£100 to rent a bike hangar…but £30 to park your car?; Could Pogačar miss Liège?; Oleg Tinkov lambasts Russian “massacre”; Roubaix behind the scenes; Cargobikes for Ukraine; No room for infra?; Changes to deadly junction + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
£100 to rent a bike hangar...but £30 to park your car?
Oliver Lord is the head of the Clean Cities Campaign, a European coalition of organisations encouraging cities to transition to zero-emission mobility by 2030. If you start to see more #ThisIsAwkward campaign material, now you know where it’s come from…
…so why is it so cheap for cars to park and those with bikes have to pay all the necessary costs, sometimes 4-5 times as much? If we want a healthier city then cycle parking should never cost more than car parking. 2/3 #ThisIsAwkward pic.twitter.com/ubZmUoTwDg
— Oliver Lord (@0jhl) April 20, 2022
Sharing data from Fare City, another cycle parking disparity was shown, with no London borough, as of October 2021 to March 2022, having more than 600 hangars. Per the report, some of London’s most densely populated areas have an “urgent need to provide greater levels of secure residential cycle parking”, with waiting list times nearly three times greater than provision.
Ah don’t worry, we’ve got that covered too! Here’s our latest billboard in Southwark. It’s more than 60,000+ Londoners waiting for a space… 😑 https://t.co/siumPkxI5D pic.twitter.com/op1xCrFNqD
— Oliver Lord (@0jhl) April 20, 2022
Oliver concluded: “Agree, they have to be paid for and therefore cant be free. I’d argue they could be subsidised given the financial gain to NHS and social care from people cycling more. But ultimately there’s something wrong when car parking is way cheaper (ie subsidised)”.
It’s time for @IslingtonBC to charge properly for car parking space. It’s a huge public resource being rented out cheap. It’s shocking it costs about 50p a week to park an electric car and more than £2 per week to park one bicycle (6 bikes per bike hangar in one car space). https://t.co/NKdev48RbB
— Caroline Russell (@CarolineRussell) April 20, 2022
Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to make this April Fool’s gag a reality…
Don’t want to disrupt our car dominated landscape with cycle storage?
Try the all-new CAMO-HANGAR©️ from Possible!
✅Blends in with all other SUVs
✅Won’t trigger anti-cycling sentiment
✅Only pay for parking 1 car a year instead of 5 bikes pic.twitter.com/TYQKHdQ3vT— Possible (@_wearepossible) April 1, 2022
"The best team car footage you will ever see": Watch Van Baarle's Roubaix win from the Ineos Grenadiers car
Temporary changes at Oxford Parkway junction where first of two cyclists to die in one month was killed
The Oxford Mail is reporting the county council has installed temporary measures aimed at reducing the speed of vehicles turning left towards the station at Oxford Parkway junction. Ellen Moilanen was killed in a collision with a lorry being driven at the Oxford Road junction on February 8.
> “One month, two dead cyclists”: Oxford’s cycling city sign defaced after second death
The changes involve traffic cones and signs, which are to be replaced with water-filled barriers pending decisions about what permanent changes should be made to the road layout.
“We are very supportive,” Dr Alison Hill of campaign group Cyclox said. “This is something we asked for. We asked for a shortening of that junction so it would cease to be used by people speeding along up to the junction and keeping their speed up.
“Some people watched it in operation yesterday and there appeared to be some slowing down. I think it’s doing the right thing.”
More interviews like this, please...
🤗 Joli moment d’émotion pendant l’interview de @marta_cavalli98 !
Pour ceux qui douteraient que le cyclisme est un sport d’équipe. 😍🤗 For all those who didn’t know cycling was a team sport😍#FWwomen pic.twitter.com/bibBfqX2Ux
— La Flèche Wallonne (@flechewallonne) April 20, 2022
Cargobikes for Ukraine
Here’s an email from a reader hoping to raise funds to support Ukrainian people with cargo bikes…
So I’ve had a cargo bike for over five years now and during the first lockdown bought another a Larry vs Harry Bullitt which was a real step up from the original. I’ve always being a keen cyclist and along with cycling got more and more interested in environmental aspects and I guess more radicalised by the people in tin boxes appearing to want to hurt us. Anyway, the war in Ukraine inspired me to think about cargo bikes as a method of transporting food and medical supplies across the towns and cities in Ukraine when obviously they may have the advantage over cars not having to rely on petrol.
I also thought if we could embed the cargo bike culture within Ukraine so when the war is over they’d be a great take up so I came up with the name Bullitts For Ukraine (ahem). I stuck my idea out over social media and immediately got my head blown off for the name, people thought it offensive etc. anyway I relented and ended up setting up a group on FB called Cargobikes for Ukraine and started to recruit people to the group.
I then found out that several of the members of this new group are Ukrainian and have a cargo bike business is Kyiv and are already operating in a similar way to what I was thinking about, so now there’s extra emphasis for me and others to try and support these and other people in Ukraine by trying to obtain funds to source second-hand or new cargo bikes potentially in all Ukrainian colours to send onto to help set up delivery business out there.
Shocking scenes...
Scooter gang tried to knock me off my bike on the way home last night. pic.twitter.com/SjZBgYobSK
— Jon (@Jontafkasi) April 21, 2022
Stay safe out there people…
No space for infra?
We all have roads near us where “there isn’t space for safe cycling infrastructure”.
There almost always is with enough vision.
via @InfraCGI pic.twitter.com/BxwuAfDmPp
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) April 21, 2022
Spain introduces new fines for drivers who stop in bike lanes
Drivers in Spain who stop in cycle lanes can now be fined €200 under new traffic laws, which came into effect on March 21. According to Spanish news reports the DGT (General Directorate of Traffic) has been cracking down on the behaviour, along with other distractions behind the wheel, including mobile phone usage. €200 close pass punishments have also been brought in since January.
Top-tier memeing
— La Grosse Boucle (@LaGrosseBoucle) April 20, 2022
The internet really is the gift that keeps on giving…
Former WorldTour team boss Oleg Tinkov lambasts Russian "massacre"
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Former Tinkoff-Saxo team owner and one of Russia’s highest-profile tycoons has spoken out against the country’s “massacre” in Ukraine. Oleg Tinkov called for the end of the “crazy war” which has not “any beneficiary”.
Tinkov’s comments came in an Instagram post, making him one of the most high-profile Russians to speak out against Vladimir Putin. “I don’t see a SINGLE beneficiary of this insane war! Innocent people and soldiers are dying,” he wrote.
“Waking up with a hangover, the generals realised that they have a shit army. And how will the army be good, if everything else in the country is shitty and mired in nepotism, sycophancy and servility?”
The businessman formerly worth $4.4bn (£3.4bn) has lost his billionaire status, according to Forbes, since the invasion and was sanctioned by the UK government. Tinkov has previously denied having a close relationship with Putin and said 90 per cent of Russians are against the war, while the remaining 10 per cent are “morons”.
In 2012, Tinkov bought a cycling team formerly owned by Bjarne Riis, and sponsored the team from until 2016, during which time he oversaw Alberto Contador winning the 2015 Giro d’Italia, and offered his star rider, Chris Froome and Vincenzo Nibali (the three biggest GC riders at the time) 1 million euros to ride all three Grand Tours.
Jurassic Parkéa–Samsic
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) April 21, 2022
We have no further comment about whether or not this is Liam making the most of his Paris-Roubaix trip after a few beers…
> What is it actually like to ride the Paris-Roubaix cobbles?
Is it 2014 again? Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet impress in the Alps
It wasn’t to be on today’s Tour of the Alps stage for Thibaut Pinot who was so close to his first victory since the 2019 Tour de France went up the Tourmalet. It’s been a long road of injury and recovery for the perennial French hope…
I am a cycling journalist second and Thibaut Pinot supporter first pic.twitter.com/myoN04cQsG
— Robyn (@robynjournalist) April 21, 2022
Pinot attacked with 10km to go but was heartbreakingly caught by Netflix bad boy Miguel Ángel López who subsequently attacked, dropping everyone’s stage hope…
Heart broken. pic.twitter.com/i2q8X91Db9
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) April 21, 2022
Behind, Romain Bardet won the sprint for third and moved within two seconds of the race lead. It’s all of a sudden feeling a bit like the mid 2010s again this afternoon…
Tadej Pogačar expected to defend Liège-Bastogne-Liège title despite family emergency
Defending champion Tadej Pogačar should be on the startline for the third Monument of the season, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, despite Belgian media reporting the Slovenian has returned to his home country with his fiancé due to a family emergency.
Nieuwsblad is reporting the UAE Team Emirates rider returned home with Urska Zigart, who rides for Team BikeExchange, and both their teams are saying it is due to a family emergency.
The news outlet reports Pogačar will not be at the team’s recon ride tomorrow but is, for now, still going to race on Sunday.
Transcontinental Race offers three bursary spots to support riders from lower income households
This year’s Transcontinental Race will be the first edition since 2020, when the race (and bursary) were shelved during the pandemic. Now, with the race making a glorious return this summer, it is back on the table, and will offer three riders the chance to enter for free and have certain costs covered during the race.
In memory of Transcontinental Race founder Mike Hall, the bursary “reflects Mike’s commitment to equality and Lost Dot’s ambition to lead on improving diversity, equality and inclusion”.
Three recipients will each recive free entry to the race, which starts in Geraardsbergen in Belgium, on 24 July. They will also have their costs (€1,500) covered: for travel to and from the race, accomodation and all food during the event.
“The values of inclusivity, equality and respect underpin all our work, as well as courage: be that the courage to take on the challenge of one of our races, or the courage to stand up for what we believe in,” race coordinator David Ayre said.
“We’re really excited to have Hashim, Becky and Amrei ride with us this year. Opening up the race to people who are passionate about cycling but who, in the past, have been unable to compete due to the cost is really important to us. The bursary is an important part of us nurturing Mike Hall’s legacy, ensuring that you do not need deep pockets when you have passion, determination and man’s greatest invention at your disposal.”
"I wish life would smile on me for one day": Emotional Thibaut Pinot in tears during post-stage interview
Visibly upset Pinot speaking to L’Equipe TV, says he really wanted a win today to put his long run of bad luck behind him pic.twitter.com/r2Scgx6qDD
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) April 21, 2022
Thibaut Pinot had to walk away from the post-stage interview for a second to compose himself after his late heartbreak on the fourth stage of Tour of the Alps. “It pisses me off,” he said. “It pisses me off because it would have been good for me after the last two years I’ve been through. At my normal level, nobody would have caught up with me there, that’s what’s frustrating. I wish life would smile on me for one day but I have to be patient.
“It would have done me good to win today. I could have turned that shitty page and moved on to something else. It was another good chance to win and there aren’t many as a pro. We’ll see, we’ll see if it can happen tomorrow and in the coming weeks.”
Someone please just let that man win another bike race, please…
End the day with another marvellous meme
“After a 4mile MTB ride I left my Garmin running in the van, took 82 KOMs and nobody has flagged the ride on @Strava yet!” pic.twitter.com/ewvcuamkfg
— KOM Hunt TV (@KomHunt) April 21, 2022
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21 April 2022, 08:00
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Latest Comments
@Rendel Harris you've painted a rather alluring picture of social harmony there, but unfortunately you've got my name wrong. I'm Jack, not Nigel. However, to return the compliment, I must think of a story for you. I imagine you sat outside a pub, real ale and pipe propped on the adjacent table, in a similar fashion to Nigel Farage at his populist best. You turn to your wife. "You know what dear? I think I've been a bit harsh in my time. I've shunned the politeness and wisdom of others for too long and want to change my ways.* "There there Rendel", says Mrs Harris. "You're not a bad old stick, it's just living in London that's emptied your soul of kindness and compassion. I've found a lovely new place where we can settle down in our later years. It's on a leafy cul de sac, surrounded by friendly neighbours and smiling faces. There's a guy a couple of doors down, a remarkable man. As well as his towering intellect and rapier wit, he's also a keen cyclist, holding severa local KOMs. Don't be perturbed dear - he'll ride with anyone provided they show other road users the kindness and courtesy they deserve." Rendel turned emotionally, voice shaking. "Oh my dear, thank you for this second chance", and with that the rest of the pub goers turned and applauded the couple, throwing garlands of petals in their wake. The end.
As a Councillor, Edward needs to be paying some attention to all that parking obstructing visibility and manoeuvres at the junction, and sorting out those radii.
Ed Hill was chucked out by Reform in 2025, though TBF to him it was about how to run it rather than ideology I think. He is now reportedly closer to Advance UK, which is distinctly more extreme than Reform. I'd call this Alan Amos style attention seeking.
Emily, thank you for such an insightful piece. I’m a man, but I enjoy watching the women’s races, possibly more than the men’s. The racing is so much closer, we rarely know who’s going to win. You painted a wonderful picture of how a true champion is able to ‘rise above’ setbacks and distractions, and focus their energy on the task in hand. ‘All’s fair in live and war -and sport, but always good to hear riders expressing their admiration for their competitors
@Nigel Garage ...and then everyone applauded my courtesy and I waved courteously to all the people who were courteously throwing flowers and cheering and courteously waving flags that said "Nigel is the best!"
The picture from street view clearly shows give way lines from the roads to the green painted cycle/pedestrian lane. The road user should give way (or must...) to the user of the green lane. This would of course apply to any cyclist on the roadway.
If I recall there is a cave or two along the route - perhaps they were sheltering from the heat in one of those having taken it for a Golf bunker?
“So if there’s a cyclist travelling down the cycle path at the moment, from this position I can’t see them because my blind spots are too big on the left hand side of the vehicle”, claims Hill. Well, there's your problem, right there...🙄
First impression from the headline that he's likely a twit. Then the detail he was expelled from Reform makes you suspect that failing even their low bar requirements he really is. Then he clearly explains his vehicle is unsafe for the highway because he can't see to give way when turning. Any collision he now has should have that video run out explaining he drove a vehicle he knew to be unsafe. Advice for motorists; instead of thinking that pedestrians and cyclists are low risk 100kg objects, imagine them as a 300 Tonne trains that will crush you and your vehicle if you cross into their paths. You'd give way to the train, so you equally can to the others.
I've had a brief look on Facebook, and Ed Hill (who now appears to be affiliated with Advance UK) seems to have taken some useful road safety improvements under his remit, including an initiative to help local pedestrians on unpaved roads, where the wider council won't help due to planning failures. Regarding the cycle path, I think this is linked to a wider misunderstanding about giving way at junctions and I'm afraid I cannot agree with Mr Hill's conclusion. Regardless of the suitability of the cycle path, vehicles should give way at the junction to both pedestrians crossing and cyclists. It seems to be a poorly understood rule among motorists where some believe they have priority at junctions like this, where they certainly do not. I once had a similar issue myself, while leisurely walking to Waitrose to buy some lunchtime fripperies. A driver beeped their horn as I crossed the junction, despite me having priority, and was shocked and apologetic when I explained I had priority. A polite conversation later, the driver departed, educated and updated on the rules of the road.
22 thoughts on “£100 to rent a bike hangar…but £30 to park your car?; Could Pogačar miss Liège?; Oleg Tinkov lambasts Russian “massacre”; Roubaix behind the scenes; Cargobikes for Ukraine; No room for infra?; Changes to deadly junction + more on the live blog”
Secondhand bikes and city
Secondhand bikes and city traffic: the joy and grit of an African cycle race
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/21/secondhand-bikes-and-city-traffic-the-joy-and-grit-of-an-african-cycle-race
Thanks for that, great read
Thanks for that, great read and photographs.
Cyclists should pay for the
Cyclists should pay for the hangers as they damage them so much with their road rage and frustration at hold ups.
On the piece about
On the piece about infrastructure, I’ve just spent 3 days cycling in Holland. I knew the infrastructure in Holland was good, just not that good! The Dutch have managed to create fully integrated transport solutions where cars/bikes/pedestrians can co-exist in harmony on existing road systems or on dedicated cycle paths. Not only that but there were next to zero potholes or badly filled trenches by so-called ‘reinstatement companies’.
What will it take in the UK to put this in as not one of our mainstream political parties, national or local, would even want to consider making the first steps?
Recarobob wrote:
An invasion? #gekoloniseerd
Glad you had the chance. I
Glad you had the chance. I passed through the Netherlands once – ages ago – and didn’t really appreciate the difference because “stuff just worked” and I wasn’t paying attention. Subsequent trips – I got it. It’s hard to believe things can be different and you don’t notice what is “usual” to you. So people in the UK don’t understand how things could be different or what our problems are. We don’t see the cars everywhere, we think cities are inherently loud places, we assume we need a vehicle to carry anything or get more than half a mile. Equally many of the Dutch couldn’t give a particularly useful account of what’s important about their system – it’s just how it is.
A good account of this effect here: https://robertweetman.wordpress.com/2017/10/12/what-nobody-told-me-1/
There are a couple of key differences – call them “cultural” / “historical”:
– The modal share of cycling fell drastically in The Netherlands in the 20th century, same as everywhere else. However it didn’t fall as low as most places. Cycling remained a mode of transport.
– I believe non-car transport / public transport has remained important in The Netherlands. Compare the UK where we ditched a lot of that in favour of roads and cars and deregulated public transport.
– I believe there are crucial organisational differences in planning / road building and maintenance. Much more controlled and coordinated. The UK’s essentially the wild west by comparison – lots of “patch it better” and letting private industry dig it up piecemeal whenever.
“Please supply a photograph
“Please supply a photograph of someone who looks like a Russian oligarch and/or a Bond villain” 😉
I too am interested in how
I too am interested in how you distinguish a stereotypical russian oligarch from a pirate or Bond villain.
Tinkov looks like he’s saying
Tinkov looks like he’s saying either “Kill. Him.” or “One million dollars!” 😀
brooksby wrote:
Pleased to introduce you to Jim Leningradnovigrod – totally not a Russian oligarch, and soon to be the next owner of Chelsea FC.
I would be interested to see
I would be interested to see a cost for the manufacture, installation and maintenance of these bike hangers? A Single Stainless Steel “Sheffield Cycle Stand” by Marshalls is available on line for £172.04 (inc.VAT). So if these hangers need 5 of these then there is £860 to start with, then the fabrication of cover plus instalation of the whole thing. I bet there isnt much change from £2000. So at £100 a year it takes 20 years for the council to recover the outlay, assuming of course these hangers last 20 years and no maintenance is required? That, in my opinion, makes £100 a very cheap price to pay?
Cost of a hangar looks to be
Cost of a hangar looks to be ~£2.5k. Don’t know about installation and maintenance.
However, your maths appears to be leaving out that there are typically 6 spaces per hangar, so at £107 per space that’s nearly £650/yr. For the average of £58 per space it’s nearly £350/yr.
In any case, though, that’s all missing the point that we don’t insist that car parking permit fees cover the cost of provision, so why would we insist that cycle parking ones do, instead of making the fees reflect the relative public desirability of the different modes of transport?
Older and sadder wrote:
Pisspoor troll maths there, there are six spaces in a bike hangar costing £100 each, so the outlay you suggest would be recovered in under four years. Actually cycle hangars cost closer to £3k (they don’t use Sheffield stands) but it would still take a quarter of the time you suggest to recoup the outlay. You could have discovered this on Google in less time than it took you to post the nonsense above.
But that is not the whole of
But that is not the whole of the balance sheet. The indirect gains from more cycling, less motoring include less strain on the NHS, less pollution, reduced carbon emissions, less congestion, reduced wear and tear on the highways network, reduced demand for more and more roads.
£100 a year is very cheap for the benefits it brings. It shouldn’t be the cyclists paying for it.
Shoddy maths aside – do they
Shoddy maths aside – do they then become free after X years then?
Equally, is the cost of parking your motor linked to the cost of laying & maintaining the road in the same way? If not I suggest the council ramps prices up immediately – pot hole problems solved.
Perhaps more the signage,
Perhaps more the signage, redoing line marking, admin costs of the scheme and costs of paying a ceo to check who is parking.
Doubt you would need a ceo to check a hangar for a rogue bike, so focusing on the initial outlay is misleading. What FTE of a ceo will 3k to 4k get you ?
hangars cost around 3.5K to
hangars cost around 3.5K to purchase and install. There are other costs: Traffic Management Orders have to be published and consulted on and road amendments are often necessary (yellow lines need to be removed, kerbs dropped, bollards installed etc) so the total cost is usually around 5K. There is also ongoing damage / vandalism costs to consider. As far as I understand, Islington manage their hangars and therefore probably charge to cover their costs (installation, cleaning, damage, someone to manage the bookings and keys etc) Otherwise the hangars are managed by the contractors and the hire fee does not go to the Local Authority.
T. Rex – Segafredo, surely?
T. Rex – Segafredo, surely?
Velo-ciraptor?
Velo-ciraptor?
Quote:
Where to start with that…?
yeah i read that a few times
yeah i read that a few times in puzzlement. also what’s that top tier memeing thing about? i’m not on twitter so can’t see the tweet.
It’s been amended now,
It’s been amended now, although I don’t think it’s quite right – I believe what it was trying to say is that it’s the first edition since 2019, and that this edition should have taken place in 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic.
The meme thing is that Marine le Pen apparently held up a print-out of one of her tweets in the debate last night to try to make a point, and people have been replacing it with all kinds of other things – in this case a message telling johnny-come-lately nations to stop interfering with cycling because it belongs to the French, Dutch, Belgians, etc.