Welcome to Friday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Alex Bowden and the rest of the team…
Live blog: Tom Pidcock to plant four grand’s worth of trees; Government admits it needs to double cycle funding; BBC’s Watchdog accused of fuelling anti-cyclist rhetoric; Former Paralympic cyclist identified as man who climbed on plane + more
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Fri, Oct 11, 2019 19:09
SUMMARY
11 October 2019, 19:09
Does it come in a gravel version?
Wonderful #ExtinctionRebellion cycling machine thing. pic.twitter.com/E4w2v8uGyU
— Mike Wilson (@PoetTaxiDriver) October 10, 2019
11 October 2019, 19:09
Get up offa that thing: former Paralympic cyclist James Brown identified as Extinction Rebellion protester who climbed on plane at London City Airport
James Brown, a partially blind former Paralympic cyclist, climbed atop a British Airways plane as part of Extinction Rebellion protests in London https://t.co/trHRc6Fn8B pic.twitter.com/7uhIjZ6T3e
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) October 10, 2019
James Brown, a Paralympic bronze medallist, climbed on the BA plane bound for Amsterdam yesterday morning, saying: “The average salary of people who fly out of here (the airport) is over £100,000 a year. The people who live locally only benefit through the pollution, and of course that’s an irony in itself.”
The flight was cancelled and Brown was eventually removed from the plane.
11 October 2019, 19:09
Cyclists on Sunday training ride 'left for dead' by Usk driver who’d ‘topped up’ after eight-hour drinking session the day before
“Restarting the heart of my own sister is something I should never have had to do”.
11 October 2019, 19:09
Government admits it needs to double cycle funding
The Government has admitted that funding per head in England will have to double if it is to reach its 2025 target of doubling cycling from 800 million travel ‘stages’ to 1.6 billion.
Transport Network reports that in response to a Transport Select Committee report on its Cycling and Walking Investment strategy, the Department for Transport said: “Interim results from the investment models indicate that annual investment per head in England is likely to need to at least double if the cycling aim is to be achieved in 2025.”
Elsewhere the DfT said it would shortly be updating its guidance to local authorities on cycling infrastructure design.
11 October 2019, 19:09
We love a bike bus
A large proportion of the replies question whether the hi-vis is necessary.
So amazing to see 20 children and their parents enjoying cycling to school on Warwickshire’s first school cycle bus. Thanks to everyone who helped @Aurel1e and I make it happen! Incl. @StAugustinesKen + parents, @BritishCycling @WeAreCyclingUK @chrishoy @HOYbikes pic.twitter.com/vJCrVtR3bv
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) October 11, 2019
11 October 2019, 19:09
Jetse Bol's racing the Tour of Taihu Lake in China
Instead of fining riders for throwing away bottles the UCI better puts a ban on the giant confetti shooters shooting thousands of small pieces of platic in the air before each stage here #thinkingwithyounotagainst #savetheplanet
— Jetse Bol (@JetseBol) October 11, 2019
11 October 2019, 19:09
Near Miss of the Day 314: So what is “the minimum threshold of the offence”?
Pete sent this video and a statement off to Cheshire police, “hoping that something, anything, might be done to educate the driver.” He was told that the force would not be taking action because the incident “doesn’t meet the minimum threshold of the offence.”
11 October 2019, 19:09
(Another) Leeds golf course to be turned into cycling facility
Cycling is the new golf (again).
11 October 2019, 19:09
Tom Pidcock to plant four grand’s worth of trees
British Cyclo-cross champion Tom Pidcock recently sold a load of his old kit with the intention of giving the money raised to charity.
It went pretty well and he raised over £4,000.
“Thanks to you guys I have now got no kit cluttering up the Xbox room,” he wrote in an Instagram story.
“I know I said I’d give the money raised to charity but the most important charity is the environment. So my plan is to get trees planted to offset my carbon emissions. I’m yet to figure out how but will keep you guys updated.
“We’re aiming for 2,000 trees. My mum wants to plant them all.”
He has since planted his first tree.
11 October 2019, 19:09
Grayson Perry talks cycling
Join me at @ShoreditchTH on 24 October where I’ll be talking about my almost spiritual relationship to #cycling, in aid of @sustrans – the wonderful #charity making it easier for people to #walk and #cycle. Get your tickets now and I’ll see you there! https://t.co/8A6RFqM4lb
— Grayson Perry (@Alan_Measles) October 11, 2019
11 October 2019, 19:09
Really?
After riding three years with the best material possible, I thought the people of @iamspecialized deserved a little present! #thankyou #specialized #season17 pic.twitter.com/Pzkn3Mfgb3
— PHILIPPE GILBERT (@PhilippeGilbert) October 11, 2019
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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
pbunyon 6 minutes ago
What is the point of the fancy air sensor if it can't account for changing weather conditions?? If all you care about is a delayed approximation of aerodynamic watts in steady conditions, you don't need any special sensors for that. Just your speed on a decently flat course is enough to approximate rolling resistance and drivetrain losses. And the rest must be aero. If you assume a less aero body position at the same watts, your speed will drop while rolling resistance also drops, which means approximated aero watts goes up. And that's enough to demonstrate what you've shown in your testing protocol ("I sat upright and the number went up a little while later").
chrisonabike 31 minutes ago
Your correction is accurate - it's almost always been "the (lack of) thought that (doesn't) count". "Massive" - less than a billion a year spent on active travel (trying to catch up / building a network across the entire country) Not massive - 6 billion every year (2026-2030) spent on road *maintenance* of existing "already built, goes everywhere, very convenient" road network for inactive travel Ultimately the reason "cycle infra" is *needed* is those unbelievably colossal amounts spent every year (and for more than a century now) on making mass motoring not just viable but apparently the "best choice" for most journeys. As the Dutch and others have shown, the majority of people *are* prepared to cycle and even mix with very light, slow local motor traffic *if* cycling is also made safe and convenient for the whole of their journey (including secure parking at both ends). (The history of the financial drivers of the current situation are a complex topic but note that while people complain about "crumbling roads" and underfunded motor infra - with some reason - by us continuing the fuel duty escalator freeze (for example) we're actually helping motorists pay *even less* for that activity / subsidising more of the cost of driving than ever.)
belugabob 32 minutes ago
yes, but people will still object - which was my point.
Astralstroll 3 hours ago
So ' Priority of Road Users' and 1.5 metre clearance at 30mph has been been reduced to 'sharing'? NCN route 2 here in South Hams is an absolute scream with white vans, tractors and total idiots who refuse,or are totally incapable,to reverse on high Devon banked lanes ...means you have to get off and pedal back to a passing place....could be at that all day...so I don't bother...
Mr Anderson 4 hours ago
@MaxiMinimalist Agreed. The big problem I see now is today's parents grew up being driven to their schools, and therefore, see private motor vehicles as the only viable form of transport. The vast majority of UK infant and primary schools have a catchment area that is within easy walking distance from home to school. Yet, the traffic caused by pupils being driven to/from school is astonishing. Banishing the "School Run" should be a priority for all schools.
MaxiMinimalist 4 hours ago
When I was a kid (that was during the previous millenium when phones were connected to a plug in the wall), I rode my bicycle to school, music academy, sport grounds, parties even during the winter. The government didn't have to spend, correct that, didn't have to think of spending massive amounts of money to build cycling specific infrastructures. Over the past 3 or 4 decades, cars have grown bigger, taller, safer (for their drivers) and faster. Meanwhile, motorists have become abusive, aggressive, hypersensitive to people moving on two wheels, aka cyclists. Spending billions upon billions on new infrastructure won't address the crux of the matter. Sadly.
Paul J 5 hours ago
Obree had some actual talent in his legs though, in addition to his bike/aero engineering talent.
Maruis Kalchev 5 hours ago
Малко като опит за доказване е излязло... Никой няма нужда от толкова голям въртящ момент и мощност на шосеен велосипед с тънки гуми, които дори трудно ще предават тази мощност върху пътя. А ако има и ограничение от 25 км/час е още по-безмислено.
mdavidford 5 hours ago
Not sure how informative that is. I imagine for all most of us know it could be Europe's only 'volumetric modular building'. 🤷♂️
chrisonabike 5 hours ago
Yes, but they're copying the adults of today...
26 thoughts on “Live blog: Tom Pidcock to plant four grand’s worth of trees; Government admits it needs to double cycle funding; BBC’s Watchdog accused of fuelling anti-cyclist rhetoric; Former Paralympic cyclist identified as man who climbed on plane + more”
Don’t think the rider on the
Don’t think the rider on the Dogma is doing Deliveroo in Reading any more. Most of the ‘Roo riders here are now on MTBs modified with an electric rear wheel.
Anti-cycling? The BBC? I’m
Anti-cycling? The BBC? I’m shocked!
I’ve had enough, I’m going to start a boycott – if enough people stop watching BBC, then they’ll soon get the message when they start losing out on license fees.
What’s that you say? I still have to pay the BBC even if I don’t watch them? B*ll*cks
Didn’t see the segment, but
Didn’t see the segment, but it can’t be denied that Deliveroo riders are some of the biggest, ahem, “risk takers” I see when I’m cycling around. I’ve had one collide with me as I overtook him, when he decided to swerve, without looking and for no apparent reason, from the left hand side of a bus lane to the middle of the main carriageway, ending up leaning on me at 30+ km/h, even though I’d left him more than a car’s width, given that I treat them like the back of a horse.
I’ve also seen a number of Deliveroo riders in the City hooning around on electric bikes made from sheet metal rather than tubes, legs completely motionless as they ride around at speeds completely unsuitable for a busy urban environment.
So, I feel there’s probably a grain of truth in some of the allegations, but as with any debate around cycling, nuance has gone out of the window and anyone who swings a leg over a bike is a bigger threat to humanity than global thermonuclear war.
Insure, train and equip all
Insure, train and equip all deliveroo riders with the transport they require to do the job. Then pay them a decent wage and don’t set schedules that are impossible to meet without taking risks and shortcuts.
Then add the cost to the delivery charge for the calorie laden, diabetes inducing, obesity epidemic fuelling, junk food that the couch potatoes at home are too fecking lazy to go out and get themselves.
[irony on]
[irony on]
I’m sure the BBC will be running a similar prog featuring all the close pass videos from this website for balance. Then there will be the series reporting in detail the benefits of a switch from driving to riding, with individual progs on pollution, congestion, health, obesity etc.
[irony off]
The group of delivery riders
The group of delivery riders who seem to emerge from wagamamas in a constant stream of an evening seemingly turn me into a sort of Victor Meldrew with tourette’s every time I pass them.
peted76 wrote:
I don’t believe that.
Having watched the video,
Having watched the video, James Brown is an even bigger hero than he was before, and I stand in awe of the total commitment of these people. As and when they finally succeed in getting the government to listen instead of passing meaningless climate emergency declarations, we might see a bit more action on cycling.
All delivery drivers and
All delivery drivers and riders are on too tight a schedule are given too much to do in an inadequate amount of time. All of those scooter pizza delivery riders, the bicycle food riders and couriers and the liveried and white van parcel people. None being paid what we believe to be a “salary”.
It’s not their fault, it’s the companies that make any sort of money out of this very dodgy business model.
There may have been things wrong with the state owned Royal Mail, but the workers were paid a fairish wage, got breaks and holidays, sick pay and recieved a pension. The union would fight for them and their rights. I don’t think I ever saw a postie hooning about on their Pashleys, and generally their delivery vans were driven without too much aggression.
Back in the day there was local delivery depots, plenty of post offices and my goodness 2 deliveries a day.
Now of course, it’s like the wild west out there.
Food delivery has always been a bit iffy, but part of that is the demands of the customer.
ktache wrote:
Exactly. It’s the same for all delivery drivers, whether on a bike, a moped, a motorbike or white van – the more corners you cut, the more money you make, simple as that.
To be fair, I don’t think the article was particularly anti-cycling at all, and in fact came across as quite sympathetic to the issues that the riders face – ie having to thrash yourself to death in order to make the living wage. In fact one of the two ‘vicitms’ was a fellow cyclist.
Exactly Ktache. I expect a
Exactly Ktache. I expect a Watchdog programme on all the White Van courier near misses and issues caused by them having to rush around to get their pay. Will their man be asked to prove his vehicle is taxed, Mot’d and they have business insurance before being hired?
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
Ktache is on the money. Watchdog should do a programme on how these cowboy company directors profit themselves whilst stripping all decency out of work, and the legislators who enable them. Deliveroo riders etc are not hell bent on causing chaos – they are chasing their living. It’s the people who set the rules of the game who should be called to account. This is NOT a “cycling” story.
Cyclist left for dead by
Cyclist left for dead by drunk and dangerous driver #putthebrakeson
I didn’t realise that passing
I didn’t realise that passing your cycling proficiency test was a legal requirement?
I’m also not sure why Deliveroo wouldn’t check the the safety of the vehicle that the self-employed contractor chooses to use… After all, it’s that contractor who would lose out if they have a collision – I was under the impression that Deliveroo classes everyone as ‘self-employed’ precisely so they don’t have legal responsibiity for them.
How good of the government to
How good of the government to admit what everybody not only already knew, and have known ever since the pathetic Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy was published; there isn’t enough money to achieve the targets. Which is because they are spending all the money on driving i.e. recent announcement of £25bn on top of the already projected £15bn.
Am I the only one doubting their commitment to the climate change emergency announced in parliament? Oh, sorry, I forgot; electric cars.
burtthebike wrote:
To be fair, they are literally funded by companies to keep things the same.
hawkinspeter wrote:
You’re so right:
“Tory MPs five times as likely to vote against climate action”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/11/tory-mps-five-times-more-likely-to-vote-against-climate-action?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR3CEsRC8rZcI5BSBxcGaHxuzdDmNrB0QD9ZernSUEUxejIxPKWjRlI8RUg
I can’t stand the idea of
I can’t stand the idea of Government doubling the amount of money that they spend on cycling. The reason is because the shite they (or local councils, using Government money) put in now. Painted lines along a road, random blue signs, a couple of dropped kerbs, a bit of resurfacing along a towpath. That’s just going to be doubled.
The correct process is to plan a cycle network [b] properly [/b]. One that goes to the university, town centre, shops, schools etc. Then work out how much it will cost to build it to Dutch/Danish standards. Then fund it.
Don’t just say you’ll give more money. That’ll get you nowhere.
So the Government admits that
So the Government admits that it needs to increase funding for active travel if it is to meet its own targets. Unfortunately acknowledging that someting needs to be done, and actually doing something are two seperate things. The Government will do nothing.
“When the BBC went undercover
“When the BBC went undercover, they also reveal their man wasn’t asked if his bike was in working order, or if he had passed a cycling proficiency test of any kind.”
Also on this page reporting on the DfT funding announcement, which described maintaining Bikeability funding at current levels as a ” Boost “, while acknowledging that
“The funding will ensure that the programme is able to continue for another year, and so that approximately 50% of primary schools across England will be able to access the programme”
Alanis Morrisette would explode if exposed to such levels of irony
Nice move by Tom Pidcock.
Nice move by Tom Pidcock. Very few pros seem to demonstrate much awareness of the impact of the huge number of flights they take.
Not sure if anyone agrees,
Not sure if anyone agrees, but I think the anti-cyclist mood is on the increase. I know 3 people who’ve been hospitalised by bastards this year. The police have been informed in every case but as usual don’t seem to give a damn.
I thought this was about
I thought this was about planting trees. Just rode 50 hilly km on flats. Yeah lots more grip without psi up. Some idiot looked but didn’t blow them.
Hence trees.. Natural carbon collectors that realize oxygen in their past path.
I like my alloy bikes, I don’t race, I like durability, the extra kg via handles etc doesn’t bother me neither. I bought 2 composite catamarans from outdoor storage. I figured garaging prolongs span of use and hope that someone sorts out an other than a tree; carbon collector.
Too me that’s fast. Sail nine metres in the air, fully rigged 18*8 feet*9metres 75kg.
But I’m as scored as you lads needing replenishment of good will regarding discard of future carbon/Kevlar/glass cloth products.
Thank you muchly, we all need trees.
I’m sure you don’t eat shit yet need to shit somewhere. Where may we mutually take a dump regarding our race weight products?
We need this Earth clean, I can tell you why but you’d be with high probability of shitting yourself.
A dumb arse sailor.
Boatsie wrote:
You might like to put a little more water with whatever you’re drinking.
burtthebike wrote:
Yes sir. TY 🙂
Here’s to the trees.
Thank the pros please.
Our life host Earth’s such a tease.
Better to construct than rubbish with ease.
Just thinking. We have a problem! I love the ocean. Kayaking is similar to bicycling. The knowledge of a Great White near is a silence of huge schools on concentrate. She was 4.5 metres; 3.5 tonnes of pure beast.
The following season the local ship builder launched a destroyer class missile ship. My friends son; a descendant of Sir Lancelot fell in the river and the local coppers fished him out. 2 months later 4.5metre Great White was photographed practicing ambush; launching her beast and clearing the surface, splash down.
When visiting united Kingdom soon after to funeral my grandma; widow of RSM WO1 James, a rare cousin of Great White washed ashore at ?Denver? My birthday after a huge Great White was in your local ?Denver ? newspaper having been photographed 25 feet from the shore.
We have a problem!
A plastic island the size of France exists!
I am King but don’t really give too much care because most people wouldn’t understand why!
I guess I’m like you and just enjoy exercising.
Imagine understanding how easy 31 dimensions is yet figuring out how to translate using English to people that confuse easily with time being our 4th dimension.
Hence. I love water man. I drink lots of water. I drink lots of caffeine too although water is the best.
Pleased to ride with you although if in U. K. we ride 20000ish km away.
Resin on cloth needs its own dump is my opinion aswell as reduction of use
Butt eye that dumb at the
Butt eye that dumb at the moment. Friggin blood knot like an assumption that I have a sus G or maybe a Gsus.
Can’t even figure out properly where I put my drill.. Nor bits. Just wanting to drill my bars and fit lay bars. Bought a you beaut CO2 connector today, roads are beautiful, she’ll be a unicorn rolling Continental 23s. 🙂
Way quicker than bullborns on a partially flat38, partially flat 35.
Hears too the ‘The Highland Fox’ black whiskey and a light weight tyre pump (recyclable). (Hopefully)