Resident says new bike hangars are “useless” – as motorcyclists keep blocking them; How not to do cycle parking; “This will take some getting used to”: Geraint’s new glasses; Katie Hopkins v Active Travel; Tour de France wildcards + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Geraint’s new SunGods – a shade better?
Now that we finally have incontrovertible evidence that Geraint Thomas can, in fact, wear another pair of cycling glasses, I thought I’d gauge the cycling world’s opinion by conducting the first – and potentially most important – live blog poll of 2023…
Are the 2018 Tour winner’s new SunGod Velans a sartorial improvement on his much-loved, but divisive, Oakley Racing Jackets?
2010-2022 or 2023? You decide!
Cycling Twitter rejoices as Uno-X gains Tour de France wildcard
💛 Welcome to the #TDF2023 🇳🇴 @UnoXteam and 🇮🇱 @IsraelPremTech!
Invited by the organizers, the two teams will take to the start line in Bilbao alongside the 18 World Teams, 🇧🇪 @lotto_dstny and 🇫🇷 @TeamTotalEnrg. pic.twitter.com/vJByI16TiC
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) January 4, 2023
A ripple of euphoria swept across the cycling community this morning, as one of the sport’s most popular, attacking outfits, Uno-X, was granted a lucrative wildcard berth for this summer’s Tour de France.
Steadily rising through the ranks in recent years, the Norwegian squad has gained a devoted following thanks to its penchant for exciting, attacking racing – first witnessed at the 2021 spring classics – and development of young Scandinavian talent, such as the promising 23-year-old climber Tobias Halland Johannessen, who secured top tens overall this year at the Volta a Catalunya, Critérium du Dauphiné, and Tour of Norway, along with a stage win at the Etoile de Bessèges.
The hype surrounding the team even provoked a bit of an online clamour for Uno-X to be invited to last year’s Tour de France, though that final wildcard spot ended up in the hands of the now defunct B&B Hotels-KTM squad.
We’re beyond proud to announce that @unoxteam will be the first Scandinavian team ever to participate at both @LeTour and @LeTourFemmes in 2023.
Bilbon ikusiko gara uztailean 🤩 Vive le Tour! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/FWHJZm8AkP
— Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (@UnoXteam) January 4, 2023
But good things come to those who wait, and Uno-X – including new signing Alexander Kristoff – will be at the Grand Départ in Bilbao on 1 July.
“We are extremely proud, humble, and grateful for the invitation. The Tour de France is the ultimate dream, and just being a part of this is a victory for the team,” said team manager Jens Haugland.
“We will be well prepared for this year’s edition. One of our long-term goals is to be able to fight for the top positions in the Tour de France in the future. We see no reason to think that this isn’t possible.”
Better late than never… should have been last year…
— Troels Holm🇬🇱🇺🇦 (@Garfir) January 4, 2023
You have made incredible progress in the last few seasons. I don’t think there is anyone who is not happy about this. Congrats 👊
— Raúl Banqueri (@raulbanqueri) January 4, 2023
The other wildcard spot at this year’s Tour goes to Israel-Premier Tech who, despite being relegated from the WorldTour in 2022, secured their invite from ASO off the back of a strong Tour last year, which saw Simon Clarke and Hugo Houle pick up stage wins.
See you @LeTour 2023 🇫🇷
After winning two stages in 2022 we’ll be back for more this year! We are thrilled to be invited to race the #TDF2023
Read more 👉 https://t.co/hi55DarXut #YallaIPT pic.twitter.com/yFBHltenXM
— Israel – Premier Tech / Israel Cycling Academy (@IsraelPremTech) January 4, 2023
As the highest-ranked ProTeams from 2022, Caleb Ewan’s Lotto Dstny and Peter Sagan’s TotalEnergies were guaranteed their spot at the Tour, with the 18 WorldTour squads filling out the bulk of the peloton.
One team disappointed this morning will be Euskaltel-Euskadi, who had hoped to roll back the clock to the 2000s thanks to the 2023 Tour’s Basque start, but it looks like we’ll have to wait at least another year for those famous orange jerseys to return to the Pyrenees in July.
A travesty…
Nairo Quintana was not included on rolling stone’s 200 greatest singers of all time list. pic.twitter.com/62vKe9CxfO
— #FreeNairo (@NairoInGreen) January 3, 2023
Katie Hopkins versus Active Travel (obviously)
After yesterday’s blog featured Jordan Peterson’s head scratching take on LTNs, now it’s the turn of everybody’s favourite ex-Apprentice candidate Katie Hopkins to offer her keenly-awaited opinion on Oxfordshire County Council’s plans to introduce traffic filters on six Oxford roads in 2024… Yippee.
I’m starting to sense a pattern developing here – what is it about active travel and public transport that riles these outspoken right-wingers up so much?
Under the guise of climate change you will no longer be able to travel more then 15 minutes in the city you live…
“You’ll do nothing, and you’ll be happy” pic.twitter.com/pdBRviAZHv
— Pelham (@Resist_05) January 2, 2023
Hopkins’ doomsday diatribe not only features a segment where the controversialist rather oddly sketched a completely useless diagram, but it’s – surprise, surprise – riddled with errors and outright falsehoods concerning the council’s plans.
As Oxford City Council pointed out in a tweet below the video, Hopkins simply appears to be perpetuating the misinformation being circulated about the council’s plan – which in reality includes the installation of traffic filters designed to encourage motorists to steer clear at certain times of popular city centre routes to be set aside for public transport and active travel – by linking it to an entirely different long-term plan from the council which aims to ensure that by 2040 every resident has access to essentials such as shops, healthcare, and parks within their ’15-minute neighbourhood’.
This is false.
The facts can be found here: https://t.co/yGeShPdz8A
— Oxford City Council (@OxfordCity) January 3, 2023
By linking those two proposals, opponents of the council’s traffic filter initiative are claiming that the local authority is instead planning to fine anyone who strays outside their local area (note that not once in the video does Hopkins mention the word ‘car’).
But I’m sure it’s perfectly natural for someone to confuse two separate schemes aimed at reducing city centre congestion and improving local services with a cunning plot to keep everybody confined to their own street… Easy mistake to make, I suppose.
While Hopkins, Peterson, and their ilk claim that local authorities are attempting to control your every move, Oxfordshire County Council says “the reason we have proposed these changes is because – as everyone who lives and visits Oxford knows – the city has had awful congestion for decades. This is damaging both our economy and our environment, and is making the bus network unviable.
“Our aim is to reduce traffic levels and congestion, make the buses faster and more reliable, and make cycling and walking safer and more pleasant.
“Oxford needs a more sustainable, reliable and inclusive transport system for everyone, particularly for the 30 percent of our households who do not own a car.”
Right, no more Hopkins or Peterson for the week, I promise…
Bath launches bike hangar scheme
Residents living in Great Stanhope Street, New King Street and Sydney Buildings in #Bath, can now rent a secure space for their bike in an on-street bike hangar for only £42 a year. Find out more and book today at https://t.co/mpnjCbkewb pic.twitter.com/qCM188eqhf
— B&NES Council (@bathnes) January 4, 2023
Now we just sit back and wait for the complaints from angry residents to roll in…
Should keep the live blog ticking over until Easter, I reckon.
Who are you and what have you done with Egan Bernal?
2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal could have the element of surprise at his disposal this season when he attacks his rivals, who may not recognise the Colombian climber following his recent nose surgery.
Bernal, who is reportedly set for his first crack at the Tour since abandoning the race with back pain in 2020, underwent a nose operation in December to treat a deviated septum and to ease his breathing.
El Campeón del Tour de Francia Egan Bernal luce nuevo look , el ciclista del @INEOSGrenadiers aprovechó el procedimiento para mejorar problemas de respiración y se realizó también cirugía estética ! 🇨🇴🚴🏻👃#Ciclismo pic.twitter.com/2NH1FNxW8J
— Paisadeportes (@paisadeportes) December 24, 2022
According to the Colombian new outlet SoHo, doctors said that the operation, known as a septoplasty, was not linked to the 25-year-old’s life-threatening training crash last January, but to earlier incidents from his racing career.
While the Ineos Grenadiers rider certainly hopes that the surgery will help him regain his nose for victory at the grand tours (I’ll get my coat), it seems that Bernal’s striking new look has led the cycling world down a Beatles-era conspiracy rabbit hole…
We are meant to believe this person is Egan Bernal? https://t.co/PAkof2sGA9
— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) January 4, 2023
Different person. pic.twitter.com/x3ZwXSMpI3
— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) January 4, 2023
That is fundamentally not Bernal is it… WEIRD. Maybe it’s a new ‘Paul McCartney died and was replaced’ conspiracy theory
— Jacob (@marrakoosh) January 4, 2023
Green Party says government needs to “get serious about reducing traffic levels” following active travel funding announcement
The Green Party has criticised the government’s recent announcement that £32.9 million will be set aside to help councils across England build a network of cycling and walking experts, claiming that the new funding “doesn’t come close to delivering the active travel resolution we need”.
On Monday, Department for Transport (DfT) launched its scheme to create a network of active travel experts which it hopes will realise the government’s ambition of increasing journeys by bike or on foot, as well as giving local communities more of a say in shaping cycling and walking schemes.
Besides helping fund the creation of hundreds of new jobs throughout the country, the DfT says that the funding will also help councils train existing councillors and staff, as well as providing money for network planning and for public engagement exercises such as consultations.
> £33 million funding to help councils across England build network of active travel experts
However, the Green Party has responded to the funding by branding it a “drop in the ocean”, arguing that the government needs to be more ambitious when it comes to active travel.
“It is always welcome to see new funding to help develop world class active travel networks across England,” Bradford councillor and the Greens’ transport spokesperson Matt Edwards said in a statement. “Active Travel England wants 50 percent of trips in England’s urban areas to be walked, cycled or made by other active travel means by 2030.
“However, this goal is being undermined whilst our local councils continue to treat active travel as an afterthought. Retraining staff is a good place to start but the government needs to be much more ambitious.
“£33 million is a drop in the ocean when you consider the billions in the Department of Transport budget – £16 billion alone is allocated to just five road building schemes.
“Training new teams of experts is pointless without the funding to deliver the programme of schemes we need. The government needs to follow through and get serious about reducing traffic levels and boosting active travel by switching the billions earmarked for building new roads into investing in healthy walking, cycling and other forms of active travel.”
World darts champion Michael Smith and the bike crash that propelled him to greatness
Destiny. pic.twitter.com/SsUaOSZu0Q
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 3, 2023
If, like me, you were glued to the darts last night, you’ll know that St Helens-born Michael Smith stormed to his first world PDC world title against the fancied Michael van Gerwen, beating the three-time world champion 7-4 in sets at Alexandra Palace.
Lat night’s final that will also long be remembered for one of the most sensational legs of darts ever captured on tape, as Smith took out a brilliant nine dart finish after MVG missed his own tantalising chance at double 12.
What you may not know, however, is that ‘Bully Boy’ Smith arguably owes the skyward trajectory of his career to a bike crash when he was a teenager (of course I was going to get to bikes at some point!).
> How a stolen bike set Muhammad Ali on the path to greatness
Back in 2014, Smith told the St Helen’s Reporter that, while cycling to school as a 15-year-old, he crashed and broke his hip.
Just like how Muhammad Ali’s stolen Schwinn sent the future heavyweight champion down the boxing path, Smith spent his 16-week-long stint in crutches playing darts, and threw his first 180 during that time.
And if that wasn’t enough of a tenuous cycling-darts crossover, here’s that mind-boggling leg again (just because), complete with tweet-by-tweet commentary from cycling’s most well-known lover of all things tungsten, Ned Boulting:
This is genuinely incredible. I love this sport. I love this sport. https://t.co/7vB3feY4Nr
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) January 3, 2023
I’m going to write a book about that leg.
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) January 3, 2023
So happy to see @Michael180Smith fulfill his destiny against the hardest of them all @MvG180 – it was a terrific final
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) January 3, 2023
“Oooops”: Cyclist spotted riding along two motorways turns out to be wanted man
A cyclist who was spotted this morning riding his bike along two motorways has been arrested by police – after it turned out that he was wanted for failing to appear at court.
Cheshire Police have told the BBC that the 22-year-old was cycling on the M6 and onto the M62 via the Croft Interchange near Warrington at 5am today.
After “dozens” of motorists contacted the police after passing the man on the motorway, he was eventually stopped and later found to have failed to appear at Crewe Magistrates’ Court.
Dozens of calls regarding a cyclist on the M6 then onto the M62 at Croft interchange.
Police & Highways attend and locate the male.
It transpires he is wanted for failing to appear at court. Oooops
Now under arrest & enroute to Custody in Merseyside pic.twitter.com/MiZJufJu44
— North West Motorway Police (@NWmwaypolice) January 4, 2023
The North West Motorway Police tweeted that the man was “under arrest and en route to custody in Merseyside”.
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police failed to clarify whether the 22-year-old will face any action over his spot of motorway cycling, though he will be made to appear in court over an unrelated matter.
Reader reaction: Bike parking, motorbike parking, and a Tour de France winner’s divisive accessories
It’s been another day of cycle hangars and sartorial elegance on the live blog, so here’s a selection of your thoughts on some of the stories of the day.
First up, road.cc reader Moist von Lipwig came up with a possible way to stop pesky motorcyclists blocking Brighton and Hove’s new cycle hangars:
If parking wardens can ticket motorbikes for parking adjacent to double yellows, can’t the council just double yellow the road to the extent of the hanger and then write an exception for the hanger into the TRO? Sorted.
Hangar may have to be placed so the double yellows are visible I suppose, although they’re not always visible from some types of vehicle stopped over them.
You don’t have to have a no parking sign for a double yellow to reduce street clutter but there’s no harm in having one to back up the double yellow for the ‘I couldn’t see them excuse’.
Although Fursty Ferret’s alternative solution requires a touch less bureaucracy: “Just push them over”.
Not that we would ever condone that kind of thing of course…
Meanwhile, hawkinspeter isn’t impressed with Battersea Power Station’s bike parking provision.
“I think with bikes and bike parking, designers get really excited as they can use all their expertise and outside-the-box thinking to fully optimise the storage of a standardised bicycle for a standardised human,” he says.
“However, bikes (and humans) have been around for ages and come in all shapes and sizes and abilities, so rather than optimising, they need to go for the lowest common denominator, which is usually the cheap, boring, practical Sheffield stand.”
Simple.
Finally, we turn to the issue dividing every pro cycling fan at the start of 2023 – Geraint Thomas’ new glasses.
According to the results of this morning’s poll almost two-thirds of our readership, it turns out, are afraid of change, favouring G’s tried-and-trusted Oakley Racing Jackets look:
For road.cc reader Kapelmuur, it all comes down to the ability to spot a rider in a fast-moving bunch, lamenting in the comments: “My ability to recognise anyone in a peloton is minimal and now I will not even be able to spot the one rider I could identify with confidence.”
Over on Facebook, Kevin is taking the news pretty hard:
How about darts, Kev?
“Well… this will take some getting used to”: At least one Geraint Thomas is happy about the Ineos Grenadiers’ new eyewear partnership
I know the new year is supposed to be about fresh starts and all… But I feel like British eyewear brand SunGod’s new partnership with the Ineos Grenadiers may take some processing.
And that’s before we even begin to imagine the effects of such a profound and all-encompassing change on 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and his beloved white Oakley Racing Jackets, now sitting forlornly gathering dust on the Welshman’s bedside table, wistfully reminiscing about sunnier days on Alpe d’Huez or (less sunny days) in the Arenberg Forest.
2023. Time to keep the whippersnappers at bay for another season 🤣🤌 pic.twitter.com/V0pEKgTxSG
— Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) January 3, 2023
Last month, you may recall, Ineos announced that they will be ending their 12-year association with Oakley, in favour of a new, unspecified but “long-term” deal with SunGod.
“INEOS Grenadiers is a performance-led team, so we pride ourselves on working with the most forward-thinking, agile and performance-driven partners – that’s why we’ve chosen SunGod as our new, long-term eyewear partner,” Deputy Team Principal Rod Ellingworth said at the time.
It just doesn’t look… right (Credit: CAuldPhoto)
But it seems that veteran racer Thomas, as synonymous with the discontinued, turn-of-the-2010s-era specs as he is with the Tour’s yellow jersey or crashing in feed zones, may have to keep reminding himself to leave the Racing Jackets at home this year.
After getting the bug-like glasses surgically removed – though I heard that telegraph poles in the Alps can also do the trick (sorry, G) – Thomas, posting a video taken during the British team’s winter training camp in Mallorca last month, tweeted: “Well… this will take some getting used to.”
Well… this will take some getting used to 🤣 Welcome to the party @we_are_sungod 👌 pic.twitter.com/XFZvztIIbT
— Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) January 1, 2023
Judging by the photos and video of the Bahrain Victor- sorry, I mean Ineos Grenadiers riders showing off their new orangey-red kit, I have to say I agree with Geraint.
At least give him some white shades, for goodness’ sake.
Although, there is at least one Geraint Thomas who is delighted with the change…
Me realising that I can now own a pair of Oakley’s without Twitter exploding. pic.twitter.com/rLVmKjS2zJ
— Geraint Thomas (@geraintthomas) January 3, 2023
“How not to do cycle parking, London style”: Cyclists blast Battersea Power Station bike parking
This Twitter thread, exploring the new bike parking facilities at recently redeveloped Battersea Power Station, has caused quite a stir this morning.
For those of you, like me, who are yet to visit the new ‘bike hub’, it’s worth a quick tour, courtesy of cyclist Jim:
Visiting the redeveloped Battersea Power Station for the first time.
It’s amazing.
It cost upwards of £7.5 billion.Here’s a little 🧵 about parking your bike. pic.twitter.com/TAiqkVN3JB
— Jim Harris is at work (@jimoutoffaf) December 24, 2022
2/ When you arrive, you’re greeted by these cute ‘Bike Hub’ signs. pic.twitter.com/dKCQy7B988
— Jim Harris is at work (@jimoutoffaf) December 24, 2022
3/ The ‘Bike Hub’ is underground.
You can get to it by lift.
Or stairs.
There appears to be no level access. pic.twitter.com/eFtMrhXnwy— Jim Harris is at work (@jimoutoffaf) December 24, 2022
5/ Once you’re inside, you can park.
There are lots of these, from which you can hang your bike.
Unless you have a front mudguard, in which case they’re useless. pic.twitter.com/sVDe8M1o4F— Jim Harris is at work (@jimoutoffaf) December 24, 2022
7/ Still, there are always the upper racks.
Although, when you pull them out, they don’t lower, so you have to lift your bike up and on.
So, if you can’t lift your bike, or bend down, you’re screwed.
If you have mudguards, you’re screwed. pic.twitter.com/Ex6YMNElgu— Jim Harris is at work (@jimoutoffaf) December 24, 2022
8/ So what £7 billion+ gets you is the biggest, fanciest, least easy to access, most ill-conceived bike storage facility in London.
Trebles all round! pic.twitter.com/lgn1iH267V
— Jim Harris is at work (@jimoutoffaf) December 24, 2022
It’s safe to say that Jim’s quick online tour hasn’t exactly provoked a wave of enthusiasm for the facilities or those who put them in place.
Ely Cycling Campaign described the bike parking at Battersea Power Station as “the tragic story of a well-funded cycle project being spoilt by obstinate developers who are unwilling to look at best practice”.
“This is what you get when you put someone who doesn’t cycle in charge of designing your cycling facilities,” said John, while Carole called the facilities “pretty poor”.
“Another example of how new developments – whether commercial, retail or residential – get cycling provision so wrong, so often,” said the Shoreham-By-Cycle group. “Commercial landlords: Speak to your local cycling group *before* finalising design and installation!”
My God.
If only there was a place a few hours away by direct train service where one could see perfect underground bike parking in practice… pic.twitter.com/jalHT69jLZ
— Gordon Struth (🦣@gordon_struth@mastodon.online) (@gordon_struth) January 4, 2023
Eeva had some other tips for developers tasked with installing bike parking provision: “Don’t be original, just put up some Sheffield stands, attached to the floor permanently, not with bolts that can be unscrewed in seconds. Also ramps, ffs.”
Finally, Gaz wrote: “So much money, and still so damn poor. Bad or no bike parking is a barrier to enabling cycling as transport. This is so dismal.”
What do you think? Money well spent or another case where cycling and cyclists sit at the bottom of the list of priorities?
The saga of the Brighton and Hove bike hangars continues: Resident says hangars are “useless” – as motorbike owners keep blocking them
One of the big live blog hitters of late 2022 is already making a storming return to the charts in 2023…
Yep, that’s right, Brighton and Hove’s new bike hangars are back in the news!
As avid readers of the live blog will know, 60 hangars, one of which can house up to six bikes in a space that would otherwise be occupied by a single car, were first introduced in July as part of Brighton and Hove City Council’s plans to install 150 of the storage units across the city by spring 2023.
While Robert Davis, the co-chairman of the council’s environment, transport, and sustainability committee, said that the hangars have proved extremely popular and that residents “have wanted them for a long time”, they haven’t managed to avoid some pro-car, NIMBY controversy, however.
In November, we reported that one of the hangars, in Norfolk Square, caused outrage after eagle-eyed motorists noticed that it appeared to be straddling two car parking spaces, with one resident arguing that the unit’s positioning was either a result of “sheer incompetence or the continuing war by Brighton and Hove City Council against motorists”.
A few days later, another resident took to the local press to declare that she does not want one of the “giant ugly objects” outside her house (as one councillor pointed out, she wasn’t referring to “Range Rovers that are half parked on the pavement”).
And now, after a well-earned Christmas break, the bike hangars are back making headlines – but this time, one resident has complained that cyclists aren’t able to access the units thanks to inconsiderate motorbike owners.
The anonymous local told the Argus that the council should do more to prevent motorbikes and mopeds blocking the bike hangar in Denmark Villas, Hove.
“They have introduced a cycle hangar there but the way that motorbike parks means it’s unusable,” the local said.
“It would appear that the council can’t do anything about it and remove the moped. I’m not a cyclist, I have seen people use the hangar but they’re not going to be able to get in to that hangar if the motorbike is in the way.
“Parking permits holders have to pay £175 a year for the privilege of parking, cyclists also pay for bike hangars but people on motorbikes can park where they like.
“We all have to pay. If a car parked on the pavement there, you are guaranteed it will be taken away or a ticket issued.
“It is out of order for motorbikes to park on the pavement. But you bother to put a cycle hangar in there and you allow a bike in front of it, it means the hangar is useless, it can’t be used. You’d think you would be able to penalise someone for obstructing the entrance to a cycle hangar.”
Responding to the complaint, a spokesperson for Brighton ad Hove City Council said that parking attendants do not have the power to penalise motorcyclists who park on pavements unless they are parked adjacent to double yellow lines, zig zags, or bus stops, but that one attendant did warn one motorbike owners against parking in front of the bike hangar.
“We’re obviously very disappointed that motorcyclists would choose to park their bikes in such an unreasonable manner,” the spokesperson said.
“In this instance one of our parking attendants actually met the motorcyclist and explained that they shouldn’t be parking there.
“We hope this will be the end of the matter. If it continues, we will report it to the police for their attention.
“We have been lobbying central government for powers to tackle pavement parking, similar to the powers that have existed in London since the 1970s. The Department for Transport carried out a consultation on providing these powers to councils outside London in November 2019.
“We have been told that the government has reviewed responses to this consultation and will be making an announcement about powers to tackle pavement parking for councils outside London in the near future.”
4 January 2023, 09:44
4 January 2023, 09:44
Strong words from the former UCI and British Cycling president
Brian Cookson pens outspoken critique of British Cycling at "crisis point" thanks to people "with no real knowledge" of cycling
"I'm not going to beat about the bush. It's time for straight talking," former UCI and British Cycling president writes in start-of-year blog
4 January 2023, 09:44
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Latest Comments
I cannot edit my post; the need for a clear distinction between the two is not for semantics, but for those of us who are convoy drivers, who are licensed for that role. We take it very seriously and can incur fines and punishment from the UCI for wrongdoing. Those in front, in the caravan, are just normal everyday drivers and do not have the experience of driving in a race convoy, sometimes at speed, with riders all around us. Therefore, should not be taking risks on any part of the route.
Your wording on this needs to be clear, you've mixed up two different parts of the race. The vehicle was from the publicity caravan (Out in front of the race), similar to what you get at the Tour de France, they throw out merchandise to roadside fans, but later in the article, you say "Tour du Rwanda’s official convoy". The convoy on a UCI race is the vehicles which travel behind the race "in convoy" which include the team cars, officals cars, neutral service...etc. You need to have clear distinction between the two. This was not a convoy vehicle, it was a caravan vehicle.
“when the government confirmed that Nottinghamshire County Council will receive £6.7 million for active travel over the next four years, with part of this funding to be used to repair the greenway” Wow - 6.7 million for the WHOLE council for a WHOLE four years for active travel. And once this one shared route has been repaired and the barriers paid for, there could be a WHOLE five million left for the rest of the county. For four years! Astonishingly generous. Imagine how much excellent infrastructure they will build.
Standard journalist protection against any possible action for libel or defamation when mentioning any accusation that hasn't been proven in court. Obviously it's pretty unlikely that an unidentified person (it doesn't even say in which country the incident occurred) would be taking legal action over this but it's good practice always to include it. While there is no reason to believe Swenson has made up the story there are always different perspectives: the driver or passenger might well claim that the door was already open before he arrived and he wasn't paying attention. Unless/until a case is proved in court or by admission it remains an allegation and so it's safest to add the "allegedly" proviso.
Swenson was hit by "a motorist’s car door, which was 'allegedly' swung open into his path." Allegedly swung open? Is there some reason to believe Swenson is making up this story?
And to show the sleeves with the dummy in the riding position.
The people who would listen to them aren't much of the problem. What're needed are for [insert high profile sportsball people of your choice] to do this.
Get some help you tedious fool.
No, now everybody can see the space after your opening bracket!
What he means is there's nowhere to park all day for free! Morrisons has a 2 hour limit and the shopping centre is pay and display.
68 thoughts on “Resident says new bike hangars are “useless” – as motorcyclists keep blocking them; How not to do cycle parking; “This will take some getting used to”: Geraint’s new glasses; Katie Hopkins v Active Travel; Tour de France wildcards + more on the live blog”
Man Wears Sunglasses: More on
Man Wears Sunglasses: More on this late breaking story as it develops. ; )
if he doesnt crash this year
if he doesnt crash this year we may have discovered what the jinx was…
Global Nomad wrote:
He wore the same specs in 2018. I think you’ll find that was a fairly unjinxed Tour de France for Geraint. And again in 2022.
He’s paid to wear whatever brand sponsors the team. I’m sure he will manage just fine. Only a fool (or a marketing bloke) would try to pretend they are something more than hugely overpriced sunglasses.
It seems that the sarcasm was
It seems that the sarcasm was wasted on you.
(No subject)
I bought some Racing Jackets
I bought some Racing Jackets when they came out, spent a fortune on them and 4-5 sets of different lenses. I just can’t get on with them. The frames block your vision ahead when cycling, and they’re really bad at fogging up. The worst thing is the vents in the lenses make my eyes water on descents. So they’re pristine, and sat in their case in a box under the stairs. Oakley are not what they used to be, they have sat thinking they are the best whilst many manufacturers have overtaken them.
I now wear Smith Optics and Julbo. Much better design, functionality and build quality.
I can’t believe G stuck with them for so long.
My ability to recognise
My ability to recognise anyone in a peloton is minimal and now I will not even be able to spot he one rider I could identify with confidence.
Kapelmuur wrote:
Same here – been saying for years that the UCI should make Jumbo Visma’s once upon a time solution compulsory, with names on helmets. They should also have numbers printed on jerseys a foot high front and back and on the sleeves, every rider to be given a squad number that they keep all season for all events.
Shocked to find you
Shocked to find you advocating for numbers to identify cyclists!
Wouldn’t some kind of logo be clearer (for the few we duffers have heard of)? An image of a pineapple pizza for example.
chrisonatrike wrote:
Well it could be that, but a more up-to-date one for the rider you have in mind might be a “Do Not Disturb” sign?
They’re not the Vulcans, they
They’re not the Vulcans, they’re the Velans fwiw, and not even a special custom edition for Ineos just plain old matt black frames with silver blue lens.
Why they couldnt let him have the white frame version instead from a company who extols the whole pick customised sunglasses to suit you schtick, I do not know.
I’m not one for vigilante
I’m not one for vigilante action but that scooter / motorbike would not be in front of the bike hanger for very long if I lived in the area. Just push them over. Owners will soon get the message.
Fursty Ferret wrote:
Agreed, although I don’t think it’s vigilantism, but just moving an obstruction.
Fursty Ferret wrote:
I wouldn’t push it over (if anyone saw you there might be criminal damage charges for a start) but scooters like that one weigh very little, a couple of reasonably strong adults could easily pick it up and carefully put it down on the double yellows.
Is that a legal L plate?
Is that a legal L plate?
I suspect both are used by delivery drivers even though only one has the “box”. It seems to show that the cyclist the other day talking about reasons they are “breaking laws” seems to have forgotten that in most cases, it is just the delivery person is an arse.
What is the deal with L
What is the deal with L plates and motorbikes? Didn’t it used to be that you could only ride a motorbike using an L plate for a year or so before you either had to do your test or get rid of the ‘bike?
As far as I can tell, it’s
As far as I can tell, it’s two years and at the end of that you can simply repeat the CBT and carry on riding on L plates.
As Onyerbike pointed out, it
As Onyerbike pointed out, it seems to be a perpertuity deal with the moped/scooters. That and the turnover of riders is why food delivery vendors (even prior to just eat etc) used to supply the carrying boxes with pre-printed learner plates. I used to see dominos and Papa Johns with those 15 years ago.
re. Motorbikes blocking bike
re. Motorbikes blocking bike hangers. If parking wardens can ticket motorbikes for parking adjacent to double yellows, can’t the council just double yellow the road to the extent of the hanger and then write an exception for the hanger into the TRO? Sorted. Hanger may have to be placed so the double yellows are visible I suppose. although they’re not always visible from some types of vehicle stopped over them. You don’t have to have a no parking sign for a double yellow to reduce street clutter but theres no harm in having one to back up the double yellow for the ‘I couldn’t see them excuse’.
As the double yellow lines
As the double yellow lines just stop, it would be perfectly legal to park alongside the bike hangar, blocking one lane of the carriageway!
The council just need to extend the double yellows around the cycle hanger. As a fixed object, its periphery has now become the edge of the carriageway.
Can’t see what was wrong with
Can’t see what was wrong with M-frame Pros to be honest.
The next time I have nearly A
The next time I have nearly A MILLION QUIDS WORTH OF LUXURY WATCHES in my house I will be seriously sweating also for my kids and wife’s safety!
This might be unpopular opinion but jeez man, he did kinda bring it on himself…
Best not to comment on
Best not to comment on ongoing court cases as per the standalone news item footnote.
Just like somebody who
Just like somebody who chooses to ride a £5k bike is asking to have it stolen/ be mugged whilst riding it?
Or maybe just someone cycling on the road is asking to be close passed, assaulted, run over, or all of the other crimes that get committed against us on a daily basis?
Victims of crime are victims, full stop. I would not choose to have expensive watches myself, but at least we know that Cav has earned his money legally and legitimately.
Being careful not to comment
Being careful not to comment on the ongoing case, Cav has for many years been sponsored by Richard Mille who make timepieces costing hundreds of thousands, so I imagine he has a number of freebies that he is expected to wear in public.
My one question about
My one question about Battersea: is there anything preventing people from just locking their bikes to the bannister instead of carrying them down the stairs?
At my local station, the
At my local station, the (inexplicable) decision was made, to replace several Sheffield stands with one of those double decker efforts. Even better, there isn’t enough space in front of the new stand to manoeuvre a bike into place for the upper tier. And using the lower tier means crawling around on hands/knees to lock the bike up.
So I lock the bike to the barrier in front of the stand: the very barrier that prevents me using the stand.
I’ve only used one of the
I’ve only used one of the double decker items when I was a CWG volunteer at the NEC in Brum. Even though they were supposedly an active travel place and had temp secured bike areas at other venues, they decided the NEC didn’t need one. However they directed the volunteers to use the pass controlled one at the train station next door.
Whilst there was similar issues to what was mentioned (as well as potential handlebar clash), they did have a larger raised bar on the non-drive side which allowed the U-lock to lock to the downtube. I did have issues with “dropping” the upper rack until I realised it is hydraulically assisted to stop it falling under the weight of the bike and a firm push would drop it to allow access.
The shelter did have a couple of Sheffield stands but they were already in use by the time I got there.
Private land, innit – not
Private land, innit – not public space. I bet if you tried that, you’d find that they had taken it away. And crushed it. And shipped it to the Emirates to use in their new Winter Olympics stadium…
Reminds me of when Neil
Reminds me of when Neil Kinnock was EU transport minister or some such, and he was visiting British Aerospace (BAWA) in Bristol. The week before his visit, they tarmacced the car park, put in Sheffield stands and it was great; the day after he went, they took the Sheffield stands out.
A few months later, BAWA hosted a meeting of the South Gloucestershire cycle forum, and I locked my bike to the only secure thing, a drain pipe, only to be told by a jobsworth security guard that I couldn’t leave it there. When I enquired where I could leave it, I was told to put it in the wheelbenders, and I politely declined, as it was a long walk home. I was going to ride home, but the SGlos member managed to get the security people to look after my bike.
At least with the Battersea
At least with the Battersea Cycle Parking, they were able to pay the designers with just a pack of crayons (yumm!)
I think with bikes and bike parking, designers get really excited as they can use all their expertise and outside-the-box thinking to fully optimise the storage of a standardised bicycle for a standardised human. However, bikes (and humans) have been around for ages and come in all shapes and sizes and abilities, so rather than optimising, they need to go for the lowest common denominator, which is usually the cheap, boring, practical Sheffield stand.
I’m tempted to start up a design agency that specialises in bike storage solutions. I’d spend ages getting requirements from lots of people, have multiple focus groups and maybe send questionnaires around the larger community. Then, after collating huge amounts of data, I’d just sprinkle a bunch of Sheffield stands around – proper job, innit?
hawkinspeter wrote:
— hawkinspeterNo-one would ever employ you. The purpose is to spend lots of money on cycling without actually providing anything useful or encouraging cycling.
hawkinspeter wrote:
But that isn’t exciting and fresh and innovative, and no modern designer likes to use old tried-and-tested designs. They’d all be using pentagonal doorways and random-height staircases if they thought they’d get away with it…
Not sure they needed a pack
Not sure they needed a whole pack of crayons, one would probably have been sufficient, if not actually generous for the splendid job the designers have done.
It would appear that the designers are avid readers of road.cc, and took every criticism of every bad cycle parking construction, and put them all together to make a facility that nobody, absolutely nobody, will use. Then they’ll be able to say that they spent all this money on state-of-the-art cycle parking but those bloody cyclists still won’t use it; and they’ll never bother again. I hope there is some mole in the organisation who will leak the specifications for the cycle parking, it will make interesting reading.
Call me a conspiracy theorist, but nothing could possibly be that bad by accident, this was designed in. No level access, unreliable lift only, no secure entry, no secure racks, no accident. If, after all these years of telling planners about cycle parking, publishing dozens of guidance booklets and advice and the examples in Holland, this still happens, something has gone very wrong indeed. Will heads roll? Nah, they’ll get an award.
Reminds me of pedestrian/cyclist bridges, for which masses of guidance exists and thousands of foreign examplars, but are almost always abysmal. Valentine’s bridge in Bristol for instance, on a council defined cycle route, but not suitable for cycling and with “cyclists dismount” signs either end, and because the cyclists wouldn’t, they put in a chicane, which the council said needed planning permission which it didn’t have; I expect it’s still there. It still got an award from Sustrans.
eburtthebike wrote:
They need something at snack time, though
hawkinspeter wrote:
We ride through there twice a day, there’s actually a perfectly good row of Sheffield stands right on the riverside in front of the power station where there are never fewer than three security guards patrolling, seems a much better bet than this nonsense.
Agreed! What do we want?
Agreed! What do we want? Mundane, standard and (relatively) cheap cycle infra! Where do we want it? Everywhere!
I’m with brooksby here – designs and “concepts” in general but ALWAYS those produced by UK cycling designers should come with a massive warning sign saying “may not work in practice”. “Being creative” and “form over function” often leads to things being more expensive than maybe they ought and sometimes to outright fiascos.
We know what works. If that’s politically impossible, go for the Copenhagen “good enough” fixes.
Hang on. The hateful Hopkins
Hang on. The hateful Hopkins and the like go beyond the usual gripes about LTNs (which I disagree with, but which could be considered part of legitimate political discourse), around car journey times, accessability, etc. I mean, they are wrong, but legitimate, points of view. However, this is proper conspiracy theory stuff, LTNs as some kind of way in which The Government will control your ability to move, literally keeping you from travelling outside a narrow area. It’s up there with Bill Gates creating Covid.
The answer is to calmly discuss the legitimate criticisms of LTNs, supporting their generally positive impacts, whilst just flat out rejecting the crazy conspiracy theories.
the little onion wrote:
I don’t think that rational discourse and logic is going to help when dealing with anyone that listens to Katie Hopkins and her ilk.
Hopkins and the like would
Hopkins and the like would say literally anything if they thought people would click it. They don’t have any actual opinions, they are just looking for the most contraversial statements because the social media algorithms reward that.
The only way to engage positively is to pretend they don’t exist at all.
Deny them the oxygen of
Deny them the oxygen of publicity. Or better still, oxygen.
the little onion wrote:
— the little onionShe isn’t improving with age, is she.
the little onion wrote:
And ironic, given that it’s the far right which has form for – er – keeping people inside a small area of a city and not letting them travel elsewhere…
Godwin, I know; I’ll get my coat… 😉
Yup. The smaller
Yup. The smaller misrepresentations of what she’s saying (brilliantly rebuffed by Oxford Council) are dwarfed by the overarching theme of populations being penned into specific areas, which is straight from The Great Reset narrative. She’s deliberately conflating restricting use of private vehicles with restricting people moving.
I think Chris Boardman has
I think Chris Boardman has something right when he mentioned just not giving certain questions air-time.
Political skills required though! Arguing from facts and logic as opposed to emotion is often inadequate. Humans usually don’t work that way! So you need a non-partisan and appropriately skeptical audience, not a baying mob. Or rather an internet full of bored people seeking to be distracted for 30s on their phones…
Atleast Battersea Power
Atleast Battersea Power Station have included a picture of a wheel bender on the sign, so you know straight away that there’s no point trying to use it.
Share your memories and
Share your memories and pictures of the Raleigh Chopper bike
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/jan/04/share-your-memories-and-pictures-of-the-raleigh-chopper-bike
Battersea: has anyone asked
Battersea: has anyone asked the designers and specifiers what they asked for and why they ignored every single piece of guidance? And what they’re going to do about it now?
Of course, it’ll be far too expensive to do what needs to be done, rip it out and start again, so they’ll probably just put in half-a-dozen Sheffield racks and call it a day.
Quote:
…
Over the past year or so the
Over the past year or so the question of manslaughter or murder charges has come up for drivers of vehicles.
So I was intrigued yesterday by this headline:
“Man charged with manslaughter over fatal crash in Shropshire”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-64153794.amp
The article has no indication why a death by careless or dangerous driving charge was not being used.
Interesting. Thanks for
Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully more information will come out as it proceeds.
There is no detail whatsoever
There is no detail whatsoever in the article but I have to speculate (wildly) that the driver who has been charged probably had a history of offences which contributed to the charge levied.
Patrick9-32 wrote:
I don’t think past offences can be considered when considering a charge. It can be considered during investigation and during sentencing though. I reckon Tom_77 is more in the money. I reckon details will come out regarding intent or exceptional recklessness.
Looking through this – https:
Looking through this – https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/road-traffic-charging
Tom_77 wrote:
— Tom_77Surely the phrase about being reckless as to whether injury would be caused applies to many of the incidents where cyclists are killed? So why is that never applied?
Hence my intrigue. It will be
Hence my intrigue. It will be interesting to see how this progresses.
Tom_77 wrote:
describes a significant percentage of occasions where motorists kill cyclists
IanMSpencer wrote:
It’s a shame that this isn’t standard procedure with the Judge informing the jury that they can return a verdict of death by dangerous/death by careless if the evidence only warrants that.
Of course it’s purely wishful thinking on my part.
Just speculation but can one
Just speculation but can one be charged with manslaughter for knowingly driving an unfit vehicle, e.g. an MOT brake failure, where a fatality can be shown to have been caused or contributed to by the unfitness of the vehicle? (Genuine question, don’t know the answer)
I can think of one notorious
I can think of one notorious (and much commented upon, here and elsewhere) case but it involved a track bike, not a motor vehicle.
The only other one I’m aware
The only other one I’m aware of which is currently classed as Murder/Manslaughter and not death by driving offences is the perps in the case of Tony Parsons, but that seems to be more because of the actions afterwards.
Katie Hopkins. Oh dear. Has
Katie Hopkins. Oh dear. Has Farage waded into the debate yet with his lies and misinformation?
BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP wrote:
Isn’t he busy trying to get his mate, Andrew Tate out of trouble for human trafficking and rape?
Having a little time to spare
Having a little time to spare this morning I had a look at the access to the Battersea bike hub: there is a way to cycle in if you turn right off Battersea Park Road into Prospect Way and go down the carpark ramp. It starts off feeling like a nice piece of Dutch infra, but you quickly get to British design, three pushbutton doors and as a final effort a sign on the door of the hub saying you must dismount and push your bike in. Not quite the effortless ride up ride off of one’s dreams, even before the useless racks are taken into account…
https://twitter.com/Rendel_Harris/status/1610922996905951233
As someone mentioned in the
As someone mentioned in the comments, they are obviously fire doors. However as also mentioned, there are other options for those these days with magnets what release and close when alarms sound.
Yes, we had that type
Yes, we had that type installed in our old block of flats. Another alternative (unless it was forbidden by fire regulations, which I assume not as they have them on the front doors of supermarkets and so on) would be to have automatically opening doors. Looking at the video again it’s classic that the buttons are only on one side of the door, the right, so that not only do you have to stop and shuffle over to the button but when the door opens you will be right in the way of any cyclists coming in the other direction! Fairly indicative of the lack of thought that has gone into the whole design.
Are there fire doors on the
Are there fire doors on the car park where the cars go in?
No, but then the large
No, but then the large opening is there to allow ventilation and places for the smoke to exit. However the ped tunnels need to keep out smoke and not provide an option for a chimney effect in there, hence the multiple sets.