“If cyclists have an accident what exactly do they lose?”: Anti-cycling bingo full house; Daily Record says cyclists could be fined “for riding next to cars on roads”; Tour Femmes pro taken out by own team car; Leo Hayter to Ineos? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“If cyclists have an accident what exactly do they lose?”: Textbook anti-cycling bingo full house in local paper
Ah, the letters section of local newspapers – a platform for residents and readers to engage with and debate, in a studied, forensic manner, the great political, socio-economic, and philosophical questions of the day.
Or maybe they’re just used to regurgitate the same old worn-out tropes about cyclists. Yeah, maybe that’s it.
This morning’s ‘Letters to the Argus’, Brighton and Hove’s local news outlet (famous, of course, for including a massive portrait of Adolf Hitler on a front page story about cycle lanes in April), featured a potential all-time classic of the anti-cycling bingo genre.
So, eyes down, cards at the ready – Christine from Brighton, take it away:
“Most people, especially drivers, know that cyclists do have a law of their own,” she begins, getting us all off to a good start.
“They don’t have insurance, pay road fund licence nor do they seem to know that the Highway Code exists.”
Line!
“Two weeks ago I was early for my dental appointment at Fiveways, Ditchling Road. As it was such a hot day I sat at the bus stop until my appointment was due.
“I counted seven cyclists ride through the lights. Six of them were completely dressed in black and were riding black cycles. Very hard to see, especially in poor light or at night.”
Which one was it, Christine, poor light or night?
“Two of them were riding side by side having a chat.”
The scoundrels…
“Cyclist number seven was the only one dressed in high visibility clothing and was easy to see. However, he rode straight through the red light and shot past me at some considerable speed.”
My card’s filling up nicely now.
> ‘Crass and insensitive’ front page slammed after ‘Adolf Hitler’ signs bike lane petition
“According to the new edition of the Highway Code, we, the car drivers, are supposed to give cyclists all sorts of consideration when we are driving.
“We have to have road fund licence, insurance and MOT.
“If we have an accident we could lose our licence. If the cyclists have an accident what exactly do they lose?”
Yes, Christine, if a cyclist is hit by a two tonne metal box at speed, what could they possibly lose?
She concludes: “They use the roads, so they should abide by all the rules and regulations laid out for car drivers.”
Full house!
Bonus points also go to the Argus’ sub for captioning the image used above the letter with the profound “Drivers can lose their licence after an accident”.
Anti-cycling bingo? Completed it, mate.
Private Eye does cycle lanes
Cyclists could be fined £2,500 “for riding next to cars on roads”, claims Daily Record’s baffling Highway Code headline
For the last segment of this morning’s newspaper roundup (I promise), we head to Scotland, where the Daily Record has published an article on this year’s revisions to the Highway Code and how they affect cyclists.
Where have they been the last six months?
Anyway, the bulk of the article, a regurgitation of an old Express piece, simply lists the rules around cycling – from decades-old laws concerning ‘dangerous’ and ‘careless’ cycling to the need to stop at traffic lights and have working lights while riding at night.
The writer also points out that the Highway Code tells us that cyclists “can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less experienced riders”. Fair enough, I suppose.
But, when scrolling through my Google news feed, it was the headline that grabbed my attention.
“Cyclists could be fined £2,500 for riding next to cars on roads in Highway Code rule,” it read.
Huh?
For a brief moment, I thought that the Highway Code ‘whataboutery’ merchants had finally had their way – ‘If you come within 1.5 metres of my wing mirror, that’s a grand!’
Things get even more confusing when you spot the site’s trending stories list. “Cyclists fined for riding next to cars,” the shortened headline reads.
The article’s introduction is just as baffling.
“It’s not just motorists who have to stick to the Highway Code while on the roads – cyclists also have to stick by the rules,” the author diligently points out.
“While cycling can be a great way to get fit, it sometimes involves road riding which means that riders must abide by the Highway Code.
“A number of laws recently came into place to keep cyclists safe, however they are also to protect the drivers around them.”
While a cursory glance at the article itself reveals the rather bland truth, the 21st century tendency to only read headlines – and then spout off in the comments – reared its ill-informed head.
“If this is true, it’s not before time,” typed one avid Daily Record reader.
One user, thankfully, summed the whole thing up rather concisely: “The daftest clickbait headline I’ve ever seen.”
Bottle duty for Bottas
During yesterday’s frenetic stage of the Tour de France Femmes, Canyon-SRAM’s Tiffany Cromwell enlisted her partner Valtteri Bottas (who’s pretty handy behind a steering wheel, I’m told) to help out with a different kind of pit stop refuelling job:
Race support 🍼#VB77 #TDFF @LeTourFemmes @tiffanycromwell @WMNcycling pic.twitter.com/fCXmcCKSC9
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) July 26, 2022
If the F1 gig doesn’t work out Valtteri, I’m sure Canyon-SRAM would take you on as an apprentice soigneur…
Traffic congestion, Cycleway 3-style
Traffic congestion, London pic.twitter.com/K8IWd0gkIy
— citymobility (@citycyclists) July 26, 2022
Never seen so many cyclists at the Wellington Arch crossings. We’ll eventually take over, watch this space 😜@London_Cycling @London_Cycles#cycling pic.twitter.com/kf1Xi6mxpz
— Lauren O’Brien (@LaurenComposer) July 26, 2022
Tadej Pogačar to skip Vuelta a España
After one of the toughest Tours de France in recent memory, runner-up Tadej Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates squad has confirmed that the two-time yellow jersey winner will not line up at next month’s Vuelta a España.
While the 23-year-old had hinted at a possible Tour-Vuelta double at the start of the season, Pogačar will now focus solely on one-day races until the end of the year, starting with Saturday’s Clásica San Sebastián.
The Slovenian will then race the GP Plouay before heading to Canada for the GPs Quebec and Montreal, as part of his build-up to the road world championships in Wollongong.
After the worlds, Pogačar will end his season in Italy, where he will aim to defend his Il Lombardia title and take the third monument win of his young career.
The double Tour champion’s absence at the Vuelta, and the current doubts hanging over Primož Roglič’s defence of his title due to injury, may result in the Spanish race becoming one of the most open grand tours in history, with Giro winner Jai Hindley, Richard Carapaz and Remco Evenepoel targeting success in the final three-weeker of the season.
Main image: SW Pix/Zac Williams
And then we put the hammer down!
@CUttrupLudwig spotted last night out on a bender after her stagewin in #TDFF pic.twitter.com/6aTDBZeHyd
— Cycling Fanfiction (@Cyclingfanfict) July 27, 2022
Now that’s what I call cycling content…
Leo Hayter set for Ineos move?
After a barnstorming ride at the Baby Giro last month, during which he took two stage wins and the overall in a ruthlessly dominant display, Leo Hayter could be set to follow in the wheel tracks of older brother Ethan, who has also enjoyed a breakthrough 2022, by joining the Ineos Grenadiers as a stagiaire at the end of the season.
According to VeloNews, the younger Hayter – a winner of the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège last year – will race for Great Britain at next month’s Tour de l‘Avenir, widely regarded as one of the most important stage races for young riders, before joining up with the British World Tour outfit for the season-ending Italian one-day races.
20-year-old Leo, who currently rides for Axel Merckx’s Hagens Berman Axeon development squad, has attracted the interest of a number of top teams, including Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates, all aiming to secure the highly touted Brit for the 2023 season.
However, Hayter’s presence at a recent Ineos Grenadiers training camp in Andorra, combined with his upcoming apprenticeship, point to a likely link-up with Ethan at the British squad next year.
Party on, Jonas: Danish bike fans out in force – again – to celebrate Vingegaard’s homecoming
A huge celebration is due! Jonas Vingegaard has landed in Copenhagen and we are ready! 🇩🇰👏🏆 #letourdk #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/mQf3J2NDMt
— Grand Départ 2022 🇩🇰 (@letourdk) July 27, 2022
It hasn’t been a bad month for Danish bike racing, has it?
From a boisterous Grand Départ and a second overall Tour win courtesy of Jonas Vingegaard, to stage wins for Magnus Cort, Mads Pedersen, and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig – it’s fair to say that Denmark is currently on top of the cycling world.
And today the people of Copenhagen, having dug out their flags and yellow t-shirts, are once again out in force, lining the streets to celebrate Vingegaard’s victory and to keep the Tour party going…
He is here 💛🇩🇰#letourdk #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/msmAhYOzRo
— Grand Départ 2022 🇩🇰 (@letourdk) July 27, 2022
Jonas Vingegaard 💛🇩🇰#letourdk #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/bnXU3ZcPdj
— Grand Départ 2022 🇩🇰 (@letourdk) July 27, 2022
An iconic moment 🇩🇰
Jonas Vingegaard and his family on the balcony 👏#letourdk #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/xGfHLncb9l
— Grand Départ 2022 🇩🇰 (@letourdk) July 27, 2022
It’s gravel time!
The peloton in the first white gravel road of the day! 🍇
Le peloton dans le premier chemin blanc du jour ! 🍇#TDFF #WatchTheFemmes pic.twitter.com/p73jraOVYG
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 27, 2022
The white roads of France’s champagne country are already taking prisoners with 50 kilometres to go on today’s stage of the Tour Femmes.
Lotte Kopecky – a Strade Bianche and Ronde winner this year – is one of the riders, rather surprisingly, struggling in the dust and dirt, as Trek-Segafredo’s Ellen van Dijk sets the tempo at the front of the bunch…
Free Brompton bikes for hire in Birmingham during Commonwealth Games
With the Commonwealth Games kicking off tomorrow in Birmingham, Brompton is offering free bike hire so those attending the games can get about the city centre.
The Brompton Bike Hire lockers are situated at Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill Station, alongside Brindley Place and Birmingham Aston University.
To hire a bike, you have to download the Brompton Bike Hire app and enter the promo code B2022.
The West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme, run by Transport for West Midlands, is also offering everyone in the region two free bike rides each day during the upcoming games. The offer allows everyone to have two 30-minute rides each day for free.
Mavi García taken out by own team car
Journée catastrophique pour Mavi Garcia qui tombe après avoir touché la voiture de sa propre équipe ! L’Espagnole va perdre beaucoup de temps aujourd’hui. #TDFF pic.twitter.com/JNwOOsBac7
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) July 27, 2022
It’s been a disastrous day on the gravel for UAE Team ADQ’s Spanish champion Mavi García. Despite looking strong on the dirt roads – García has finished second at Strade Bianche after all – she has suffered the kind of bad luck which has led many fans to question the purpose of gravel or cobble sections in stage races.
García punctured twice on the rough gravel roads, and then, as she once again chased back onto the main group of favourites, she was taken out by her own team car in a freak incident, the DS clipping her back wheel and sending her to the ground.
¡JODER! ¡JODER!
Caída tremenda de 🇪🇸 Mavi García por culpa del coche de su propio equipo, el UAE
Después de dos pinchazos en el sterrato, día durísimo para la española que era candidata a todo en este Tour mostrando un gran estado de forma pic.twitter.com/9uczep1LEt
— José Manuel Amorós (@AmorosCuatro) July 27, 2022
García got back on her bike, bloodied and torn, but her hopes of overall victory at the Tour Femmes are now almost certainly lost in the dust of France’s vineyards.
Marlen Reusser solos to convincing win after chaotic day on the gravel at Tour Femmes
🎧 Hear @teamsdworx staff cheering 🇨🇭Marlen Reusser at the front of the race.
🎧 L’équipe @teamsdworx encourage 🇨🇭Marlen Reusser qui file vers la victoire !#TDFF #WatchTheFemmes pic.twitter.com/foXGFL9lx3
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 27, 2022
European time trial champion Marlen Reusser used all her expertise racing against the clock to solo to a convincing win on a day of punctures, crashes and indecision at the Tour de France Femmes.
The Swiss SD Worx rider attacked a cautious front group with around 23 kilometres to go, just before the last of the day’s much-anticipated gravel sections.
Despite a late counterattack by Veronica Ewers, Alena Amialiusik, and Évita Muzic (who, like her teammate Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig yesterday, made up for a disappointing stage two by taking second today), Reusser never looked like being caught, and crossed the line 1.24 ahead of the chasing trio and 1.40 in front of the favourites group, led home – almost inevitably – by Marianne Vos.
While Reusser was able to serenely glide across the gravel roads of France’s champagne country, others were less fortunate.
A.S.O. /Fabien Boukla
The dirt tracks through the vineyards outside the ancient finish town of Bar-Sur-Aube, while resembling the white roads of the Strade Bianche spring classic, were much less compact than their Italian cousins, and featured lots of loose gravel and large stones, kicking up a whirlwind of white, almost opaque dust as the peloton and race convoy passed.
The dusty, treacherous conditions prompted former pro Iris Slappendel, now reporting from the back of a motorbike for GCN, to describe Paris-Roubaix as a “walk in the park” in comparison.
They also took their fair share of prisoners among the GC favourites: Uttrup Ludwig punctured and was forced to swap wheels with a teammate, their car far behind in the dust; Annemiek van Vleuten clipped out after a touch of wheels on one section, and punctured on another; Kasia Niewiadoma punctured, and Elisa Longo Borghini finished the stage aboard her teammate and world champion Elisa Balsamo’s bike.
A.S.O./Thomas Maheux
Worst affected, however, was Spanish champion Mavi García, who was sitting sixth overall at the start of the day. Despite looking strong all day, the 38-year-old, a podium finisher at Strade Bianche last year, punctured not once, but twice, on the gravel roads.
On the second occasion, she quickly dropped her bike in the middle of the road in order to swap with a teammate, causing BikeExchange’s Alex Manly, who was making her way back through the convoy, to hit the stony deck.
With just over 13 kilometres to go, García proved once and for all that the cycling gods were against her, as her own UAE ADQ team car clipped her back wheel as she chased back on to the group, causing her to hit the road hard.
¡JODER! ¡JODER!
Caída tremenda de 🇪🇸 Mavi García por culpa del coche de su propio equipo, el UAE
Después de dos pinchazos en el sterrato, día durísimo para la española que era candidata a todo en este Tour mostrando un gran estado de forma pic.twitter.com/9uczep1LEt
— José Manuel Amorós (@AmorosCuatro) July 27, 2022
While García definitively lost the gravel lottery, all of the others affected by the almost inevitable bad luck of a stage like this were able to make their way back to a favourites group that appeared more than happy to tick off such a hazardous stage than race for any significant time on GC.
A.S.O./Thomas Maheux
Despite a brief attack by Niewiadoma and Vos with eighteen kilometres to go, the stage was punctuated by an overabundance of caution among the yellow jersey contenders (supported, perhaps, by the bad luck suffered by García, who was the only rider to drop out of the top ten on GC today).
The gravel offered the riders their fair share of mishaps and misfortune, but it failed to deliver – for a race that has done nothing but deliver exciting racing so far – the expected and much-anticipated drama.
Will today, rather than shaping the GC battle, simply add further weight to the argument that dangerous stages over the cobbles and gravel roads don’t belong in big stage races?
“She saw seven cyclists and not one of them was devouring a live baby or pillaging a nun? I simply don't believe her”: Readers react to Argus and Daily Record cycling takes
Following this morning’s post about the Brighton Argus reader who spent her free time before an appointment at the dentist filling in her anti-cycling bingo card, some of our regulars in the comments were a touch suspicious about Christine’s story:
Mungecrundle said: “She saw seven cyclists and not one of them was devouring a live baby or pillaging a nun? I simply don’t believe her.”
Rapha Nadal was more forensic in his analysis, pointing out that “there aren’t any bus stops in Fiveways which are so close to the traffic lights that “Christine” could’ve witnessed all that. Of the ones at the Fivways crossroads, three of them are on an incline so these casual cyclists must’ve been going some to come shooting past her (allegedly).”
wycombewheeler also had a few questions: “Luckily as it was (checks notes) “such a hot day”, they should have been very easy to see, as it was neither poor light or night
“I think the main reasons for cyclists wearing black, is it shows the dirt so much less, dirt typically resulting from tyre wear, brake dust or particulate emissions – all of which coming from motor vehicles.
“Aside from the use of language to imply the cyclists rode through the lights when they shouldn’t. Why not “I saw seven cyclists ride past”? Why the mention of the lights, which were obviously green for these six since she specifically mentions the seventh going through on red?”
“Repeated mention of “Road Fund Licence” so she’s over 60 years out of date before she starts,” said Karlt. “I bet she thinks the Road Fund is where her VED goes and it’s what all the road repairs and building come out of.”
HoarseMann said: “I do hope Christine was wearing a day-glo shellsuit. It would be terribly irresponsible not to do so; not only so she is clearly visible to drivers when crossing the road, but also so that the bus driver can clearly see her waiting at the stop.
“Perhaps now she has been to the dentist, she should consider a trip to the opticians, since she is having difficulty seeing cyclists in broad daylight.”
Clem Fandango replied: “Yes so difficult that she still saw six of the swines… Paging Erwin Schrodinger.”
Our readers were also less than impressed with the Daily Record’s frankly head scratching headline that cyclists could be fined “for riding next to cars on roads”, which – much to the confusion of those in the comments – appeared to be simply describing the act of road cycling, rather than any specific misdemeanour.
A bit like describing a bank robbery as: ‘Man arrested for entering a branch of Santander’…
“My favourite comment on the Daily Record article is the guy who claims that “cyclists don’t ever read the Highway Code” before stating that the 1.5m overtaking distance applies to filtering, thus proving that he hasn’t ever read the Highway Code,” noted BalladOfStruth.
“Possibly the most blatant of click baits,” said eburtthebike. Us or the Daily Record? On second thought, don’t answer that…
27 July 2022, 08:48
Devastating news for defending champion Fiona Kolbinger at the Transcontinental Race
Transcontinental Race: Defending champion Fiona Kolbinger has purse and tracker stolen while sleeping
German ultracyclist carries on, but her dot is missing from the live tracker for now
27 July 2022, 08:48
How Can I Help You Say Goodbye (at the end of a club run)?
The fast goodbye: why my favourite part of a group ride is the end
VecchioJo can’t wait for the ride to end...
27 July 2022, 08:48
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Latest Comments
Correct. The Guardian is not a source of scientific data. It is a newspaper that REPORTS on the findings of scientists. And scientists are almost unanimous that anthropocentric global warming is real and represents a thereat to humanity. Anyway, this article isn't from the Guardian, so I don't know why you're wanging on about it.
Have the people complaining actually tried the ChatGPT for Komoot app? It doesn't sound like it to me. Because if they had, they would have much more specific complaints about how crap it is. (I'm going to confess I'm a bit of a hypocrite - I haven't tried it myself, as I don't have a ChatGPT account (I do have a Komoot account). But plenty of examples on the internet of people trying it and getting routes that have seemingly little relationship to the prompt supplied).
“planning the race for the morning hours and avoiding the afternoons could substantially increase rider and spectator safety” but it would reduce the appeal to sponsors and TV broadcasters, who pay the bills and so are far more important than the riders and spectators. It's therefore not going to happen. Even making a last-minute switch in extreme situations probably won't work because of the amount of logistics and people involved - the TdF is SO much bigger than the Tour Down Under.
Ah, the scientific rigour of the climate-change-denying right, a blank assertion with no evidence offered coupled with an insult. Pathetic.
Or, in higher temperatures, use ice jackets and ice bundles which can be replenished from the support car.
A cooling sleeve cools you down for maybe 30 minutes and then it becomes a hassle, it also prevents heat leaving the body as an "empty" sleeve now becomes an extra layer. It does make some sense for a time, but in the long run it's just problematic to use. It's just much easier to just pour water over your body.
This kind of journalism makes me laugh. As climate change brings ecological breakdown and migration on a biblical scale and international food security puts the price of food out of most people's pockets then there isn't going to be any bike racing in the morning or any other time. Get an allotment and learn how to protect it. Good luck everyone.
I often wonder why they don't wear cooling arm sleeves and cooling hats under their helmets. At a guess it's probably something to do with 'the rules', as this is road racing. Headsweats caps and similar make a big difference to how hot you get and you avoid getting your head sunburnt through the gaps in your helmet.
It's good going to keep the Vanquish price at £485, especially if you can still get a discount through Cycling UK or British Cycling, or maybe a cashback site (I've seen 10% via Complete Savings before). Shame Halfords didn't change the cassette as road.cc suggested in their review last year though.
Plenty of distinguishing features to identify the place including "Dubai, UAE" right at the top of that Insta post. And using a mobile phone while driving is illegal in Dubai and across the UAE.
57 thoughts on ““If cyclists have an accident what exactly do they lose?”: Anti-cycling bingo full house; Daily Record says cyclists could be fined “for riding next to cars on roads”; Tour Femmes pro taken out by own team car; Leo Hayter to Ineos? + more on the live blog”
She clearly has a good
She clearly has a good observational talent, perhaps Brighton and Hove could hire Christine to do more traffic surveys whilst sitting at a bustop. She could count pedestrians on their phones or with headphones in, perhaps crossing the road with distracted children. Maybe she could count uber drivers suddenly stopping or delivery scotters swerving across the road or slowing to search for house numbers.
Is a letter writing bot able
Is a letter writing bot able to ‘sit’ at a bus stop?
Dear Christine
Dear Christine
It would be nice if all motorists also abided by “all the rules and regulations laid out for car drivers”.
Love,
brooksby
Maybe she could count the
Maybe she could count the number of drivers breaking the law too. Although that would probably require more properly functioning brain cells than she appears to have.
Possibly the most blatant of
Possibly the most blatant of click baits.
Can’t quite be a full house –
Can’t quite be a full house – no mention of lycra!
Nor Helmets!!!
Nor Helmets!!!
And just for the record….. WING MIRRORS FTW.
F*ck the side mirror fantasists!
She doesn’t mention behing
She doesn’t mention behing “held up” for ten miles by a peleton riding at 12 mph four abreast either
Wot no “Wobbling around” +
Wot no “Wobbling around” + “all over the road”? Or sudden concern for pedestrians, the emergency services not being impeded or the elderly or disabled?
Maybe she felt safer in the bus stop but surely some mention of “one nearly / could’ve killed me” too?
Indeed
Indeed
“He came whizzing past he did. On the pavement/not in the cycle lane. Whilst wobbling about and holding up seven ambulances causing their emmissions to increase and damage the climate. Nearly killed me and my (uncontrolled) dog. Could’ve had someone’s eye out he could. The lycra clad Wiggins wannabe.”
OnYerBike wrote:
I think you are all misunderstanding how bingo works. You don’t win because every possible number has been called.
That Private Eye cartoon
That Private Eye cartoon looks very familiar…
I do hope Christine was
I do hope Christine was wearing a day-glo shellsuit. It would be terribly irresponsible not to do so; not only so she is clearly visible to drivers when crossing the road, but also so that the bus driver can clearly see her waiting at the stop.
Perhaps now she has been to the dentist, she should consider a trip to the opticians, since she is having difficulty seeing cyclists in broad daylight.
Yes so difficult that she
Yes so difficult that she still saw six of the swines….
Paging Erwin Schrodinger
I’m not going to follow that
I’m not going to follow that link, Ryan, so can you confirm under what very specific and no doubt extremely rare circumstances a cyclist could be fined for riding next to a car?
None. The £2,500 refers to
None. The £2,500 refers to the maximum fine for careless cycling, the “riding next to cars” isn’t mentiond again after the headline. Though, a few of the commenters now think that the 1.5m minimum passing distance now applies to filtering cyclists, so that’s another anti-cyclist misinformation article that’s muddied the waters and made us all just that little bit less safe.
Sorry, probably could have
Sorry, probably could have made it clearer that it’s never mentioned again beyond the headline.
What the headline writer meant is that ‘Cyclists could be fined [for riding carelessly or dangerously] while riding on the roads next to cars’. The for is the misleading part.
It would be a like a headline about a bank robbery reading: ‘Man gets arrested for entering a branch of Santander’…
My favourite comment on the
My favourite comment on the Daily Record article is the guy who claims that “cyclists don’t ever read the Highway Code” before stating that the 1.5m overtaking distance applies to filtering, thus proving that he hasn’t ever read the Highway Code.
In their defence, they
In their defence, they possibly have read it. They’re probably just too thick to understand it.
I got taken out by a pug on
I got taken out by a pug on my way to work this morning (don’t worry, the little shit’s fine – I made sure I took the brunt of the damage). I’m currently sat here in my office, nursing some road rash, a very sore hip, and what I suspect to be a broken rib, whilst shopping for a new left shifter and some bar tape.
So… money. We stand to lose money.
Also, I want to retrospectively add “people walking dogs off the lead on segregated cycle paths” to the “most annoying things about cycling” discussion from a few weeks ago.
BalladOfStruth wrote:
I hope you’re getting re-imbursed from the wayward dog owner
hawkinspeter wrote:
Couldn’t see them for dust, unfortunatley.
BalladOfStruth wrote:
That’s a shame. Wishing you a quick recovery (and speedy parts delivery)
hawkinspeter wrote:
Thanks, I’ll try myself on the bike a little later. Hopefully I can avoid driving to work.
BalladOfStruth wrote:
This is why liability insurance should be compulsory for dogs
And hi vis.
And a number plate.
And little doggie helmets.
IanGlasgow wrote:
Couldn’t see them for dust, unfortunatley.
— IanGlasgow This is why liability insurance should be compulsory for dogs And hi vis. And a number plate. And little doggie helmets.— BalladOfStruth
I’m not sure that dog is old
I’m not sure that dog is old enough to ride that motorbike. If they were using an escooter though I think legal confusion should see it clear.
I’m not convinced about dogs on wheels.
chrisonatrike wrote:
Well that one is a bit ‘disco’…
brooksby wrote:
Nothing wrong with disco
Hope you recover quickly.
Hope you recover quickly.
BalladOfStruth wrote:
was it wearing hi vis?
wycombewheeler wrote:
No, the bloody thing was dressed all in black.
BalladOfStruth wrote:
Even worse – extending leads.
DailyRecord wrote:
Could road.cc please contact them and get them to correct (ASAP) the paragraph stating Highway Code Rule 71 allows drivers to go past the first ASL stop line on a red light?
Since it was published on 25th July, they are telling drivers they can do something that is both illegal and dangerous to vulnerable road users. HC Rule 71 only applies to allow cyclists to enter the box on amber or red.
Could road.cc please contact
Could road.cc please contact them and get them to correct (ASAP) the paragraph stating Highway Code Rule 71 allows drivers to go past the first ASL stop line on a red light?
The Daily Record and, presumably, the Daily Mail must be where Lancashire Constabulary Traffic gets their information about the HC and traffic law. I have a treasured email from the ultra-duffers at OpSnapLancs which is even better: they think that if a driver of a motorised vehicle has crossed the ASL when the lights change to red they’re fully entitled to carry on and cross the SL and over the junction ‘because the law mandating ‘Stop!’ only applies to cyclists in those circumstances- as shown by the cycle painted on the road’. You wonder how they manage to find people thick enough to be employed by LC Traffic
Bing is the default search
Bing is the default search engine at work, yeah, I could set it to Google but it is nice to see the awfulness of their competition, and there is always a headline of “£2500 fine for drivers if…” from the express, always the express.
Never clicked on, but every time.
Except today of course, it’s about saving 14 mpg…
ktache wrote:
Google isn’t much better, the feed on my phone is always showing articles about “Drivers risk £xxx fine for <doing some dangerous thing that could easily kill someone>”.
Repeated mention of “Road
Repeated mention of “Road Fund Licence” so she’s over 60 years out of date before she starts. I bet she thinks the Road Fund is where her VED goes and it’s what all the road repairs and building come out of.
Don’t worry, one of our own
Don’t worry, one of our own has helped out in the Argus comments:
swldxer1
27th July 9:46 am
User ID: 2375617
“Road fund” was scrapped in 1937 – roads are paid out of council tax. Also, electric car drivers pay £0 in VED.
Because I know swldxer enjoys
Because I know swldxer enjoys a bit of pedantry, the Road Fund continued to exist until 1955 – what happened in 1937 is that VED receipts ceased being hypothecated to it. It seems this was partly because, contrary to its intended purpose, the Road Fund was frequently raided for other, non-road projects. So, even when it existed, it seems it didn’t serve the purpose people now think they pay “road tax” for. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01482/
Ryan, please stop spreading
Ryan, please stop spreading mis-representation about cars! The average new car in 2020 was 1.9 tonnes, almost double what you said. And as they become increasingly hybrid/electric they are only going to get heavier. A PHEV Range Rover is nearly 3 tonnes…
Ach, my bad! Not sure why I
Ach, my bad! Not sure why I wrote one, ‘two tonne’ trips off the tongue so much easier too. Edited now, thanks. There’s a classic car show happening down the road from me at the weekend, maybe I had an old Mini in mind this morning…
“Two weeks ago I was early
“Two weeks ago I was early for my dental appointment at Fiveways, Ditchling Road. As it was such a hot day I sat at the bus stop until my appointment was due.
“I counted seven cyclists ride through the lights. Six of them were completely dressed in black and were riding black cycles. Very hard to see, especially in poor light or at night.”
Luckily as it was (checks notes) “such a hot day”, they should have been very easy to see, as it was neither poor light or night
I think the main reasons for cyclists wearing black, is it shows the dirt so much less, dirt typically resulting from tyre wear, brake dust or particulate emissions – all of which coming from motor vehicles.
Aside from the use of language to imply the cyclists rode through the lights when they shouldn’t. Why not “I saw 7 cyclists ride past”? why the mention of the lights, which were obviously green for these 6 since she specficially mentions the 7th going through on red?
Isn’t it illegal to park in a
Isn’t it illegal to park in a bus stop?
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/parking-and-travel/parking/bus-stops
wycombewheeler wrote:
I was going to ask where it mentioned that the 7th went through on red, but then I realised it must be in the original article.
She saw 7 cyclists and not
She saw 7 cyclists and not one of them was devouring a live baby or pillaging a nun? I simply don’t believe her.
Not one of the 4 cyclists of
None of them one of the 4 cyclists of the apocalypse then (thanks Norwich)?
…and of course if there are
…and of course if there are police then there ought to be punks:
Cyclists dressed completely
Cyclists dressed completely in black on a very hot day ?
Nah, made up story…
To be honest, I don’t think
To be honest, I don’t think you know many cyclists 🙂
On a very hot day at night
On a very hot day at night/poor-light
Would like to know which
Would like to know which dentist is offering appointments in those hours of the day – will come handy!
There aren’t any bus stops in
There aren’t any bus stops in Fiveways which are so close to the traffic lights that “Christine” could’ve witnessed all that. Of the ones at the Fivways crossroads, three of them are on an incline so these casual cyclists must’ve been going some to come shooting past her (allegedly).
Anyone else noticed that the
Anyone else noticed that the only cyclists that get seen are the ones in all black?
Black is the new hi-vis.
Christine, the hard-pressed
Christine, the hard-pressed and innocent motorist.
There’s also a lot of “drivers could be fined for” clickbait articles doing the rounds, like shoes, dogs or air con.
Comments closed on the naked
Comments closed on the naked tandem article. I just wanted to say “I were right about that saddle…”
Daily Record story gets
Daily Record story gets repeated:
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/cyclists-could-fined-thousands-pounds-7389017