated for minor injuries.
Police have arrested a 40-year-old man and 45-year-old woman on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving, driving while over the limit and failing to stop.
Police are appealing for witnesses and can be contacted on 101.
5 February 2019, 20:18
Plans revealed for further improvements of notorious Bank Junction after safety experiment sees accident reductions
The City of London Corporation’s Planning & Transportation Committee has agreed the first phase of its future vision for Bank junction, which is notorious as being an accident hotspot.
In the last two years an experiment which saw vehicles reduced from 1,300 an hour to nothing except buses and bikes between 7am-pm saw a big reduction in accidents, therefore further changes are expected to take place in the future as part of the ‘All Change at Bank’ project. They transport committee say: “Enhancements will make the junction a walkable, enjoyable space with new seating, and shaded and sheltered areas. The vision looks to retain the ability for some vehicle access, while achieving further restriction of two or three arms of the junction to create an area that prioritises pedestrians and cyclists – in line with the ambitious proposals set out in the City’s draft Transport Strategy.”
Proposals for the next phase of work are expected later in 2019.
5 February 2019, 20:18
Tyrannosaurus Rex CX
This clip was taken at the Wharfedale Harriers 4.7 mile run and ride event over the weekend, open to runners, cyclists and dinosaurs apparently…
5 February 2019, 20:18
Near hit of the day?
Things you find when you root around in the other videos posted on Youtube along with people’s helmetcam footage. This one is is by Simon Crisp whose close call with a cement lorry was NMoTD 248 yesterday. This gem was spotted by some of you and shared in the comments by a1white causing lllnorrisslll to declare it the “BEST THING ON ROAD.CC EVER!!!”. Maybe if you like Eighties power ballads… we’ll let you be the judge.
5 February 2019, 20:18
None of the gear, and seemingly plenty of idea
Chris Froome prepara por carreteras colombianas el @TourColombiaUCI
(@cariasann) #TourColombia2019 pic.twitter.com/SAkZg8GsIW
— COPEdaleando (@Copedaleando) February 5, 2019
Watch this young chap on an old steal beater in baggy shorts and what looks to be Crocs on his feet keep up with Chris Froome on the streets of Columbia… sign him up!
5 February 2019, 20:18
Graeme Obree takes a look at stuff that's been banned by the UCI, in a way only he could
The Flying Scotsman and serial UCI rule botherer stars in this entertaining video for Endura, in which he discusses the various pedantic rules brought in since he began breaking records with bikes made out of washing machine parts all those years ago. The video was made following the banning of Endura’s Surface Silicone Topography tech that appears on their fastest Drag2Zero skinsuit… nowadays it will only be legal for non-UCI events and triathlons, because “it’s just too fast” according to Endura…
5 February 2019, 20:18
Sir Dave is racks up some serious miles following a trip to the Superbowl
As we’ve reported before (read our report on Dave Brailsford’s low fat diet advice and training regime from back in October) The Team Sky head honcho has been popping up on Strava quite a bit these last few months… and has been getting in almost as many miles in as his team as he hops around the globe. This latest one is a 43 miler from Atlanta, Georgia in the US, where Dave was visiting to watch the Superbowl and catch up with some mates… when he says mates we’re not sure if he means anyone in this photo, featuring the oddest mix of celebrities and sports coaches in one frame possibly ever captured… a sort of budget Oscars selfie if you will.
All set #SuperBowl53 pic.twitter.com/Z7O9buRgrE
— Darren Fletcher (@DFletcherSport) February 3, 2019
In any case, Brailsford is still taking the time to give followers advice and answer their queries in the comments under his uploads when he’s not hanging out with Vernon Kay and various football managers. You can follow him on Strava here.
5 February 2019, 20:18
The Gert Lush 'Vintage Sportif' is coming to Bristol
The organisers of The Gert Lush (that’s Bristol for ‘really good’ or something to that effect) say they are aiming to offer “a vintage bike fest similar to the Eroica but Bristol Fashion, which means more individuality and less of the tyranny of downtube shifters and a thirty year old bike”.
By that they mean any bike as long as it’s a bit old is ok and hipster fancy dress is preferable. There are 35 mile and 65 mile ride routes, and Gert Lush say they want to build on Bristol’s reputation as a cycling city and one that (at least tries to be) eco-friendly.
There is also a free accompanied kids’ ride, and back at the event village there will be cream teas and pies offered plus musical entertainment. It takes place on the 19th May, head over to thegertlush.com for more info.
5 February 2019, 20:18
On the forum: what's the daftest bike name?
Our own John Stevenson suggests the Giant Farrago (Farrago by definition means ‘a confused mixture’)… link to the forum post is here if you have some suggestions, we’ll see how many you come up with and run a poll/give out a wooden spoon prize for the ‘winning’ brand perhaps!
5 February 2019, 20:18
Par-closure of Bristol and Bath Railway Path later this month
Part of the Bristol and Bath Railway Path will be closed for a week later this month so that essential tree-felling work can be carried out.
The popular route which is heavily used by commuters on bike and on foot will be closed during the week commencing Monday 18 February between Gordon Road and Bruce Road in Greenbank, east Bristol.
Bristol City Council said: “The council’s tree team will be removing three willow trees and one poplar tree which, on recent inspection, need to be removed as they are unstable, in decline or have defects which are significantly weakening the trees.
“Seven other willow and poplar trees are being removed as their roots are starting to damage the path, making it unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians.
“Work will take place later in the year to repair the damage already affecting the path.”
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Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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Latest Comments
chrisonabike 38 minutes ago
"All that's required is an to roads policing" - that's a big all... Although no doubt the "idiots just keep coming" aspect does apply: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9lel2wz93o "Man charged after car crashes through bowling alley" - luckily they only skittled over skittles.
chrisonabike 49 minutes ago
Almost any change to roads and streets is accompanied by a period of heightened danger, and in the UK "look out for cyclists" will need to be learned... practically. And over the time it takes for cyclists to become a regular feature. OTOH once (if...) good designs are in and frequent enough such that drivers encounter them AND the cyclists on them regularly (another big if) I don't think they should be much more difficult than a footway to deal with. These things are all over NL - don't have the collision stats but they should. (NL isn't perfect but collecting info on the safety of designs to feed back into better designs as required is part of the "sustainable safety" philosophy - if they're really a killer I think they'd be altering these.)
wtjs 2 hours ago
I'm in the happy position of agreeing with everybody here! I've never considered a bike with a stand, yet I'm impressed by the ingenuity and adaptability of this axle. I tow a Yak Bob with a Robert Axle, employing my El Cheapo Vitus gravel bike and I just have to be very careful where I stop. Hedges are generally a dead loss, and I seek walls, telegraph poles and signposts and generally lean the widest part of the Bob against it. One very awkward task is removing the two steel pins which lock the trailer arms onto the special mounting slots on the Robert axle, and when you have one out, the sodding weight in the trailer can twist the whole caboodle and bend the Bob fitting before you can get the other out and unhitch. I doubt if a stand would help with that. You can imagine that this combo is a real pain when you have to get it over the bridge at railway stations, and it nearly resulted in Merseyrail nearly parting me and the trailer on the platform from the bike on the train. It's a long story for another time. Another axle example recently featured on here, with a 12mm front axle bearing the Herculean weight limit of a monster American front rack.
HoarseMann 4 hours ago
This has nothing to do with the type of bike - it's the type of behaviour that's the problem. Banning the sale of such bikes will not curtail the behaviour. They'll just find another type of vehicle and continue to drive dangerously as there's such a lack of enforcement. I'd sooner see them ban the bally. But really, all that's required is an improvement to roads policing.
AidanR 4 hours ago
The EAPC Bill is welcome, but full of holes. What's to stop an overpowered but temporarily limited e-bike being sold and subsequently delimited? This is often a trivial process.
Sredlums 5 hours ago
@KiwiMike Yeah, in my over four decades of riding all over Europe I've never 'been for a ride in the countryside'. That must be it. Or, and I know this is a wild concept, you just accept that I just voiced my personal experiences and never missed a kickstand, like I wrote. Anyway, what's the big horror of laying your bike on its side for the very few occasions where there is nothing to lean your bike against?
mdavidford 5 hours ago
They may have looked, but did they see?
jackcycles 6 hours ago
Ds2025: where they are going wrong is that they are crushing the motorbike rather than the person sat on top of it. If they did the latter this issue would be solved in less than 24 hours.
Rod Marton 6 hours ago
I came this way today with the car boot sale in operation. There was a marshal at the entrance, who stopped a car turning right across the cycleway as I was approaching. So that certainly works. I think it necessary for the marshal to be there, I couldn't say if the driver would have turned if he hadn't been there but you always have to suspect the worst. Unfortunately there is no marshal at the exit, and there was certainly a car stopped across the cycleway as I was approaching it. But he pulled onto the road before I reached it, and the following car stayed off the cycleway as I went through. Ideally there should have been a marshal there too. On the whole, though, it's a really high standard piece of infrastructure. Just a pity it doesn't extend a bit further.
eburtthebike 6 hours ago
“absolute carnage” So right! Just look at the bodies piled up, blood running in the gutters and injured people limping away. It's a bit of a problem with a road, delaying some people for minutes at a time: it isn't carnage, let alone 'absolute carnage'. Anyone who exaggerates so ridiculously really shouldn't be allowed to comment in public, unless they want to demonstrate their idiocy to all and sundry.
3 thoughts on “Timber! Part of Bristol – Bath cycle route to close for 5 days, Banned by the UCI – Graeme Obree talks tech, Brailsford Super Bowl warm down, Welsh hit and run arrests, Bank Junction plans revealed + more”
Two arrested after three
Two arrested after three cyclists injured in Monmouthshire hit and run
They are utterly shitting themselves now at the prospect of that £60 fine.
Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:
I cycle through this area regularly, is disconcerting when something happens that you know could easily have been you. Really hope these vermin get taken off the road, but won’t hold my breath.
Graham Obree, national
Graham Obree, national treasure.