Bike path cyclist tries to keep up with pro women’s peloton… faceplants miserably; How many cyclists does it take to lift a cargo bike over cycle route barrier?; Downtube shifter-controlled dropper post; Timmy Mallett is back + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Zwift Racing: Top tips for placing higher in virtual competitions from an international Esports team captain
Timmy Mallett takes on a vicious steep gravel berg
Not every hill is straightforward on my TimmEeee bike….. pic.twitter.com/6QPAwsdehJ
— Timmy Mallett (@TimmyMallett) March 23, 2023
You can’t keep the Mallett off the bike. First, a 3,500km quest to ride the world famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in Spain. Then, that epic circumnavigation of the UK, and now smashing it around Scotland…
And while there were a few Strava segment top 10s to be had, this one might not have been one of them, a valiant effort nonetheless.
> Utterly brilliant: An interview with Timmy Mallet on all things e-bike
Taking “the wild rough road” had its perks though, just look at that…
Downtube shifter-controlled dropper post
A fusion of centuries…
Wait for it… pic.twitter.com/OHiRTLs0Hp
— ThePathLessPedaled (@pathlesspedaled) March 21, 2023
The next big thing in cycling eyewear? Probably not...
road.cc reviewer Jez spotted these in his Facebook ads and wondered if “the next big thing in cycling eyewear is the built-in brim”. Not sure we need a poll to decide this one… To be honest, we shouldn’t be giving the bike industry ideas. You laugh now but wait until the gravel-specific brim is a thing…
Baffled Seoul cyclist watches zebra crossing. No, like... an actual zebra crossing the road not a zebra crossing
Anything to shoehorn this into today’s blog… Oh look someone holding a bicycle, that’s our in…
Apologies for the non-baseball post, but I live in Seoul – a city with a metro population of 26 million people.
Anyway, currently a zebra is on the loose… pic.twitter.com/4QDumdZgzt
— Baseball Brit (@BaseballBrit) March 23, 2023
Those blasted equines running red lights, put some hi-vis stripes on for heaven’s sake…
Group ride plays game of 'how many cyclists does it take to lift a cargo bike over cycle route barrier?'
Six cyclists and a passer by seems to be the answer to that particular conundrum…
There are many barriers to cycling in London, some are physical especially when riding a cargo bike. Luckily I had my trusted group of riders with me to help me out on this occasion in Roding Valley @willnorman @ternbicycles @RedbridgeLive @London_Cycling pic.twitter.com/rcxTqQmcRu
— Mariam Sayed (@MariamCycles) March 22, 2023
The Redbridge Cycling Campaign was quick to apologise to Mariam for her experience cycling on their patch (not that it’s their fault, of course)… “We’ve been working hard to try and convince Redbridge Council to do a trial of opening these up,” they explained. “Easily done. For some reason they don’t meet us half way.”
We’ll get in touch with the council to see if there are any answers…
We won’t get our hopes up considering what others reported from the area…
And how much did this cost from the cycling budget? pic.twitter.com/FReTQk9H6x
— Clive Durdle (@Clivedurdle) March 22, 2023
While some pointed out the gates are probably in place to stop kids on dirt bikes causing carnage, others pointed out that in blocking out those who shouldn’t be there the councils with these up and down the country are also blocking out as many who have every right to be. “Imagine having a disability and not being able to get out of the bike,” cycling campaigner Ruth Mayorcas said.
Tern Bicycles, the cargo bike’s manufacturer, even saw the clip and got involved praising the good set of cycling buddies. Ultra distance legend Steve Abraham knows all too well about this issue…
🤔😃
— Tern Bicycles (@ternbicycles) March 22, 2023
We’ll take that as they’re thinking about it…
"I think the more pertinent question local to me is how many people does it take to lift a motorbike or quad bike over a barrier?": Your thoughts
So many barriers similar on Leeds so called cycle ways, that restrict access if you have a cargo bike pushchair, wheelchair or like me use a trailer, the council use the usual excuse of motorbikes, anti social behaviour which happens anyway. https://t.co/cOkFd0fQQP
— Pete c (@Petercl04558275) March 23, 2023
A view expressed by Adam Sutton in the comments: “I think the more pertinent question local to me is how many people does it take to lift a motorbike or quad bike over a barrier? The answer is seemingly only two or three. So the barrier fails at its purpose and just blocks access to people who should be able to use the routes.”
chrisonatrike: “In Edinburgh they don’t keep motorbikes out. I’ve seen a car driving on the shared paths at least once, back before the council slimmed down the bollards and barriers at the entries/exits.
“IMHO it’s all about a commitment to stop motor vehicles being where they shouldn’t. So minimal bollards, where needed — to be reviewed if/when numbers of infra users increase. I think the biggie is all the parking in lanes/on cycle paths next to roads. Enforcement and/or better designs are needed — bollards can’t always be applied.”
Plenty of love for Timmy Mallett’s latest escapade too…
BigSigh: “Pretty sure that Timmy Mallett pic is actually looking down Loch Long. You can just about see where it meets Loch Goil and the Portincaple lighthouse between the two. I’ll be up there later today — not riding my bike unfortunately but driving the train, the West Highland line sitting just below that track.”
NotNigel: “I’ve just enjoyed looking through his Strava…he does some lovely painting.”
Cyclist attacked with a crutch by angry car passenger, defending lawyer claims "bravado"
> Cyclist attacked with a crutch by angry car passenger, defending lawyer claims “bravado”
"If you want to become a YouTube sensation ride along the side of the peloton and fall off": Don't worry, he's okay...
Plenty of reaction to this one already…
Worth it for the lols 😂
— Andy Powers (@andypowers) March 23, 2023
Thankfully our bike path entertainer was up immediately and seen dusting himself down as the trailing riders went past. GCN’s commentator advised “if you want to be a YouTube sensation ride yourself along the side of the peloton and fall off… which our gentleman did there, so that’ll be a million hits I’m sure”…
But how did the racing go? Pfeiffer Georgi gets first WorldTour win at Classic Brugge-De Panne
There was more to the day than just someone stacking it on a bike lane…
At the 2020 Classic Brugge-De Panne, Pfeiffer Georgi broke two vertebrae. She spent a month in a brace and it badly damaged her confidence in the bunch.
She’s come a long way. A breakthrough big win for her today in the 2023 edition, the first of many 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/4GM8NikYdC
— Andy McGrath (@Andymcgra) March 23, 2023
The former British national champion has her first WorldTour win, attacking from the lead group with seven kilometres to go and holding off the chase which included Lorena Wiebes and Elisa Balsamo. Kudos must also go to teammate Megan Jastrab for a superb blocking role behind, disrupting the chase. A performance that bodes well for the rest of the classics…
Just a quick mention for the sprint stage in Catalunya, won by Aussie Kaden Groves ahead of Bryan Coquard and Israel-Premier Tech’s Corbin Strong.
Bike path cyclist tries to keep up with Brugge-De Panne peloton... faceplants miserably
Just another normal day in professional cycling…
“Ne courez pas à côté des coureurs” pic.twitter.com/rJZvFmAZUa
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) March 23, 2023
While the women are enjoying a far nicer day at Classic Brugge-De Panne than the men’s rain-sodden outing yesterday, one fan made Thursday afternoon a little brighter for all of us, adding another chapter to the already extensive history of cycling fans making themselves look silly.
It was at this moment he knew…
There’s something truly magical about the casual look from Alice Barnes and Lorena Wiebes, the latter who had earlier made it all look so so easy…
Lorena Wiebes showing some cyclocross skills 😁 pic.twitter.com/0UZW41GqLu
— Classic Brugge-De Panne (@bruggedepanne) March 23, 2023
Leave the bike path competition to this lad in future…
The real race we’re here for!
Nicely done, @PascalEenkhoorn 🙌
📺 Watch stage seven live on ITV4#TourOfBritain 🔵⚪🔵 pic.twitter.com/C4G646nZ5I
— The Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 11, 2021
23 March 2023, 09:12
23 March 2023, 09:12
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@Backladder Oh I think I can guess - the nearest indoor velodrome to road.cc HQ looks to be some distance away in Wales, whereas Odd Down Cycle Track (where this test was conducted) is just 2 miles away.
There are a number of causes of "the divide between motorists and cyclists". Only one is to do with the technology (of bicycles and cars) and that's the nature of the car, which is designed to induce the sort of dangerous and careless behaviours that providing humans with a lot of power and glamour fetches out of us. Other causes are much more insidious - A culture of hyper-individualism bordering on solipsism, with violently ultra-selfish and aggressive anti-heroes being promoted in every mass media channel as the ideal. A "news" media that overwhelmingly seeks, creates and offers pariahs and scapegoats to the rabid individualists, which pariahs and scapegoats includes all kinds of those perceived as less powerful and therefore easy victims, including cyclists. The near complete lack of any curb upon the dangerous antics of vast numbers of media-maddened motorists by the forces of law and order, many of whom are actually members themselves of the mass media maddened motorist ilk. ******** No amount of a more rational discourse about active travel or the means of making it safer will change these root causes of the vast numbers of deaths and maiming due to inept, incompetent and deliberately violent antics of vast numbers of motorists allowed their dangerous "weapons of choice". Yet many other highly damaging aspects of modern societies would be solved by a much more effective curbing of mass media mob-building and goading along with a serious attempt to prevent motorists and a whole range of other damagers from behaving as badly as so many do. It'll not happen, of course. Large and powerful elements of the modern world obtain far too much ultra-riches and power from current conditions for them to allow any significant change. And vast numbers of the population have long had their minds, attitudes and behaviours captured and directed by various oligarchical monsters and their mass media propaganda horns. About the only chance of safe active travel becoming extant is for the population at large to become mostly too poor to afford a car, ironically one other likely outcome of the machinations of those same power and money-mad monsters that have created the car-issue in the first place. Their need for zero-sum socio-economic arrangements degrades everything, including the wallet-contents of the masses.
@Astralstroll The hierarchy of road users does not mean priority of road users except in certain circumstances, e.g. stopping to let pedestrians cross junctions before turning. It doesn't mean that cyclists have priority over motor vehicles at all times any more than the pedestrians have priority over cyclists at all times. It certainly doesn't mean that you have priority in the circumstances you describe; personally, unless the driver is being a complete dick, on a narrow country lane I accept that it is easier for me to turn around and go back to the nearest passing place, which is never that far if you're on a bike, than for a tractor or other large vehicle to reverse back down the road for my benefit.
If you were spending that much money on the device the obvious thing to do is to book a couple of hours in a velodrome for testing in a stable environment, I can't understand why Road.cc tried to do it outdoors.
@chrisonabike 'Minimisation' please!
@Astralstroll The Hierarchy of Road Users, announced with great fanfares in 2022, has been rendered into complete fiction by the attitude of the police: there is this hierarchy/ priority list but we don't take it seriously and if drivers ignore it we don't care! The same applies to the ludicrous notice of close-passing - No KSI'd cyclist = No Offence ttps://upride.cc/incident/lwa190_minicooper_hierarchy/
Hope Barcelona keep the transport improvements (they've been making for a while) coming! Better streets, more infra to help active travel where necessary. And while it's a major investment (though can be lower operating cost than busses) maybe more trams where they can. That may be more effective in making places active travel friendly and replacing taxis than mass public bike hire. They've a good start with 6 lines already.
I think this is a positive story. They're not getting rid of public hire bikes - they're expanding their in-house one. They're merely kicking out cowboys who've shown they've a lack of interest in the game they claim to be playing. It seems logical that companies whose business model is to extract (venture capital) money by invading public space are even less likely to make the efforts to keep things in order than a local "in house" scheme. (After all the "bikes and riding" part of these schemes always *costs* money, they don't generate it.) So not surprising their experience shows those firms are not particularly motivated to follow the rules - especially when scrapping for "market share". It's nice the European Cyclists’ Federation is thinking about tourists also (i hesitate to say "follow the money...") - as they note, where it's safe to cycle locals will largely get their own bikes. Tourists aren't going to stop coming because lack of public bike share - I think this is mostly a "nice to have" ("hey - why don't we go on one of those bikes there? ").
Harm minimization - at least they're not driving...
I'll counter that by saying the Bryton 750se I have drives me nuts at times. Inconsistantly picks up on routes created on Komoot and the app re-syncs every few seconds when trying to set up the device and sends me back to the home screen. The most infuriating one is that I turned live track on. Once. It now won't turn off and repeatedly flags up the live track is starting, and then disconnecting every few seconds whilst riding. I haven't timed it but it wouldn't suprise me if 10-20% of the time the the screen is covered with an error message. That's been about 6 weeks now. Other than that it's great :/
26 thoughts on “Bike path cyclist tries to keep up with pro women’s peloton… faceplants miserably; How many cyclists does it take to lift a cargo bike over cycle route barrier?; Downtube shifter-controlled dropper post; Timmy Mallett is back + more on the live blog”
Suffolk gets 7.9million in
Suffolk gets 7.9million in latest active travel fund round (why it costs 4million to make a mini Holland in Woodbridge who knows – also love the pic they chose for the article)
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/23406166.suffolk-council-gets-7-9m-active-travel-schemes/
And my regular highlighting who is actually checking what was spent in the last rounds ? Anyone ?
We certainly should have
We certainly should have monitoring on this – same as with any public scheme. In practice this is not obviously well done for lots of public finance.
AFAIR this was part of the remit of Active Travel England – not just to say if bids were good enough but check up on what was delivered?
So what are they getting then? What’s the detail? The article you posted doesn’t seem say. Without knowing that and some comparative values for road works in general it’s a bit “they spent 100k on cycling? Bonkers! I bought a bike off ebay for 10 quid!”
7.9 million is peanuts when you start seeing what normal highway works cost. Scheme to replace a couple of double mini-roundabouts in Colchester was estimated at 8-10 million before it started (2016) apparently.
It wouldn’t surprise me if
It wouldn’t surprise me if 100k went directly on cycling and 3.9m on “upgrading” junctions…
nosferatu1001 wrote:
“We split one crossing into four to make it quicker for cars and put in some lovely beg buttons for the wickle cyclists to press. They don’t make a difference to the sequencing – the cyclists still have to wait 2 minutes per crossing. Go active travel!!”
…
Sadly not satire.
Sadly not satire.
this is apparently what
this is apparently what 4million will get us
Quay Street junction – pedestrian friendly surfacing and crossings.
Cumberland Street – one-way reversal.
Church Street – one-way northbound and pedestrian friendly surfacing.
Reorganisation of parking to create traffic calming in Burkitt Road.
One-way only system in Theatre Street.
Improved signalisation to prioritise cyclists at Thoroughfare junction.
Reversal of one-way direction on Thoroughfare.
Pedestrian/cycling crossing on Ipswich Road.
so some new one way signs, a bit of paving and some new traffic lights, soak up that Dutch style infra
with the public consultations expected to take the whole of the rest of this year, and changes wont be made till 2024…at the earliest.
They’re finally replacing the
They’re finally replacing the magic roundabouts 🙂
There’s no other info published on the Suffolk schemes, I know St Chris & ATE visited and we’re shown Market Hill as part of the mini Holland prep work
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vji1S9tNhi12L7Xi8
But to me that part of Woodbridge is fairly low traffic cycle friendly anyway. Its what I’m assuming they’re calling South Woodbridge, Station Road, that’s bad for cycling.But will 1million fix it I doubt it.
As for the other schemes lots of it looks like rebolstering existing cycle routes, and there is precious little for large chunks of the county. East Suffolk Council produced their own cycling strategy and I don’t see any of their top priorities being tackled by this.
So 5.1/7.9M to Woodbridge a
So 5.1/7.9M to Woodbridge a small, pretty and gentrified town and 1.3M to the county town of Ipswich which is a more affordable place to live .. about the same as the much smaller Felixstowe.
No wonder the local Labour council complain of being Suffolk-ated by the Conservative county council.
Well they did just commit to
Well they did just commit to spend 7million on a bridge that will enable you to cycle across the waterfront. The same bridge their last Labour MP blocked largely because it wasnt his partys idea. https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/23401726.ipswich-new-7m-bridge-approved-towns-waterfront/
I’d missed that – thanks.
I’d missed that – thanks.
Not sure it will solve the problem caused by the star lane, college street gyratory separating the waterfront from the town centre … is that what the additional bridge will be for ? The big picture isn’t really explained in the article.
They’ll never solve those
They’ll never solve those roads with this bridge, it just gets you round the wet dock across the lock gates, they need another bridge to get across to Whersted Road side, then you have a West/East link that enables you to avoid cycling the gyratory route.
theres an Ipswich transport strategy, written by the Ipswich MPs out for consultation at the moment, no surprises its top priorities dont align with this Suffolk county council set of plans, and includes infra on roads they pressured the county council to remove
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/23356212.will-new-travel-strategy-end-traffic-issues-ipswich/
I think the more pertinent
I think the more pertinent question local to me is how many people does it take to lift a motorbike or quad bike over a barrier. The answer is seemingly only two or three. So the barrier fails at its purpose and just blocks access to people who should be able to use the routes.
Pretty sure that Timmy
Pretty sure that Timmy Mallett pic is actually looking down Loch Long. You can just about see where it meets Loch Goil and the Portincaple lighthouse between the two. (Not that you said any different!)
I’ll be up there later today – not riding my bike unfortunately but driving the train, the West Highland line sitting just below that track.
I’ve just enjoyed looking
I’ve just enjoyed looking through his Strava…he does some lovely painting.
I remember seeing an aricle
I remember seeing an aricle about his art and travels by bike, it was really interesting. Didn’t even think to seek him out on strava.
I think he’s redeemed himself
I think he’s redeemed himself over his mallet capers.
Infrastructure blocking cargo
Infrastructure blocking cargo bikes is a problem. Central London is certainly much better. The suburbs still have these motorbike traps. It is a problem as they do keep motorbikes out but also cargo bikes.
My experience is that they
My experience is that they don’t actually stop motorbikes. I cycle the Thames and Medway canal path regularly and often see a bunch of yoofs tooling down there on motorbikes. They are young, fit and strong enough to just lift the bikes over. All they do is restrict the less able, who don’t stand a chance and if they do make it through are faced with yobs speeding along on motorbikes.
Not sure about keeping
Not sure about keeping motorbikes out? The ones that can actually block motorbikes are almost certainly now illegal under accessibility regs.
In Edinburgh they don’t keep motorbikes out. I’ve seen a car driving on the shared paths at least once, back before the council slimmed down the bollards and barriers at the entries / exits.
IMHO it’s all about a commitment to stop motor vehicles being where they shouldn’t. So minimal bollards, where needed – to be reviewed if/when numbers of infra users increase. I think the biggie is all the parking in lanes / on cycle paths next to roads. Enforcement and/or better designs are needed – bollards can’t always be applied. Near me there’s a cycle path which crosses several minor side roads. Some bonehead has parked a van on a side road right across where the path crossed it more than once, blocking the entire width…
TBF the ‘biggie’ depends who
TBF the ‘biggie’ depends who you.
If you are someone using a wheelchair who has been locked out of the local park by these barriers for 30 years, these may well be the biggie.
True – although they should
True – although shouldn’t they already be getting those “squeeze” A-barrier ones gone? IIRC you did a dig on this but aren’t they non-compliant? If so they can now be in court for increasing sums of money until fixed if someone wants to make a claim. (Per Crippledbiker RIP)
That’s “some of the people, all of the time”. The parking in the cycle lane / track is “all of the people – to some extent – at some point in time”. No one likes uncertainty. I’m sure knowing there’s a certain chance you might be inconvenienced or actually blocked from using a route is also not welcomed by those with mobility issues.
But yes – still being one of the fit and reasonably brave I personally can get round most of these barriers. Other people who are also fit but not so “brave” (e.g. don’t want to cycle in traffic) – or those with kids, or carrying heavy stuff on the bike? “Small inconveniences” may just make them not bother.
No, they don’t.
No, they don’t.
As per my other comment a few
As per my other comment a few weeks back at one of these barriers there was a group of chavs with their chavlings, they had a couple of motorbikes and a small quad bike. An A barrier didn’t stop them at all. Meanwhile it will inhibit families with large pushchairs/buggies, cyclists with mobility issues and larger/heavier bikes etc.
I used to defend these barriers, but no longer do due to the number of times I find myself warning pedestrians and other cyclist I pass of the motorbikes I have just seen. I usually phone the police non emergency number as there are signs that they are aware etc. They simply do not work.
The poor spectator at Brugges
The poor spectator at Brugges – De Panne looks like he may have snapped his chain, he jolts heavily near the bottom of the downstroke before sliding out. I’m sure there were a few giggles amongst the Peloton, though
Well done, Pfeiffer! Another
Well done, Pfeiffer! Another young British hotshot to keep an eye on. The fact we keep producing such amazing talent despite so many domestic sport struggles (as discussed in recent live blogs) is a testament to our athletes and their support teams. Who knows where we would be if BC pulled their fingers out as a national sporting governing body.
absolutely, shes been given a
absolutely, shes been given a bigger role in the team this year since Wiebes departure, so should get lots more opportunities like this to take wins.
but Alice Barnes had a nasty crash, overlapped wheels with De Wilde and both hit the deck hard.