Welcome to Wednesday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Epic ‘bloody cyclists’ thread; CadenceX dynamo charges loads of stuff as you ride; 60 STOLEN BIKES ALERT; Shocking close pass by bus driver; Beryl offers free rides to polling stations and more on the live blog
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Wed, Dec 11, 2019 11:51
SUMMARY
11 December 2019, 11:51
I've bonked...
What’s something you can say during sex but also when you’re riding your bike?#cycling pic.twitter.com/fDqfPhIAZe
— Sara Claus (@SaMcDuff) December 10, 2019
11 December 2019, 11:51
Away day for Sir Wiggo
Sir Bradley went to cheer on Liverpool away at Salzburg, in which the reds won 2-0 and topped their Champions League group to progress to the next round. He was accompanied by his son and budding pro cyclist Ben, and the recently retired scouse cycling legend Steve Cummings. Wiggo’s snazzy Adidas x Colnago kicks didn’t go unnoticed…
Cool shoes
— Colnago (@Colnagoworld) December 11, 2019
11 December 2019, 11:51
The world's happiest traffic controller
You know you have a mainstream cycling culture when this is how helmets and h-viz are used around young children.
Meet the worlds happiest traffic controller: Johan Zandvliet from Zwolle pic.twitter.com/QpThADhkgg
— Cycling Professor (@fietsprofessor) December 10, 2019
11 December 2019, 11:51
Sustrans disappointed in Wales' Clean Air Plan delay - and repeat calls for '20 minute planning principle'
Sustrans 20 minute planing principle forms a key part of their manifesto, and calls for town and city planners to design neighbourhoods so people live within a 20 minute walk/even shorter bike ride away from everyday services so they aren’t reliant on a car.
Sustrans also released a statement on Wales’ Clean Air Plan which was announced yesterday, calling on them to prioritise a shift away from cars to more sustainable transport – they also expressed disapointment that it won’t be heard until the next assembly, which may be “too late”. Sustrans Cymru Director, Steve Brooks said: “The Clean Air Plan is a promising step towards cleaning up the air in which we breathe.
“We are pleased that sustainable places are at the heart of the plan and welcome infrastructure and service investment across Wales to support the reduction in air pollution. A modal shift from cars to more sustainable transport will go a long way to cleaning up our air. Sustrans is calling for a 20-minute neighbourhood planning principle for all cities and towns, where people live within a 20-minute walk of everyday services and are not reliant on the car.
“It is disappointing to see our calls for a Clean Air Act will not be heard until the next assembly term, which in light of the climate emergency, may be too late.”
11 December 2019, 11:51
Muddy good fun...
Can riding rollers ever be this much fun? 😉 pic.twitter.com/wsg2YB950j
— Ed Festival Cycling (@edfoc) December 9, 2019
11 December 2019, 11:51
Don't forget your high-vis...
Cyclists, wear fluorescent clothing so that drivers have a chance to see you #Ely pic.twitter.com/6EMuLtKU4r
— 60bpm (@willbramhill) December 10, 2019
11 December 2019, 11:51
Seen our latest mega compo?
Someone’s going to have one hell of a good Christmas, as our pals at Orro are giving away a whole Terra C gravel bike worth £2,099! The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve, and although we haven’t quite managed to book Santa to get it to the winner the next morning, they can certainly look forward to riding it in the new year.
Entries HERE.
11 December 2019, 11:51
Beryl offering free rides to polling stations tomorrow
The British bike share company Beryl have announced voters will be able to get rides for free tomorrow to get to their polling station for the UK’s general election. Beryl operate in the City of London, Hereford, Bournemoth and Poole, and say they’re running the complimentary rides to “encourage riders to choose sustainable transport to and from their local polling stations.”
The promotion will be automatically applied to everyone with a Beryl account tomorrow, and voters can make use of two rides with a free unlock and ride of up to 30 minutes each. Beryl bikes have dedicated bays which are displayed on the Beryl app, so make sure you drop yours off in a bay to get your rides completely free. Polling stations are open from 7am-10pm, in case you weren’t aware…
11 December 2019, 11:51
Women 'more likely to cycle and run in groups due to safety concerns', according to Strava stats
Strava’s annual Year in Sport report from 48 million people in 195 countries revealed the gender divide in cycling is worse in the UK, and that women are more likely to run and cycle in groups due to safety concerns. Full story here.
11 December 2019, 11:51
Jeremy vs Boris - cycling edition
Of course we like to stay politically neutral at road.cc, but we’re just letting you know that eBikeTips have done a take on the widely-circulated ‘Jeremy vs Boris’ meme…
11 December 2019, 11:51
New Cycleway 4 section opens past Tower Bridge
I’m delighted to announce that the first section of Cycleway 4 on Tooley St is now open! No more weaving between cars, buses, vans and lorries trying to get across Tower Bridge. @TfL @MayorofLondon pic.twitter.com/AeUwaMeWKi
— Will Norman (@willnorman) December 11, 2019
Will Norman broke the news on his Twitter account, with cyclists now able to safely navigate the section without having to share space with motor traffic.
11 December 2019, 11:51
Cyclist close passed by bus driver in high winds - West Yorkshire Police won't investigate because "no one was hurt" (strong language warning)
With heavy #crosswinds this #closepass shook me#cyclecommute #Huddersfield #kirklees @wymetrotravel pic.twitter.com/HI3HcZIezg
— CJ Knight (@CeeJKnight) December 10, 2019
Footage of the incident posted by CJ Knight shows the bus passing him with barely a few inches to spare. Some observers noted that the painted cycle lane failed to serve its purpose in this instance, as the bus driver didn’t appear to take the conditions and the width of his vehicle into account.
This is dangerous driving and shows a complete lack of awareness as they passed as the road narrowed and should leave more room even with the cycle lanes – this needs reporting – remember next time this driver could kill somebody!
— Kevin (@TheCyclistsTale) December 10, 2019
Despite the cycle lane, there is not room to share, there. I would be at least 1, and maybe 1.5 metres further out. Make them wait until after the pinch point & junction to overtake. You might get some resentment, but it’s far safer.
— Linda (@linkcott18) December 10, 2019
Mr Knight says West Yorkshire Police won’t be taking further action because no one was hurt, and recommended he report the incident to the bus company. We’ll update if and when West Yorkshire Police might decide to reconsider their position…
11 December 2019, 11:51
Look who pops up in 2005!
The world’s highest paid athletes (1990-2019) pic.twitter.com/E1q1pM7d7j
— Kendall Baker (@TheKendallBaker) December 10, 2019
The only cyclist to make the highest paid athletes list between 1990-2019 is… a certain Lance Armstrong of course.
11 December 2019, 11:51
£100,000 worth of bikes stolen at Leslie Bike Shop in Fife
The bike shop, in Glenrothes, has posted a public appeal after thieves took around 60 brand new bikes in the early hours of Monday morning. Shop owner Bryan Moodie told The Daily Record: “We first discovered the theft on Monday morning when we came in. We’re all pretty devastated here, we’re quite a tight-knit group.
“To put all this hard work in and with Christmas coming and to have all these bikes stolen is terrible. It was a bit of a shock to open the doors and see that the store had been raided – it was totally empty.”
The thieves are believed to have took off in a white Luton van with a tailgate. Detective Constable Fraser Simpson from Glenrothes CID said: “This is a despicable crime committed against a small local business and the property stolen is believed to be in excess of £100,000.
“I am urging people, especially during the lead-up to Christmas, to be aware of people offering new bikes for sale, consider that they may be stolen, especially if they appear a lot cheaper than would be expected, and contact police if you are offered any bikes you are suspicious about.
“I would also ask that people share this information online to make sure that as many people as possible are made aware of the theft and can assist our enquiries.”
11 December 2019, 11:51
Epic 'bloody cyclists' thread
Bloody cyclists running red lights pic.twitter.com/nFMuBwU2pe
— Cycle Sam (@MCRCycleSam) December 11, 2019
Cycle Sam has captured lots of footage showing cyclists not running red lights, not blocking the pavements and not not obeying road markings…
11 December 2019, 11:51
Wheels bikeshare e-bikes now come with helmets included
The US bikeshare startup Wheels have began supplying helmets with all their vehicles. It’s integrated into the rear mudguard of the bike, and Wheels are offering a 20% discount if riders choose to unlock use of the helmet when they book a ride – full story on eBikeTips.
11 December 2019, 11:51
The CadenceX can charge two USB devices at once while you ride
US startup PedalCell say they’ve solved the issue of dead batteries with their patent-pending invention, their CadenceX device converts a bike’s motion into continuous and stable electricity to power any USB device such as a smartphone, bike lights, GPS, or camera. It puts out a claimed six times more power than other bicycle dynamo systems at 15-20 watts, can charge two USB devices at once via its USB C ports and can be installed in minutes on almost any bike.
It’s compatible with pretty much any USB device, with one port optimised for safety devices such as lights, and one for a ‘high-power draw’ such as smartphones. The Smart Power hub mounts the the handlebars, while the generator is mounted to the fork.
The price is $299.99 (not including international postage), with a $50 discount if you pre-order for delivery worldwide in March 2020 – there’s also a bundle with extra accessories including a theft bolt. Find out more on the CadenceX website here.
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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 5 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 6 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 7 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 9 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 9 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 10 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 10 hours ago
They may have looked, but did they see?
jackcycles 10 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 10 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 10 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.
23 thoughts on “Epic ‘bloody cyclists’ thread; CadenceX dynamo charges loads of stuff as you ride; 60 STOLEN BIKES ALERT; Shocking close pass by bus driver; Beryl offers free rides to polling stations and more on the live blog”
“Helmets and hi-viz around
“Helmets and hi-viz around young children”? Makes me think of school trips, when you see the kids in hi-viz. Although my kids’ primary school had the opposite policy: kids wore standard uniform for trips out and it was the teachers who wore hi-viz.
Bmblbzzz wrote:
My office is across a road from a side road that leads up to a primary school. I often see a long troop of small kids holding hands in pairs (buddy system: remember how well that worked out for Bart and Lisa?) going off to who knows where, with a pair of teachers at the front and a pair at the back and a couple walking up and down the line like sheepdogs. And every one of them wearing a reflective and fluorescent tabard. To walk on the footway.
brooksby wrote:
Erm, yeah … it’s about making sure the group stays together and ensuring you can see, at a glance, where your children are, so no one wanders off.
brooksby wrote:
Tbf when I quizzed my teacher friends about that practice, they said it’s so they can see where the kids they are ‘legally responsible’ for are, and not wandering off,which primary school age kids are prone to do.its not some crazy elf n safety diktat
Awavey wrote:
My office is across a road from a side road that leads up to a primary school. I often see a long troop of small kids holding hands in pairs (buddy system: remember how well that worked out for Bart and Lisa?) going off to who knows where, with a pair of teachers at the front and a pair at the back and a couple walking up and down the line like sheepdogs. And every one of them wearing a reflective and fluorescent tabard. To walk on the footway.— brooksby
Tbf when I quizzed my teacher friends about that practice, they said it’s so they can see where the kids they are ‘legally responsible’ for are, and not wandering off,which primary school age kids are prone to do.its not some crazy elf n safety diktat— Bmblbzzz
Fair enough – I hadn’t considered that.
Ummm, speaking as a bit of an
Ummm, speaking as a bit of an afficionado of all things sort-of-not-exactly-road-cycling-but-not-MTB-either, that Orro Terra C doesn’t look like the last word in gravelology – road gears, road tyres, no (that I can see) rack mounts… At least it’s got a sloping top tube. All the same, gonna take a fair bit of extra investment before you line it up on the start of the Dirty Reiver.
That footage of the bus close
That footage of the bus close pass sums up all that is wrong with cycle lanes painted at the side of the road. The vast majority of them are barely wide enough for a bike to cycle in, and drivers will simply go “I wasn’t in the cycle lane therefore I did nothing wrong”.
And WTF is wrong with West Yorks Police – no one was hurt therefore we won’t take any action. Funny I though prevention of RTA’s was better than cleaning up after them.
I’d love to see someone up in court for a speeding offence or dangerous driving cite “The police shouldn’t take any action as no one was hurt by my actions”
Risks you, well at least I,
Risks you, well at least I, would quite happily allow my kids to take in the spirit of they have to fall a few times to learn their limits, you cannot apply to children in your care in loco parentis.
My wife accompanied a school trip to the seaside with a group of 8 year olds that involved a human chain to stop the little darlings paddling out of ankle depth and enforcing a 10m exclusion zone around a completely harmless beached jellyfish. Perfectly sensible from the school and organisers point of view in an effort to remove any and all risk of blame should something happen, but not much fun or education value for the kids.
Mungecrundle wrote:
Kids out of school are easy to spot, they’re the small ones, the rest will be adults or in prams in your vicinity, the hi-vis is not needed, it’s just more mis-understanding and indoctrination to follow ‘common sense’ but actually has no logic or benefit to it.
we’re told to wear a reflective tabard for when we’re out at work but the fact our drivers go out in day time makes the tabard utterly useless, it’s dark green, same colour as our issued tops.
Told the chief exec I aint wearing mine as it’s dumb, offers no benefit whatsoever, wastes the company money, as we are a social/community org which means every penny we make gets punped back into the community, it’s money we can ill offord to spunk on useless kit when we’re short elsewhere. She won’t look at the facts as like most she’s indoctrinated into the ‘common sense’ thinking, there’s examples of it everywhere and it simply doesn’t benefit anyone.
Close pass…if it needs
Close pass…if it needs reporting to the bus company, why the hell don’t the police report it.
Try reporting to the traffic commissioner, and insist on getting the driver’s PSV license number. They are (or at least should be) held to a higher standard of driving than non-professional, non passenger carrying drivers. And perhaps ask what sort of example is being given to the primary school children on board. (It’s a kid’s school bus.)
Outrageous close pass and needs prosecuting.
So why did the police take
So why did the police take action against me when I exceeed a speed limit in my car? I didn’t injure anyone.
20 Watts generated, and I’m
20 Watts generated, and I’m guessing it’s not 100% efficient, is extremely draggy.
ktache wrote:
I serious doubt that number is achieved without some major compromises or that its achieved at ridiculous speeds.
The best bikepacking chargers put out approx 5 watts at 12 mph, but tend to be current limited to around 0.5A to 1A.
ktache wrote:
Of course that assessment is correct. However I wouldn’t be too quick to condemn this dynamo. There’s more I would like to know about it. If the electronics adapt the resistance to the load placed upon it then it could be a great option. ie if you are only drawing 1 watt to power your lights and the power generated by the dynamo is adpated to that demand then the drag will be very low, assuming good effeciency. This is what I would like to know and also how noisy is it? That question is addressed.
ktache wrote:
It’s also enough that I very much doubt you’ll get that out of a rim dynamo in the rain or sleet without it slipping.
You can get 6W out of a hub dynamo with the right load.
Hehehehehe
Hehehehehe
.
I will attempt to upload a relavent GIF
No one was hurt
No one was hurt
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-essex-50745553/lorry-stuck-on-essex-crossing-barrier-almost-hit-by-train
Leisure Lakes just sent me a
Leisure Lakes just sent me a latest arrivals/gift ideas email with this on it-
Fabric Lumaray V2 GPS Mount Front Light
https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/213202/products/fabric-lumaray-v2-gps-mount-front-light.aspx?utm_source=Leisure+Lakes+Bikes&utm_campaign=f4274a207e-spend-codes-feb_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a59445584-f4274a207e-81090077&goal=0_1a59445584-f4274a207e-81090077&mc_cid=f4274a207e&mc_eid=a1f7c76197
Seems like an idea to get you seen, in an unobtrusive using the GPS mount but still being able to keep the computer there way.
Not for me, someone could be interested. I think it’s a fairly good idea from Fabric, who do seem to be able to come up with some.
I wonder why Armstrong was
I wonder why Armstrong was paid so much in 2005? It was a decade since his World Championship win and he hadn’t achieved anything in the intervening years.
The close pass looks to be on
The close pass looks to be on the A62 Leeds road in Huddersfield. It’s on my commute home and to be honest, the whole road is an accident waiting to happen.
Its a major road, single lane in many places, and either rammed with traffic or treated like a race track. The cycle lane is narrow, jumps repeatedly from on-road to shared use path with little warning and has a habit of simply disappearing at the many pinch points…. so pretty much a typical half arsed job.
The presence of the cycle lane actually makes the road more dangerous for cyclists, because a certain number of drivers seem to think they can drive as close/fast as they want as long as they dont cross the white line… an attitude that West Yorkshire Police seem to be happy to defend.
Epic ‘bloody cyclists’ thread
Epic ‘bloody cyclists’ thread:
There, what more evidence do you need? Those car drivers going through the red light are obviously all cyclists – they must be, we’ve all seen how cyclist don’t respect red lights. Bloody cyclists …….
Very suspicious claims for
Very suspicious claims for output !
Have you seen the hilarious warranty…3months!
Could understand if it was a £10 dynamo.
Hopefully, Road cc Will review it soon.