Welcome to Friday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Alex Bowden and the rest of the team.
Live blog: Adam Blythe takes marketing role at Chpt3; Richard Freeman claims testogel was ordered for Shane Sutton’s erectile dysfunction; Froome undergoes successful surgery; Survey finds bike theft worry increases at night + more
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Fri, Nov 08, 2019 20:25
SUMMARY
8 November 2019, 20:25
US bike shop owner shut down after taking money from customers and not delivering bikes
The Urban Cyclist in Denver, Colarado has finally been shut down, after a bizarre situation in which the shop were taking orders from customers and failing to deliver bikes – the actual reason for their eviction was that the owner Derrin Duran had also failed to pay rent, although he insists the shop is just relocating.
A disgruntled former customer who claimed to have paid $534 for a bike that never arrived told The Denver Channel: “He’s stealing from people for sure. There’s no doubt in my mind. It’s theft. It’s flat-out theft.
“He lied to my face, multiple times, about getting my refund.”
Duran is known to have a long criminal history with charges ranging from assault to domestic violence and burglary – he still insists the shop will be back open in the River North Art District of Denver soon.
8 November 2019, 20:25
A lot of bikes
How many of those 20 million bikes do you own?#WeWontTellYourPartner pic.twitter.com/8w8HLQ6K2a
— Cycling Heroes UK (@CyclingHeroesUK) November 8, 2019
Although we’ve got a hell of a long way to go to match Copenhagen, which apparently has more bikes than people.
8 November 2019, 20:25
Zdenek Stybar returns to cyclocross with cool new Specialized CruX
The three-time world cyclo-cross champion Zdenek Stybar is return to CX this winter, and he’ll be racing aboard a very special custom painted Specialized CruX. Read all about it here.
8 November 2019, 20:25
Bristol's diesel car ban "should just be seen as first step", says Sustrans' Jon Usher
Bristol will become the first UK city to introduce an outright ban on diesel vehicles in the inner part of the city from March 2021 – and Jon Usher of Sustrans has warned that although the news is welcomed, it’s only the first step and steps must be taken to get people cycling and walking instead of using cars.
Writing for Bristol 247, Usher said: “Some 300 people die prematurely every year in Bristol as a result of poor air quality. 300 people. That’s a huge and quite terrifying figure.
“However, when considering the scale of the problems we face, this ban can be seen only as a first step in our journey to clean air, and absolutely not as the complete package.
“While I applaud the mayor for taking this brave first step, what we need now is a thorough car reduction plan for the whole city. And this plan must include an explicit car reduction target. Car reduction is necessary because simply ‘greening’ vehicles will not have the positive impact the city needs to be able to meet WHO targets for particulates. Nor will changing the propulsion technology used reduce the congestion or road danger that motor vehicles create on our streets.
“We need to do everything we can to shift people away from driving and towards choosing healthy, clean alternatives, such as walking and cycling for shorter journeys. This needs to be a priority for both Bristol City Council and for the incoming central government. No matter what party political candidates stand for, they need to take a stand and address this issue. 300 people dying prematurely in Bristol each year cannot remain the status quo.”
8 November 2019, 20:25
A thief in the night: poll shows bike theft worry increases when it's dark
A new poll by Tile – who make bluetooth-enabled security ‘Tiles’ in order to locate items – has found that over a third of Brits surveyed were more concerned about bike theft when it’s dark. 36% admitted to worrying more about their bike being stolen at night rather than in daylight, with 45% still worrying even if the bike is locked up.
Tile quote the Office for National Statistics’ figures that found 98,000 bikes were stolen in the UK last year, with 61% occurring in the evening or late at night – so even though there are more nighttime thefts, still a high proportion happen in daylight.
Do you get more bothered about your pride and joy when night falls? Do let us know what you make of this data…
8 November 2019, 20:25
Stuck in the floods
Situation at Velotastic mission control a couple of hours ago. Luckily we’re upstairs. Photo: UK Inspired Photo’s pic.twitter.com/NfiqFV6en8
— Velotastic (@Velotastic) November 8, 2019
This was the scene outside the HQ of Chesterfield-based Bikeability instructors Velotastic. As they say, at least they’re upstairs…
8 November 2019, 20:25
Hills...
This is how I feel riding up hill some times…. https://t.co/hIjjR9g71n
— Adam #Vegan Hansen (@HansenAdam) November 8, 2019
8 November 2019, 20:25
Bike servicing options made simple...
Bike mechanic prize list pic.twitter.com/rDLCyWTZU8
— José Been (@TourDeJose) November 8, 2019
8 November 2019, 20:25
Froome undergoes more surgery
Less some hardware from my hip & elbow Feeling groggy but all went perfectly #roadtoTDF2020 #roadtotokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/itpxtLAF83
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) November 8, 2019
The four-time Tour de France champ didn’t compete in the individual Saitama Criterium as planned last month, but it appears all has gone well in his latest surgery. Froome needed metal work removed from his hip and elbow, and although he said in recent weeks that he’s quite a long way off racing in a peloton again, the 2020 Tour de France is the target.
8 November 2019, 20:25
How much? (looks kind of cool though)
A ‘highly immersive training camp’ has been launched by a team including Phil Diegnan that will see guests do five days’ riding around the routes of the Tour de France and get seminars from Sports Science experts. Departing on 21st May 2020, you get four days of seminars, accommodation, three big rides including the Ventoux and two warm-up rides, support vehicles and pro support guidance… that’s if you can fork out the £2,199 being charged per person for the trip, although it does look pretty epic.
More info here.
8 November 2019, 20:25
How the humble bicycle can change lives
5 unexpected ways bicycles have made the world a better place https://t.co/dgh36k2D3A #Cycling #Health pic.twitter.com/ajQ1SJCmKK
— World Economic Forum (@wef) November 8, 2019
A nice little round-up on the importance of bikes from the World Economic Forum, who say the bike industry will be worth $65 billion by 2022, jumping up from $45 billion in 2011.
8 November 2019, 20:25
Different country, similar problems
Hey @NYCMayor, how’s #VisionZero? My husband was struck by a vehicle that ran a stop sign. @NYPD112Pct officer said he couldn’t issue a summons as he didn’t witness it, but NYC AC 19-190 says he could have. 27 NYC cyclists dead in 2019, this behavior is why. @TransAlt @Gothamist pic.twitter.com/1C9p2Gek6A
— Jessica (@Thund3r_H4wk) November 8, 2019
The NYPD said they were unable to issue a summons for this drivers because they ‘didn’t witness the incident’, according to the uploader of the footage.
8 November 2019, 20:25
Dr Richard Freeman tribunal latest: Freeman claims testogel was ordered for Shane Sutton's erectile dysfunction
Prosecution case v Freeman begins:
Simon Jackson QC: “Testogel was used not for clinical or therapeutic use, but for prohibited use, microdosing as a way of improving an athlete’s performance…was not used to treat’s Shane Sutton’s erectile dysfunction as claimed by Dr Freeman.”— Dan Roan (@danroan) November 8, 2019
More bombshells from the Freeman case today, as Freemans’ lawyer has also said she intends to asked the General Medical Council to make a request for a document from the Daily Mail, which was a witness statement from 2016 signed by Shane Sutton. “…for the purpose of a story run by the Mail, and we say the witness statement was provided as the paper’s insurance policy against any potential claims for defamation by Bradley Wiggins, Dr Freeman or Dave Brailsford…it’s relevance is that it contains a number of lies.”
The prosecution have said they want Sutton to appear at the tribunal for two days next week. Simon Jackson QC opened this morning’s proceedings by saying: “Testogel was used not for clinical or therapeutic use, but for prohibited use, microdosing as a way of improving an athlete’s performance. It was not used to treat’s Shane Sutton’s erectile dysfunction as claimed by Dr Freeman.”
8 November 2019, 20:25
Fit4Sport employee says Freeman was 'regular customer'
Adds Meats: “I had no idea what Testogel was, or what it was used for, and had never bought it before … He was a doctor, and I trusted him, so I didn’t think there was any sinister in what he asked me to do.”
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) November 8, 2019
Trish Meats said she trusted that whatever Dr Freeman was ordering wasn’t “sinister” because he was a doctor. She says that Freeman was a regular customer at Fit4Sport from his time at Bolton Wanderers and at British Cycling.
She also added that the Testogel order had to be made by Fit4Sport separately, so it didn’t get sent to British Cycling with other products ordered by Freeman.
8 November 2019, 20:25
Adam Blythe takes a job in sports marketing at Chpt3 following his retirement from pro racing
Blythe will join up with the cycling apparel brand founded by David Millar as their Product Marketing Executive from 2020 onwards. Blythe said of his first ‘non saddle-bound’ job: “Yeah, it’s going to be my first ever proper job actually! I didn’t even have a paper round
before bike racing so it’s all new to me. I’ve never been sat behind a desk so it’s going to be pretty weird but yeah, I’m super excited for it.
“I’m joining as the Product Marketing Executive, so that will involve setting up and running
events, looking after the content production for social media and generally learning how to
show the benefits of CHPT3 to people in the best way possible. As well as that I’ll be
dropping my own CHPT3 clothing lines in 2020 – so look out for my collections including base layers, jerseys, casuals… that sort of thing.”
Blythe has a little experience in business and e-commerce already, having sold his own range of AERO AF cycling socks through his social media channels.
8 November 2019, 20:25
How did Dave get on doing Red Bull Timelaps as a solo rider?
25 hours on his own? We won’t spoil it for you by telling. Watch the vid to see how he got on!
8 November 2019, 20:25
Hope it dries up enough that you can all get a ride in this weekend
Michael the cyclist tells me “i would have turned back if I felt the current was too strong”. He was determined to get to work in Rotherham. #Flooding pic.twitter.com/DLY6ZGHSZF
— Steph Oliver (@stepholiverSky) November 8, 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
chrisonabike 8 hours 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 8 hours 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 10 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 11 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 12 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 12 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 13 hours ago
They may have looked, but did they see?
jackcycles 13 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 13 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 13 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.
24 thoughts on “Live blog: Adam Blythe takes marketing role at Chpt3; Richard Freeman claims testogel was ordered for Shane Sutton’s erectile dysfunction; Froome undergoes successful surgery; Survey finds bike theft worry increases at night + more”
Is it just me or does anyone
Is it just me or does anyone else wish that they’d get a move on with improving the air quality? March 2021, whilst giving diesel vehicle owners a chance to get something else, would mean another 400 or so people dying from respitory disease in Bristol. Wouldn’t it be better to implement it straight away and have the diesel owners just lose out a bit of money? It’d save lives.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Ban them all, diesel cars have lower CO₂ emissions and less climate impacts but worse for health. Petrol cars the opposite. Neither are desirable.
hawkinspeter wrote:
They don’t have to change their cars. They will not be allowed to drive them in the centre of Bristol.
Simon E wrote:
There is a legitimate concern that there’s a bunch of people on low incomes in the affected area that rely on their vehicles, so in theory they could park outside the area and then walk to their homes, but I can see that this can have a big impact.
Personally, I’m sick and tired of companies making huge profits by not taking account of the external costs that they cause, so I’d be happy to see a mandatory buy-back of vehicles by the manufacturers. Maybe spread the cost with the oil companies – they’re not short of a bob or two.
When I first took out
When I first took out specialist bicycle insurance back in ’98, it did not apply if the bicycle was locked up in public at night. Luckily that stopped at some point I have never had to claim on it.
Back then bicycle insurance was much more difficult to find and get, I joined the CTC in order to get it. I was never quite sure if it would apply with the early darkness of winter, but my workplace storage was quite secure.
It did make me more hesitant to take the bike out if going out for the evening, but I was living in Brum and the bus services were alright.
“poll shows bike theft worry
“poll shows bike theft worry increases when it’s dark.” For our next survey, “do bears shit in the woods?” Please speak to our press office for syndication rights.
The issue I have with air
The issue I have with air pollution is that no one has actually died of air pollution, not unless they do it on purpose (such as car exhuast into the cabin). Apart from the suicides, no one in the UK has had a death recorded as being due to air pollution.
As for people dying prematurely, according to the facts and figures, it is on average around 3 days per person impacted by air pollution. Yes 3 days is premature, but items such as lifestyle, execise, eating habits etc will play a far bigger role in premature deaths.
So at great cost, to be picked up by the consumer, people are changing their cars. The new generation of diesel engines are cleaner if not as clean as petrol engines, so why not ban petrol cars as well? Also wood burners, which are quite common in London and other cities, they emit more pollution than 18 old diesel cars, but I haven’t heard anyone mention about banning those yet.
But if we really want to cut down on people dying slightly younger than they would have otherwise, why not target alcohol, which is attributed to 21,000 deaths a year or smoking, which is attributed to 78,000 deaths, or wood burners, or diesel powered public vehicles.
jigr69 wrote:
What facts and figures? Let’s see some sources
I wonder if the owner of the
I wonder if the owner of the bike shop in Denver, now he is without an income, will become hungry like the wolf?
Thats the trouble with single
Thats the trouble with single issue politics – it oversimplifies issues and does not consider unintended consequences.
According to the standards a Euro 6 compliant diesel produces less CO2, less particulates and equal amounts of NOx as a Euro 4 compliant petrol car.
Which funnily enough is the standard London has adopted – i.e. no penalties for Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 Petrol
No details on Bristol plan as yet but there has been no mention of controls on older petrol cars.
As this runs counter to Government guidance and requires them to change the law, it will probably not be implemented anyway – yet more delay and cost for Bristol.
So it was fairly common
So it was fairly common rumour that Sutton was getting little blue pills shipped via BC; I just don’t get why they are attempting to nail Freeman with a doping charge. Those patches are a treatment for erectile dysfunction; fact. Sutton has a known problem; alleged fact. Sutton is like the lousy car driver who never has an accident but everyone around him avoiding his incompetence does. I see Freeman as a foolish victim in this; and there are many people who appear to have suffered during Suttons’ tenure at BC just ask Jess Varnish!
Legin wrote:
Ask yourself this: If you were experiencing this particular problem, would you go around your workplace telling your workmates about it, asking them to prescribe you drugs for it and getting them sent to your work, or would you discreetly go to your own GP?
Jackson wrote:
Ask yourself this: If you were experiencing this particular problem, would you go around your workplace telling your workmates about it, asking them to prescribe you drugs for it and getting them sent to your work, or would you discreetly go to your own GP?
— Legin
No I wouldn’t, I also wouldn’t call a Paralympic athlete a “wobbly” or tell a woman she had a fat arse or “to go and have a baby” . So what exactly are you saying?
Jackson wrote:
Ask yourself this: If you were experiencing this particular problem, would you go around your workplace telling your workmates about it, asking them to prescribe you drugs for it and getting them sent to your work, or would you discreetly go to your own GP?
— Legin
“Asking for a friend” (?)
Jackson wrote:
Ask yourself this: If you were experiencing this particular problem, would you go around your workplace telling your workmates about it, asking them to prescribe you drugs for it and getting them sent to your work, or would you discreetly go to your own GP?
— Legin
Well I either buy all my erectile dysfunction products from SuperHonest Nigerian Chemist Shop Online, or – if I need them in a rush – on Amazon Prime with afternoon delivery.
Legin wrote:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Varnish ommission was perfectly reasonable and she was looking for money or an avenue into another career…
alansmurphy wrote:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Varnish ommission was perfectly reasonable and she was looking for money or an avenue into another career…— Legin
Say what you like, it means nothing; however producing Varnish’s training data would shut people like me up. Strange they’ve never done that!
The whole Freeman situation
The whole Freeman situation is full of pricks – none of which will stand up and tell the truth!!
Given that the contents of
Given that the contents of the bag were said to counter a particularly delicate condition should we find it rather insensitive that they came in a Jiffy?
2021 – Diesel ban in Bristol
2021 – Diesel ban in Bristol
2022 – Highstreet shops decimated in Bristol. Council blames Brexit.
Rick_Rude wrote:
There’s been some attrition of shops already in the center of Bristol, but I’d put it down to internet shopping. Most of them were clothes shops, so there’s no surprise that there’s going to be fluctuating demand.
And some were chains that
And some were chains that failed nationally, like BHS. Anyway, March 2021, really? Seeing as it requires legislation from Westminster, and whoever forms the next government is going to have their hands full, I don’t think it’ll be ready by then. Which gives lots of time to amend the plans. And push it into the next mayor’s cadence. Surely Rees didn’t plan it like that… Oh, he did.
Bmblbzzz wrote:
I think they should introduce the zones ahead of the legislation to get people used to them. Put up a few signs warning drivers that they’re entering the clean air zone etc., but have zero enforcement until the law catches up.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Given the so-called “enforcement” that takes place over the 20mph speed limits, I’m pretty sure there will be zero enforcement even if central govt lets Marvin go ahead with this.