Car Free Day: Brompton takes over filling station; Four red lights and a pedestrian: How not to cycle; Too many cars on road, Londoners say; AVV’s back; More hi-viz and lights chat as police crash into shop; Plan Vélo funding boost + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
France commits €250 million a year to boost everyday cycling numbers – but experts claim it will take €2.4 billion
Earlier this week, soon after president Emmanuel Macron returned from his ‘incognito’ trip to London, the French government announced that it was renewing its four-year “Plan Vélo” by increasing spending on everyday cycling to a quarter of a billion euros a year.
Plan Vélo was introduced in 2018 in a bid to treble the number of people in France using their bicycles for everyday journeys from three to nine percent of the population. At the time of its unveiling, the government committed to spending €350 million on cycling infrastructure over the following seven years.
Announcing this week’s funding boost, prime minister Elisabeth Borne – who was in charge of the transport portfolio when Plan Vélo was implemented – says the scheme is “an unprecedented plan” to ensure that cycling becomes “a key mode of transport” and that France becomes “a great cycling nation”.
As well as building new cycle lanes and paths, the increased funding will support cycling lessons for 800,000 school children, while a new cycling committee will be established later this year.
> French prime minister pledges to treble levels of everyday cycling by 2024
“Cycling in cities has taken off in recent years; the challenge for the coming years will be to show that cycling can also be a mode of transport in rural areas,” the prime minister said at a press conference this week.
However, as Forbes’ Carlton Reid noted yesterday, climatologist Valérie Masson-Delmotte and president of the French Federation of Bike Users (FUB) Olivier Schneider have stressed that more money – specifically something in the region of €2.4 billion – is needed if France is to massively increase cycle use.
Nevertheless, FUB has welcomed the funding boost. In a press release, the organisation said: “The state has never committed so much money to develop cycling in a single year. It’s great news because it will allow communities in rural and suburban situations to become fully involved.”
Well, at least now we know why a cool shades-sporting Macron was over in London this week – he was gleefully inspecting his rival- I mean close friend and ally’s work:
Say what you want, Macron says it as it is pic.twitter.com/s2enHyFWzq
— Jonathan Kelly (@JKBartsHeart) September 18, 2022
Four red lights and a pedestrian: How not to ride a bike
We spend a fair amount of time on road.cc pointing out examples of dodgy, careless, or downright dangerous driving (you may or may not have heard of a little feature called Near Miss of the Day)…
But since it’s Car Free Day, I thought I’d offer a semblance of balance and share this clip – filmed last night in Belfast by a Twitter user who regularly post clips of hazardous motorists – of a young person on a bike, seemingly on a mission to fulfil every ABD-concocted stereotype of cyclists in one journey:
Last evening’s shenanigans! Guy goes through 4 red lights and nearly gets hit by a car and almost hits a pedestrian! Gives us all a bad name! 😡 @NIRoadPolicing @StormontCyclist @BelfastCycle @righttobikeit @roadcc @anneramsey740 pic.twitter.com/FD1vjbbmqO
— Gazza (@garyarrell) September 22, 2022
Some fun facts: Depending on your knowledge of East Belfast, you may recognise the road in the video as the scene of the opening team time trial of the 2014 Giro d’Italia (you know, the one where Dan Martin hit the deck a bit further on). The two cyclists also pass on the left – though at Benny Hill speed – the Italian restaurant Il Pirata, inspired by 1998 Tour and Giro winner Marco Pantani’s nickname.
Come for the road safety clips, stay for the obscure pro cycling trivia…
Anyway, the red light-breaking rider has been criticised by the online cycling community, though as one local pointed out, this kind of reckless cycling is thankfully rare:
Didn’t get him very far either. Stupid and pointless.
— Stormont Cyclist (@StormontCyclist) September 22, 2022
Idiot!
— Ideaspace (@IdeaspaceNI) September 22, 2022
It’s actually very rare to see this where I cycle, thankfully.
— Cyclegranny 🚴♀️ (@anneramsey740) September 22, 2022
Heart-warming cycle images: Tahiti savour world championships experience
It’s safe to say that the team time triallists from Tahiti (try saying that after a few beers) – a squad that included a 44-year-old and a former French club racer – enjoyed their chance to race against the world’s best in Wollongong yesterday:
My fave moment from these World Championships if not one of my fave cycling moments of all time – sums up cycling and road worlds for me #Wollongong2022 #CouchPeloton pic.twitter.com/qYYKElvtul
— tourdecouch (@tourdecouch) September 21, 2022
Team Tahiti went wild when Switzerland walked passed them to the press conference. I took the photos for them on about 6 different phones 😂 pic.twitter.com/BdRb5nxMnl
— The Press Room Podcast (@jethro_nagle) September 21, 2022
Now, when you put aside all the pressure, scandals and rivalry, that’s what bike racing is all about…
Car Free Day: Brompton takes over filling station, offering a “cycling haven” and “vision for the future”
Happy World Car Free Day everyone!
To celebrate, and to allow people to reimagine their local urban environment free of fumes and constant beeping, folding bike manufacturer Brompton has commandeered an old, dilapidated petrol station, transforming it into a “cycling oasis”.
John Nguyen/PA Wire
The filling station, located between Borough Road and the Newington Causeway near Elephant and Castle, will – for 24 hours – features test ride and track facilities for both standard and electric Bromptons, a Brompton Bike Hire dock, a consultation station with ‘Possible’ (a Brompton partner inspiring climate action), as well as refreshments for the morning rush of commuters, and alcohol-free beer in the evening for those on their way home.
The repurposed space also includes artwork, parklets and green space, designed to provide an area where the local community can relax throughout the day.
John Nguyen/PA Wire
“For too long, our cities have been dominated by the most inefficient mode of transport – the private car,” says Brompton Bicycle’s CEO Will Butler-Adams.
“At Brompton, we have long sought to highlight the benefits that increased levels of cycling and walking would bring to society.
“What better way to do that, than to totally re-imagine a space formerly used as a petrol station. Our cities have changed and are continuing to change. We hope that turning a dilapidated old petrol station into a green transport hub will show people what’s possible when it comes to their own perception of what cities are for.
“We also hope that this inspires people to ask more from politicians, and expect better from our streets than the current high levels of traffic and toxic air pollution.”
Will Norman, London’s cycling and walking commissioner added: “With the realities of the impacts of climate change becoming ever clearer, it has never been more important to re-imagine how we move around our cities.
“Car Free Day gives us an opportunity to do just that, and experience streets which prioritise people over cars.
“I’m delighted to be at Brompton’s vision for the future on Car Free Day, thinking about the potential for other spaces across London to be like this.”
Heart-warming cycle images, part two: Jakobsen and Groenewegen, two years on
Just over two years since their horrific crash at the Tour of Poland – which saw Fabio Jakobsen placed in a medically induced coma with multiple shocking injuries while Dylan Groenewegen received a barrage of abuse and a nine-month racing ban for his part in the terrifying incident – the two Dutch sprinters shared this touching moment on the podium of last Friday’s Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen:
This photo reconciles anger, fear, guilt, shame and so many hidden feelings and conflicting emotions. Heals my soul.
📸 @SprintCycling captures winner Fabio Jakobsen in a lovely gesture with Dylan Groenewegen’s son in the podium of the Flanders Championship. pic.twitter.com/jM3iSbBjE0
— Laura Meseguer (@Laura_Meseguer) September 22, 2022
While both men secured redemptive sprint victories at this year’s Tour de France, Jakobsen – who suffered a fractured skull, brain contusion, broken nose, torn palate, and the loss of 10 teeth and parts of his upper and lower jaw in Poland in August 2020 – retained his somewhat frosty demeanour towards his compatriot, telling the press at the Tour that his respect for Groenewegen has “completely gone after the crash”.
Hopefully, last Friday’s experience on the podium will go a long way to healing old wounds…
Two-thirds of Londoners say there are too many cars on the road, study finds
66 percent of Londoners feel that there are too many cars in the capital, a recent survey has found.
The study, conducted by e-bike, e-scooter and e-moped provider Tier, also found that 73 percent of people living in London believe that cars are responsible for the city’s air pollution.
However, over a third of those who took part in the study reported that they feel exposed to other vehicles when riding bikes or scooters on the road, and that only 50 percent feel that cycling is “easy and efficient” in London.
To help provide vulnerable road users with safer routes around the capital, micro-mobility brand Tier have teamed up with British bike navigation firm Beeline to offer users “quieter and safer routes which utilise cycling infrastructure and quiet streets” and which will make it “easier and safer to leave the car behind”.
Georgia Yexley, Tier’s general manager for the UK and Ireland, said in a statement: “The majority of Londoners want to see fewer cars on the streets, but for many people choosing an alternative form of transport like cycling or riding a e-scooter can feel unattainable.
“Through our partnership with Beeline, our users can choose a route which avoids major roads and links up some of the fantastic cycling infrastructure already in the city.
“This Car-Free Day we would like to encourage more people to grab an e-bike or e-scooter and see how pleasant and efficient leaving the car at home can be!”
UAE Team Emirates unveil new signing
No, not Jay Vine, though apparently that one is on the cards…
BREAKING: Team UAE sign viral sensation Australian seagull until 2025, because it has proven how to successfully attack a dutch team at a major cycling event. pic.twitter.com/DQ3IqKtSa2
— Clément Shampoossin (@killow_) September 22, 2022
Quick, someone fetch Mathieu a walking stick!
🇳🇱 Mathieu van der Poel
🗣️ “I’m getting older day by day. The chance I’ll conquer the rainbow jersey gets smaller every year.”#Wollongong2022
— Domestique (@Domestique___) September 22, 2022
Just to clarify folks, he’s 27.
27…
One day after crashing and breaking her elbow… Annemiek van Vleuten is back on her bike. Can she still win the rainbow jersey?
This year’s Tour-Giro-Vuelta winner Annemiek van Vleuten is famed for her ability to swiftly come back from adversary and return to the top of the sport after some devastating setbacks (see her response to her horrific crash at the 2016 Rio Olympics, or her dominance this year after breaking her pelvis at Paris-Roubaix last autumn).
But surely not even the super-resilient AVV can recover quick enough from a fractured elbow and wrist sustained in a spectacular crash at the start of yesterday’s team time trial event – which, it now appears, was the fault of a slipped chain – to stand a chance of taking the rainbow jersey in Wollongong on Saturday…
Niet op de rollen
Wel op de weg
Annemiek fietste donderdag alweer twee uurtjes, met breukje in elleboog pic.twitter.com/oEC9gAT9Cp— Ann Braeckman (@BraeckmanAnn) September 22, 2022
Or can she? After 40 miles in the saddle this morning, documented on Strava and Instagram, the Dutch superstar herself is certainly ruling nothing out, but says she will be “responsible” when it comes to making the final decision.
“It’s quite a huge disappointment as I prepared really well for this. I went to altitude after the Tour and that was all for this,” Van Vleuten told Cyclingnews today.
“Not awesome but it could have been worse. After the crash yesterday, I am quite lucky.
“On the bike, surprisingly it was possible, but I could not get out of the saddle. My broken wrist is the thing that is most bothering me and prevents me from standing up and putting pressure on the bars with my arms. I am super disappointed because of this.
“I did not crash because the tyre exploded, it was the chain slip or something. I found out when I rewatched the video what happened. It’s super unfortunate. I was making jokes that when I start to wear orange, it’s not my lucky days.”
During her training ride today, Van Vleuten said she “was not thinking about competing on Saturday, just trying out how it was going on the bike.”
She explained: “I started on the rollers and then I thought I could go out on the road and how it is feeling if you hit a bump? Is it safe to ride my bike?
“Because I don’t want to end up on Saturday in the peloton unable to ride my bike. It must be responsible or make sense to start.”
“Let that be the end of hi-viz-and-lights discourse around keeping cyclists safe”
Oh dear (Hat tip @RedBSierra ) pic.twitter.com/luTuVmLa9Y
— Jonathan McCormack (@StripeyMiata) September 21, 2022
Back in Northern Ireland for this latest clip, where the driver of a police car – as hi-viz and lit up as it’s possible to be, I suspect – was forced to take a slight detour into a shop in Lisburn after a turning motorist coming the other way failed to see the two-tonne yellow and blue box approach.
And some more…Police coming at speed with blues and twos on responding to a call. Somehow the other driver didn’t see them and goes to pull into the car park….. seemingly without indicating either 😳 pic.twitter.com/ZBbd4tVax5
— BulldogBDX (@BulldogBDX) September 21, 2022
That Lisburn video with the car pulling in front of the liveried police car which had lights and sirens going forcing it to crash into shop? Yeah, let that be the end of hi-viz-and-lights discourse around keeping cyclists safe.
— Martin McCann (@Otisbragg) September 21, 2022
Spare a thought for the poor woman who was seconds away from disaster as she entered the shop:
Another angle. #Lisburn #Longstone #NorthernIreland pic.twitter.com/ulfUnvCskf
— BulldogBDX (@BulldogBDX) September 21, 2022
“Can we all please stop with the ‘they give us all a bad name’ nonsense? Reaction to red light-breaking cyclist
The video of the red-light jumping cyclist in Belfast has kicked off a debate, both in the comments and on Ye Olde Bird App.
Bl00dy indiot 😡
— Berkshire Cyclist (@BerkshireCyc) September 22, 2022
Oldfatgit is clearly not a fan of that particular style of cycling, writing: “On my commute in Glasgow, I’m often the only cyclist that *has* stopped at red lights. I’m almost at risk of becoming paranoid of being hit up the arse due to the driver behind thinking I’m not going to stop.
“There is no excuse or justification for Red Light Jumping (except as when noted in the Highway Code) and the more people do it, the increase in risk to us that refuse to.”
Paul J agreed: “I’ve had cars screech and skid to a halt beside me in Glasgow, because I braked for a yellow light. The cars just weren’t expecting anyone to stop for a yellow.
“And pretty much every traffic light in Glasgow has a car sail through it after turning red. Unless traffic is so light there aren’t many cars.”
However, cyclisto argued that they “don’t see crossing redlights as the end of world, especially in a country like UK with no jaywalking laws”, while ChrisB200SX noted that the cyclist in the clip “didn’t seem to cause anyone any problems. The pedestrian wasn’t bothered at all, literally took no notice.”
Away from the rights and wrongs of red light-jumping, thelittleonion took umbrage at the original tweeter’s claim that law-breaking cyclists “give us a bad name”.
“Sure, bad cyclists are annoying, and a bit dangerous,” they wrote. “But can we all please stop with the ‘they give us all a bad name’ nonsense? We are not one community or mafia, you are not responsible for my actions on a bike, or vice versa.
“We don’t ever say that people in other modes of transport give all other pedestrians/drivers/train passengers/horse riders/hovercraft pilots a bad name. It seems to be only cyclists that get tarred with the same brush.”
However, rjfrussell disagreed, arguing that “in the eyes of many drivers we are an homogenous tribe.
“The number of people riding badly/illegally/running red lights etc in London on a regular basis worries me, because, frankly, in so doing they increase the risk to my safety when I am on bike, because of the attitudes to cyclists they foment.”
A similar debate took place on Twitter:
Unfortunately every driver who witnessed this will have that story ready “but once I saw a cyclist go through a red light” pic.twitter.com/qbxIqP1Ahl
— Cyclegranny 🚴♀️ (@anneramsey740) September 22, 2022
It doesn’t give them an excuse to disrespect all people on bikes. And nevermind how good we are, it’ll never be enough. Let’s not allow ourselves to be othered into small boxes of their design.
— NetherSchot 🇪🇺 (@NetherSchot) September 22, 2022
Some will (perhaps understandably) disagree with the “Gives us all a bad name” comment, but the hard truth is that many drivers treat ALL cyclists with a lack of respect, simply because they see SOME riders doing idiotic stuff like this. Road rules apply to ALL road users.
— Marcus Williamson (@KiteMus) September 22, 2022
In the end, HoarseMann pithily summed the whole thing up: “Whenever I see inconsiderate and careless cycling like that (which is rare thankfully), I remind myself to be grateful they’re not driving a car.”
Unnecessary cycling metaphor of the week
Sperm swim in packs to help them push upstream, much like how cyclists ride together in a peloton so they encounter less air resistance https://t.co/epyzbyZXbU
— New Scientist (@newscientist) September 22, 2022
Eh, I’m not sure this is the type of article you expect to find when you’re Googling ‘cyclists’, but a group of researchers North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University have found that – rather than the traditional representation of sperm as individuals racing against each to the finish line (the egg) – sperm actually gather in dynamic groups to swim upstream, with individual sperm regularly joining and leaving their cluster and changing positions within it.
According to the researchers, the arrangement “resembles how cyclists ride together in a peloton so they encounter less air resistance”.
So less Tommy Voeckler, more Jumbo-Visma then…
UCI confirms Haute-Savoie region will host 2027 multi-disciplinary world championships
It’s official! 🌈
Haute-Savoie 🇫🇷 will be hosting the second edition of the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2027, uniting cycling’s disciplines 🌎#HauteSavoie2027 | @Dep_74 pic.twitter.com/n20e7f0B9W
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 22, 2022
I know, we’re only halfway through Wollongong and almost a full year away from Glasgow hosting the first ever unified world cycling championships, but the UCI has confirmed that France’s Haute-Savoie region – the scene of Bernard Hinault’s legendary rainbow jersey triumph in Sallanches in 1980 – will become the second host of the quadrennial multidisciplinary championships.
So, a fortnight in the Alps, anyone?
22 September 2022, 08:42
22 September 2022, 08:42
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Latest Comments
@FionaJJ These officers deployed next-level stupidity, and it must be difficult for the police to find people this dim. It doesn't even need rolling-roads or whatever, just a reputable bike computer on a quickly changed mount for the difficult cases where a proper EAPC has been modded, although you would need to look hard in Lancashire to find a police officer who knows how to make a pedal cycle go. Most illegal electric motorbikes are immediately obvious, not least because the crim is wearing a face mask. I saw an obvious one tonight coming out of Garstang Sainsbury's, not pedalling but without a face mask because everybody knows that the police only come into the town to hide away in the police station 200 yards away.
Gustav Gullholm.. that's not a good look mate
@Chris RideFar I think what you meant to say was "REMOVE this and put it on PODCAST CC".
As Mary Whitehouse never said - one doesn't have to read the article if one doesn't want to read about an off-road bicycle.
@FionaJJ In London they're allowed to stop on single and double yellows to deliver packages or empty pillar boxes; in practice they take this as carte blanche to park wherever and whenever they want, such as this chap on the Brixton Road who pulled into the bus/cycle/motorcycle lane without indicating, as I approached at 20mph, to park on a red route, response to a remonstrance, "I suppose you never get post delivered do ya?"
@Rendel Harris We have a pavement parking ban, but around here at least, royal mail vans are already exempt, subject to certain caveats, such as allowing at least 1.5m, and only being stopped to do their work.
It was already embarrassing for the police that they made such a mess of their attempt to determine whether a bike was legal or not, but I had assumed it was a group of well intentioned, but under-trained officers acting on their own initiative, having spotted something they thought looked not quite right. I'm now discovering this was a planned activity, something sufficiently organised to have been given a name - Operation FRISLEN, designed specifically to identify and remove illegal e-bikes and scooters. It's apparent that the officers were sent out without adequate training, never mind the kind of equipment that should be used for this sort of work. I'm not saying they always need specialist equipment to spot all illegal bikes, but at least if they'd been given a demonstration with that equipment, they'd have realised why their approach was not going to end well.
Have put drop bars on a 2001 B1 mtb, a 2007 stumpy hardtail and a 2010 stumpy full suss. In all cases fairly basic conversións leaving gearing and wheels broadly the same and concentrating on correct positioning of bars and fit. Oddly, with all 3 I was happy with the result when recently done, but after a few months found that the extra speed on easy trails was more than offset by the lack of ability (probably mine) on tougher routes and finally preferred flat bar with slammed and inverted stem as best overall compromise. Good fun playing around, though.
The photos in this review look they are for a different bag?
This is a strange reactionary knee jerk overall. But what is this "are essentially motorbikes in disguise" waffle? "One letter claimed that high-powered electric ‘e-bikes’ were “essentially motorbikes” in disguise, with many being used without lights, helmets, or any hi-vis clothing." Surely, they simply ARE motorbikes?
60 thoughts on “Car Free Day: Brompton takes over filling station; Four red lights and a pedestrian: How not to cycle; Too many cars on road, Londoners say; AVV’s back; More hi-viz and lights chat as police crash into shop; Plan Vélo funding boost + more on the live blog”
Whenever I see inconsiderate
Whenever I see inconsiderate and careless cycling like that (which is rare thankfully), I remind myself to be grateful they’re not driving a car.
Sure, bad cyclists are
Sure, bad cyclists are annoying, and a bit dangerous. But can we all please stop with the “they give us all a bad name” nonsense. We are not one community or mafia, you are not responsible for my actions on a bike, or vice versa.
We don’t ever say that people in other modes of transport give all other pedestrians/drivers/train passengers/horse riders/hovercraft pilots a bad name. It seems to be only cyclists that get tarred with the same brush.
Can’t beat ’em? Join ’em!
Can’t beat ’em? Join ’em! Just get a recumbent / penny farthing / unicycle / trike / pedal car and start trolling on social media. Or even at junctions. “Bloody (upright / diamond-framed / bi)cyclists! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!“
As you say others’ behaviour rarely worries drivers. And condemning the collective (e.g. all those other idiots) seems to be a trope of some “avid cyclists” – even on this forum.
chrisonatrike wrote:
Growing up in the 70s and 80s, female drivers were subjected to this for a long time.
I’m afraid I disagree,
I’m afraid I disagree, because in the eyes of many drivers were are an homogenous tribe.
The number of people riding badly/ illegally/ running red lights etc in London on a regular basis worries me, because, frankly, in so doing they increase the risk to my safety when I am on bike, because of the attitudes to cyclists they foment.
Just because in the eyes of
Just because in the eyes of some drivers we are one homogenous group does not make it so.
I would be more worried about bad drivers in London if I were you, based on my own experience.
You’re correct of course, but
You’re correct of course, but that doesn’t stop me having a bit of a grumble when I’m sat at a red light with ten cars behind me and a cyclist blasts straight through the light, because I know I’m about the get ten punishment passes as soon as the light goes green.
What matters more is not
What matters more is not whether we are an homogenous tribe, but how drivers perceive us and how their attitudes are influenced by bad cyclists.
People on bicycles not obeying the rules of the road is likely, in my view, to increase the danger to me from antagonistic drivers.
As usual I’d rather we
As usual I’d rather we simultaneously avoided the issue and set in place a virtuous circle.
I think it’s mostly “not in a car so they should be / get out of my way”.
There are only a tiny fraction of cyclists so I’m not sure I buy the “but just one bad apple…” theory. More like shared belief in a bad ‘other’ that people don’t really understand – partly because they don’t have much direct experience of them.
I don’t think it really matters for those people who know all cyclists jump red lights etc. No “better behaviour” is likely to swing their viewpoint. It’d take their friends / family / role models and maybe themselves cycling to alter the attitude.
Well, as I nearly got crushed
Well, as I nearly got crushed by one of Stobart’s finest professionals yesterday, I can assure you I considered he was giving lorry drivers a bad name.
Sadly, certain liberties have
Sadly, certain liberties have been taken in translating Macron’s comments into English.
Possibly the understatement
Possibly the understatement of the week.
Thanks! Yes, it’s a complete
Thanks! Yes, it’s a complete (but amusing) fabrication.
To be honest, I just assumed
To be honest, I just assumed everyone would understand that it was a joke. Not even my GCSE French is that bad…
Ryan Mallon wrote:
This is a British web site, Ryan, that’s one hell of an assumption (myself included, I wouldn’t have known what the original said aside from the comments underneath the tweet, though I did have my suspicions).
It was funny though, and just
It was funny though, and just a little bit believable, just for a second…
Ineos want to start fracking
Ineos want to start fracking as soon as possible in the N York Moors.
Is it time for cycling writers to stop effectively participating in the greenwashing of Ineos’s reputation?
When a rider joins the team, shouldn’t the source of the team’s funds be one of the first questions asked? Shouldn’t they at least be asked if they have thought about whether they want to be paid to promote climate breakdown?
Agreed but why stop at Ineos?
Agreed but why stop at Ineos? Is the source of funding for Team UAE, Bahrain Victorious or Astana any better? The only real differences to my mind are that Ineos are a private business who behave unethically on our doorstep, where the other three are effectively governments behaving unethically somewhere a long way away.
Exactly.
Exactly.
The UK is hopelessly addicted to fossil fuels.
Opposing gas exploration in the UK whilst still hoovering up gas, some with a higher carbon footprint than our own, from every corner of the globe seems a tad hypocritical.
All Ineos et al are doing is meeting the demand generated by each and every one of us.
We don’t have time to split
We don’t have time to split hairs about which gas might have a slightly higher carbon footprint than other gas. We need to transform our energy system rapidly.
‘All Ineos et al are doing is meeting the demand generated by each and every one of us.’
This is what George Monbiot calls MCB – micro consumerist bollox.
The people who have the power to make the big changes we need to see are govts and big corporations. By trying to shift the blame onto individuals, you are attempting ensure that nothing changes, and the same people continue to profit from the destruction of a habitable planet.
About 80% of our energy needs
About 80% of our energy needs are currently met by fossil fuels.
In that context a ‘rapid transformation’ will still take multiple decades. Even when we reach Net Zero (2050 IF we meet our targets) we’ll still be using fossil fuels. That’s why the Net is there.
Once you realise that, domestic production to meet our fossil fuel needs over the next 30 years (coincidentally the average lifespan of an oil or gas field) starts to look perfectly sensible. It will produce lower carbon emissions over that period and give our governments greater resources to, hopefully, use on the transition to Net Zero.
Absolving consumers of any responsibility for the harm caused by their purchases is simply nonsense. It’s part of the wider pattern of denying people any agency in their own lives.
1) By trying to blame
1) By trying to blame individuals who do have the power to change the structures within which they live their lives, you are effectively advocating business as usual.
2) You are letting govts and big businesses – who DO have the power and money to effect change – off the hook. They may thank you but no one else will. You are 100% wrong on this issue.
3) Right-wingers have generally stopped being outright deniers. Like you, they have shifted to being delayers, trying to persuade people that we should relax because all this is going to take decades. The intention is the same: to block change.
4) Deniers and delayers may consider themselves intelligent, but it is monumentally stupid to advocate doing nothing when we see record temperatures in the UK, heatwaves and fires in Portugal, Spain and France, heatwaves and fires in California, floods affecting 33 million people in Pakistan, astounding temperatures at both poles, melting glaciers, melting ice sheets.
I have wasted enough time on you, and you will now need to educate yourself about the catastrophic effects of global heating instead of relying on me.
I’m not advocating delay.
I’m not advocating delay.
I’m merely pointing out some facts that make your position untenable.
The UK has the most ambitious net zero target out of any major economy.
It is 28 years away.
Under net zero we will still use some fossil fuels. Hence the ‘net’.
So under the most ambitious net zero plan we will still need fossil fuels for the next 30 years at least.
30 years is the average life of an oil or gas well.
Where do you propose we source 30 years worth of fossil fuels from?
If we import the fossils fuels the carbon footprint will undoubtedly be higher.
Banning UK fossil fuel production will lead to more carbon emissions over the next 30 years and reduce government revenue and worsen our, already dismal, balance of trade.
Other than that it’s a great idea…
Rich_cb wrote:
Ambitious? Hmmm.
Some people might like to puff out their chests and call it “world beating” (a well-used but pathetically inappropriate phrase) but the UK government is not doing some of the obvious things that could be done to move us in that direction. In fact government policies of the last few years have taken us – and are likely to continue to take us – further from net zero than before.
And if we are “hopelessly addicted to fossil fuels” as you said then there’s no point trying to change anything.
What policies have taken us
What policies have taken us further from Net Zero? Carbon emissions have been on a downward trend for a few decades now.
The lowest hanging fruit that’s been missed is home insulation.
Other policies like renewable energy and EVs seem to be moving ahead well.
All good – presumably that is
All good – presumably that is the UK? What’s being counted? Could it be that this just reflects a successful “focus on services, not (manufacturing) industry” policy and effectively “emit elsewhere”? (Note the dramatic effect of a very brief and particular period – I believe of “use less” – right at the end of the graph).
Yes, that’s UK.
Yes, that’s UK.
Since 2010 manufacturing has been pretty stable so emissions drops mainly relate to improved efficiency, switching coal for gas and increased use of renewables.
There’s a huge amount of renewable capacity due to come online over the next 5 years so I’d expect that trend to keep going.
Don’t worry – seems under the
Don’t worry – seems under the new regime* we’re going to grow our way out of using too many resources too quickly! If only we can make more money (and faster than the others – it’s all relative) then we can afford to make things more eco.
Probably there are meta-laws – our political and economic system, culture and eventually human nature – which limit what we can do before there really is almost nothing left and we are limited by fiat. Until then it’s keeping up with the Joneses – conspicuous consumption or even deliberate wastage. Grow or die, run to stand still.
On another tack the future has a way of making current problems irrelevant and substituting other ones.
I’m moderately hopeful some interventionist / local conspiracy can at least get us to use a little less energy on some short-distance transport. (Purely out of self-interest – most efficient form is cycling, so more cycling and more pleasant cycling for me!) That only because it already exists and has evolved several times elsewhere.
* I’m pretty sure it’s been the policy of all our governments with minor decoration (trickle down, PPP / PFIs, austerity for the poorer, level up …) for some decades. And possibly most governments.
I agree, but Ineos get
I agree, but Ineos get special attention from UK cycling publications, and it tends to be where talented young riders end up.
Looks like that makes you a
Looks like that makes you a Luddite in opposing fracking.
I didn’t mean that at all. I
I didn’t mean that at all. I think that Ineos generally, the unnecessary “car” that their name comes from and the owner are all utterly reprehensible, I was merely pointing out that a number of other teams had similarly iffy funding streams. I would rather not deal with any of them.
It was just an allusion to
It was just an allusion to the arch modern, technophile, forwardthinking reesmogg.
The one who still thinks work is where you are not what you do.
Seen the jrm story now. ?
Seen the jrm story now. ?
I know many people here will
I know many people here will not like this, but I don’t see as cyclists crossing redlights as the end of world, especially in a country like UK with no jaywalking laws. Fortunately there are some more open minded views on this topic, I hope more people wil start to think alike.
https://www.vox.com/2014/5/9/5691098/why-cyclists-should-be-able-to-roll-through-stop-signs-and-ride
https://road.cc/content/news/colorado-approves-bill-let-cyclists-run-red-lights-291781
It didn’t seem to cause
It didn’t seem to cause anyone any problems. The pedestrian wasn’t bothered at all, literally took no notice.
cyclisto wrote:
… where at least one motorist fails to stop at almost every red light and the first motorist to stop rarely manages to stop behind the stop line, and if they do manage to stop behind the stop line, there’s a good chance they’ll creep past it before the light changes. It probably varies somewhat from place to place, but that’s my experience.
On my commute in Glasgow, I’m
On my commute in Glasgow, I’m often the only cyclist that *has* stopped at red lights.
I’m almost at risk of becoming paranoid of being hit up the arse due to the driver behind thinking I’m not going to stop.
There is no excuse or justification for Red Light Jumping* and the more people do it, the increase in risk to us that refuse to.
*except as when noted in the HWC
I’ve had cars screech and
I’ve had cars screech and skid to a halt beside me in Glasgow, cause I braked for a yellow light. The cars just weren’t expecting anyone to stop for a yellow.
And pretty much every traffic light in Glasgow has a car sail through it /after/ turning red. Unless traffic is so light there aren’t many cars.
On a 10 minute walk in west
On a 10 minute walk in west London this morning I saw four cars go through red lights – not yellow, well after they had turned to red.
An established red…
An established red…
I’m clearly a pedant in that
I’m clearly a pedant in that I’ll actually watch the lights as I approach and possibly even slow a little, monitoring where I’ll be able to stop if they change. Rather than just “green = go full speed and no need to think about anything else until I notice they’ve changed”. Doing that you certainly need to watch out for vehicles behind. Hence slowing slightly if I think I’ll get caught by a change in the cycle.
Has the Highway Code been amended to say “if you are approaching the lights and they change you can keep on going a) if there was someone close in front of you who went through or b) until other directions start moving”? Less amber gambling, more “amber by itself means go, red and amber means go go go!” Maybe cars have cork-pad rod brakes these days and it’s not safe to stop if you’re within 50m of any lights?
Certainly some cyclists go on through. Not great but not a major problem where I am. Maybe endemic in other places? Maybe it’s those commuting MAMIL types again who’d do it regardless of vehicle? Where I ride it’s mostly takeaway delivery folks. I lazily assume unconventional cycling / driving from anyone in those liveries anyway.
World Car Free Day
World Car Free Day
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-cycling-safety-old-street-protest-campaigners-holburn-clerkenwell-boulevard-b1027357.html
Cyclists have formed a “human barrier” to protect other riders from vehicles in protest at the lack of action to improve safety on one of London’s most dangerous routes.
hirsute wrote:
That is liteally right by my office – indeed, one of the pictures on Cycle Islington’s tweet is of the side road which has our office’s loading bay entrance where I park by bike – and I completely missed it (I clearly arrived too early).
Car Free Day in central
Car Free Day in central Bristol…
Clearly this wouldn’t be an
Clearly this wouldn’t be an issue if you just converted the cycle lanes and footway into more vehicle lanes. There are at least 8 people in cars needing to get through and they’re obviously being held up by only four pedestrians – and no cyclists!
These vulnerable road users have some cheek, increasing congestion and causing pollution like that…
Four red lights and a
Four red lights and a pedestrian…and how many close passes?
How many assaults ?!
How many assaults ?!
Two-thirds of Londoners say
Two-thirds of Londoners say there are too many cars on the road and as a consequence think other people should use their cars less, study finds
Fixed it 😉
Yeah, all this traffic trying
Yeah, all this traffic trying to do a similar commute to me causing my commute to be more difficult?? It is their responsibility to change in order to make my life better.
brooksby wrote:
I fear that’s so, the other day a neighbour said to me, “Man, something’s got to be done about the number of cars, just taken me twenty minutes to get back from Sainsbury’s!”
Sainsbury’s is well under a mile away…
You know in Idaho – a
You know in Idaho – a conservative, Western U.S. state of the sort Brits love to bash – they have this law called the “Idaho stop” that allows cyclists to treat both stop signs and red lights as yield signals, not stop signals. The UK really needs to adopt a similar law in the interests of energy efficiency and human decency if nothing else.
If you are a law-abiding cyclist, standing around at an empty intersection for minutes in the rain waiting for a light to change when there is no traffic is a pain in the arse and a chill in the body. And as all cyclists know, there are times when the roads are as devoid of cars as the autobrats invariably complain of the cycle lanes.
cmedred wrote:
Not quite, it allows cyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign and a red light as a stop sign, so at a stop sign a cyclist may roll through instead of stopping if nothing’s coming (treating it as a yield sign), at a red light they must come to a stop then, again if nothing’s coming, can ride through (treating it as a stop sign).
Have a puff of N2O whilst
Have a puff of N2O whilst driving.
https://mobile.twitter.com/MikeyCycling/status/1572999251755425793
Nobody can be that stupid surely ?
I think it gives lie to the
I think it gives lie to any idea that N2O is harmless pursuit, think about how addicted that person has allowed themselves to become and the money they’ve spent to do something that has the medical profession fed up with the new ways people are damaging themselves, as well as ignoring that when driving they will be impaired – on top of the impairment of the mobile phone. It shows people really have no concept of driving being a responsible activity.
Do drivers treat how they
Do drivers treat how they deal with you as a cyclist based on their prejudices that are built on how other cyclists theyve seen behave on the road ? Absolutely, why is that even a thing up for debate?
Awavey wrote:
Not being a car driver I can’t really answer that. I can say however that I assume drivers are all incompetent selfish idiots based on my prejudices that are built on how other drivers I’ve seen behave on the road. Every now and again I witness an obviously safe, courteous and observant driver but that in no way changes my deeply held prejudices.
Prejudice is formed by
Prejudice is formed by ignorance – if you know what I mean.
BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP wrote:
Fair point. Given that prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience perhaps the correct phrase would be ‘informed opinion‘.
Lisburn Police in a rush to
Lisburn Police in a rush to grab a special offer on Fanta at the local Spar
I think we’re stuck with
I think we’re stuck with nutters declaring they ‘don’t believe global warming is due to increasing atmospheric CO2 and use of fossil fuels ‘ and they’re stuck with sensible people calling them nutters