“Cycling saved my life”, says Queen’s Brian May; Bernal loses time on brutal Giro summit finish; Fed up community builds pop-up bike lane; Fail to stop driver with bike rack hit cyclist; Highland Trail record smashed on singlespeed + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Police appeal for information to trace fail to stop driver with cycle rack who hit cyclist
Avon and Somerset Police are trying to trace the driver of a Ford Mondeo fitted with a cycle rack after a cyclist was hit by a driver in a collision near Bath last Thursday. The Collision happened at the Bathford roundabout, at the junction of the A4 and A363 at around 12pm on Thursday 20 May.
The driver failed to stop after hitting the cyclist, so the force has released a picture of the vehicle, believed to be a Ford Mondeo…including the cycle rack that was fitted to the roof. The cyclist suffered minor injuries.
Anyone with dash cam footage or information can contact Avon and Somerset Police by calling 101 and giving the call handler the log number 395 of 20 May.
How many people live in households without access to a car
How many people live in households without access to a car? (2011 census data, ages 25-34 and 35-49 in particular)
I made these because I was intrigued to know how unusual I am in being a non-driver.
As ever, each hexagon⬢ represents a small area (MSOA). pic.twitter.com/PD9bvfUKkH
— Carl Baker (@carlbaker) May 25, 2021
Here’s an interesting map showing car access data. The numbers are from the 2011 census so hopefully we’ll see a 2021 map soon too…
Giro organiser wants conversation on "where cycling is going" after queen stage route change
#Giro – Vegni at RAI said that they are making confusion – and while everyone in the team car was for the stage to stay as it is, riders were not and “change the idea every 5 minutes”
— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) May 24, 2021
Giro d’Italia race organiser Mauro Vegni says a conversation about “where cycling is going” is needed after the Grand Tour is finished. His comments come after stage 16, the queen stage, was shortened due to riders’ concerns over bad weather at high altitude. Instead of the three planned ascents over 2,000m, the peloton only climbed Passo Giau as the forecasted snow stayed away, leading to some suggesting the route change was unnecessary.
Vegni remained fairly calm about the situation…”everything is okay,” he told Italian broadcaster RAI. “Let’s end this Giro, then let’s open a debate on where cycling is going nowadays. I am happy to take part in it. The UCI, the wrong rules, cycling needs to be changed. I’ll stop here.”
He did admit some frustration at the indecision from the riders…”[riders] change their idea every five minutes,” Vegni explained. Rumours ahead of the stage suggested that many of the teams, including EF Education-Nippo and Team BikeExchange were keen to ride the full, original route.
Highland Trail 550: Liam Glen breaks course record... on a singlespeed
Our pals at off.road.cc have been dotwatching the brutal Hightrail Trail 550 bikepacking mtb race this week… and last night, former road.cc reviewer and blogger Liam Glen stormed to victory in a provisional time of 3 days, 10 hours and 55 mins. Not only that, but we’re told Liam did it on a singlespeed bike, netting him the fastest HT550 on a singlespeed by a whole 11 hours, and also the overall course record – incredible stuff.
He becomes the first person to win the race twice and he beats the singlespeed record by just shy of 11 hours.#HT550
Micro update with pics to follow: https://t.co/htHMTYnCbK
— Grace (@thisisgrace) May 25, 2021
The podium was completed in the small hours, with Andrew Hutcheson in 2nd and Transcontinental winner James Hayden in third according to the results on dotwatcher.cc. off.road.cc will have more on Liam’s incredible feat soon in article and video form, so check back for that in the coming days when Mr Glen has had a pint and a lie down…
Things we like to hear...
Just talking to a prosecutor who cycles 50 miles before he comes into work in the morning ‘for fun.’
— CourtNewsUK (@CourtNewsUK) May 26, 2021
Fed up Wellington community builds pop-up bike lane
WHAT!? It looks like @WgtnCC contractors will rip out Wellington’s newest bike lane. How is THAT safe? @CyclingActionNZ @CycleAwareWgtn pic.twitter.com/ikSsSDeQPD
— Patrick Morgan (@patrickmorgan) May 24, 2021
I’m sure a few of our readers can relate to this community in Wellington, New Zealand, who were so fed up with having inadequate cycling infrastructure…they built it themselves. Volunteers from Cycle Wellington built the pop-up segregated lane on the Adelaide Road, a busy route for cycle commuters.
However, pictures shared on social media by Cycling Action Network spokesperson Patrick Morgan showed their new lane being disassembled by the council who blocked the route with the wooden planters installed to separate cyclists from traffic. Cycle Wellington then hit back by simply moved them back before taking the boxes away with the promise of more new lanes coming soon. Morgan told RNZ they plan to keep their activism going.
“We’re fed up with the council talking for years and years about improving cycling and doing so little,” he explained. “We can build these pop-up bike lanes anywhere, today we’re back in Berhampore, next week who knows where we’ll be. This is going to keep happening until the council commits to delivering safe streets.
“Last week was road safety week, unfortunately two cyclists died last week because we’ve been too slow to build safe streets. Our message to the council is pull your finger out, do what you say you’re going to do and deliver a safe cycling network within 10 years.”
Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said that while the group’s cause was understandable, the segregation was dangerous. “We just want to have an adult conversation and say ‘look, we know what you’re frustrations are all about’, but as an organisation that’s in charge of keeping the roads safe, we can’t let this keep going on,” he said.
Wow! New pop up bike lane in Berhampore built by the volunteer #UrbanRepairCrew. #TacticalUrbanism #InnovatingStreets @CycleAwareWgtn pic.twitter.com/kGPaue4nKC
— Patrick Morgan (@patrickmorgan) May 23, 2021
Throwback to when road.cc visited the roads of the Giro d'Italia
Stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia is underway with the riders rolling out of Canazei this morning. Familiar territory for road.cc as a few lucky members of our team visited last year to film the Basso Diamante. While out there we got some extra filming done, including this video with our top tips for cycling in the hills and mountains…check it out…
And to see Liam’s Dolomites route head over to his Strava. You could even drop him some kudos…if you think he earned it…
Paraguayan cyclist adopts abandoned puppy he found during training ride
Pablo Villamayor and his wife were cycling in Paraguay when they saw a driver pull over and dump a small bag by the side of the road. Thinking it was probably rubbish they rode on but were then met by visibly upset puppy instead…
Securing the pup to his handlebars, Pablo took the abandoned animal home where it now lives with the family. “We realised that it was a dog,” he told The Dodo. “He emerged from the bag and came running towards us, crying. We stopped and decided to adopt him. We named him Lorenzo and he is now at home with us. He’s happy. I felt sick seeing the cruelty of people. But we were lucky to have found him. Fate wanted Lorenzo to be here with us.”
La Vuelta goes Dutch for 2022 opening weekend in Breda and Utrecht
We’re back! De start van @lavuelta 🇪🇸 komt in 2022 alsnog naar Nederland 🚴♂️#VamosHolanda
Lees meer over de start van de Spaanse Wielerronde in Nederland 👉 https://t.co/uwGieR7mLv pic.twitter.com/xJWqbImByC
— La Vuelta Holanda (@LaVueltaHolanda) May 26, 2021
La Vuelta a España will finally get its Dutch opening weekend next year, the race’s organiser has announced. The Netherlands was meant to host the start of the 2020 race, however due to COVID-19 restrictions it was decided the event would be held entirely in Spain. The exact date is to be confirmed but it will somewhere in mid to late August 2022.
The provinces of Noord-Brabant and Utrecht and the cities of Breda and Utrecht are confirmed to be hosting stages. Vuelta director Javier Guillén was delighted to be able to announce his race’s first return to the Netherlands since 2009. “It has been a long-cherished wish to start in the cycling country of the Netherlands,” he said. “The Netherlands is known for its organisational strength and I am sure that, also given the current situation, we can succeed in organising the event in a good and above all safe way.”
Big crash on the descent takes down Remco Evenepoel and Giulio Ciccone
With a cut on his hand, Remco continues the race. 👍 #Giro pic.twitter.com/KVhj0C136d
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) May 26, 2021
Mikel Nieve came down on a fast corner on the descent moments ago…Remco Evenepoel and Giulio Ciccone were the two biggest name riders to be taken out. The Belgian collided with the roadside barrier but is now back on the bike. There was a nice moment too as Nieve came over to check on Evenepoel, the 21-year-old in his first race back since a shocking crash at Il Lombardia saw him fall into a ravine.
Up the road, Dan Martin has a shot at a stage victory…he is in the breakaway with Gianni Moscon, Antonio Pedrero and Geoffrey Bouchard. The group has a 2:25 advantage heading towards the brutal final climb.
Dan Martin wins stage 17...Simon Yates cracks Egan Bernal to reclaim one minute on maglia rosa
‘He can’t even hold his team-mate’s wheel!’
Bernal in 𝘽𝙄𝙂 trouble on Stage 17 pic.twitter.com/gA0437cAmk
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) May 26, 2021
Well, well, well…the Giro is not done just yet. Egan Bernal cracked on today’s summit finish as Simon Yates and João Almeida easily danced away from the Colombian, recovering around a minute on the maglia rosa. Dan Martin will be a very popular stage winner from the breakaway. The Irishman dropped out of the GC fight on the gravel stage, saying cycling “isn’t worth the risk”. Now a week on, Dan’s back!
In the GC fight, Bernal finished 53 seconds behind Yates and three seconds behind Damiano Caruso. Hugh Carthy struggled, shipping 2:32 to drop to fifth in the overall standings…could we be in for a few more twists before Sunday?
Bordeaux-Paris race to return from 2022 as an ultra-distance event
Bordeaux-Paris is making a comeback, more than 25 years on from the last edition. One of the oldest races on the calendar, the race was first held in 1891 but disappeared in 1988. Next year will be the first edition since and will be redesigned as an ultra-endurance event, L’Équipe reports.
It will now be opened up to ‘amateurs’…or at least anyone able to cover the 600km distance and 5,600m of climbing in 40 hours or less…The first edition back is provisionally pencilled in the calendar for 22 May 2022 and registrations are invited from June 7. That gives you a year to get in ‘riding the length of France’ shape if it takes your fancy.
Queen's Brian May: Cycling saved my life
The legendary guitarist clearly likes to ride his bicycle, saying cycling saved his life after a heart attack.
May needed surgery last year, but believes cycling has given him a new lease of life after the operation: “It really saved me,” he told Kerry Ellis on her Keep Calm and Kerry On podcast.
“When I’m in pain, which I was a lot, getting on the bike makes you feel human again. I’m finding life hard right now, this whole lockdown thing – I find the physical stuff is what gets me through.”
May also revealed that he thinks his heart attack could have been brought on by COVID-19, believing that he likely caught the virus while Queen were touring in early 2020, and that gardening was another pastime that helped him through lockdown:
“I’m so lucky to have greenery around me – without it I think my brain would explode. It helps me balance”, said May.
“I’m naturally a depressive, gardening is such a help, it’s one of life’s great therapies.”
May isn’t the only rock star who likes bikes – the Talking Heads’ David Byrne loves cycling so much he wrote a book about it, and last year ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons was spotted cruising the Las Vegas Strip on his e-bike. The late Ginger Baker was also a keen racing cyclist in his youth, and said that Cream’s second album ‘Disraeli Gears’ was named so because of a roadie mistakenly thinking that this was the correct term for derailleur gears during a discussion about a racing bicycle.
What kind of bike do we reckon Brian May rides, something reddish brown with plenty of feedback perhaps? Your suggestions in the comments as always!
Daniel Felipe Martinez' excellent high mountain support is fast becoming cycling's new meme
Now 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 high mountain support
👏 @danifmartinez96 pic.twitter.com/V1wswcZSji
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) May 26, 2021
Daniel Felipe Martinez is ready to motivate you in every moment of your life. pic.twitter.com/X5xaVzInMq
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) May 26, 2021
Going way above and beyond what was expected of him as a domestique, Martinez pumped his fist and willed a fading Bernal on all while riding up a brutal gradient to ensure as little time was lost as possible. The never not amusing Cycling out of context Twitter account was quick to turn it into something with plenty of meme potential, if not doing a slightly underwhelming job of cropping Martinez into this supermarket scene…
26 May 2021, 08:08
The full story of Liam's mega ride...
Liam Glen wins the Highland Trail 550... on a singlespeed bike
Previous road.cc reviewer is first to cross the line, and broke the course record with his unusual bike choice in the process
26 May 2021, 08:08
26 May 2021, 08:08
26 May 2021, 08:08
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Latest Comments
Could we get some updates, the glove world hath changethed.
Google is broken. Even if they are forced to roll back on the made up summary (a German court said it was original content so they're liable), it will still be a front page of SEO slop. Images full of geometry nightmares. Another vote for switching search to DuckDuckGo. You can turn all the crap off in Settings. Ah, bliss.
If you're not trying to escape from wild animals, what would be the advantage of putting a tent on top of a car, rather than setting up a similar tent on the ground? Seems rather unnecessary to me - even if the price was comparable, I would choose a ground-based version.
"you can’t pass a law saying it’s illegal not to have a speedometer if you’re going to go above the speed limit." I don't think this would be a good idea, nor even speed limits (and presumably mandatory speedometers everywhere) ... ... but is there any theoretical legal impediment to that? Or even simply enacting a law that cyclists are not permitted to ride faster on roads than the motor vehicle speed limit (or some other limit) and leaving it up to cyclists how they go about complying with that? (Not a lawyer not a legal theorist though...)
What has KE to do with it? If you are hit by a large object you don't absorb all its KE. Being hit by a car is no better than being hit by a bus at the same speed. What matters is how much acceleration you experience.
@Robert Hardy 20mph isn't as fast as you seem to think, this 57-year-old-not-that-fit rider can easily achieve it on the flat in still conditions and most averagely fit people can on a decent bike. The argument that it wouldn't be a problem to impose speed limits on cyclists because those who can achieve 20mph already have speedometers is an entirely specious one, firstly as I've said a huge number of people can achieve 20mph, not just Garmin-obsessed racers, and secondly you would have to make speedometers compulsory for everyone on a bike, you can't pass a law saying it's illegal not to have a speedometer if you're going to go above the speed limit. How many cycling incidents are caused by supposedly excessive speed? It wasn't a factor in this case, the cyclist would still have hit her if he'd been doing 15mph or even 10mph. Charlie Alliston was under the car speed limit. It's a non-issue and only of interest to those seeking yet another stick with which to beat cyclists.
(Usual reference to speed being the major issue as kinetic energy goes up with the square of velocity / much greater braking distances required etc)
@mdavidford steady on - an 80kg cyclist on a 20kg bike would only need to be doing a little over 89mph to have the same kinetic energy as a 2 ton car at 20mph. So same ballpark, really...
28 thoughts on ““Cycling saved my life”, says Queen’s Brian May; Bernal loses time on brutal Giro summit finish; Fed up community builds pop-up bike lane; Fail to stop driver with bike rack hit cyclist; Highland Trail record smashed on singlespeed + more on the live blog”
If they can track the vehicle
If they can track the vehicle with road cameras do they not have a better photo or one with the number plate further down the road?
You’d need a chain of
You’d need a chain of evidence linking the two, otherwise it might be another Mondeo, also with a cycle rack etc.
I don’t buy that.
I don’t buy that.
Surely it’s still a vehicle of interest until it is ruled out of the investigation. Nothing to do with chain of evidence at this stage of investigation.
Once you’ve identified the vehicle, driver, route, etc. Then you can start compiling evidence, such as damage to the vehicle, cell phone tracking, vehicle movements, etc.
ChrisB200SX wrote:
Point taken. I meant that, to prove which vehicle was involved, you can’t go from one video to another in another part of town showing the numberplate, you need continuous footage.
You’re right it would provide a reason to investigate the car shown, in the manner you suggest. In practice we all know that won’t happen unless someone was killed (and probably not even then). So without continuous video that shows the numberplate at some point, it’s going to be ignored.
ChrisB200SX wrote:
They can do it with people in city centres on those crime interceptor shows…Seems likely they can do it with cars too.
You need a chain of evidence?
You need a chain of evidence? Like a particular make and model of car, with the same set of alloy wheels and the same dark tint to the rear windows along with a Roof Rack? I’m pretty sure that is relatively easy to identify from other camera footage.
Especially when you add that in to the time of day, the direction of travel of the car leaving the scene etc.
So did they notice the cycle
So did they notice the cycle carrier and figure maybe they can do him for swearing?
jh2727 wrote:
It certainly proves he’s a wrong’un….
I think there is a flaw in
I think there is a flaw in the access to car discussion. The headline question asks how many people live in households without access to a car. The data shows households that don’t own a car. In my view, they are two very different things. We got rid of our car when we started using it so little that it made no sense to run one. We walk and cycle for most things. But, one of the reasons we were able to get rid of the car is that we still have access to other cars. That’s the thing, we have no car but when needed, we have easy access to one, not even counting the use of hire cars. So I’m curious to know which it is, is it no access or no ownership?
Secondly, I think there will be an underlying point about poverty in this data, owning a car costs money that some people might not be able to afford. It’s certainly been the case for me before. Need a car to get a job, need a job to get a car (and yes, I cycle to work but when you’re a tradesman, that’s not necessarily possible)
Someone in Twittter uses the
Someone in Twittter uses the same point. For about 4 years last decade I didn’t own a car. I still had access to my dads and occaisionally my brothers and hired one if travelling for a few days. Then my dad died and I now inherited his. When that fails the MOT I will be back to not owning one.
I have exactly the same
I have exactly the same reaction – I have been using zipcars and their predecessors in London for about 15 years. I dont own a car but i have access to various cars and vans within a 5 or 10 minute walk. I have access to a multitude of transport options and the question is the wrong one. It should ask if your transport access limits your ability to undertake certain journeys/tasks.
sapperadam wrote:
This is the 2021 version of the question (think the 2011 question was the same):
https://census.gov.uk/help/how-to-answer-questions/paper-questions-help/in-total-how-many-cars-or-vans-are-owned-or-available-for-use-by-members-of-this-household
Vehicles that are kept at another address don’t count.
I think the question makes sense – it’s cars owned + cars leased + company cars you can use privately.
sapperadam wrote:
The ONS metadata for table KS404EW (availability of cars) says,
(https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/qs416ew and download full description)
It seems to me that “available to” implies vehicles that are exclusively available to the household (in the way that a company car or van is also exclusive outside working hours – not a pool car borrowed for the night). It specifically excludes visitors to the household (which might loosely include other households that you might visit to borrow a car).
I’m inferring that interpretation, and maybe they have left it deliberately fuzzy to allow people to self-select as having a car available (‘have you got enough cars for your needs?’ might be a parallel question without invoking spectres of N+1).
But it would be better to clarify the question for the purposes of policy-making.
I’ve seen a recent report
I’ve seen a recent report that says the owning and running costs of a secondhand EV are about half those for a petrol car over a period of seven years. We don’t use our old banger much but it does come in useful at times. Having seen that report, I’m more sure than I was before that our next car will be a secondhand EV, probably a Nissan Leaf or a Renault Zoe.
I’m not ready to give up having a car yet and while I’ve used Zip vans, I’ve found they often are in really poor shape as they’ve been bashed about by people who drive only very rarely.
I’ll stick to two wheels for shorter journeys and I’m planning to get a little trailer to hook onto my bike for supermarket trips.
I’ve seen similar reports. If
I’ve seen similar reports. If you dig, they tend to be funded by electric car manufacturers.
We’re still a decade (at least) away from cars where that’s actually true being sold in large numbers and depreciating enough to be cheap.
Fuel savings don’t add up fast enough unless you’re doing quite a lot of miles. Maintenance costs aren’t very different. Even if someone has the money up front to afford a car that’s cheaper in the long run, it’s hard to find something where fuel and tax savings aren’t reflected in a higher price.
I wonder if Brian May was
I wonder if Brian May was referencing their 1974 album “Sheer Heartattack’
Queen’s Brian May: Cycling
Queen’s Brian May: Cycling saved my life
It was Barry White saved mine….
And what’s more, I bet he got
And what’s more, I bet he got you back with your Ex Wife….?
essexian wrote:
I’d rather not talk about that thank you….
Last night a DJ saved my life
Last night a DJ saved my life.
The cycling musicians piece
The cycling musicians piece prompted me to remember this gem of a website – a single handed tribute to the rear mech :
http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/Home.html
Don’t leave it before you have checked out the french madness that is the EGS Up Cage….. it gets better when you realise that there is a matching front mech and shifters….
How can you write about Brian
How can you write about Brian May cycling without referencing this?
Steve K wrote:
Pretty sure that is referenced in the very first sentence 🙂
cqexbesd wrote:
So it is. Long day yesterday…
Steve K wrote:
easy, since Brian May didn’t write the song!
When my cycling exploits 4
When my cycling exploits 4 years ago got me on the radio a few times (Talksport twice and Radios 2 and 4 once each) that was the intro music they played every time.
My wife’s previous work was
My wife’s previous work was connected with the music business and has met Brian May. She says he’s nice; just thought you’d like to know.
“”We just want to have an
“”We just want to have an adult conversation and say ‘look, we know what you’re frustrations are all about’, but as an organisation that’s in charge of keeping the roads safe, we can’t let this keep going on,” he said.”
Yeah. Last thing you want is any scrutiny, or people coming in and doing things to actually keep people safe, while all you do is talk.
I get the impression they’re probably as inept and impotent as the People’s Front of Judea…