“A f*cking disaster” – top London cycling café on PM’s coronavirus speech; Cyclists banned from riding outside in Spain + Italy: Retailer reports home trainer panic buying; Bike shops open, sex shops close in NL; 3T x BMW Exploro launch +more on live blog
SUMMARY
Weekend catch-up
No internet in your bunker? Here’s what you missed from road.cc if you have now emerged…
Coronavirus: How are top pro cyclists coping with enforced break?
Coronavirus: UCI unveils “decisive measures” to combat impact of outbreak
Oxfordshire County Council set to green light plan to get more people cycling
PR firm responds to coronavirus pandemic with live-streamed bike trade show
Golfer Rory McIlroy is “a bona fide Peloton stud”
The time has come for the Viz 'Clag-Gone'
With loo roll running out and all of us facing the very real threat of not being able to ride outdoors, the Clag-Gone from ‘Britain’s third or fourth funniest magazine could bw just the thing we need in these times of crisis. Check out the Viz website for more epic silliness.
"They have to hit us in the pockets so we understand": cyclist fined by police for riding outside in quarantined Spain
Por espabilados. pic.twitter.com/arNBrJ3mXX
— Amantes del Ciclismo (@amantes_cycling) March 15, 2020
It would have been unthinkable to be typing this out a couple of weeks ago – in fact a member of the road.cc team recently returned from a product launch in Spain – but this is now the reality in a country that is the second-worst hit country in Europe for coronavirus cases.
With cyclists waking up on Sunday to a two-week state of alarm that ordered everyone to stay indoors, this also included a ban on riding bikes; which means being stopped by police, fines or even arrest for those caught breaking the rules. The cyclist in the photo above is reportedly one of those who was stopped shortly after the rules were introduced, and he wasn’t the only one…
No estan solos jajaj pic.twitter.com/XZpMAkKiFn
— CaP Manuel ⚽ Zaragocismo 🏀 (@kapknicker) March 15, 2020
Otra pic.twitter.com/iTU3CjoqLf
— Jorx (@jordrums10) March 15, 2020
The comments under the post reflect some confusion towards the government’s message, with one noting that hairdressers and tobacconists are allowed to stay open while cycling is banned. Another says that people won’t listen until they’re hit in the pockets with fines, while it’s also noted that some pro cyclists are still allowed to train outside.
Is a similar ban coming to the UK soon? It’s looking that way…
Breaking: Halfords Group considering closing Cycle Republic stores and Boardman Performance Centre
An email just landed in our inbox states that the Group is proposing to close operations of Cycle Republic and the Boardman Performance Centre, and has entered into a consultation with colleagues affected – more on this in a full story soon.
Coronavirus lockdown in Spain: an update from a road.cc reader
After we initially posted photos of cyclists being stopped and fined for riding outside in Spain, Terry Hunt got in touch to give us an insight into how things are currently in Mallorca. Saying that he was stopped by police and sent back to his hotel yesterday wth talk of a €1000 fine, Mr Hunt told road.cc:
“I suppose the atmosphere is best described as one of disappointment, but also people understand why.
“Yesterday, morning (Sunday), there seemed a lot of confusion as to whether we could go out riding, no one could give us a straight answer. Some people decided not to to risk it, others did, including myself and a few people I met here.
“Our ride for the day was to the lighthouse at the Cap de Formentor. We managed 2.5 miles before some other cyclists warned us about a road block ahead, so we decided to turn back and try a different route.
“Another two miles later and we were stopped by the police (they were stopping everyone on bikes including locals) and were asked to return to our hotel. A quick stop at the supermarket for some snacks and then we were at the poolside, luckily the sun was shining yesterday.
“One group from the UK who are staying at the same hotel did venture out and got a full day’s riding in. In the end, the hotel advised we could only leave to go to a supermarket or pharmacy. All bars and restaurants are closed.”
First toilet rolls, now turbos: retailer reports 'panic buying' of indoor bike trainers
We’ve heard on the grapevine that a leading retailer in the cycling market is seeing a surge in sales for indoor bike trainers; most likely folk who anticipate not being able to ride outside for the foreseeable. We’ll do some more digging and see if we can get any confirmation of the scale of the alleged ‘panic buying’.
Dowsett sets up Insta page to help small cycling businesses
With the coronavirus outbreak set to disrupt small cycling businesses, pro rider Alex Dowsett and ThighsClub founder Chanel have set up an Instagram page to promote local cycling businesses, hopefully giving them the boost that they might need to see them through the period of uncertainty.
Got a local cycling business that you think might need a hand? DM the page with your suggestions.
Potholes: Nine out of ten councils failing to meet own targets to fix on time
Pothole Watch is calling for a ‘fix it first’ policy that would bring roads up to “acceptable standards” according to Cycling UK, who note that only one in ten councils are meeting their own target times to fix potholes.
Their Campaigns Manager Keir Gallagher said: “While the Government talks about “levelling up” the country’s infrastructure, the reality is that millions of miles of roads in the UK aren’t fit for purpose in the first place, and cyclists are being put at risk. The small increase in pothole funding in the budget, from £1.3 bn to £1.5 bn in the next year, will do little to tackle the huge backlog of cases which have built up on local roads across the country.”
The simple truth is that local authorities cannot deal with this issue without a long-term funding commitment from Government, enabling them to plan ahead as opposed to constantly trying to play catch-up with the ever-expanding pothole crisis.”
An FOI request in November revealed that one cyclist a week was killed or seriously injured due to road defects in the last five years, while a new £500 million potholes fund was recently announced in the budget; although Cycling UK criticised the government’s lack of investment in cycling and walking infrastructure.
More of your comments on the situation for cyclists in Spain and Italy
People seem to be split on whether it’s right that bans on cycling have been enforced on cycling in Spain and Italy: “You cannot bike nor run, but you can go to the shopping mall, where’s the logic?”, asks Adam Ossowski who is stuck in Mallorca.
Or perhaps as Alistair How suggests, it’s all a Zwift-spiracy…
What life is like for those who don't like sport, according to the UK's foremost crisp salesman
Always wondered what life is like for those who have no interest in sport. Beginning to get an inkling….It’s crap. 😴
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) March 15, 2020
Even if Mr Lineker isn’t talking about Strade Bianche or Paris-Roubaix, we’d have to concur!
Sex shops closed, but bike shops still open in the Netherlands
It’s pre-watershed yes, but we’re bringing you the first of two risque stories a little early this evening… and it’s a win for bike shops in the Netherlands amid the coronavirus outbreaks, but not such good news for the many sex shops that frequent the capital city of Amsterdam.
Forbes report that sex clubs, cannabis cafes, saunas, and some shops were closed as of 6pm yesterday, but as bike shops are an essential service in the “bicycle kingdom” of the Netherlands, they are not affected as is the case in Italy and Spain.
20 people have died from COVID-19 in the Netherlands so far according to the Dutch public health institute RIVM, with well over 1,000 cases reported.
Wanna go from 'basic' to 'edgy' in a flash? You need sexy leg harnesses made from 'upcycled' inner tubes
In our second instalment of ‘road.cc after hours’, we bring you news of a steamy new way to upcycle your inner tubes… turn them into ‘sexy leg harnesses’ with adjustable buckles, of course.
Laura Zabo boldly say of their creation: “Laura Zabo is for the metropolitan warrior who wants to stand out and care for the environment.
“Wear them with a short, minidress or skirt and take your outfit from basic to edgy in a flash.”
Fancy a pair, you can buy them here for £39.
Life in quarantine: taking cars off the road
Quarantine day 6. pic.twitter.com/er652Oy3Ki
— jamie (@gnuman1979) March 16, 2020
Maybe there are some positives to take out of all this after all… now just to get the drivers of those cars on bikes!
3T partner with BMW for a "trendy urban" version of the Exploro
Like gravel bikes and tailgating? This collaboration between 3T and BMW could be just the bike for you – bringing “sheer cycling pleasure to BMW customers” according to 3T, it’s modelled on their popular Exploro and has been given two colourways in its BMW-branded guise – grey/grey and grey/blue. They’re priced at 5,499 euros each, and are available from 3T’s website now.
Check out our review of the 3T Exploro Pro GRX 2020 (not BMW-afied) here and check out the launch vid below.
The best Frank Zappa playing a tune on a bike video you will see today
Three years before his 1966 debut album Freak Out! with the Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa – often termed the “Godfather of comedy rock” through his singular lyrics and let’s say experimental approach to composition – was on American TV playing a tune on, of all things, a bicycle. Enjoy, and read the full story here.
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Latest Comments
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.
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.
@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?
They may have looked, but did they see?
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.
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.
“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.
I'm criticising them for not riding in secondary position, not primary. At least 60cms (2 feet) from the edge of the road as the HC explicitly recommends. Leaving aside the small minority of riders who find mounting and dismounting a bike difficult - which sounds suspiciously similar to the motorists "but, but what about disabled drivers?" when talking about LTNs - what's wrong with able bodied riders walking the few metres over that narrow, Victorian bridge? Sure, if there's clearly no-one on it I wouldn't condemn anyone for riding it slowly, but if it's not clear forcing pedestrians to stop and squeeze to the side is, frankly, a rather entitled opinion. Plus it's easy to hold a road bike a little ahead of you and hold the saddle - normally no need to hold the bars if it's straight - so you're really not taking up much more room at all. There's a railway underpass near me that links to a shared then segregated path. It's narrow, and the path approaches at an angle so you can't see if it's clear, but many riders still choose to pedal through despite the clear 'no cycling' signage. Why?? Personally I don't go that way, except on foot, preferring the surrounding roads.
I think you're giving drivers too much credit. Many would not think twice about blocking the road if it makes their life easier, such as when turning right onto a busy road.
They might have to, but they won't. What they will do is pull out over the cycle path while they wait for a gap in motor traffic.
24 thoughts on ““A f*cking disaster” – top London cycling café on PM’s coronavirus speech; Cyclists banned from riding outside in Spain + Italy: Retailer reports home trainer panic buying; Bike shops open, sex shops close in NL; 3T x BMW Exploro launch +more on live blog”
The Spanish ban:- If they are
The Spanish ban:- If they are stopping everyone doing non essential travel like pedestrians, and any motor vehicle operators, then I have no problem with this at all as they are blowing up as much as Italy and are trying to reign it in. Although most of the pics are of single cyclists, the ban is a ban.
It’s not a blanket ban though
It’s not a blanket ban though. According to family members living near Barcelona dog owners can take their dogs for a walk but parents cannot walk their children outside.
Personally i’d be thinking twice about stopping any sweating cyclists.
Stuk wrote:
Sweat should be nice and safe – SARS-CoV-2 won’t be transmitted through that alone.
Personally I can’t see that lone careful cyclists pose much threat to transmission but it’s not a good idea to annoy emergency services during the plague.
I nearly went out on Saturday
I nearly went out on Saturday near Barcelona, but then decided against it.
It isn’t just about catching/spreading the virus. If you have accident or a mountainbike tumble you are putting more of a strain on the hospitals. I don’t want to be that guy.
That being said, all the empty roads really make me want to go out: traffic cameras in Catalonia
I don’t undersdand the ban on
I don’t undersdand the ban on cycling. Sure you don’t want to go out, have an accident and put a strain on hospital resources. But how often do we end up in hospital? Very rare. And if you’re cycling on your own, your still isolated?
A mate is stranded out in Club La Santa. My first thought was ‘lucky git’ but if you are not allowed to ride, perhpas not so lucky.
But that only works if the
But that only works if the risk of riding increases your chance of hospitalisation,yet consistently its accidents in the home which are the bigger risk of causing you injury, trips,slips,falls,accidents whilst DIYing that requires hospital admission,and theyve forced their whole population to stay in that one place.
Its ludicrous. Single riders
Its ludicrous. Single riders don’t pose a threat provided they start and end up back at home with no stops for cake and coffee. I would break up groups but leave singletons and maybe pairs alone.
None of these quarantines are sustainable for more than a couple of weeks, and the minute they are relaxed the cases will spike again. Unless there are clear reasons to prevent people leaving – like rush converting thousands more beds into Ventilator/Isolation beds this is all pointless.
For all Bozo and the UK clowns are being criticsized right now – at least they have a stated goal – it may be a horrible one for anyone in the majorly at risk brackets but at least its a long term plan. The WHO plans seem to stop and end at “be like China”.
However if the rules are no
However if the rules are no essential travel, there is no essential travel. If they allowed bikes and not cars, then everyone would get around it by travelling by bike. Then whilst that would be a cyclists dream, the whole point of the travel ban would be shafted.
And Bozo’s plan seems to be tell people to behave but lets make it not look as bad as anywhere else. Oh and hope we can pull over retired over 60’s back in to look after sick people and also lets get Jaguar Land rover to build stuff.
I agree on sustainability, however all the governments are running delaying tactics to hope summer is a leeway to recoup and hope medicines may be available to stop it next Autumn when it comes back with avengence. And actually the WHO guidelines is be more like South Korea and test widely and trace and test where people who do test positive has been. If not, then China and Italy are the next steps.
In Girona yesterday (Sunday)
In Girona yesterday (Sunday) riders were stopped by police and told to go home.
I was stopped yesterday
I was stopped yesterday attempting to ascend Mt Teide by the Guardia. We descended back to the hotel, bizarrely we got lost for another 25 miles
You’ve obviously got
You’ve obviously got navigation problems. They should have arrested you, confiscated your bike then told you to fuck off back to the UK and forcibly bundled you onto a plane back so you can go demonstrate civil disobedience at someone else’s peril. Or 14 days quarantine in a lovely state institution with bars in front of the window, works miracles.
CyclingMikey gets a result on
CyclingMikey gets a result on the impatient angry doctors at gandalf corner.
ktache wrote:
Brilliant
They were the embodiment of ‘entitled’.
I suppose it will be ‘onthe way to an urgetn CV meeting’ next.
What happens if you’re just
What happens if you’re just in normal (ie not lycra) gear on, say, a tourer with panniers and you just say you’re going to buy some food?
I suspect they might let you
I suspect they might let you off but might ask take details and you have to prove it. As I suspect they would if you were stopped when driving. (hopefullly)
I guess in Spain there is a
I guess in Spain there is a clear ban on sports activity outside, so fair game even if I would not necessarily agree with it.
The annoying thing in Italy is that the ministry of health clearly states on their website that sports activity (including cycling) is allowed as long as the recommended distance of 1 metre can be maintained, yet I hear many reports of cycists being stopped by the police. The police in Massa, Tuscany actually declared that the cyclists risk confiscation of their bikes if they get caught…
I imagine the decision to ask
I imagine the decision to ask, rather than force, businesses to close is precisely to prevent insurance claims being made. Not because they are “mates” of Boris, but because there’s no possible way the insurance industry could fund the payouts. Insurance works because it pools liability for rare events. It falls apart when everyone in the pool needs to be paid.
Yes it will hurt some businesses now, but the alternative is to have no insurance industry, or premiums so high that no business can afford insurance.
So lets shaft the general
So lets shaft the general public and a lot of businesses so one area of business is safe? Seems like a great strategy to me.
It actually protects the
It actually protects the general public.
How would you like all the insurers you currently hold policies with to go bust, or increase premiums to levels where many people can no longer afford insurance?
But you’ve obviously got a better idea about how insurers can fill in a three month hole in the takings of every business in the land…
srchar wrote:
Just checking, but who will be paying for all the hundreds of thousands of people who are put out of work, and lose their homes, etc?
“The godfather of Comedy Rock
“The godfather of Comedy Rock” who the **** wrote that about one of the greatest guitarists, most gifted composers and most demanding band leader of the 20th Century? I can only assume it was somebody who should stick to writing about bikes!
To the moaning twonk in the
To the moaning twonk in the bike cafe, 140,000 people have lost their jobs in Ireland over the last week. It’s happening to everyone you plonker. Or would you rather someone came into your cafe and passed the virus on to 20 others who then went and passed it on to their parents/grandparents? Selfish git.
Tim K wrote:
No, I imagine that he’d hoped the Govt would just come out and say, “Everything closed By Order” so that insurance might help him and his business come out the other side, rather than not saying that but just saying “Hey, guys, like, don’t go to cafes and things, m’kay?”
According to an insurance
According to an insurance expert on the TV earlier it would make no difference unless they had specific insurance to cover them for this situation which most don’t. Lots of us don’t have much to worry about from this virus (hopefully) but we have to look after the ones that do and his sort of attitude reeks of selfishness.