“If they can’t build cycle lanes, devolve bloody powers to us and we’ll do it”: Council slams government’s “joke” approach to cycling infrastructure; Mads Pedersen calls Jasper Philipsen “a real a**hole”; Bike stand horseplay + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
And… it’s live! RideLondon entries now open – and remember, it’s first come first served
And, judging by the current speed of the website, it seems like those spaces will fill up fast… (I feel like I’m trying to buy tickets for a Bruce Springsteen gig this morning).
I’m not sure Brighton’s new bike hire scheme is going to catch on…
This Friday, Beryl is adding 150 new bikes to its cycle hire scheme in Brighton – relaunched in April and already clocking up more than 44,000 journeys – which means that almost 800 bikes and e-bikes will be available to use in the seaside town by the end of the year.
However, judging by the following photo of one of the bike hire stands this morning, Beryl appear to be in the midst of expanding the scheme from two wheels (and an electric motor) to… four legs and a tail:
Weird Brighton pic.twitter.com/Vopw58Golp
— Bonita Holland (Bonny) (@snowdropbooks) August 15, 2023
I’ve heard they’re hoping to add a few e-horses to the range in the autumn…
Is this the fastest endurance road bike ever made?
Canyon has introduced new Endurace CFR and CF SLX endurance bikes that offer space for tyres up to 35mm wide, internal storage, adjustable handlebar width, and improved aerodynamic efficiency.
Canyon says the new bikes offer both comfort and speed, even describing the CFR as “arguably the fastest endurance road bike ever made”.
For everything you need to know, along with our initial ride impressions of the CFR Di2, read more here: > First look: Canyon launches all-new Endurace CFR as “arguably the fastest endurance road bike ever made”
The reviews are in for the Canyon Endurace’s internal top tube storage…
When your mate buys one of these, at the cafe stop, shove it full of mackerel paste when he goes to the toilet. pic.twitter.com/kgH6vPszRO
— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) August 15, 2023
Fair.
Today the Worlds, Tomorrow the Tour?
After the success of last week’s Super Worlds, is the Grande Boucle set for a wee visit to Scotland in 2026?
Read more: > Scotland could soon host Tour de France stages after “successful” World Championships
How was it having the Cycling World Championships in my hometown? Suvi assesses Scotland and Glasgow’s festival of cycling
In short, she thought it was amazing. Though you should also read the rest, of course: > How was it having the Cycling World Championships in my hometown?
And, speaking of music (see below for more on that), who now has Bruce Springsteen in their head after reading that headline?
‘Foreman says the world champs are gone, and they ain’t coming back (but the Tour might) to your hometown, your hometown, your hometown…’
Alright, that’s enough of that, I promise.
Former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman receives four-year ban from sport after tribunal finds that he ordered testosterone for unnamed rider
In what may prove a landmark decision for British Cycling, Team Sky, and their legacies and reputation within the sport, Richard Freeman – the former doctor for both organisations during the 2010s – has been banned from sport for four years after being found to have ordered testosterone for an unnamed rider and then lying to cover it up.
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) today confirmed that the independent National Anti-Doping Panel found Freeman had committed the Anti-Doping Rule Violations of ‘Possession of a Prohibited Substance’ and (on two distinct occasions) ‘Tampering’.
UKAD’s investigation, which began in 2016 after it received information about a jiffy bag delivered to Freeman at the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné, later uncovered that the Team Sky and British Cycling doctor had ordered 30 Testogel sachets to British Cycling’s Headquarters in Manchester in May 2011.
Freeman lost a High Court appeal in January against a tribunal’s decision to strike him from the medical register in 2021, when it was ruled that his ability to practise medicine had been impaired by misconduct, having been found to have ordered the banned testosterone in 2011 “knowing or believing” it was to help dope an unnamed professional cyclist.
Following the 2021 tribunal, UKAD charged the former Team Sky doctor with two anti-doping violations, namely possession of prohibited substances and tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control (this involved lying about returning the gels to the supplier and that the Testogel was for a non-rider member of staff).
That case was paused as Freeman appealed his ban, but following the High Court’s ruling, a National Anti-Doping Panel hearing was held last month, which he declined to attend.
According to UKAD, the hearing was “comfortably satisfied that Dr Freeman had intended to make available to one or more of his athletes the Prohibited Substance delivered to the Manchester Velodrome” and that UKAD had also proved the second Tampering violation.
The independent tribunal has now sanctioned Dr Freeman with a four-year ban, effective from 22 December 2020 (the date of his provisional suspension), making him ineligible to participate in any World Anti-Doping Code-compliant sport until 21 December 2024.
> Freeman fallout continues as Wiggins doubts a rider would have used Testogel for doping
Jane Rumble, UKAD’s Chief Executive, said in a statement: “The decision of the independent tribunal of the National Anti-Doping Panel confirms that Richard Freeman broke the UK Anti-Doping Rules. The rules are in place to make sure everyone plays their part in keeping sport clean and to ensure a level playing field.
“The outcomes of both UKAD and the GMC’s respective investigations were vital to outing the truth in this matter. This case sends a strong message to all athlete support personnel that the rules apply equally to them, just as they do to athletes, and that they have a clear responsibility to uphold the values of integrity in sport. When they fail to do so, every effort will be taken to ensure that the rules are enforced.”
Mario Theophanous, Head of UKAD’s Intelligence and Investigations Team, who led UKAD’s investigation into Dr Freeman, described the case as a “complex and comprehensive investigation to ascertain whether any wrongdoing had been committed, working with individuals who bravely came forward to give information to protect the values of their sport”.
Responding to the decision, British Cycling chair Frank Slevin said: “We note today’s verdict from the National Anti-Doping Panel and thank them for the time and consideration put into reaching their decision. Throughout this case we have reiterated our belief that it is in public interest that all matters are heard and thoroughly examined, and have made every effort to support both UK Anti-Doping and the General Medical Council in their respective investigations.
“As we have stated previously, Richard Freeman’s conduct during his employment by British Cycling bore no resemblance to the high ethical and professional standards which we, our members and our partners rightly expect.”
He continued: “We also acknowledge that many will be understandably frustrated, as we are ourselves, that some matters arising from this case and others remain uncertain. We once again want to take this opportunity to urge individuals with relevant information to share that with UK Anti-Doping.
“In the years since Freeman was suspended from his employment by British Cycling, we have made great progress in strengthening our provision of medical services to riders competing for the Great Britain Cycling Team. Being granted Care Quality Commission status in October 2020 – making us one of the first professional sport medical facilities to achieve the status – is testament to the progress we have made.
“Ensuring that British Cycling remains at the forefront of our sector in this area will continue to be a key priority for us, and under the leadership of our Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nigel Jones, I am incredibly proud of the support we are providing both to our funded riders and wider sport.”
More to follow.
“Could definitely have ridden 15 seconds faster anyway”: Dan Martin proves he’s “still got it… kind of” after pushing Remco Evenepoel close on Strava
While world time trial champion Remco Evenepoel was busy doing a recce of stage three of this year’s Vuelta a España in Andorra, a certain former monument winner and panda escapee wasn’t too far behind him on the Coll d’Ordino… just 15 seconds behind him in fact:
Still got it. Maybe. Kind of. Could definitely have ridden 15s faster anyway 🤣 @EvenepoelRemco pic.twitter.com/uAYKBiWcOJ
— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) August 15, 2023
Careful Dan, or Patrick Lefevere will be on the phone begging you to come out of retirement and join Soudal-Quick Step as a mountain domestique at the Vuelta…
It’s been two whole days… and bike racing is already back. And there’s a lot of it
In case you’re having post-worlds withdrawal symptoms – and stories about jiffy bags and testosterone deliveries from 12 years ago just won’t cut it – never fear, because there are five (yes, five!) stage races on across Europe this week, as we all gear up for the Vuelta.
At the one race I’ve been able to keep up with (I’m good, but I’m not that good), the Vuelta a Burgos, another popular and not at all contentious sprinter Juan Sebastián Molano stormed away on the slight drag to the line to take his third win of the season for UAE Team Emirates:
Juan Sebastian Molano wins Stage 1 of the Tour of Burgos!
A 22nd career victory for the Colombian! 👏 pic.twitter.com/zSBkNzhTNb
— Eurosport (@eurosport) August 15, 2023
And the prize for best Highland coo impression goes to… Victor Campenaerts!
Well done Victor, your fluffy coo will be shipped in November along with all the other pre-orders.
Probably my favourite teammate celebrating of the season so far! Campanaerts being a cow, I’m guessing?!
😂 pic.twitter.com/tofUhAkRtq— Katy M, Worlds Edition (@writebikerepeat) August 15, 2023
Ah, so apparently Campenaerts wasn’t trying to win a cuddly world champs memento (although judging by the rate at which they were selling in Glasgow, they’re probably more coveted than the Giro’s never-ending trophy right now), he was actually just celebrating another win by Lotto Dstny teammate Arnaud De Lie – the ‘Bull of Lescheret’, of course – at this afternoon’s Tour of Leuven.
An overtake timed to 𝙥𝒆𝙧𝒇𝙚𝒄𝙩𝒊𝙤𝒏 gives Arnaud de Lie the top spot at the Tour of Leuven! ✨⏱️ pic.twitter.com/WAcgS7K5Er
— Eurosport (@eurosport) August 15, 2023
That makes more sense, I suppose…
New pro rider mega beef alert! Mads Pedersen calls Tour de France green jersey winner Jasper Philipsen a “real asshole who is good at putting people in the barrier”
With four stage wins and the green jersey under his belt, it’s fair to say that Jasper Philipsen cemented his status as the fastest sprinter in the world at last month’s Tour de France.
However, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider – immortalised as ‘Jasper Disaster’ in this year’s Netflix series on the Tour – has also been busy earning a somewhat more dubious reputation as one of the peloton’s more divisive fast men.
First, there were the alleged – and unpunished – sprint line deviations on stages three and seven of this year’s Tour, which appeared to thwart Wout van Aert and Biniam Girmay, respectively.
Then, on stage 18, the 25-year-old Belgian was accused of “bullying” tactics when he accelerated after prospective escapee Pascal Eenkhoorn – taking advantage of Alpecin-Deceuninck’s odd decision to allow the morning break very little rope, thereby encouraging attempts to bridge across to the front from the peloton – before veering across the Lotto-Dstny rider’s path, blocking the road in another bizarre and controversial incident for which the green jersey escaped punishment.
All these dodgy sprints and mind games have ensured that ol’ Jasper Disaster isn’t exactly popular in the peloton – at least according to sprint rival Mads Pedersen.
Appearing on Danish comedian and TV host Christian Fühlendorff’s podcast ‘Hva so?!’ (or, as Google Translate tells me, ‘What then?!’), the former world champion was pretty scathing in his assessment of cycling’s latest hotshot sprinter.
“He’s a real asshole who’s good at putting people in the barrier,” Pedersen, who beat Philipsen on the draggy finish in Limoges on stage eight, said.
The Lidl-Trek rider, fourth at the world road race championships in Glasgow last Sunday, also said he takes precautions when sprinting against the Belgian, and claims he avoids sprinting up his inside, for fear of being blocked up against the barriers.
“If he crashes there… I couldn’t care less. That’s his problem.”
Tell us what you really think, Mads…
Comment of the day: When other cyclists’ music preferences make you question your own life choices
Over on Facebook, Austen wasn’t too happy with the, ahem, eclectic music tastes of his fellow cyclists, at least according to Go Outdoors’ latest Spotify study…
Can’t say I disagree with that sentiment.
Avicii what? David who? And no Kraftwerk?! Outdoor ‘experts’ reveal the most popular songs to listen to while cycling
Yep, the world championships may have kept silly season at bay for a few weeks, but it’s that time of the year again, folks, when random emails pop into our inbox promising golden content to help us get through the long slog of the summer holidays.
And the latest one, from retailer Go Outdoors, is bound to get some of you talking…
Go Outdoors enlisted a team of outdoor “experts” to analyse hundreds of cycling-related playlists on Spotify (also known to most real music fans as the devil, but I digress) to identify the top ten songs to listen to while riding your bike.
And, according to the study (yep, they’re calling these things studies now), here’s the ‘Ultimate Cycling Playlist’:
Hmm… I suppose we should be glad that the overtly obvious choices like Queen’s Bicycle Race (written as Freddie watched the Tour de France pass his house, don’t you know? Oh you did? Okay…) missed out, though I reckon Kraftwerk’s electronic banger ‘Tour de France’ should have been in there somewhere.
Anyway, back to the actual list. road.cc favourite Simon MacMichael, always in tune with the latest music fads, was at least happy with the number one spot.
“Blinding Lights immediately took me to an evening ride along the wide (but at that time of night, deserted) Thames Path between Wandsworth and Putney as I happily threw my bike round the corners. Bliss,” he says, evoking the nostalgia and sense of transportation music can provide for cyclists, like the madeleine offers to the narrator of Marcel Proust’s epic À la recherche du temps perdu.
Though Simon – who still subscribes to the erroneously titled Spotify playlist ‘On The Bus with Team Sky: Constantly Updated’ (but not updated enough to change the team name, apparently) – also made the rather less artful case for the Kaiser Chiefs’ noughties classic I Predict a Riot to be included.
That’s mostly thanks to hearing it blaring out from the British team’s bus outside the Castello Sforzesco at the start of Milan-San Remo in 2012, before a proper cycling riot ensued on the climb of La Manie in a successful bid to ditch world champion Mark Cavendish before the finale of La Primavera.
The person in charge of the playlist at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, meanwhile, will be pleased to learn that Aussie/Scot hard rockers AC/DC make not one but two appearances in the top five of the playlist (to account for both the Bon and Brian eras, presumably), courtesy of Highway to Hell and that perennial roadside race favourite Thunderstruck.
Any excuse to use this image again…
Though, to be fair to the trackside DJ at the world championships, he wasn’t afraid to throw in a few obscure Acca Dacca album tracks to keep the crowd on their toes. Who needs Back in Black and Whole Lotta Rosie when you’ve got Fire Your Guns and If You Dare? (I must admit, even as a lifelong AC/DC fan, I initially struggled to place that closer off 1990’s The Razor’s Edge when it boomed across the track during the men’s Madison race).
As for the rest of the tracks in Go Outdoors’ Top Ten, I’ll let you make your own mind up… (Like if you’re going to pick Eminem, who’s picking that one? Never heard of it.)
> Chair of Cycling UK in Scotland examines whether it is safe to wear headphones while riding a bike
Besides cycling, the ‘study’ also identified the most popular songs on playlists for other outdoor activities, including fishing – where the track When It Rains It Pours by country and western star Luke Combs came out top, followed by the perhaps optimistic Buy Me a Boat by Chris Janson.
No prizes whatsoever for guessing that the Beach Boys and their 1963 hit Surfin’ USA topped the playlist for, that’s right, surfing (Brian May will be even more fuming about the cycling picks now).
Go Outdoors also revealed that of the seven activities for which it researched playlists, cycling proved to be the most energetic, with songs coming in at an average of 128 beats per minute, ahead of surfing at 125 beats per minute, and even ahead of the notoriously adrenaline-pumping sport of fishing, at 124 beats.
Of course, creating cycling playlists also raises the divisive topic of listening to music while riding your bike, which ranks up there in the contentious stakes with wearing a helmet.
A survey in 2020 found that two thirds of road users in the UK wanted people riding bikes to be banned from wearing headphones, with road safety charity IAM RoadSmart describing listening to music as “the ultimate distraction.”
> Two thirds of road users say cyclists should be banned from using headphones, claims survey
In 2018, a study from the Netherlands found that wearing headphones while riding “negatively affects perception of sounds crucial for safe cycling.”
Meanwhile, in November 2013, the government rejected a call from then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to ban people from listening to music through headphones while riding bikes, which he made after six cyclists were killed on the city’s roads that month – even though there was no suggestion that using headphones had been a factor in any of those fatal crashes.
However, despite the debate over what is of course a matter of personal preference, some cyclists have pointed out over the years that there have been no similar calls to ban music being played in motor vehicles.
After studying Go Outdoors’ attempt to distil the musical essence of cyclists in the UK (although if that’s the case, I’m slightly worried for us all), do you have your own cycling playlist?
If so, feel free to share it in the comments below. Don’t worry, we won’t judge you. Okay, maybe I will…
“If they can’t build cycle lanes, devolve bloody powers to us and we’ll do it”: Belfast Council slams Northern Ireland government’s “joke” delivery of cycling infrastructure – as just 2.8km of bike lanes installed in two years
Councillors in Belfast – a city often ridiculed by its cyclists for its poor or non-existent implementation of active travel initiatives in recent years – have launched a scathing criticism of Northern Ireland’s Stormont government and what they describe as its “joke” approach to cycling infrastructure.
As regular live blog readers will know, Northern Ireland – not helped by the lack of a sitting, functioning executive in recent years – has lagged behind the rest of the UK when it comes to protecting vulnerable road users with proper infrastructure (while even those protected cycle lanes that have been installed, such as on Belfast’s Hardcastle Street, tend to be blocked by parked cars and bins).
This glaring disparity has prompted an increasing number of cyclists and campaign groups to criticise the inaction of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and Belfast City Council when it comes to dealing with the problems faced by people on bikes on a seemingly daily basis.
However, this week it has been the turn of the council to point the finger at the Stormont government for its “frustrating” attitude towards active travel, as councillors in Belfast called on more powers to be devolved locally to ensure bike lanes can be, you know, built sometime soon.
Speaking at Belfast City Council’s Growth and Regeneration Committee, Alliance Party councillors Mickey Murray said: “There is quite a lot going to DfI but not a lot coming back from DfI, especially with cycling network plans.
“As a major stakeholder/deliverer of cycling infrastructure, we are doing our bit in terms of cycling enabling infrastructure. But the information DfI is coming back with on their plan is a bit of a joke. The information just isn’t adequate.”
Murray then called, with cross-party support, for a workshop on cycling at City Hall to present the need for the urgent delivery of cycling infrastructure to the department.
Green councillor Anthony Flynn was equally scathing about the lack of delivery stemming from the government’s grand cycle network plans, which he described as “incredibly frustrating” and “ridiculous”.
“With £700,000 they have delivered 2.8 kilometres in the last two years. And on another project £245,000 on an active travel funding upgrade.
“I am exasperated with that, to be honest. We had the Belfast Cycling Network Delivery Plan two years ago – there was an £11 million budget, and again we are left with little to no delivery, which is incredibly frustrating.
“When we have that round table with DfI I will want more information on the lack of delivery. They say in the letter response there are various reasons – but I want to know what the various reasons are.
“We are talking about a landowner here – they cannot come back and tell us there are issues of ownership.
“Where are the roadblocks? What are the roadblocks? And if they cannot do it, devolve bloody powers to us and we will do it.”
The Green politician continued: “We are talking about an active travel spend per capita in Northern Ireland of £7.20, while in Scotland it is £20 per head. We are a significant outlier in the United Kingdom.
“DfI is the department that should be coming up with results when it comes to active travel spend per head, and they are not doing it. 2.8 kilometres in the last two years – ridiculous.
“We need answers from them because there is an underspend here also. And most of the budget was spent on the signalling upgrade. So, where are the cycling lanes?”
Where are the cycle lanes, indeed…
15 August 2023, 09:03
Our full story on former Sky doc Freeman’s ban. But the big question remains: What next?
Former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman banned for ordering testosterone for unnamed riders, as British Cycling “frustrated” that elements of case “remain uncertain”
An independent tribunal was “comfortably satisfied” that Freeman intended to make prohibited substances available to one or more of his athletes, as UK Anti-Doping handed him a four-year-ban from all sport
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Latest Comments
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 :/
RE: Police launch road safety operation... by clamping down on cyclists using footbridge Meanwhile in Glasgow, Police Scotland are riding their motorbikes over the pedestrian and cyclists only bridge. https://x.com/FietserGlasgow/status/2065106152917012523?s=20
@Paul J Van Schip certainly seems a bit of a dick, but he's a European and multiple World Champion on the track, pretty sure you don't get there without having some talent in your legs.
Poor Vincent cannot get over the simple fact that given the choice people prefer dedicated cycling spaces, rather than pretending to be cars like vehicular cyclists.
What is the point of the fancy air sensor if it can't account for changing weather conditions?? If all you care about is a delayed approximation of aerodynamic watts in steady conditions, you don't need any special sensors for that. Just your speed on a decently flat course is enough to approximate rolling resistance and drivetrain losses. And the rest must be aero. If you assume a less aero body position at the same watts, your speed will drop while rolling resistance also drops, which means approximated aero watts goes up. And that's enough to demonstrate what you've shown in your testing protocol ("I sat upright and the number went up a little while later").
Your correction is accurate - it's almost always been "the (lack of) thought that (doesn't) count". "Massive" - less than a billion a year spent on active travel (trying to catch up / building a network across the entire country) Not massive - 6 billion every year (2026-2030) spent on road *maintenance* of existing "already built, goes everywhere, very convenient" road network for inactive travel Ultimately the reason "cycle infra" is *needed* is those unbelievably colossal amounts spent every year (and for more than a century now) on making mass motoring not just viable but apparently the "best choice" for most journeys. As the Dutch and others have shown, the majority of people *are* prepared to cycle and even mix with very light, slow local motor traffic *if* cycling is also made safe and convenient for the whole of their journey (including secure parking at both ends). (The history of the financial drivers of the current situation are a complex topic but note that while people complain about "crumbling roads" and underfunded motor infra - with some reason - by us continuing the fuel duty escalator freeze (for example) we're actually helping motorists pay *even less* for that activity / subsidising more of the cost of driving than ever.)
yes, but people will still object - which was my point.
So ' Priority of Road Users' and 1.5 metre clearance at 30mph has been been reduced to 'sharing'? NCN route 2 here in South Hams is an absolute scream with white vans, tractors and total idiots who refuse,or are totally incapable,to reverse on high Devon banked lanes ...means you have to get off and pedal back to a passing place....could be at that all day...so I don't bother...
@MaxiMinimalist Agreed. The big problem I see now is today's parents grew up being driven to their schools, and therefore, see private motor vehicles as the only viable form of transport. The vast majority of UK infant and primary schools have a catchment area that is within easy walking distance from home to school. Yet, the traffic caused by pupils being driven to/from school is astonishing. Banishing the "School Run" should be a priority for all schools.
When I was a kid (that was during the previous millenium when phones were connected to a plug in the wall), I rode my bicycle to school, music academy, sport grounds, parties even during the winter. The government didn't have to spend, correct that, didn't have to think of spending massive amounts of money to build cycling specific infrastructures. Over the past 3 or 4 decades, cars have grown bigger, taller, safer (for their drivers) and faster. Meanwhile, motorists have become abusive, aggressive, hypersensitive to people moving on two wheels, aka cyclists. Spending billions upon billions on new infrastructure won't address the crux of the matter. Sadly.
47 thoughts on ““If they can’t build cycle lanes, devolve bloody powers to us and we’ll do it”: Council slams government’s “joke” approach to cycling infrastructure; Mads Pedersen calls Jasper Philipsen “a real a**hole”; Bike stand horseplay + more on the live blog”
A more positive sentencing
A more positive sentencing result today: drugged up drunk driver kills cyclist in hit and run, denies everything, and gets convicted of death by dangerous driving.
Sentence is 13 years in jail, plus 11 and a half year driving ban (presumably starting on release). Let this be a precedent.
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/crime/erratic-wakefield-driver-jailed-for-more-than-a-decade-after-causing-the-death-of-a-cyclist-and-failing-to-stop-4254998
What a crying shame that the
What a crying shame that the family had to wait three and a half years for justice. Is it reasonable to presume the driver was not incarcerated and still allowed to drive up until the conviction was secured?
Pub bike wrote:
It’s usual for the defendant to get bail between the initial hearing and the trial – not unreasonable given that people are innocent until proven guilty. Bail usually comes with conditions (e.g. curfew, avoiding certain locations, reporting regularly to a police station). A court could make not driving a condition of bail, but I don’t think it’s common practise to do so even for serious driving offences.
the little onion wrote:
I’ve always said the only way to get convicted of death by dangerous is to be drunk/drugged. It’s about the onl;y dangerous driving practice that a jury of drivers don’t think “well it’s not that bad, everyone does it, just an unfortunate mistake, that clould easily have been me”
I think this is the
I think this is the fundamental issue in cyclist death court cases. There is a massive “us vs them” mentality in this country towards cyclists and you have a jury that is probably almost entirely drivers and not cyclists. As you say, they think “bloody hate cyclists and that could have been me. The cyclist wasn’t on a cycle path, didn’t have high vis on and the driver probably didn’t see them”
For cases involving cyclists they should require that a sizeable part of the jury regularly cycles on our roads. You want a jury of your peers, you need people who understand cycling and driving.
Shouldn’t “didn’t see them”
Shouldn’t “didn’t see them” actually be an admission of guilt rather than a defence/mitigation?
Really?
Really?
I don’t think that’s how the
..
RideLondon – booked. Website
RideLondon – booked. Website slow and crashed a few times as reported but went through in the end. Interesting that it’s first come first served this year rather than ballot or partial ballot. I seem to remember it taking a while for the first wave of guaranteed entries to sell last year so maybe interest is waning.
mark1a wrote:
Essex is just less interesting than Surrey, no
big namefamous climbs. I’m not overly keen on cycling in the surrey hills myself – too few pubs and cafes, too many obnoxious drivers. But Box Hill is a major draw. Perfect gradient, great views at the top.wycombewheeler wrote:
Only if:
No, it really is less
No, it really is less interesting, with worse drivers.
rct wrote:
You do know this event is on closed roads?
Attempted to book but got
Attempted to book but got bored of waiting and then the webpage throwing me out.
Before I try again, any news on bag drops this year? I don’t believe they had them last year.
Cheers
essexian wrote:
You’re right, no bag drop service since the last Surrey one in 2019. I believe there is a bag collection facility this year, but only if you book the “VIP entry”, that’s £275 for choice of start wave, breakfast and bag drop at start, exclusive feed stop at 50 miles, bag collect and food/drink at the end and a family meet & greet zone. Rock ‘n’ roll eh??
I don’t need the bag drop or breakfast as I’ll be staying over in London and not that bothered about the rest of it so have gone basic entry.
Cheers.
Cheers.
I think for £275 I’d want someone to pull me around the course!
Not having a bag drop is a right pain if you are travelling any distance to get their (130 miles in my case and no, not from Essex). Not really sure if I want to do now. I’ll have a think. Starting from the Embankment is also a bit of a pain: Stratford is far better for me, although of course, those strange people who live south of the Thames may think differently…. 😉
There are plenty of left
There are plenty of left luggage facilities around Waterloo Station starting from around £10 for a day, if that helps.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Cheers but…. the ride finishes (I believe) on Tower Bridge and to get home, I’ll either head east back onto the District line to Upminister, or to the North West to Stanmore to collect my car. Having to return to either the hotel I stayed at or Waterloo to get my bag is a right pain. It was so easy back in 2018 when I did the ride to simply collect the bag at the end.
It’s not exactly far from
It’s not exactly far from Tower Bridge to Waterloo though!
Also some left luggage places
Also some left luggage places around (much closer) London Bridge station.
Again, then first I would
Again, then first I would have to drop my bag off, then cycle back to the start. Why not simply have a bag drop at the start and finish? For nearly a ton, you would have thought it could be arranged.
Surreyrider wrote:
Two things, yes it is if you have no idea of the lay out of South London and two, to get home, as I said above, I’d be heading either east or north west so additional miles to the west would not be on my route. Laying on a bag drop like they did in 2018 when I last did it would be so simple and helpful.
essexian wrote:
Or, as someone on twitter says, for £275 I’d expect to eat too much food to even get on the bike!
Embankment is actually much easier for me than Stratford, although that’s entirely irrelevant as I’m not doing it!
The lack of bag drops
The lack of bag drops coincided with the lack of a sponsor – Ford joined too late last year I’d imagine to organise it.
So maybe there will be something, although it’s hard to see where that could be at or near the finish line.
I don’t know, 20,000
I don’t know, 20,000 drawstring bags take a lot less space than 20,000 people with bikes. I’d hope they have a bag drop, but it won’t be the end of the world, at least in my situation.
But like Rendell said, there’ll be loads of commercial left luggage facilities if people need them.
Got to the booking page, then
Got to the booking page, then remebered what a ball ache it was the first year, ruined a pair of ****in expensive cycle shoes because the organisers forced you to walk to the start, followed by those who couldn’t ride a bike in a million years, being lectured by those that thought they could. Nah, I’ll book on a club sportive to get a ton in.
Well, you don’t even need a
Well, you don’t even need a club sportive to ride 100 miles.
I don’t know if you can be too annoyed about those things though, after signing up for something that’s clearly a mass participation event.
momove wrote:
So just accept it’s crap then? I participated in the Berlin Velothon 9 times, mass participation, with a well organised start system that meant you walked a maximum 30 metres at the start and 70 metres at the finish (if that). It costs the organiser a bit extra to do it properly.
Plus I didn’t **** up the very same shoes when it started in Stratford.
RE: Brighton’s Bike Hire
RE: Brighton’s Bike Hire racks: At least a horse can be considered active travel? Perhaps we need horse troughs and tethers making a comeback in our towns as part of AT campaigns, might make more of a difference.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
You’ll get a lot of tack for that idea. Taking liveries with our parking space!
Maybe interesting: the Dutch for a cycle garage is “fietsenstalling” e.g. same as used for horse “stabling”.
chrisonatrike wrote:
Wasn’t the original name for a bicycle “a dandy horse”?
Also – don’t forget that
Also – don’t forget that horse pollution was part of the last urban transportation crisis…
I did not know that, thanks.
I did not know that, thanks.
Perhaps we need to go back to
Perhaps we need to go back to the original name for the bicycle of Dandy Horse, thereby winning over the approval of the shire folk with promises to build more horse paths.
Here in Wales a LOT of people
Here in Wales a LOT of people are moaning about the upcoming default 20mh speed limit, and I’ve seen several of those complainers are suggesting that we may as well go back to horse and cart. This would seem like a logical step, no?
Where are people hearing
Where are people hearing about it to complain? I haven’t seen any campaigns. (But then I don’t routinely read / watch local press)
There was some impatient
There was some impatient drivist on Vine’s R2 show today.
And apparently the tieing on of red ribbons.
Wait – I just re- read that –
Wait – I just re- read that – ehorses are a thing?
I think you misheard – it’s
I think you misheard – it’s seahorses that are an actual thing.
You’re right – I checked and
You’re right – I checked and I can even see some nearby.
I’m surprised you haven’t
I’m surprised you haven’t picked up on this…Makes a change for drivers to be furious at drivers…
Drivers furious after just three cars use new £1million car park in first week http://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/drivers-furious-after-just-three-cars-use-new-1million-car-park-in-first-week/ar-AA1fiolW?ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=ed463968c5e04e74803f5399f0de58dc&ei=16
hutchdaddy wrote:
I’m suspicious of how much advertising a car park really needs and how on earth does someone spend 20 years planning a car park?
“Currently in a very small
“Currently in a very small Swedish village – with a population of less than 3000 people (on the outskirts of a small town with 66k population – about the size of Farnborough) and the very small Swedish village has better cycling infrastructure than almost all the cities in the UK”
“Comparing Sweden and places like the Netherlands to centuries old towns in the UK is an absolute nonsense.”
“I’m confused, why does the house near me, ‘In het drakenveld’ say it was built in 1672?”
“The 6 must be upside down.”
https://twitter.com/Travelling_Tone/status/1691375542669348864
I don’t listen to music on
I don’t listen to music on the bike, but at the moment the tunes going around my head have been-
Sunshine on a rainy day, by Zoe
Sunshine after the rain, by Berri
And the classic by Blue Pearl, but I have never danced naked in the rain.
Always when the sun comes out
Always when the sun comes out after rain when I’m riding I think of both the great Jimmy Cliff’s I Can See Clearly Now and the wonderful scene in Thelma and Louise that it soundtracks with the Rastafarian cyclist in the New Mexican desert.
I’ve just been out for a
+1 for Sunshine on a Rainy Day!
I’ve just been out for a soaking and I seem to be in a ska/punk mood:
I can’t stand the rain (lots to choose from, but thinking about the cover by Bad Manners)
Sun Of A Gun – known from the Nirvana version but appropriately The Vaselines did it in Scotland first (yeah, it’s just a line but “the rain it always starts when you go away”)
Not really for cycling but The Pogues will do you several meterological conditions: a rainy night in Soho, the sunny side of the street…
(If it’s a real beast of a day their The Boys From The County Hell starts with it pelting down in March and has some vicious lyrics suitable for shouting in the wind…)
And also from the Pogues,
And also from The Pogues, Rain Street – one for the rougher neighbourhoods.