“This needs an exorcist, not a mechanic”: You’ll never train indoors without a towel again; Every bike rack has its thorn: Lidl cycle parking filled with plants; How to take Sa Calobra’s KOM; Alaphilippe’s “race against time” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Every bike rack has its thorn: Lidl cycle parking filled with... plants for sale
Oh dear @LidlGB in #Hornchurch #Havering #London
Only a few weeks ago I was saying how pleased I was, by you providing adequate #cycle parking provision – front of store, plenty of room.
And today I see this!
A huge backwards step.#Cycling #LondonCycling #CycleParking #Lidl pic.twitter.com/q7HRfHi4pB— ☮️ Matt Hill 🇪🇺 🚴 🏳️🌈 (@Matt_Hill_UK) May 2, 2022
Sad to see the great legendary retail establishment that is Lidl — with its magical middle aisle, bakery happy hour, and reasonable price tags — being brought down by something so simple as perhaps not sticking all those plants for sale in the exact spot designated for those on bikes to park.
I’ll forgive you, largely due to your weekly impact on my bank balance, but also as they got on it quickly…online, at least…
It’s great when a company replies like this and doesn’t try to shift issues to DM! Well played @LidlGB
— Irene (@ahsurewell) May 2, 2022
We’ll see if it’s still there this time tomorrow…
Another reply, featuring some language a bit full on for easing back into life post-bank holiday, shared a similar snap from another Lidl store, while someone else speculated the cycle rack roses were probably in breach of the planning consent.
I hate to say people are stupid, but where is the common sense… it’s things like this, do people not stop and go “huh, no”? pic.twitter.com/pDCj0iB1IR
— Thomas O. Cornwallis (@UrbanistTOC) May 2, 2022
Behind the scenes of Ed Laverack's Sa Calobra KOM
(Long) weekend round-up: Queenie's closure; Sticky bottle; Aluminium frames; Puncture fixes; Highway Code prompts video submission rise; Reviews + more
Sadly the bank holiday is over…but at least we get another four-day one at the start of June. Thanks for that, Queenie…
Your Royal Highness’s platinum party has caused problems for some cyclists in London, however, with six-week road closures on a key cycleway not going down too well…
Elsewhere on the site this weekend, we brought you an opinion piece from Steve Thomas about aluminium frames being the work of the devil. Play nicely in the comments…
Other stuff you might have missed:
> Psst… 23 puncture-fixing hacks to get you out of trouble – for tubeless too
> Sticky everything: footage of Spanish pro hitching a lift from team car on climb goes viral
Feeling déjà vu this morning?
At least they responded to the tweet in a suitable way unlike the likes of Amazon & Bus Eireann
— Eoin M O’Neachtain 5G (@MacL0ve) May 3, 2022
It seems Lidl isn’t the only one…
Had the same issue with @BandQ last week but after contacting the shop they moved the plants. Maybe @LidlGB would do the same if they realised?
— L to the G 💙 (@magicbeanz1986) May 3, 2022
In fairness, Lidl responded quickly, making us assume there’ll be some sort of progress on this front.
@Morrisons in Belper does this all the time! Really annoying
— Nat Ⓥ (@ntzm_) May 3, 2022
Owd Big ‘ead reported similar issues at Aldi: “My local Aldi does exactly the same and never does anything to help myself or other cyclists regardless of how politely you ask. Their loss, they don’t get my business anymore.”
eburtthebike added: “I’m waiting with bated breath for the opening of the new Lidl in Lydney, and whether it has decent cycle parking, unlike the Co-op and Tesco.
“Whatever, it’s got to be better than the Sainsburys in Filton which had a rack that would block the emergency exit if you locked your bike to it, which I reported three times but had to get the Fire Brigade involved before the management did anything. In an act of spite, they moved the cycle parking to as far away from the entrance as possible, so good on Lidl management for actually listening.”
Supermarket bike parking is becoming a genre of its own…
If Carlsberg did team announcements...
— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) May 3, 2022
Julian Alaphilippe faces "race against time" to make Tour de France, admits Patrick Lefevere
World champion Julian Alaphilippe faces a challenge to return to fitness in time for the Tour de France, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team boss Patrick Lefevere has said. The 29-year-old suffered a collapsed lung and multiple fractures in a crash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Writing in Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Lefevere said there is a “big question” about whether the team’s leader, who has won stages and worn the yellow jersey in each of the last three editions of the Tour, will be on the startline in Copenhagen.
“The Tour starts on Friday 1 July, a week earlier than usual. That is of course not an advantage,” Lefevere said.
“If, in the most favourable case, he is back on his bike in mid-May, he still has six weeks. Julian has to recover from a collapsed lung, a broken shoulder blade and two broken ribs, which have also been displaced. He’s not allowed to move for three weeks, which is agony for him.
“A Tour with or without Alaphilippe makes a big difference, commercially and sportingly. What we are definitely not going to do is use Remco Evenepoel as a stand-in.”
What odds a certain Manx sprinter could get a post-Giro call up?
Zéfal issues voluntary recall of Little Z children's bottles
Zéfal has put out a voluntary recall of its Little Z children’s bottles after some were found to not always meet safety standards. BikeBiz reports the brand released a statement explaining how tests showed that in “rare cases the push-pull valve may detach too easily.
There is a choking hazard in case the push-pull valve would detach while drinking. However, to date, we are not aware of any incidents or detaching valves. Nevertheless, since the affected bottles were specifically designed for children, out of an abundance of caution we have decided to voluntarily undertake a recall of the affected bottles.
Monday mood...
as long as it’s not that article about those bloody L-shaped cranks again…
— Rich Wood (@bigrichwood) May 3, 2022
That reminds us…be sure to check out our feature on the crazy idea that just won’t die…ironically, a description which perfectly summarises both the cranks…and our feature…
Get it framed and in a museum
Sheffield city centre cycling provision in a photo. Castlegate. pic.twitter.com/pukYIOuPGE
— Button (@sheffbicycle) May 3, 2022
Van on the pavement, a bike rack looking like it’s taken a beating, business open as usual…
"This needs an exorcist, not a mechanic": You'll never train indoors without a towel again
Qualified bike mechanics should make $1,000 an hour. pic.twitter.com/QZFjPYoWQ3
— Stevil Kinevil (@StevilKinevil) April 29, 2022
Warning: if you do stuff like this and then expect a mechanic to sort it out, your local bike shop WILL hate you…
It’s as good an advert as any for making sure you use a towel when training indoors. You could stick this on turbo trainer boxes à la cigarette packaging to pretty good effect. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet been able to track this hideous handlebar down to source (we’d love all the grizzly details on how many unprotected Zwift miles it takes) but apparently it came from a mechanics’ forum where, presumably, everyone moans about how much they hate their job…
Either way, the sweat corroded handlebars found their way to Twitter (as all disgusting things do) where it was shared with the apt caption: “Qualified bike mechanics should make $1,000 an hour”.
At least the replies were fun…
That needs an exorcist, not a mechanic.
— Jacques Le Singe (@John_the_Monkey) April 29, 2022
Pretty fancy bike considering it was pulled out of the grand ballroom of the titanic
— MadRushOutwars (@lobsterpants) April 30, 2022
Incredibly, it wasn’t even the most grim job to come from this…
Hold on a second… So actual urine was stored in the frame? If yes, I have a number of additional questions.
— Stevil Kinevil (@StevilKinevil) April 29, 2022
Yep. Claimed to be an Ironman, pisses while on his bike during training/races and never washed the bike.
— @hostilebear (@hostilebear) April 29, 2022
Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t say it…
That’s taking the piss…
Komoot maps the Giro d'Italia
Komoot is the Giro d’Italia’s latest partner, and will offer fans routable stage maps and comprehensive guides to cycling in each region the 2022 race passes through. The 105th edition of the Giro d’Italia starts in Budapest on Friday, and finishes in Verona on May 29th.
The stage routes will allow fans to see what’s on the menu each day, or download them for your own Giro-inspired cycling holiday. In addition to the pro routes, Komoot has over 30 hand-curated routes aimed at giving riders a more leisurely, cultural experience during their trip.
“Our collaboration with the Giro d’Italia perfectly supports our mission to make outdoor adventures accessible to all,” Komoot CEO Markus Hallerman said. “We invest a lot of energy into enhancing our community’s cycling experiences and now, spectators of the Giro will be presented with routes to make their Giro experience even more meaningful. We are honoured and excited to be part of such a historical fixture on the professional cycling world stage.”
Olympic silver medallist Azizulhasni Awang undergoes open heart surgery
Aku bersyukur dengan segala nikmat dan ujian dari Mu Ya Allah 🤲
“Apakah manusia itu mengira bahwa mereka akan dibiarkan mengatakan, “Kami telah beriman”, sedang mereka tidak diuji lagi? Dan sesungguhnya Kami telah menguji orang-orang sebelum mereka” (29:2) pic.twitter.com/xOSvdJJwbC
— Azizulhasni Awang (@AzizulAWANG) May 1, 2022
Malaysian track cyclist Azizulhasni Awang, who won Keirin silver at last summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games, has undergone open heart surgery in Australia. The 34-year-old won bronze in Rio in 2016 before last year’s silver, but began feeling chest pain in February.
Having been referred to a cardiologist, Awang was operated on last month, news he revealed in a post on social media. “This heart condition is very rare and the specialist in Australia had advised him to undergo corrective heart surgery as otherwise, the risk of cardiac arrest was very high,” National Sports Institute chief executive officer Ahmad Faedzal Ramli said.
3 May 2022, 08:03
3 May 2022, 08:03
3 May 2022, 08:03
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“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.
"A cycle lane that traverses the entrance to a side road in Exeter should be changed so that “cyclists give way to vehicles”, according to an independent county councillor" Newsflash: Bicycles are vehicles. Now what?
Bland and overcooked spaghetti
@mdavidford That would seem likely.
@StuInNorway Presumably they pulled out from the parking on the other side without paying any attention to the oncoming traffic / police car.
@StuInNorway photos taken a week apart. Ragebait. ;-)
@Rendel Harris If there were two people assigned to it full-time, (with a break for Christmas) then in accounting terms that might be considered four months...
@Nigel Garage Not very good adding up for an accountant, Nigel. The police received the formal complaint on November 18th, 2024, and closed the case after calling the journalist in "early February" 2025. So essentially two-and-a-half months tops, with the Christmas period in the middle. The police deal with investigations as a matter of priority, a complaint of harassment from an academic about a journalist would be well down the list. It's more than likely that the complaint was received and logged and put in an in tray, once someone got round to dealing with it they called the journalist to offer right of reply and then closed the case. Or do you think they spent "four months" (a temporal impossibility) carrying out extensive investigations into the case without ever calling the accused? Try applying common sense instead of your prejudices.
28 thoughts on ““This needs an exorcist, not a mechanic”: You’ll never train indoors without a towel again; Every bike rack has its thorn: Lidl cycle parking filled with plants; How to take Sa Calobra’s KOM; Alaphilippe’s “race against time” + more on the live blog”
I’m waiting with bated breath
I’m waiting with bated breath for the opening of the new Lidl in Lydney, and whether it has decent cycle parking, unlike the Co-op and Tesco.
Whatever, it’s got to be better than the Sainsburys in Filton which had a rack that would block the emergency exit if you locked your bike to it, which I reported three times but had to get the Fire Brigade involved before the management did anything. In an act of spite, they moved the cycle parking to as far away from the entrance as possible, so good on Lidl management for actually listening.
My local Asda had their bike
My local Asda had their bike racks outside the windows by the tills, but a fair distance from the entrances. They have now decided that that and a fair chunk of the disabled spaces is a good place to lock off for the builders to use for whatever expansion work they are doing this time.
My local Aldi does exactly
My local Aldi does exactly the same and never does anything to help myself or other cyclists regardless of how politely you ask.
Their loss, they don’t get my business anymore.
My local Aldi has some quite
My local Aldi has some quite reasonable bike racks out front that get a lot of use, but it’s walking distance for me.
RE: cycle parking repurposed
RE: cycle parking repurposed / general public space pinching – this is obviously larger than just bike stuff. Storing private property in public space is universal whether it’s “A – signboards”, tables and chairs or indeed people’s vehicles. Definitely need to keep pushing back against it though.
As an aside I noticed the last picture has a cargo cult “continuous footway”. This shows UK designers (also common in e.g. Edinburgh) failing to grasp the fundamental point of this piece of infra. That’s the “continuous” bit. Compare the Glasgow version with one in The Netherlands (pinched from Cycling Embassy of GB and flipped). The Dutch version – there is no change in the cycle path / footway. No sweeping turn-in for cars, no bollards, no “no parking” markers, no change in the pavers – because this is the footway / cycleway. It’s not “still a space for drivers but we’re reminding them to be careful”. (NL version also features a ramp and single lane on the far side, can’t tell if the Glasgow version has that).
I posted a pic on friday of
I posted a pic on friday of an overtake on an nsl where it was a close pass and on a blind bend and the driver was on collision course with an m/c. Got this back today from essex police:
“this matter will be dealt with by issuing the registered keeper of the vehicle with a Driving Advice Letter explaining that the driving behaviour shown by the driver at the time fell below that expected of a careful and competent driver.”
CPS Careless driving – “The offence of driving without due care and attention (careless driving) under section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 is committed when the defendant’s driving falls below the standard expected of a competent and careful driver – section 3ZA(2) of the RTA 1988.”
Essex police are going for vision zero for KSIs but how will they do this if drivers can get away with such poor driving ?
Courts are busy at the moment
Courts are busy at the moment. I think there is immense pressure for police to dispose of complaints of careless driving as quickly as possible with the minimal of effort. What used to be a nearly impossible task to get justice, has got significantly harder.
Just got this one back as NFA
Just got this one back as NFA.
Closing speed 50 mph, double close pass. Fairly obvious that we were all going to converge or as near as to be an issue to at least one cyclist and part issue to the other. (driver is just over the centre line, cyclist far right is close to the road edge)
Such poor planning, observation, hazard perception should at least warrant a letter.
At least he got the finger of
At least he got the finger of justice!
Ha-ha !
Ha-ha !
I couldn’t think of anything else to do to try and dissuade them. If they come from behind, I have had a few successes with an arm out at 45 deg and palm facing them to indicate “don’t try and overtake”.
Worse than that happens
Worse than that happens multiple times every single ride in Surrey sadly. Happens everywhere. I’m in Mallorca and today a driver had to veer off the road while braking hard because a van driver overtook cyclists on the wrong side of the road heading into a very sharp bend.
Essex police are going for
Essex police are going for vision zero for KSIs but how will they do this if drivers can get away with such poor driving ?
Well, this is almost down to Lancashire standards of policing, except LC have gone for the completely worthless refusal to respond to anything instead of EC’s almost completely worthless warning letter which everyone knows will have no effect at all
hirsute wrote:
I feel like Essex Police have really taken a step backwards lately. Incidents that in the past would easily have been an fpn/driving course are now warning letters. Makes a complete mockery of their vision zero plan.
Doesn’t look good in many
Doesn’t look good in many places – Nottingham too. Maybe wtjs would recognise this “standard”?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-61307006
How does she have the nerve
How does she have the nerve not to resign. Oh she’s a Tory…leadership is in short supply.
IanMK wrote:
Not only leadership; morals, ethics, empathy, compassion, honesty, integrity etc, etc.
Norfolk police ran a close
Norfolk police ran a close pass operation at the weekend in Wymondham, 19 drivers were stopped and re-educated. Which is alot considering Wymondham isnt that big a place.
https://www.norfolk.police.uk/news/latest-news/operation-close-pass
Re-educated, eh?
Re-educated, eh?
Id expect it to be more like
Id expect it to be more like this
That corroded handlebar…
That corroded handlebar… Wow
Wow indeed!
Wow indeed!
“we’d love all the grizzly details on how many unprotected Zwift miles it takes”
Unless they’re suggesting the damage was caused by a bear, that’s “grisly”.
We want the bear facts
We want the bear facts
Police and crime commissioner
Police and crime commissioner (married to MP) done for speeding 5 times in 12 weeks. Twice outside a primary school.
Guess the party…
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/may/03/nottinghamshire-police-and-chief-caught-speeding-five-times-in-12-weeks
5x 3pts is 15 I reckon and a
5x 3pts is 15 I reckon and a lengthy ban. Will the exceptional hardship card be played I wonder?
HoarseMann wrote:
Of course it will! It would be depriving her constituents of her expertise and dedication in preventing crime if she were to lose her licence; and prevent her from continuing her clearly habitual criminal behaviour.
Just your average, entitled,
Just your average, entitled, precious, hypocritical tory, who should resign, but since the last person with morals in that party died in 2009, it ain’t likely.
Reminds me of the woman caught speeding in Bristol some years ago, and in her defence she said she was rushing to help her daughter with her sick child, entirely missing the point that she was endangering all the other children with her reckless, inconsiderate, selfish behaviour. I’m not sure, but she might have been a tory.
ktache wrote:
As you’ve posted it and it’s in the Guardian we don’t need to.
Unfortunately it’s common for
Unfortunately it’s common for cycles racks to be blocked , repurposed or non existent at many supermarkets,DIY stores,Halfords etc. Hitchin Asda does not have any racks at all! Stevenage Halfords often blocks the racks with trailers or roof boxes etc. (Quite common!)