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Jeremy Clarkson screenshot from YouTube
Jeremy Clarkson screenshot from YouTube (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Jeremy Clarkson claims James May has been influenced by “lefties” to support 20mph speed limits; Praise for Cycling UK standing up to council that kept rat-run open; Lance: Van der Poel and Van Aert are rockstars; Cycle-tennis + more on the live blog

It’s Wednesday and Dan Alexander is here to take you through the middle of the week on the live blog
  • by Dan Alexander
Wed, Feb 08, 2023 09:11
70

SUMMARY

  • Praise for Cycling UK standing up to council that kept rat-run open
  • Tennis pro invents cycle-tennis
  • Lance Armstrong: Van der Poel and Van Aert are rockstars
  • Cycling Kit & Clothing Of The Year | 2023 Awards Show
  • Tartan paintjob on show as Six Nations match ball cycles north for Scotland v Wales
  • Jeremy Clarkson claims James May has been influenced by "lefties" to support 20mph speed limits
  • Look mum no hands! announces closure of Old Street cycle café
  • Reaction to Look mum no hands! closing
  • Scottish cyclist who broke back in hit-and-run urges driver to "have a conscience"
  • Richmond Park access concerns
  • When Jeremy Clarkson makes cycling-related headlines
Jeremy Clarkson screenshot from YouTube
Jeremy Clarkson screenshot from YouTube (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
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8 February 2023, 09:11

Praise for Cycling UK standing up to council that kept rat-run open

Cycling UK threatens council with legal action over “unlawful” decision to keep rat-run openhttps://t.co/nX7HKKZJFb #cycling pic.twitter.com/dmPVZZXgmC

— road.cc (@roadcc) February 7, 2023

Plenty of you lot have been having your say on Cycling UK’s letter before action sent to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP), threatening legal action if the decision to keep a known rat-run open to motor traffic — despite a consultation showing public disapproval and an independent report suggesting future financial gains — is not reconsidered…

lonpfrb: “BCP Council can’t tell the difference between opinions and evidence, so not surprised they made the wrong choice. Deserves to be challenged.”

eburtthebike: “So most people wanted it closed to motor vehicles, independent analysis shows that it would be an economic benefit to keep it closed, and yet the council opens it; democracy in action. As I’ve said before, it would not be entirely surprising to find that some councillors who drive use the bridge as a rat-run. If I lived there my local councillor would be getting hell.”

And one of the most common comments was a comparison between Cycling UK’s work and a certain other member group representing the views of those who ride bikes…

Secret_squirrel: “And this is why I switched from British Cycling to Cycling UK. Whilst they can’t fight every battle, they take a good swing at some, and at least they don’t look for sponsorship in all the wrong places. They’re in touch — BC are out of touch.”

ChasP: “Same here, happy to pay my subs.”

Boopop: “…and me. Good effort Cycling UK, keep up the top work.”

Muddy Ford: “On the basis of this statement alone, I am switching to Cycling UK from British Cycling. I’m fed up of councils pandering to an aggressive minority of ignorant petrolheads believing that is what will get them votes. As can be seen from the last London Mayoral vote, the anti-cycling nonsense doesn’t have the backing they think. Go CUK, take these pillocks to task!”

Not my fight, but I’m really glad that @WeAreCyclingUK are challenging this. Amongst one of the reasons I recently joined their membership, is that they actively encourage cycling and champion the cause of active transport and alternatives to car use.

— FortyFouristheMagicNumber (@fouristhe) February 7, 2023

Looks like I’ll be joining Cycling Uk if they are going to stand up to this. Great stuff 👍

— Seph (@whitej85) February 7, 2023

8 February 2023, 09:11

Tennis pro invents cycle-tennis

The 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finalist, a man with an almost impressively long Wikipedia ‘controversies’ section, Bernard Tomic has invented a new sport…

Leave it to the mind of Bernard Tomic to revolutionize tennis like this. pic.twitter.com/pgy8LM3lD6

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) February 7, 2023

We’ll leave the analysis to another of tennis’ controversial characters…

Moves better moving forward like this 🤭

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) February 7, 2023

8 February 2023, 09:11

Lance Armstrong: Van der Poel and Van Aert are rockstars

2023 UCI Cyclocross World Champs Mathieu Van Der Poel © SWpix.com (t-a Photography Hub Ltd) - 2
2023 UCI Cyclocross World Champs Mathieu Van Der Poel © SWpix (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
2023 UCI Cyclocross World Champs Mathieu Van Der Poel © SWpix.com (t-a Photography Hub Ltd) - 2
2023 UCI Cyclocross World Champs Mathieu Van Der Poel © SWpix (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

[📷: SWpix.com]

Speaking on The Move, Lance Armstrong called the two of the biggest names in cycling “rockstars”…

“Van der Poel and Van Aert didn’t even look like they were suffering. These races, from the minute they fire the gun you are sprinting for an hour. I was watching their faces, these guys looked easy. Look at the guys from third to thirtieth, they look like they have been sprinting for an hour.

> “When we look back, we’ll appreciate these duels”: Van der Poel and Van Aert, a rivalry for the ages

“Look at the crowds, just show a sponsor or supporter that scene and that energy. We weren’t even there but imagine being there, and then you add in the luxury boxes… this is cycling, if you could bottle this up somehow and carry it to the other disciplines… it’s a thing. I was thrilled to watch it.

“Van Aert and Van der Poel are rockstars.”

8 February 2023, 09:11

Cycling Kit & Clothing Of The Year | 2023 Awards Show

8 February 2023, 09:11

Tartan paintjob on show as Six Nations match ball cycles north for Scotland v Wales

So it will soon be upon us! The #doddiecup555 only two weeks away it’s time we had a quick look at previous years, just to give you all a taste of what is to come 👍🏽 #doddieaid2023 #mnd #doddiewier #mndresearch #doddieaid pic.twitter.com/u6OOcIH9d6

— Doddie Aid (@DoddieGump) January 27, 2023

And this morning we spied this cracking Argon…

The team is gathering at @gloucesterrugby for final preparations before the Doddie Cup match ball handover with HRH Princess Anne. #DoddieCup555 pic.twitter.com/aZH7fkfbOe

— Doddie Aid (@DoddieGump) February 8, 2023

 Saturday’s Six Nations match between Scotland and Wales in Edinburgh will be the sixth instalment of the Doddie Weir Cup at Murrayfield to honour Doddie Weir.

The former Scotland international passed away last November aged 52, and the day remembers the contribution that he gave to both rugby and his fundraising for Motor Neurone Disease, the condition he sadly passed due to.

In support of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, former Scotland captain Rob Wainwright is being joined by around 180 cyclists pedalling from Cardiff to Edinburgh this week and covering 555 miles to carry the match ball on its journey to Murrayfield.

Among fellow British & Irish Lions taking part in some or all of the journey are Martin Johnson, Jeremy Davidson, Nigel Redman, Roger Baird and Craig Chalmers. Scottish Rugby past president Ian Barr is also part of the peloton and the journey will finish with Wainwright presenting the match ball just prior to kick off.

8 February 2023, 09:11

Jeremy Clarkson claims James May has been influenced by "lefties" to support 20mph speed limits

Lance and Clarkson on the same live blog — aren’t you lucky…

20mph sign
20mph sign (Image Credit: CC licensed by EdinburghGreens via Flickr)
20mph sign
20mph sign (Image Credit: CC licensed by EdinburghGreens via Flickr)

It appears the former Top Gear host had his keyboard returned by The Sun post-Christmas on the naughty step after those comments about Meghan Markle prompted, record complaints, a screeching U-turn and one big ol’ apology. 

And while we’d love to ignore it, the Clarkson’s Farm presenter’s latest column takes on 20mph speed limits, James May’s support of them, plus a bit of CyclingMikey thrown in too. Unfortunately, all very much our patch…

Jeremy Clarkson 20mph Sun newspaper column
Jeremy Clarkson 20mph Sun newspaper column (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Jeremy Clarkson 20mph Sun newspaper column
Jeremy Clarkson 20mph Sun newspaper column (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

“All of the roads in London’s central zone have a 20mph speed limit and there are now calls for this to become the blanket maximum in every single one of the nation’s cities, towns and villages,” Clarkson wrote.

“One of those calls came from m’colleague, James May, who went on the radio this week to say that 20’s plenty. Of course, you’re thinking that James May would say that. He’s known as Captain Slow and has never been faster than 20 in his whole life.

> James May says 20mph is “plenty fast enough”, and hopes “change in attitude” can help end road sectarianism

“But there’s something you don’t know about James. He virtually lives in the socialist cesspit that is Twitter, where he follows not just Sir Starmer but also the deranged London Mayor, Sadiq Khan. He even follows that Cycling Mikey man who rides round London on his children’s toy, videotaping anyone in a car who he thinks might be Tory.

“James, then, like all of the world’s Twitter enthusiasts, is not getting a balanced view on which to shape his opinions. He’s just listening to lefties competing with one another to see who can think of the most left-wing thing.”

Clarkson goes on to suggest average speeds in cities are already well below 20 and the “loonies” who break speed limits (he calls “motorcyclists”) will still break them anyway. 

“Even if the road is quiet, it is nigh-on impossible to drive at 20mph,” he claims. “There’s always going to be a downhill stretch at some point where you’ll accidentally reach 25. Which will land you with a hefty fine.

“The only way to avoid this is to stare constantly at the speedometer, and not be distracted by the sound of all the prams and the mobility scooters you’re hitting because you’re not looking where you’re going.

“Of course, people say that 20 is safer and kinder to the environment. But if these are the goals, then why not make the limit five? Or one? Or why not ban cars altogether and force us to hop to work instead? That’s almost certainly what the Twitter army wants.

“Because in their electronic world, where you can’t say this, and you can’t think that, and no one has any real friends, it makes perfect sense to restrict a normal person’s desire to travel.”

Oh, and before we go, there was just time for Clarkson to tick off Oxford’s zero emission zone from his bingo card too, describing it as “East Germany circa 1965″… that’s a full house… BINGO!

8 February 2023, 09:11

Look mum no hands! announces closure of Old Street cycle café

Apologies to all of you for leaving you with Clarkson while I covered some sad news from London… 

Look Mum No Hands! (Image: Look Mum No Hands!)
Look Mum No Hands! (Image: Look Mum No Hands!) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Look Mum No Hands! (Image: Look Mum No Hands!)
Look Mum No Hands! (Image: Look Mum No Hands!) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> Look mum no hands! announces closure of Old Street cycle café

8 February 2023, 09:11

Reaction to Look mum no hands! closing

What a great shame. They set the template for so many and I loved working in an office next to them, I was like the proverbial pig.

— stewbirch (@stewbirch) February 8, 2023

Sad day for sure …..

— #5 Cycling Coaching (@CoachRule5) February 8, 2023

Shocked to see that Look Mum No Hands has been forced to close for good. It was an institution. I thought it would be there forever.

— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) February 8, 2023

8 February 2023, 09:11

Scottish cyclist who broke back in hit-and-run urges driver to "have a conscience"

Police tape
Police tape (Image Credit: CC licensed by freefotouk on Flickr)
Police tape
Police tape (Image Credit: CC licensed by freefotouk on Flickr)

A 33-year-old civil servant from East Kilbride in Lanarkshire has asked a motorist who hit him to have a conscience and come forward, three months on from the life-changing collision.

Chris Stoddart told the Daily Record his life was turned upside down when he was struck by a driver while cycling to work and has been left with a broken back, two broken kneecaps and unable to work as he prepares to welcome his first child.

“I was cycling my regular route to work when the next thing I know I’m tumbling through the air, then I’m on my back with three strangers looking at me checking I’m okay,” he recalled.

Chris was travelling on the Carmunnock Bypass near Castlemilk at around 6.45am on November 30 when a Ford Transit-type van hit him from behind and failed to stop. With no licence plate number or any new information given to police since the incident the driver has never been found.

“It appeared to have been veering towards me. The police reckon the driver was distracted on a phone or Sat Nav,” he said.

“I basically had to learn to walk again, which has not been fun. It has been such a big change. Before this I would have been cycling three or four times a week and going swimming before work and going out for walks with my wife. All of that has been taken away from me.

“I just can’t believe someone could do this to someone, leaving them and not knowing if they lived or died, and continue happily living their life.

“It has definitely put doubt into my head about cycling on the road again, especially with a baby on the way. I can’t say for certain right now if I will cycle again, but I’m definitely doubting it which is sad, because I genuinely love doing it.”

Sergeant Gary Mackie of East Kilbride Police Station said: “We are keen to speak to anyone who either witnessed the scene or may have dashcam footage whilst travelling at the material time.

“If you have any information you believe may assist officers, please contact Police via the 101 service and quote reference number 0379 of 30 November, 2022.”

8 February 2023, 09:11

Richmond Park access concerns

Not cycling, but considering the debate over through traffic at Richmond Park etc. this one struck a chord…

Absolutely pathetic decision by @theroyalparks to ban cross country running from #RichmondPark because it’s an SSI (basically a nature reserve)… whilst at the same time letting rat-running drivers cause a traffic jam every single day. https://t.co/6OnUnJ65ji HT @RichmondNubNews

— Richmond Transits (@RichmondTransit) February 7, 2023 

8 February 2023, 09:11

When Jeremy Clarkson makes cycling-related headlines

Jeremy Clarkson screenshot from YouTube
Jeremy Clarkson screenshot from YouTube (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Jeremy Clarkson screenshot from YouTube
Jeremy Clarkson screenshot from YouTube (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

You probably don’t, but if you do, here’s Clarkson’s unenviable contribution to our archives…

> Clip of Jeremy Clarkson berating pro cyclist for riding in lockdown surfaces

> “Funny, because it’s not congested for anyone who wants to cycle”: Twitter responds as Jeremy Clarkson blames cycle lanes for congestion

> Jeremy Clarkson lost two stone by cycling

> “Bikes can f*@% off” says Jeremy Clarkson in YouTube rant

That should keep you going…

8 February 2023, 09:11

Cycling UK threatens council with legal action over "unlawful" decision to keep rat-run open

Cycling UK threatens council with legal action over "unlawful" decision to keep rat-run open

The charity has penned a letter to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) outlining its intention to challenge the decision to keep the route open to motor vehicles

8 February 2023, 09:11

Scott Foil RC Pro 2023

Scott Foil RC Pro 2023

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  • cycling live blog, live blog, road.cc live blog
Dan Alexander
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Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too. Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he’s not working you’ll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he’ll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he’s a bit strange like that.  

70 Comments

70 thoughts on “Jeremy Clarkson claims James May has been influenced by “lefties” to support 20mph speed limits; Praise for Cycling UK standing up to council that kept rat-run open; Lance: Van der Poel and Van Aert are rockstars; Cycle-tennis + more on the live blog”

  1. Patrick9-32
    February 8, 2023 at 9:42 am
    0

    Just your normal car driver

    Just your normal car driver crashing into a lighted high visability pedestrian crossing refuge in broad daylight in a 20 mph limit. 

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    • Patrick9-32
      February 8, 2023 at 9:43 am
      0

      I am not good with computer

      I am not good with computer

      Log In or Register to post comments
      • I love my bike
        February 8, 2023 at 11:11 am
        0

        What should we do?’

        What should we do?’

        ‘You go through the front, and I’ll go through the back’

        ‘Do we have to close the doors?’

        ‘No, they abandoned it & we need to get to school’

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        • brooksby
          February 8, 2023 at 11:24 am
          0

          I saw a bloke doing a U-turn

          I saw a bloke doing a U-turn this morning, taking out two cycle lane wands in the process when he stopped up against the opposite kerb.  The reason he had stopped?  He’d forgotten to close his back passenger side door, which was flapping around as he manoeuvred…

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      • andystow
        February 8, 2023 at 3:13 pm
        0

        Wow, that “refuge” isn’t

        Wow, that “refuge” isn’t providing much refuge. That car appears to be stopped right over where any refuge-seeking pedestrian would have been standing!

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        • eburtthebike
          February 8, 2023 at 3:39 pm
          0

          andystow wrote:

          Wow, that “refuge” isn’t providing much refuge. That car appears to be stopped right over where any refuge-seeking pedestrian would have been standing!

          — andystow

          Just the latest government scheme to cut down on refugees.

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        • brooksby
          February 8, 2023 at 4:27 pm
          0

          andystow wrote:

          Wow, that “refuge” isn’t providing much refuge. That car appears to be stopped right over where any refuge-seeking pedestrian would have been standing!

          — andystow

          Looks like they’ve flattened the first light-up bollard thing, then bottomed out on the raised kerb.

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        • ktache
          February 8, 2023 at 7:36 pm
          0

          Pretty much every retro

          Pretty much every retro reflective bollard I see has been hit, sometimes often.

          The only ones that seem to be fairly immune to it are the ones with a small lamppost with illuminated keep left sign between the retoreflctive bollards.

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          • andystow
            February 8, 2023 at 7:54 pm
            0

            ktache wrote:

            Pretty much every retro reflective bollard I see has been hit, sometimes often.

            The only ones that seem to be fairly immune to it are the ones with a small lamppost with illuminated keep left sign between the retoreflctive bollards.

            — ktache

            It’s not much of a bollard nor creating a “refuge” if it won’t even stop a small sedan. But oh, if they were real bollards SUVs might get damaged and drivers might get minor injuries! Never mind.

          • chrisonabike
            February 8, 2023 at 8:31 pm
            0

            They needed more situational

            They needed more situational awareness…

            To be fair to the bollards their bigger relatives also get a pounding.

          • Mungecrundle
            February 8, 2023 at 9:15 pm
            0

            When it comes to bollards,
            When it comes to bollards, some drivers just cannot resist a challenge.

  2. Moist von Lipwig
    February 8, 2023 at 9:47 am
    0

    Ed Clancy has a new job –

    Ed Clancy has a new job – South Yorkshire Active Travel Commissioner.

    https://southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/news/article/a6e44601-99f3-4865-a15b-0f87b32ea4fb

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    • ktache
      February 8, 2023 at 7:33 pm
      0

      Best of luck, Ed.

      Best of luck, Ed.

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  3. brooksby
    February 8, 2023 at 10:18 am
    0

    So when that road was open to

    So when that road was open to motor vehicles it was kept clean and rubbish-free, but when it was closed to motor vehicles it was left to become three feet deep in dead leaves…?

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  4. BournemouthStorm
    February 8, 2023 at 11:02 am
    0

    Unfortunately many drivers
    Unfortunately many drivers use this bridge and route through Poole Park as a short cut. They ignore the TRO width restiction, that includes wing mirrors in this case. Most drivers are driving through illegally by ignoring the width restiction. Drivers also ignore the pedestrian and cyclist priority signs through Keyhole Bridge. BCP councils current administration have removed more traffic filter than they have created. If they can’t close a road through a park to rat running traffic, then they clearly are not serious about tackling congestion in the BCP area, which incidentally is one of the most congested in the UK.

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    • hawkinspeter
      February 8, 2023 at 11:05 am
      0

      BournemouthStorm wrote:

      Unfortunately many drivers use this bridge and route through Poole Park as a short cut. They ignore the TRO width restiction, that includes wing mirrors in this case. Most drivers are driving through illegally by ignoring the width restiction. Drivers also ignore the pedestrian and cyclist priority signs through Keyhole Bridge. BCP councils current administration have removed more traffic filter than they have created. If they can’t close a road through a park to rat running traffic, then they clearly are not serious about tackling congestion in the BCP area, which incidentally is one of the most congested in the UK.

      — BournemouthStorm

      That’s a good way of getting scratches on your WING mirrors

       

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      • Dnnnnnn
        February 8, 2023 at 4:15 pm
        0

        hawkinspeter wrote:

        That’s a good way of getting scratches on your WING mirrors

        — hawkinspeter

        Those are door mirrors. FACT!

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    • chrisonabike
      February 8, 2023 at 11:09 am
      0

      Someone on this forum doesn’t

      Someone on this forum doesn’t believe in wing mirrors, so maybe it was them?

      Totally agree about the rat-running traffic restrictions.  Obviously someone would need to to the modelling in each case but I suspect this not only makes more streets unpleasant but may even create wider congestion.  Also – “traffic evaporation” is a real thing!

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      • Patrick9-32
        February 8, 2023 at 11:23 am
        0

        Door mirrors vs wing mirrors

        Door mirrors vs wing mirrors is such a weird thing to take a strong stance about. 

        “This person is communicating in a way that is universally understood by all english speakers but they are not TECHNICALLY CORRECT?!?!?! Unacceptable.”

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        • ShutTheFrontDawes
          February 8, 2023 at 12:30 pm
          0

          Patrick9-32 wrote:

          Door mirrors vs wing mirrors is such a weird thing to take a strong stance about. 

          “This person is communicating in a way that is universally understood by all english speakers but they are not TECHNICALLY CORRECT?!?!?! Unacceptable.”

          — Patrick9-32

          They’re not even “technically correct”. A wing mirror is a mirror that provides a rearward view down the wing of the vehicle.

          It’s akin to saying “It’S nOt BaBy FoOd; It’S nOt EvEn MaDe FrOm BaBiEs!”

          They’re just plain wrong.

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          • hawkinspeter
            February 8, 2023 at 12:35 pm
            0

            Hold on a minute. Does that

            They’re not even “technically correct”. A wing mirror is a mirror that provides a rearward view down the wing of the vehicle. It’s akin to saying “It’S nOt BaBy FoOd; It’S nOt EvEn MaDe FrOm BaBiEs!” They’re just plain wrong.

            — ShutTheFrontDawes

            Hold on a minute. Does that mean that dog food IS made from dogs?

          • ShutTheFrontDawes
            February 8, 2023 at 1:09 pm
            0

            hawkinspeter wrote:

            They’re not even “technically correct”. A wing mirror is a mirror that provides a rearward view down the wing of the vehicle. It’s akin to saying “It’S nOt BaBy FoOd; It’S nOt EvEn MaDe FrOm BaBiEs!” They’re just plain wrong.

            — hawkinspeter

            Hold on a minute. Does that mean that dog food IS made from dogs?— ShutTheFrontDawes

            Were you even listening? 😉

          • hawkinspeter
            February 8, 2023 at 1:13 pm
            0

            ShutTheFrontDawes wrote:

            Were you even listening? 😉

            — ShutTheFrontDawes

            Sorry, I’ve been chugging back a bottle of Blue Nun

          • eburtthebike
            February 8, 2023 at 2:10 pm
            0

            hawkinspeter wrote:

            Were you even listening? 😉

            — hawkinspeter

            Sorry, I’ve been chugging back a bottle of Blue Nun

            — ShutTheFrontDawesSophisticated!  I’m still on the Mateus Rose.

          • Backladder
            February 8, 2023 at 2:20 pm
            0

            ShutTheFrontDawes wrote:

            Door mirrors vs wing mirrors is such a weird thing to take a strong stance about. 

            “This person is communicating in a way that is universally understood by all english speakers but they are not TECHNICALLY CORRECT?!?!?! Unacceptable.”

            — ShutTheFrontDawes They’re not even “technically correct”. A wing mirror is a mirror that provides a rearward view down the wing of the vehicle. It’s akin to saying “It’S nOt BaBy FoOd; It’S nOt EvEn MaDe FrOm BaBiEs!” They’re just plain wrong.— Patrick9-32

            On my first car the mirrors were very loosely mounted and flapped up and down like wings at speed and over bumps, I assumed that was where the name came form!

        • Bentrider
          February 8, 2023 at 4:10 pm
          0

          Patrick9-32 wrote:

          “This person is communicating in a way that is universally understood by all english speakers but they are not TECHNICALLY CORRECT?!?!?! Unacceptable.”

          — Patrick9-32

          So…’Road Tax’?

          (Dons tin helmet and ducks for cover!)

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          • Patrick9-32
            February 8, 2023 at 4:26 pm
            0

            I have no problem with

            I have no problem with vehicle duty being called road tax unless the name road tax is being used to persecute cyclists. Nobody is getting persecuted over the location of their car’s mirrors….

    • quiff
      February 8, 2023 at 11:21 am
      0

      Did you remove their

      Did you remove their registration number, or did they? 

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      • chrisonabike
        February 8, 2023 at 1:03 pm
        0

        Legal for Lancs…

        “Legal for Lancs”…

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    • Pyro Tim
      February 8, 2023 at 11:23 am
      0

      Yes, but the rich people of

      Yes, but the rich people of Sandbanks and Lilliput are better than the folk in the park, and need to be able to avoid the grockles on the main road. Rules don’t apply to them

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  5. ShutTheFrontDawes
    February 8, 2023 at 1:07 pm
    0

    Jeremy Clarkson’s views on
    Jeremy Clarkson’s views on the political spectrum should be ignored.

    Most people who think of Maggie Thatcher when they’re in bed do it to last longer. Jeremy Clarkson does it so he doesn’t have to thumb in a softie.

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  6. perce
    February 8, 2023 at 1:13 pm
    0

    Well Top Gear was just Last

    Well Top Gear was just Last of the Summer Wine for petrolheads. Clarkson was just a tantrum throwing violent thug (in my opinion).

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    • hawkinspeter
      February 8, 2023 at 2:11 pm
      0

      perce wrote:

      Well Top Gear was just Last of the Summer Wine for petrolheads. Clarkson was just a tantrum throwing violent thug (in my opinion).

      — perce

      Even as a non-driver, I enjoyed watching the old Top Gear series and there were genuinely moments that made me laugh out loud. (It was just a couple of years ago that I downloaded all the episodes and then binge-watched the lot). I also really enjoyed Clarkson’s Farm as well.

      I think he’s basically a comedian, but has forgotten that it’s just a role he’s supposed to play and instead thinks that it’s real. His writings are best ignored.

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      • IanMK
        February 8, 2023 at 2:40 pm
        0

        hawkinspeter wrote:

        I think he’s basically a comedian, but has forgotten that it’s just a role he’s supposed to play and instead thinks that it’s real. His writings are best ignored.

        — hawkinspeter

        Back in the 90s I thought Clarkson was just being postmodern. In the noughties I thought that he’d perhaps lost himself in a postmodern persona long after that joke was over. Another decade on and I realised he was just another gammon.

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      • ChrisB200SX
        February 8, 2023 at 6:25 pm
        0

        hawkinspeter wrote:

        Even as a non-driver, I enjoyed watching the old Top Gear series and there were genuinely moments that made me laugh out loud. (It was just a couple of years ago that I downloaded all the episodes and then binge-watched the lot). I also really enjoyed Clarkson’s Farm as well.

        — hawkinspeter

        New series starts Friday. It is good, sometimes because he is a terrible oaf.

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        • hawkinspeter
          February 8, 2023 at 6:46 pm
          0

          ChrisB200SX wrote:

          New series starts Friday. It is good, sometimes because he is a terrible oaf.

          — ChrisB200SX

          I did not know that!

          Currently I’m really enjoying Poker Face though Natasha Lyonne can be a bit marmite-like. I found her a bit overwhelming in Russian Doll though I still enjoyed it. In Poker Face she’s got a lot more room for her ‘eh’s and expressions.

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  7. Clem Fandango
    February 8, 2023 at 1:28 pm
    0

    Clarkson in gammon clickbait

    Clarkson in gammon clickbait “opinion” (for money) shocker

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  8. IanMSpencer
    February 8, 2023 at 1:32 pm
    0

    I usually find that people
    I usually find that people complaining about things being woke or leftie are actually saying that they are complaining that they are not allowed to be selfish and ignorant.

    Another example to add to the dataset of evidence confirming my hypothesis.

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  9. OmarCuoreMatto
    February 8, 2023 at 1:55 pm
    0

    Clarkson: “it is nigh-on

    Clarkson: “it is nigh-on impossible to drive at 20mph”

    Well, Jeremy, you can have a speed limiter in your car. I have one in my car, you should buy one like that too – but you won’t like it: it’s a Dacia Sandero! (Good news!)

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    • andystow
      February 8, 2023 at 3:08 pm
      0

      OmarCuoreMatto wrote:

      Clarkson: “it is nigh-on impossible to drive at 20mph”

      Well, Jeremy, you can have a speed limiter in your car. I have one in my car, you should buy one like that too – but you won’t like it: it’s a Dacia Sandero! (Good news!)

      — OmarCuoreMatto

      I’m actually fine with Clarkson’s hypothetical world where drivers sometimes accidentally go as fast as 25 MPH when going down hills. They won’t be passing cyclists (if at all) at any more relative speed than they would on the flat. The government could set any speed cameras on downhill sections to not trigger until drivers hit a blistering 26 MPH.

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  10. henryb
    February 8, 2023 at 2:01 pm
    0

    Nice contrast between the

    Nice contrast between the roughly-30-years-old profile picture of Mr Clarkson at the top of his rant, and more present-day one at the top of the page

     

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    • brooksby
      February 8, 2023 at 2:04 pm
      0

      I think all journalists do

      I think all journalists* do that, in all fairness…

      edit: and people who write for the Sun.

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  11. eburtthebike
    February 8, 2023 at 2:08 pm
    0

    Personally, I find Clarkson’s

    Personally, I find Clarkson’s latest comments much more offensive and stupid than his comments about Meghan.  If I write to the Sun will they suspend him again?

    What is it about our society that rewards faux-angry old men like him?

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    • hawkinspeter
      February 8, 2023 at 2:13 pm
      0

      eburtthebike wrote:

      Personally, I find Clarkson’s latest comments much more offensive and stupid than his comments about Meghan.  If I write to the Sun will they suspend him again?

      What is it about our society that rewards faux-angry old men like him?

      — eburtthebike

      I’d guess it’s the angry old men

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    • Backladder
      February 8, 2023 at 6:33 pm
      0

      Unfortunately, by writing to

      Unfortunately, by writing to the Sun all you will do is confirm that people are reading his drivel and convince them to keep paying him for more.

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    • Car Delenda Est
      February 9, 2023 at 9:26 am
      0

      I’ve noticed a lot of
      I’ve noticed a lot of Clarkson fans tend to be angry helpless man babies who derive their masculinity from a pantomime patriarchy.

      As an example last weekend I was helping a friend move house with his parents. The father was an angry non-person hiding in the van for most of it.
      The only things he said were a brief “hi” as I passed him a box, and later when his son was explaining how to quickly partially disassemble his desk he was cut off with an angry “I do kitchens every day, I know how fixings work”, so we had to leave him to figure it out on his own.
      The mother on the other hand was lovely, she acknowledged me, chatted with me, thanked me and invited me to enjoy their hospitality one day.

      So it was a ‘traditional’ marriage but he clearly wasn’t capable of wearing the trousers.

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  12. OnYerBike
    February 8, 2023 at 2:15 pm
    0

    I tend to believe that Jeremy

    I tend to believe that Jeremy Clarkson is fully aware that his arguments are vacuous and hypocritical, and that he does not espouse them because he necessarily believes them but merely writes what he thinks his audience wants to read.

    And that is what I find most concerning – the number of people who will read that article and think nothing more than “Amen”. 

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    • brooksby
      February 8, 2023 at 2:06 pm
      0

      OnYerBike wrote:

      I tend to believe that Jeremy Clarkson is fully away that his arguments are vacuous and hypocritical, and that he does not espouse them because he necessarily believes them but merely writes what he thinks his audience wants to read.

      — OnYerBike

      Isn’t that standard operating procedure for one Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, too?

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      • OldRidgeback
        February 8, 2023 at 2:41 pm
        0

        brooksby wrote:

        I tend to believe that Jeremy Clarkson is fully away that his arguments are vacuous and hypocritical, and that he does not espouse them because he necessarily believes them but merely writes what he thinks his audience wants to read.

        — brooksby

        Isn’t that standard operating procedure for one Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, too?

        — OnYerBike

        Clarkson and Johnson are both lazy, bigmouth, bullying bigots. They don’t believe all that they write, but they believe enough of it.

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    • Steve K
      February 8, 2023 at 3:10 pm
      0

      OnYerBike wrote:

      I tend to believe that Jeremy Clarkson is fully aware that his arguments are vacuous and hypocritical, and that he does not espouse them because he necessarily believes them but merely writes what he thinks his audience wants to read.

      And that is what I find most concerning – the number of people who will read that article and think nothing more than “Amen”. 

      — OnYerBike

      Clarkson strikes me as someone who started out like that, but then started actually believing the things he was writing.

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      • vthejk
        February 8, 2023 at 3:36 pm
        0

        Steve K wrote:

        Clarkson strikes me as someone who started out like that, but then started actually believing the things he was writing.

        — Steve K

        There’s always a point beyond which that starts to happen. I was once part of the Hare Krishnas (once) and remember starting to repeat their religious assertions like I actually believed them, and then had to remind myself not to. I left soon after. 

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        • Car Delenda Est
          February 9, 2023 at 9:31 am
          0

          I think there’s a point in
          I think there’s a point in which your brain thinks that you’ve repeated something so often that your reputation will be linked to it’s veracity and so it doubles down.

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  13. Tom_77
    February 8, 2023 at 2:31 pm
    0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch

    Jeremy Clarkson with his outrageous politically-incorrect opinions which he has every week, to a deadline … almost as if they weren’t real.

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    • ubercurmudgeon
      February 8, 2023 at 5:06 pm
      0

      https://www.youtube.com/watch

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLGvWEnbg3c

      Very rarely do you see a better example of what philosophers call the banality of evil.

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  14. vthejk
    February 8, 2023 at 3:34 pm
    0

    Re: clarkson finding it hard

    Re: Clarkson finding it hard to focus on a speedometer and pedestrians simultaneously.

    If only he knew how it was like to drive with ADHD; I can barely think for spotting every little detail. I once cricked my neck because I remembered I had to check my right door mirror halfway through a turn.

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  15. the little onion
    February 8, 2023 at 4:21 pm
    0

    There’s a lot of small dick

    There’s a lot of small dick energy in that man….

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  16. ubercurmudgeon
    February 8, 2023 at 4:42 pm
    0

    We just need to hear from

    We just need to hear from Richard “The Hamster” Hammond (he’s not a real hamster) and that’d be all the opinions that matter on the topic of speed limits.

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  17. quiff
    February 8, 2023 at 4:58 pm
    0

    I don’t understand those who

    I don’t understand those who argue it’s ‘impossible’ to drive at 20mph without staring at the speedo. Why should that be the case at 20mph but not 30mph? OK, you have to recalibrate a bit, but just drop a gear.     

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    • Rendel Harris
      February 8, 2023 at 5:03 pm
      0

      quiff wrote:

      I don’t understand those who argue it’s ‘impossible’ to drive at 20mph without staring at the speedo. Why should that be the case at 20mph but not 30mph? OK, you have to recalibrate a bit, but just drop a gear.     

      — quiff

      Particularly with most modern cars (so I’m told) having speed limiter facilities, so you can just set your top speed at 20, not sure how it could be any easier. 

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  18. Awavey
    February 8, 2023 at 5:11 pm
    0

    Maybe worth including the

    Maybe worth including the Royal Parks statement on the “banning” of cross country events, just for balance.

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    • andystow
      February 8, 2023 at 6:36 pm
      0

      https://www.royalparks.org.uk

      https://www.royalparks.org.uk/whats-on/latest-news/running-in-richmond-park

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    • Rendel Harris
      February 8, 2023 at 7:17 pm
      0

      Yes, I’m not the biggest fan

      Yes, I’m not the biggest fan of Royal Parks and their traffic policies but in this case they’re continuing to allow running events around the paths and bridleways (and having gone to school near there and been forced to run round them in the snow, I know there are plenty!), they just want to protect delicate areas. Seems fair enough.

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  19. ChrisB200SX
    February 8, 2023 at 6:20 pm
    0

    Clarkson has completely lost

    Clarkson has completely lost the plot, he appears to simply be a parody now. He bemoans James May’s “left-wing” echochamber with total cognitive dissonance and zero apparent self-awareness. Why is he still employed to write a column of his hatespeech after his pathetic “woe-is-me, I’m the victim” non-apology relating to his vile attack on Meghan Markle?

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    • IanMSpencer
      February 8, 2023 at 11:32 pm
      0

      Why aren’t there right wing
      Why aren’t there right wing echo chambers?

      Well, obviously there are, but yet…

      Schroedinger’s Right Wing Echo Chambers?

      What about Right Wing Cancel Culture – all the things that right wingers want banned, yet somehow that isn’t cancel culture?

      It doesn’t do to try and try logical thought to modern life and “politics” – but then politicians complain about politicians playing politics on political issues.

      Aaaargh!

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      • Car Delenda Est
        February 9, 2023 at 9:09 am
        0

        I’d never considered that my
        I’d never considered that my favourite cycle lane was cancelled by righty snowflakes

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  20. cmedred
    February 8, 2023 at 7:17 pm
    0

    Hopping everywhere might be a

    Hopping everywhere might be a good idea for old Jeremy. Some exercise could help him lose some of those chins while offering him some protection from the Covid. 

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  21. Rome73
    February 9, 2023 at 7:30 am
    0

    that photo of Clarkson on his

    that photo of Clarkson on his opinion piece looks airbrushed. It’s faked to make him look younger. His drivel is so juvenile – it’s unsubstantiated and baseless. There is no evidence or nuance. It’s just so pathetic. I remember chatting with a cousin of mine who lives in Italy and he was bemoaning the fact that the best selling paper in Italy is the Gazzetta dello Sport (a dense, wordy, polemic and analysis of football, football, football and skiing, F1 etc) you think that’s a problem, I replied, in the UK it’s The Sun. (Probably the brexthick Daily Mail now) 

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  22. EK Spinner
    February 9, 2023 at 7:59 am
    0

    I notice there has been no

    I notice there has been no comment on the Hit and Run mentioned above, bearing in mind that this happeneed in November and has taken several months to hit the national press, is this an even worse scandal where we are numbed to such events when we should be outraged.

    How many times is this happening, and how seriously are they investigated.

     

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  23. Car Delenda Est
    February 9, 2023 at 9:05 am
    0

    Clarkson raises a good point:
    Clarkson raises a good point: drivers can neither be trusted nor expected to keep to a speed limit.

    Compared to the cost of the car requiring a GPS or dedicated RF receiver would not be an unreasonable requirement at all. The car should automatically limit its top speed based on GPS location or specific radio signals. If the car doesn’t receive any signals it should default to 20 as you’re probably underground so 20 is plenty.

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    • Hell yeah
      February 9, 2023 at 9:36 am
      0

      Car Delenda Est wrote:

      Clarkson raises a good point: drivers can neither be trusted nor expected to keep to a speed limit. Compared to the cost of the car requiring a GPS or dedicated RF receiver would not be an unreasonable requirement at all. The car should automatically limit its top speed based on GPS location or specific radio signals. If the car doesn’t receive any signals it should default to 20 as you’re probably underground so 20 is plenty.

      — Car Delenda Est

      In the Netherlands, their streets with the equivalent 30kph limit don’t need or have sparated cycle lanes. And they are designed so that they physically discourage driving at over 30kph (approx 20mph). So there are chicanes, planters, lines to make the street look narrower, speed bumps etc, anything but a straight wide road. Apparently, all of this makes drivers slow down enough, without even needing signage, speed cameras etc. We could learn so much from them. 

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Latest Comments

Rendel Harris 1 hour ago

@mitsky Just checking the figures and apparently the 2026 average cost is £58,000 per year per prisoner; worth noting that is only the direct cost, you then have to factor in ten years of lost tax income from the prisoner, ten years that the prisoner is making no contribution to society as a worker or as a consumer, plus the fact that if they were the primary breadwinner very likely the costs will include benefits for their family as well. None of which should be a reason for keeping violent recidivists out of prison of course, nor drug/drink drivers who kill, but it is a factor worth considering for lower-level offences.

in: Nine years in jail for drug driver 16 times over limit who killed oncoming cyclist; Suspended sentence for killing cyclist whilst attempting 3-point turn; Driving ban for 84-year old for injuring cyclist but no retest required: road.cc sentencing round-up
Rendel Harris 1 hour ago

@Surreyrider I ride in Surrey a fair bit and absolutely many do look like that but the point is they all *think* they're driving perfectly reasonably (as one discovers when remonstrating with someone who's skimmed one by 30cm, "I gave you masses of room") so deterrent penalties have little effect. That's why we need to strike at the root cause and actually train drivers properly and test them stringently (and more than once over the course of a potential 70+ years of driving, it's absolutely absurd that competence and knowledge in what for most people is the activity in their life that will run the biggest risk of killing people you never have to have your qualifications renewed).

in: Nine years in jail for drug driver 16 times over limit who killed oncoming cyclist; Suspended sentence for killing cyclist whilst attempting 3-point turn; Driving ban for 84-year old for injuring cyclist but no retest required: road.cc sentencing round-up
Rendel Harris 2 hours ago

@mitsky Imprisonment currently costs over £50k p.a. per prisoner and obviously that will rise over the course of a ten-year stretch with inflation. Regarding culpability and mitigating sentences etc, of course I'm not against condign punishment for drivers who kill (and cyclists on the tiny, tiny handful of occasions when this happens), including prison as appropriate; I was objecting to the ridiculous and oft-repeated demand of MM that drivers who kill cyclists must get ten years, "no excuses, no exceptions".

in: Nine years in jail for drug driver 16 times over limit who killed oncoming cyclist; Suspended sentence for killing cyclist whilst attempting 3-point turn; Driving ban for 84-year old for injuring cyclist but no retest required: road.cc sentencing round-up
Blackthorne83 5 hours ago

Hey, but their wool blend cycling adjacent t-shirts are/were fantastic.

in: Le Col enters administration months after takeover by tennis giant Head
RoadYeti 6 hours ago

@Surreyrider Still the boss. Ride one, you'll see why

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chrisonabike 10 hours ago

@Smoggysteve "Most would happily ride on the roads and be treated with respect by drivers". But people aren't - and as far as I can see they won't be. Not until there is a lot less driving and it's slower around cyclists, and far more people driving have "skin in the game" eg. they sometimes cycle and their friends and family do also. That's what leads to the model - which is perhaps most advanced in NL - where cycling, walking and driving are all seen as separate normal transport modes. Their needs, vulnerabilities and any dangers to others are considered. And *that* leads to "mix / share when possible, separate when necessary". But "possible" is "where your 10-year old would be safe to cycle unsupervised" - so very few motor vehicles, going slow! And AFAICS everybody - even "existing cyclists" - is happy with the result. (I dunno about a few pro cyclists - but don't they tend to have training camps in different counties anyway?)

in: Cyclists are “greedy” for taking up more space than pedestrians, claims leading architect who feels “guilty” when riding bike
chrisonabike 10 hours ago

@quiff as an Edinburgh resident I can confidently say he's speaking without moving his lips in one sense: - while as I noted in a separate comment there *is* now some real separated cycle infra, all the examples i can think of have *at least as much space* for pedestrians. The rest of the "cycle infra" is essentially similar to the situation in the rest of the UK: eg. bus lanes*, cycle lanes and shared use paths (eg. "build" infra by sticking up a sign). Edinburgh is one of the places with a moderately extensive network of former railways which have been converted to "shared use" paths (completely motor traffic few). However though shared they are not narrow by UK standards. And this is all effectively a "free extra" for all non- motorised users, not like the "sign a cycle path" where pedestrians do lose space. I think this all comes from the "popular understanding" of cycling in which ultimately cyclists are the "other". They don't fit "motor vehicle" or "pedestrian" (including wheelchairs on the very rare occasions people think about that). Thus "cyclists are cheating" in multiple ways! They shouldn't get their own space as "there aren't enough" of them. And "they can just use the road / path". But being able to *choose* "on the road" or "on the footway" (shared use path) is clearly unfair - nobody else gets to do that! BUT of course even if they did pick just one of road OR pedestrian space it's still not fair anyway because they're "too slow" for the road (don't pay "road tax" etc...) and "far too fast" for pedestrians... * Though some existing cyclists may appreciate them when there are few buses, buses and bikes are a very poor mix for several reasons.

in: Cyclists are “greedy” for taking up more space than pedestrians, claims leading architect who feels “guilty” when riding bike
mikecassie 10 hours ago

Whilst a shame for any employees, their bib shorts had the worst chamois pad I’d ever encountered, utter waste of my money. Even though they were Strava challenge discount purchases, still a waste of money.

in: Le Col enters administration months after takeover by tennis giant Head
ktache 11 hours ago

Thanks, just going to have to suck it up. Got next week off and will take the easy, if expensive option...

in: “Diolch!” Live free-to-air 2026 Tour de France coverage confirmed on S4C and iPlayer; “Left-hooking” driver spared police action after driver doesn’t report incident; Men’s Tour of Britain route + more on the live blog
Rendel Harris 11 hours ago

@ktache Just go for the TNT Sports only package, £30.99 for a month. Alternatively have you considered experimenting with a VPN for a few pounds, allowing you to sign up for a free stream abroad, e.g. SBS Australia which streams the Tour live? If I didn't have a kind mate's login that's what I'd do!

in: “Diolch!” Live free-to-air 2026 Tour de France coverage confirmed on S4C and iPlayer; “Left-hooking” driver spared police action after driver doesn’t report incident; Men’s Tour of Britain route + more on the live blog

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