Flippin’ clip-in nightmare: Bike fitter’s disbelief at client’s upside down AND backwards cleats; Fixed-gear epic Festive 500…in one England-crossing ride; ‘But cyclists’ Christmas special; 2022 in cycling; Mechanical mishap poll + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Battle of the cleats (POLL)
There can only be one winner… one ultimate cleat mishap — get voting for your favourite (maybe favourite’s the wrong word)…
Best heart rate monitors 2022 | 6 of the best
And for all the info…
> Best heart rate monitors 2023 — optimise your training with useful fitness data
Fixed-gear Festive 500... in one England-crossing epic ride
Chapeau…
With checkpoints such as Partridge Lane & Pear Tree Close in Bedford, Turtledove Close in Coventry, Goose Green in Leighton Buzzard, Pipers Close in St Albans and Drummer Street in Cambridge, Joseph Kendrick made this fixed-gear Festive 500-completing spin as 12 Days of Christmasy as possible…
“I have no words for this right now. Will do a debrief soon. I need to dry off, warm up and get myself on the next train to London!” he told his Strava followers after finishing the epic more than 31 hours after he rolled out on Boxing Day.
> Aussie cyclist knocks off Rapha Festive 500 in one go – by riding 1,369 laps of a velodrome
'But cyclists' Christmas special
It’s those pesky red light-jumping cyclists at it again…
CAR ploughs into two residential houses on Roundhay Grove in #Leeds this morning. The ongoing incident saw emergency services scramble to the scene at 9:30am after a car left the road on ice crashing through three gardens and into the houses. https://t.co/POxPzwkDi2 pic.twitter.com/lZ3i6xV16I
— YappApp (@YappAppLtd) December 27, 2022
From Highway Code changes to Active Travel England – the big cycling campaigning stories of 2022
As a turbulent year in politics nears its end, Simon has taken a look back at some of the highlights for active travel, as well as Grant Shapps going spectacularly off-brief…
> From Highway Code changes to Active Travel England – the big cycling campaigning stories of 2022
Greater Manchester Police removed Uber Eats cyclist from busy motorway on Christmas Eve
An Uber Eats delivery cyclist was “safely removed” from the M602 in Salford on Christmas Eve, Greater Manchester Police’s traffic unit has revealed. The force joked on Twitter that the takeaway might “be a little cold but at least it will get there in one piece now”.
The rider was seen making his way down the M602! Safely removed from the motorway by #RPTF patrols TOR issued. To the person who ordered their takeaway… it might be a little cold but at least it will get there in one piece now 🤦 @NWmwaypolice pic.twitter.com/aXiu1EyUnw
— GMP Traffic (@gmptraffic) December 24, 2022
Uber Eats commented on the incident: “The safety of our customers, couriers and the general public is a top priority for Uber Eats. We expect couriers to adhere to all applicable laws and regulations, including the Highway Code and we have measures in place to help ensure couriers use appropriate vehicles.”
The year in review...
Naughty Drivers, a year in review.
Clearly there’s an issue with distracted drivers in London!
I’Il see you all in 2023✌️@roadcc @MetCycleCops @MikeyCycling @theJeremyVine pic.twitter.com/hEsNghHqXT— Naughty Drivers (@NaughtyDrivers) December 26, 2022
How to overcome World Cup heartbreak? Ride 658 kilometres at the Cape Epic
Spanish newspaper Marca reports national team boss Luis Enrique is to fill the void left by World Cup disappointment by tackling the Cape Epic, a seven-stage 658km off-road event with 15,775m of climbing.
The former Barcelona manager visited the MMR factory this Christmas alongside ahead of riding the brand’s full suspension Kenta SL model, also used by the MMR Factory Racing Team, at the South African event.
Giant postpones payments to suppliers due to falling demand, rising inventory levels, and market "headwinds"
Flippin' clip-in nightmare: Bike fitter's disbelief at client's upside down AND backwards cleats
“Yeah not sure what’s going on, having a few problems with my pedals…….”
“Hmmmm, yep, that’s not meant to go like that…………”
Sometimes I don’t know quite what to say to a client. These are cleats are upside-down and back-to-front. They worked MUCH better in the correct orientation. Oh, MTB cleats on road shoes too. pic.twitter.com/cUzWG96DVN
— scherrit (@scherritk) December 26, 2022
Scherrit went on to point out obviously it’s fine to use MTB cleats on road shoes, just so long as you use the pontoon adaptors… oh, and fit them the right way up and around…
Twitter was helpful as ever…
Ozzie pedals?
— scherrit (@scherritk) December 27, 2022
Good job they didn’t fit them inside the shoe!! 😂
— James Bikelover (@Mad_1nventor) December 27, 2022
Or maybe this guy was the rider?
> Two backwards cycling world records broken by Aussie
Anyway, we love a cleat mishap here on the live blog. Remember this?
> Can it be real? Mechanic shares double cleat horror set-up
How to burn someone without producing any emissions
yes, please do enlighten me. email me at smalldickenergy@getalife.com https://t.co/V8geeVvEvg
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 28, 2022
As Greta Thunberg appears in our new celebrities who cycle listicle, we thought it was only right to finish today’s road.cc live blog with this brutal exchange, being touted as a late front-runner for tweet of the year.
We admit that we needed to google who the recipient of Thunberg’s lethal reply was; and while we’re still not entirely sure, cyclists and all other sensible road users alike can unite in thanking Andrew Tate for keeping his other 32 gaz-guzzling vehicles off the roads, as numerous people pointed out in the replies…
28 December 2022, 09:10
28 December 2022, 09:10
28 December 2022, 09:10
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Latest Comments
“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.
22 thoughts on “Flippin’ clip-in nightmare: Bike fitter’s disbelief at client’s upside down AND backwards cleats; Fixed-gear epic Festive 500…in one England-crossing ride; ‘But cyclists’ Christmas special; 2022 in cycling; Mechanical mishap poll + more on the live blog”
The double cleats, while
The double cleats, while horrific, at least serve a purpose and you can kinda see why the owner did that. The upside-down and back-to-front cleats on the other hand must be from pure ignorance.
The cleats are horrific but
The cleats are horrific but not sure bike shop guy is right about the pontoon adaptors as the shoes are already drilled for both SPD and SPD-SL. Suspect these are very old shoes that did have glued rubber bumpers around the sides that have peeled off. Doesn’t quite explain the upside down and back to front though…
Yeah so it’s nerdy, it’s Twixtmas, not much else to do!
Rendel Harris wrote:
I used to have a pair of Shimano shoes that had both sets of holes and a flat bottom. They looked similar to the ones above. They were my first pair and I thought it was just normal.
Same – I still have some
Same – I still have some shimano road shoes with both cleat fixing options in my box of bits
I have a far more shameful
I have a far more shameful story: when I got my first pair I was so ignorant I didn’t realise there were different sorts so I bought SPD-SL pedals by mail order (it was that long ago!) and SPD shoes from the LBS, I had to do a walk of shame back and ask to exchange them and explain why. They were very kind but still my most embarrassing moment in a bike shop (and I’ve had a few!).
I’m sure you are not alone
I’m sure you are not alone there. Given how interchangable Shimano products are (e.g. 105 and Dura ace being fully interchangeable) and the similarities of the names, I would have done the exact same if it weren’t for a friend explaining what to get.
Rendel Harris wrote:
I bought a road bike 11 years ago not having owned one since the mid 1960s.
It was from Halfords and I collected the bike as it was and rode off. After struggling for a few hundred yards I took it back to complain that the brake levers were loose and they had forgotten to fit the shifters onto the down tube.
Re the “car” (not driver!)
Re the “car” (not driver!) that crashed into the house in Roundhay Grove, Leeds.
I know that street well, as it is on my patch. It’s a quiet, narrow, residential street, although it does lead to some wider, faster roads. Somehow I don’t think that this is a considerate driver, driving at normal speeds, only to be undone by pesky ice.
Edit: IIRC, also a 20mph speed limit. Clearly those walls are very fragile if a car travelling at under 20mph can do that much damage…..
Audi S3, prat mobile. Say no
Audi S3, prat mobile. Say no more. Only ever driven by dickheads who ‘think’ they can drive.
0-60 in 4.3 seconds.
0-60 in 4.3 seconds.
Prat mobile as you say.
Says over 3 gardens and hit
Says over 3 gardens and hit another car. How fast was the driver going to ‘achieve’ all he did ?
Roundhay Grove – car left
Roundhay Grove – car left road on ice? Driver left senses on snow, more like.
Still at least they weren’t doing something risky and selfishly tying up the emergency services, like going cycling…
A year in review… Naughty
A year in review… Naughty drivers.
They are addicts.
I can’t tell what is wrong
I can’t tell what is wrong with either of the cleat set ups, but then I do ride 3 bikes with these.
Those things really are
Those things really are archaic and useless. Explains a lot really.
Surprised you haven’t
Surprised you haven’t mentioned your shoehorn.
BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP wrote:
I’ll give you archaic but they are definitely not useless. Full marks for the clever dig though.
With pedals it’s what works
With pedals it’s what works for you. And with three bikes with that set up it must really work for you.
I always wanted double or even triple beartraps back in the day, I thought they looked good.
Single cage platforms were pants, I added Power Grips to keep my foot planted. Then I discovered the DMR V12.
Yeah, I originally bought
Yeah, I originally bought them many years ago because of the looks and found they give great grip and support to my size 12’s so I’ve used them ever since. The only downside is the damage they’ve done to my leg when walking the bike a couple of times.
My Carrera came with generic DMRs which seemed pretty good but my favourate strapless clips didn’t fit so I didn’t keep them on for long. I imagine the proper versions would be great.
Does plasticiser cause benign
Does plasticiser cause benign tumours?
I would use the cycle lane,
I would use the cycle lane, but I couldn’t keep out of the door zone.
Although earlier I did use a
Although earlier I did use a shared pathway near bushy park, then some trail through the park. Quite pleasant not to be in the traffic.
And I discovered indoor bike racks at sigma sports for customers – should have asked if you could leave your bike and pop to town.