Welcome to Tuesday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Live blog: Amazing (and strangely mesmerising) video of huge crash in downhill race on snow, bloke who mistakenly sold wife’s heirloom classic bike in yard sale wants it back, this year’s Zwift Academy entries open + more
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Tue, Jul 02, 2019 17:49
SUMMARY
2 July 2019, 17:49
14th cyclist of the year killed in New York, with Mayor promising to take action
We’re seeing a dangerous surge in cyclist deaths on our streets — and we’re taking action.
I’ve directed the NYPD to immediately launch a major enforcement action that will encompass every precinct. They will crack down on dangerous driving behavior like parking in bike lanes.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) 2 July 2019
Mayor Bill De Blasio released a statement calling for a crackdown on dangerous drivers, following the death of 28-year-old Devra Freelander who was involved in a collision with a cement truck in the Brooklyn area of the city:
“We are seeing a dangerous surge in cyclist deaths on our streets, and we are taking action. I have directed the NYPD to immediately launch a major enforcement action that will encompass every precinct and crack down on dangerous driving behaviour like parking in bike lanes. At the same time, I have charged the Department of Transportation with developing a new cyclist safety plan to make biking in our city safer. No loss of life on our streets is acceptable. Last year was the safest year on record—and we have to keep pushing the envelope and increasing our efforts until we achieve Vision Zero.”
Freelander was the 14th cyclist to be killed in NYC this year, which is already double the 2018 death toll. Mayor de Blasio is often criticised for the city’s attitude towards cycle safety, with locals reporting that the standard response from police is simply to ticket cyclists breaking minor traffic laws; and although this appears to be the most forceful statement yet that action will be taken to crack down on dangerous driving, it appears many New Yorkers aren’t convinced.
Weren’t you warned that your Vision Zero wasn’t working? Now you’re not on track to even meet your own goals of increasing cycling modal share.
You’ve also promised enforcement on bus lanes and placard abuse; that isn’t going well. You’ve lost our trust.https://t.co/eMScz472zw
— Samuel Santaella (@TransitNinja205) 2 July 2019
How many cyclists had to die before you noticed?
Fifteen, apparently. #zerovision
— j (@Icarurs) 2 July 2019
2 July 2019, 17:49
Cav out of Tour de France
The biggest squad announcement shock so far is that 30-time stage winner Cavendish has not been included in Dimension Data’s team. Full story here.
2 July 2019, 17:49
Zwift Academy enrolment opens for 2019
Zwift’s talent program sees riders compete for prizes, with the top accolade being professional cycling contracts with Dimension Data’s Continental team and Canyon/SRAM. For 2019 riders must complete a series of eight workouts and four races or social rides, with incentives offered for progression.
Over 35,000 took part in 2018, with that figure expected to swell to over 100,000 this year. Enrolment is open now, with the virtual events running from August 5th until September 29th. You can sign up here.
2 July 2019, 17:49
Controversy over Holland Park cycle route rolls on
Great to have been out with @KCFConservative tonight. They’ve listened to residents and are supporting a safer route for cyclists whilst protecting local trees and businesses #ToryCanvass pic.twitter.com/UcOGBtD8dp
— Fabio Conti (@fabio_conti88) 1 July 2019
This time a Kensington Conservative canvasser shows a leaflet declaring ‘You spoke, we listened’, despite doubts over how many residents actually wrote to the council asking for the cycle land plans to be abolished.
2 July 2019, 17:49
We might need a steward's enquiry for this one...
Nothing to see here… pic.twitter.com/PrLMRCrI40
— Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) July 2, 2019
2 July 2019, 17:49
Man appeals for return of wife's classic bike he sold by mistake at yard sale
A Massachusetts man has appealed for the return of his wife’s classic bike, which he sold by mistake at a yard sale, and which he belatedly learnt had huge sentimental value.
Allan Steinmetz told Boston25news.com that the bike, a yellow 1970s tourer from the French brand Motobecane, had been given to his wife on her 16th birthday more than 45 years ago by her father, a Holocaust survivor.
She planned to give it to their first grandchild.
“This bike is absolutely priceless to not only my wife but to her family, my children and she wanted to give this bike to our granddaughter one day, which I didn’t know,” he said.
“It was important to my wife, I didn’t realize how… and that was the biggest mistake I’ve made this year so far,” he added.
“He went out and bought the best bike money could buy and he wanted my wife to feel as special as he was.”
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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
bikeman01 37 minutes ago
Gustav Gullholm.. that's not a good look mate
mdavidford 3 hours ago
@Chris RideFar I think what you meant to say was "REMOVE this and put it on PODCAST CC".
jaymack 4 hours ago
As Mary Whitehouse never said - one doesn't have to read the article if one doesn't want to read about an off-road bicycle.
Rendel Harris 5 hours ago
@FionaJJ In London they're allowed to stop on single and double yellows to deliver packages or empty pillar boxes; in practice they take this as carte blanche to park wherever and whenever they want, such as this chap on the Brixton Road who pulled into the bus/cycle/motorcycle lane without indicating, as I approached at 20mph, to park on a red route, response to a remonstrance, "I suppose you never get post delivered do ya?"
FionaJJ 5 hours ago
@Rendel Harris We have a pavement parking ban, but around here at least, royal mail vans are already exempt, subject to certain caveats, such as allowing at least 1.5m, and only being stopped to do their work.
FionaJJ 6 hours ago
It was already embarrassing for the police that they made such a mess of their attempt to determine whether a bike was legal or not, but I had assumed it was a group of well intentioned, but under-trained officers acting on their own initiative, having spotted something they thought looked not quite right. I'm now discovering this was a planned activity, something sufficiently organised to have been given a name - Operation FRISLEN, designed specifically to identify and remove illegal e-bikes and scooters. It's apparent that the officers were sent out without adequate training, never mind the kind of equipment that should be used for this sort of work. I'm not saying they always need specialist equipment to spot all illegal bikes, but at least if they'd been given a demonstration with that equipment, they'd have realised why their approach was not going to end well.
Geoff Ingram 8 hours ago
Have put drop bars on a 2001 B1 mtb, a 2007 stumpy hardtail and a 2010 stumpy full suss. In all cases fairly basic conversións leaving gearing and wheels broadly the same and concentrating on correct positioning of bars and fit. Oddly, with all 3 I was happy with the result when recently done, but after a few months found that the extra speed on easy trails was more than offset by the lack of ability (probably mine) on tougher routes and finally preferred flat bar with slammed and inverted stem as best overall compromise. Good fun playing around, though.
mark1a 8 hours ago
The photos in this review look they are for a different bag?
mattw 9 hours ago
This is a strange reactionary knee jerk overall. But what is this "are essentially motorbikes in disguise" waffle? "One letter claimed that high-powered electric ‘e-bikes’ were “essentially motorbikes” in disguise, with many being used without lights, helmets, or any hi-vis clothing." Surely, they simply ARE motorbikes?
bikes 10 hours ago
I only watched the last one, that's enough for me! A punishment pass and a clueless passenger. Did you op snap that one?
14 thoughts on “Live blog: Amazing (and strangely mesmerising) video of huge crash in downhill race on snow, bloke who mistakenly sold wife’s heirloom classic bike in yard sale wants it back, this year’s Zwift Academy entries open + more”
Does Mayor de Blasio even
Does Mayor de Blasio even know that when he calls for “enforcement action”, the NYPD thinks he means enforcement action against cyclists?
Any idea where the DH video
Any idea where the DH video was from ? I’d love to see the on bike footage. Nutters.
fenix wrote:
Not sure, but looks a lot like Megavalanche
https://www.ucc-sportevent.com/en/megavalanche-alpe-dhuez-en/
fenix wrote:
I saw this video posted with a comment saying it was from Les Deux Alpes (which is just across the valley from Alpe d’Huez).
A quick google suggests it was almost certainly from this weekend’s “Mountain of Hell” event:
https://www.2alpesnet.com/events/calendar/mountain-of-hell-les-2-alpes
Some of those on board
Some of those on board Megavalanch rider videos are an exciting half an hour of riding madness. Worth a watch.
Some of those on board
Some of those on board Megavalanch rider videos are an exciting half an hour of riding madness. Worth a watch.
Here’s the full video of that
Here’s the full video of that small clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDUxktR57u0
jigr69 wrote:
Thanks – that’s amazing to watch. Glad that guy who went over the barriers didn’t slide too far down. I do wonder what was down there.
jigr69 wrote:
Thanks – that’s amazing to watch. Glad that guy who went over the barriers didn’t slide too far down. I do wonder what was down there.
jigr69 wrote:
Thanks – that’s amazing to watch. Glad that guy who went over the barriers didn’t slide too far down. I do wonder what was down there.
I think I’d be really pissed
I think I’d be really pissed off if my partner sold off an old bike without asking me first. And I’d also say that I didn’t want the new bike.
OldRidgeback wrote:
How did he not know that this bike had massive sentimental value and was intended for the grandkids, etc etc???
Here’s the culprit, they went
Here’s the culprit, they went too close to the person in front, last minute larry on the brakes/swerving and essentially the domino effect took over.
Just a bike, isn’t it, like a
Just a bike, isn’t it, like a toy really…
Grown out of that fad, it’s just childish.