New Grand Theft Auto features bike lanes (yes, really); Locals install homemade 30mph signs to stop drivers “speeding at 70mph” through village; Gordon Ramsay reviews Spesh Tarmac SL8; Contraflow cycleway an “appalling death trap” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Contraflow cycle lane branded an “appalling death trap” – but cyclists say “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, as council removes redundant road markings
Essex Highways says “redundant” road markings will be removed this week as work continues on a newly permanent cycle lane in Colchester – described by a former MP last week as an “appalling death trap”.
The two-way contraflow cycle lane on Station Way, first introduced in 2020, with Essex County Council confirming earlier this year that it was to be made permanent, has been the subject of longstanding criticism from opponents who believe its layout is confusing and dangerous.
Last week, the High Steward for Colchester and former Lib Dem MP Sir Bob Russell claimed that the lane would result in cyclists colliding with vehicles stopped at a bus stop.
“Highways engineers should be designing road safety dangers out of schemes, not putting people at risk, which is what has happened here in Station Way to the south of the railway bridge at North Station,” Russell told the Daily Gazette.
“The whole set up is appalling. The death trap is not the only thing I shall be telling the Transport Minister about.
“The nearby pavement has been marked as a two-way cycle path, also used by pedestrians, but this does not comply with the dual-use width requirements of the Department for Transport.”
Meanwhile, Colchester Cycling Campaign – usually on the opposite side of the fence to Sir Bob when it comes to cycling infrastructure projects – agreed that the lane’s layout, and its interaction with the bus stop, wasn’t “ideal”, but insisted that “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.
“For once, Sir Bob Russell is right: the segue between the bus lay-by and the cycleway is not ideal,” the group’s Will Bramhill said.
“That said, Essex is awaiting further funds to complete the project and we hope to see a solution soon. At least we now have a short section of cycleway that is top class.
“The bus stop connection is not ideal but Rome wasn’t built in a day; I do hope Sir Bob has had a lightbulb moment and will now get behind our aspirations which will improve the mobility of everyone who doesn’t have a car or who chooses not to drive.”
And now, Essex Highways has said that redundant road markings will soon be removed and replaced, to provide road and cycleway users with a clearer grasp of the new layout.
Some of the markings shown in the pictures are from the previous layout and are now redundant,” a council spokesperson said.
“These will be permanently removed this week and have been painted over in the interim. Northbound cyclists should use the shared footway/cycleway facility past the bus stop to join the segregated facility under the bridge.”
“The two-way segregated cycle facility is part of our aim to make the transport network safer, greener and healthier, with around 40 percent of all journeys under 5km in Colchester currently taking place in cars.
“The cycle facility will address the pinch-point under the Station Way bridge and improve overall north-south Active Travel infrastructure, while boosting green transport. These measures will help support a safer cycling network at this location, while the local bus network and city centre will benefit from wider improvements to bus infrastructure across Colchester through the Rapid Transit Scheme (RTS).”
I suppose it could be worse – they could have installed a contraflow ‘cycle lane’ like the ones opened this year in Darlington and Altrincham… Now that’s what I call appalling cycling infrastructure.
Ah, good to see USADA are back focusing on the big fish… Oh, wait
> 65-year-old tandem time trial cyclist banned for two years over anti-doping violation
Cleaning up the sport, one tandem-riding pensioner at a time…
And the Specialized Tarmac SL8 review you’ve all been waiting for is finally in…
No Ramsay’s Tarmac Nightmares for Gordon, then. Now, whether you’d prefer to listen to the sweary chef or our resident tech expert Jamie, that’s entirely up to you…
> Here’s why I won’t be upgrading to the Specialized Tarmac SL8
Won’t somebody please think of the sports cars?
A councillor in New Zealand has made an eyebrow-raising objection to plans to build a $14 million protected cycle lane, claiming that he would not be able to move out of the way of emergency service vehicles without risking scraping the bottom of his sports car on the infrastructure’s segregation.
Yes, that is the level of cycle lane discourse we’ve reached. Well done, New Zealand…
Read more: > Councillor opposes protected cycle lane plan… because it might damage his sports car, he claims
Bike sponsor transfer season continues, as Groupama-FDJ confirms new partnership with Willier Triestina
The seemingly never-ending merry-go-round of pro team bike suppliers continues today as – following Lotto Dstny’s messy split with Ridley, AG2R swapping BMC for Decathlon’s Van Rysel bikes, and yesterday’s news that TotalEnergies will be partnering with Enve for 2024 – Groupama-FDJ have today confirmed that they will be using Willier Triestina bikes next season.
The news brings an end to the 22-year-long collaboration between Dijon-based bike brand Lapierre and France’s most emblematic team, a partnership which yielded over 300 victories courtesy of the likes of Philippe Gilbert, Jacky Durand, Bradley Wiggins, Arnaud Démare, and, of course, the retiring Thibaut Pinot.
It also means that Willier will be represented by two WorldTour teams next year, with Astana and Mark Cavendish riding the Italian brand’s bikes to sprint success in Rome at the Giro.
Groupama-FDJ are set to ride that very Willier Filante SLR on the road in 2024, while using the Willier Turbine SLR for time trials.
Cav on board the Willier Filante SLR at this year’s Tour de France (SWpix.com)
“I am delighted and honoured to announce today that Wilier Triestina has joined the Groupama-FDJ cycling team family as an Official Partner,” team boss Marc Madiot said in a statement today.
“This is the start of a great adventure with a renowned Italian company that has left its mark on the history of cycling.
“Their enthusiasm and the quality of their technical and engineering teams immediately echoed the standards and attention we pay every day to the quest for the highest performance.
“The spirit of all our technical partnerships is to develop together and use our respective expertise to move up the range, and that’s what appealed to us about Wilier Triestina’s approach.
“Together, we’re going to write a new page in the history of Groupama-FDJ and showcase these new machines on the road from the very first day of the 2024 season.”
King Street Cycle Lane Revisited
I have now reviewed the footage of the driver who pulled out on me at the junction of King Street and Rivercourt Road in #Hammersmith. And having read the responses and looked again at the context I can see that I got this one wrong. Apology at the end. pic.twitter.com/5xB4D9Qyy6
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) December 6, 2023
When you turn up for a fight and a bike race breaks out
E dizem que o MTB são da paz 😋 pic.twitter.com/KtxnS1t3Km
— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) December 6, 2023
I didn’t know Gianni Moscon was into mountain biking…
‘Yeah, but is anyone really going to use it when it’s dark and freezing in December?’
If #cycleway4 is now this busy in winter when it’s 1 degrees C then it’s likely going to be rammed full in summer after the new missing section through Surrey Quays is finished construction.
10 years ago it was rare to see more than 2-3 people cycling here when there was no lane pic.twitter.com/iHIEG1rEn1
— Greg N (@n00dles71) December 6, 2023
It turns out that yes, they will use it. Lots of them.
We’ll be taking a more in-depth look at London’s latest cycling figures later on, as TfL’s newly released data shows that the number of daily journeys by bike in the capital has increased to 1.26 million in 2023, up six percent on last year’s figures and a whopping 20 percent increase on the pre-Covid numbers. Encouraging stuff.
UCI Cycling World Championships worth over £6 million to Scottish Borders, councillors told
The Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Committee was told this week that August’s UCI Cycling World Championships – the cross-country mountain bike events for which were held at Glentress Forest, near Peebles, where rainbow jersey winner Tom Pidcock proved the star attraction – are estimated to have had a direct economic impact on the region to the tune of £6 million.
“Glentress was an outstanding venue for the World Championships, and I am delighted at the incredibly positive results that have been presented to us today,” Scott Hamilton, the council’s executive member for community and business development, said after being told of the championship’s economic benefit.
> Scotland could soon host Tour de France stages after “successful” World Championships
“The boost to the local economy from competitors, support staff, spectators, event staff, and volunteers is substantial, and provided a huge return on our investment in the event.
“These results emphasise the very positive impact that the Council’s investment into bringing national and international scale events to the area can have, and we remain committed to continuing to do this, whilst also supporting existing local events to grow and new events to take place.”
Trudy Lindblade, the championships’ Chief Executive Officer, said that the economic impact demonstrated the benefit of spreading the different cycling disciplines throughout Scotland, adding that “it was tremendous to see so many international and local visitors descend on the region, providing a significant boost for the economy and supporting the legacy ambitions of South of Scotland Cycling Strategy which will further embrace the power of the bike.”
Professor Russel Griggs, Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, said: “What a great event it was and the economic impact of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships on the Scottish Borders really does really highlight the power of the bike.
“Cycling offers significant economic opportunities for our region, and as well the South of Scotland Cycling Partnership believes it can positively impact many other aspects of our society. These include addressing fuel poverty, transport issues, community isolation, health and wellbeing, workforce and education inclusion, and diversity and equality.
“After such a positive year for the South of Scotland, we now want to build on this success and continue to make progress, with the South of Scotland Cycling Partnership Strategy, and our ultimate aim of making the South a world-class cycling location.”
Cyclists to be allowed to ride through underpass at Reading station
Cyclists will soon be permitted to ride their bikes through the underpass at Reading railway station, after a consultation found that 73 percent of respondents were in favour of scrapping the rule which required people to dismount and push their bikes.
The underpass that runs below the station was opened as part of a major upgrade in 2014, and provides a shortcut between the south exit towards the town centre, and the north exit towards Caversham.
Last week, at a meeting of Reading Council’s access and disabilities working group, highways and traffic services manager Sam Shean confirmed that cyclists will now be allowed to use the subway, once safety improvements on the ceiling are carried out.
“We hope to be able to confirm plans in January, with the aim of work starting by the end of February,” a council spokesperson told RDG Today.
My favourite thing about professional cycling? The Tro-Bro Léon promo posters, of course
You can have your bike supplier announcements and new kit leaks, but the best part of the road off-season for me will always be the unveiling of the ridiculously arty poster for the following year’s Tro-Bro Léon, Brittany’s madcap and always entertaining answer to Paris-Roubaix.
And this year’s super-Breton offering certainly does not disappoint:
L’affiche. 40ème TRO BRO LÉON le 5 mai 2024 #trobroleon pic.twitter.com/VIOuDeXLqw
— Mellouët Jean Paul (@trobro2) December 6, 2023
Pigs will literally fly before any other bike race comes close to designing as epically cool a poster as this. E3 Saxo Bank Classic organisers, don’t even think about trying…
“Just because I did something wrong once doesn’t mean I’m a bad person”: Mr 60 percent Bjarne Riis finally bows out of cycling to sell heat pumps, laundry appliances, and electric vehicle charging stations
Bjarne Riis – the 1996 Tour de France winner who infamously flew up the Hautacam in the big ring on his way to the yellow jersey, his blood coursing with enough medical assistance to wipe out an entire stable of racehorses – has announced that he is finally waving goodbye to professional cycling after almost 40 years as a rider, manager, and team owner.
Mr 60 percent Riis, so named for his ludicrously high haematocrit levels during cycling’s wild west period of systematic blood doping, confessed in 2007 to EPOing his way to his Tour victory, before nabbing a few more yellow jerseys, this time as the boss of the dominant CSC-Saxo Bank team, courtesy of Carlos Sastre in 2008 (which Riis proudly proclaimed to Tour director Christian Prudhomme as a ‘clean’ win) and Andy Schleck, after the fact, in 2010.
But now, following a final short-lived ill-fated stint as manager and co-owner of the NTT outfit – during which he was the subject of more doping allegations by former CSC riders Tyler Hamilton and Michael Rasmussen – the Dane says his time in the sport is a “finished chapter” as he moves onto new business ventures.
The 59-year-old, who also confirmed he has relocated back to Denmark from Switzerland with his family, has recently co-founded Riis Energy, selling heat pumps imported from Lithuania. He has also become a board member of Nørtec, a company selling laundry appliances and electric vehicle charging stations.
“The last few years down in Switzerland, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I should do going forward, and in that process, I’ve come to the point that cycling, where I’ve been – that’s a finished chapter. I think I want to do something else,” Riis told Danish newspaper Børsen.
“But I still follow along – probably a little too much, if you ask my wife – and if you look at Jumbo-Visma, they are just so talented. Of course, they also have a large budget, but nothing is left to chance and they do everything they can to chase the marginal gains that can give them a competitive advantage. In terms of communication, they could do better, I think, but in all other areas, they are so far ahead of the rest.”
> 3 in 4 Danes say Tour de France can’t be won clean – Bjarne Riis says they’re misinformed
Meanwhile, Riis said that his doping past shouldn’t cloud his future outside cycling, citing his old protégé, and Tour successor, Jan Ullrich as evidence of how constant suspicion can weigh heavy on an ex-pro.
“I just thank myself for being a strong person and for having a good family behind me,” he said. “Of course, I have had my crises. If I hadn’t been strong, I probably would have had a slightly different life. Just take Jan Ullrich, you don’t have to look any further.
“I’ve never hid and I’ve always stood up to a beating over the years. I’ve acknowledged my mistakes and moved on, but just because I did something wrong once doesn’t mean I’m a bad person. I can still be a good leader and I can still inspire people.”
As Riis prepares to turn his back on the world of professional cycling, it would be remiss of me not to bring up one of the original, and still arguably one of the greatest, examples of online cycling satire, paving the way for all that was to come. Enjoy…
London cycling journeys up 20% compared with before Covid pandemic
As mentioned earlier on the blog, new figures published by Transport for London suggest that “investment in London’s cycle network is enabling more people to cycle”, with 4.5 percent of all journeys in the capital now made by bike, an estimated 1.26 million journeys a day.
Read more: > London cycling journeys up 20% compared with before Covid pandemic
“Children fear for their lives”: Locals install homemade 30mph signs to stop drivers “speeding at 70mph” through village
While all the talk about road safety in Wales over the last few months has focused on the government’s controversial new default 20mph limit through built-up areas, residents of one Conwy village have this week launched a very different criticism of the country’s speed limits.
In Glasfryn, where the Welsh government placed 60mph signs either side of the village 18 months ago, residents and local politicians say motorists are driving at excessive speeds near homes and a playground, prompting the area’s children to “fear for their lives” and leading their parents to argue that it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed.
So, in response to the clear dangers posed by the dubiously placed national speed limit – as well as the lack of response from the Welsh government to their concerns – Glasfryn’s locals have this week taken matters into their own hands, by installing a series of homemade 30mph signs through the village.
The guerilla speed limit markers include two mega-sized signs positioned on hay bale and – in keeping with the festive season – several 30mph and ‘Slow’ baubles on the communal Christmas tree, which was switched on as part of the campaign last night.
“We woke up this morning, and we think that either Santa’s little helpers or the Christmas elves have decorated the village and put up some 30mph speed limit signs,” local resident Euan Robertson told the BBC.
Euan added that the rogue signs were necessary due to the close proximity of the playground to the A5, while noting that he often sees motorists overtaking other drivers as they head through the village.
“I walk my dogs along the A5 every morning, and traffic is coming rushing past, often in the dark and the wet, so I’m having to wear hi-vis and head torches.
“The dogs have even got lights on them now, to make drivers aware. We’ve got lorries travelling through the village too at high speeds. It can be terrifying.”
Meanwhile, mum-of-three Angharad Roberts said: “There are a lot of children living in the village. We have to walk across the road to get to our cars or to get to the park.
“People don’t slow down when they see children walking, but when the lorry passes at speed, there is a rush of wind that comes from the lorry when they pass, and it is strong enough to take a child into the road.”
Local councillor Gwennol Ellis also said that she has witnessed motorists driving at 70mph through Glasfryn, and that residents had previously complained to the Welsh government, without success.
“The signs are in farmers’ fields, so they can’t do anything about that, can they?” Ellis asked. “But we have to be careful not to scare the children because, at the end of the day, it is their home.
“But they do fear for their lives. The school bus picks up on the A5, and I’m just scared somebody is going to drive into the back of that one day.”
“Why did the Welsh government need to put those national speed limit signs up? It doesn’t make any sense at all.”
Responding to the campaign, a Welsh government spokesperson said: “We are currently updating guidance on local speed limits. During this time reviews on speed limits have been paused. Once the new guidance is available, we will be reviewing speed limits across the road network.”
“We have to adapt to the cyclocross calendar, not the other way around”: Mathieu van der Poel weighs in on the great ‘cross schedule debate, as Dutch rider says he wants to reach seven world titles in the discipline
With the jampacked nature of the cyclocross calendar coming under increasing scrutiny in recent week, especially following UCI president David Lappartient’s recent controversial criticism of certain riders skipping World Cup events, it was only a matter of time before one of the men’s sport’s big three weighed in on the debate.
And despite delaying the start of his own cyclocross season until just before Christmas – instead preferring to get the winter miles in on sunny Spanish roads – five-time world ‘cross champion, and current world road race champ, Mathieu van der Poel believes that the current calendar is fine as it is, and shouldn’t be adapted to suit the sport’s multidisciplinary talents.
“I don’t think it should be adapted to us,” the Alpecin–Deceuninck rider told Sporza today. “Cross is a separate discipline. We have to adapt to the calendar if we want to cross, not the other way around. I think the current calendar can continue to exist, I have no problem with it.”
When asked about Lappartient’s threat to ban riders who miss World Cup events from the world championships, Van der Poel, who initially insisted he had “no opinion” on the matter, said: “Anyone can ride the world championships, even if you ride zero races. That’s your right. You don’t have to ride crosses to do that.
“I understand that it is not that fun for [the UCI], but they have somewhat contributed to it themselves. I am not really concerned about it,” he added, echoing Lucinda Brand’s assertion to road.cc that the UCI’s own rules enable multidiscipline riders who don’t commit to a full season of cyclocross to ride the worlds.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
The 2023 Paris-Roubaix and Milan-Sanremo winner, notably, also praised rival Eli Iserbyt, the current leader of the World Cup standings, because the Belgian “rides everything and doesn’t really complain”.
> road.cc Podcast: Lucinda Brand and Eli Iserbyt on the future of cyclocross
Meanwhile, when asked whether he was “itching” to get back on the ‘cross bike, the 28-year-old superstar laughed: “I’ve been doing it a little too long for that, and maybe I’m also enjoying it a little too much here in Spain.
“Last week I returned to Belgium for a few days and did one cross training. Today I trained on the beach for the second time here in Spain. My form on the road is good, but that is not always a reference for the cross.
“I will definitely have to be in my best shape at the world championships, whether Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock are participating or not. I have to be 100 percent.”
Van der Poel also asserted that, despite occasionally hankering for a “quiet winter” in Spain, he will continue to race cyclocross for the foreseeable future, with his eyes firmly set on matching and surpassing Erik De Vlaeminck’s record of seven world championship victories.
Van der Poel outsprints eternal rival Wout van Aert to win the 2023 cyclocross world title, the fifth of his career (Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
“It’s one of the reasons why I keep racing,” he says of the record. “Other than that I don’t have many goals in the field. That record is a big challenge, but so is becoming world champion.”
Asked if he has any intention of returning fully to cyclocross in the twilight years of his career, the Dutchman, again laughing, said: “Someday, maybe in the distant future. But it’s certainly not in my mind right now. It’s possible one day, if I can call it venturing out, with some MTB riding in the summer. I still like to do it, but it must continue to be useful.
“If the team thinks that I can reach a better level without ‘cross, then that is something to think about. A quiet winter in Spain would also be nice.
“But I have had my best road season with a ‘cross winter. That’s why I’m still doing it. I don’t believe it has a negative effect, certainly not for me. I can always use competition, although it does take energy of course.”
“GTA getting bike lanes before my town”: Grand Theft Auto does… errr, cycle lanes (yes, really)
Yes, you read that right.
After a decade-plus absence from Game shops around the world (they still have those, right?) Grand Theft Auto – the staggeringly successful and desensitising video game designed in Dundee (naturally) where players steal cars, drive recklessly, run people over at their leisure, and generally do heinous things – is back in the news, after the trailer for its eighth instalment, helpfully entitled Grand Theft Auto 6, was leaked.
And, while the series could be credited with convincing a whole generation of youngsters that driving a car like a lunatic is fun, the new trailer featured something that shows the game’s creators may be moving with the times (and no, I’m not talking about the Tom Petty song) – the presence of bright green-coloured cycle lanes:
gta 6 bike lanes confirmed pic.twitter.com/zoHNrDDVg1
— ben fryback (@BFryback) December 4, 2023
While the lack of clear protection worried some, many potential gamers were amazed they are even included at all.
“GTA 6 getting bike lanes before most roads in my town,” said Ben, echoing the thoughts of many when they saw the trailer.
“They can do bike lanes in a big Budget video game. But they can’t do them in real life,” added Bike and Bow.
“Investors will pay to draw fake bike lanes, more than local government will pay to put them in real life?”
“Knowing it’s basically gonna be Florida, they’re more like ‘go ahead f***ing die’ lanes,” noted Jim – although that’s probably the point, unfortunately.
Better than these bike lanes in Los Santos 😅 https://t.co/KPY4COZHan
— Kenny Uong (@_KennyUong_) December 5, 2023
Or maybe the game’s designers are simply trying to appeal to my brother and I, who would – instead of perusing the usual gangster crime storyline – spend hours on an early 2000s iteration of GTA grabbing a bike and finding the nearest big hill where, using a stopwatch, we would create our own unofficial Grand Theft Auto mountain time trial.
Yes, we were those kind of children…
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It would appear that going forward, the Definition Integrale version will be the only model available, meaning that electronic groupset is the only option. There’s still stock available of the Definition 3.0 as of now and I’ve just ordered one with mechanical 105 to replace my aging winter sh*tter.
This is why genuinely I only expect my front and back time stamped bike cameras to ever be used in the event of my death on the road, that is if I don't get killed as pedestrian on a crossing with these bloody taxi drivers who keep stopping on the crossing... as I'm crossing it. It seems to me someone is going to have to take extreme and over the top measures for this constant harassment to been seen as the public danger it is, I'm not saying I or anyone else should do it but it would be great to see a bad driver leave court with a conviction with the word 'kryptonite' embossed backwards on their face... just a hypothetical...
I usually wear a folding helmet - a Hedkayse ONE. What I've learnt from this report is that the Newlane with MIPS is one of the best helmets around. But that's not what the headlines say. It would be a shame if miselading headlines led to yet another folding/alternative design for commuters disappearing from the market (Hedkayse no longer make the ONE and Hovding - the airbag alternative - went bust).
I bought one of these in 2015 and I still ride it. Bought specifically for Paris-Brest-Paris (which I had just failed) and I rode this bike (successfully) in the 2019 edition. Then I changed the tyres on it to 38mm and rode North London Dirt very happily on it a couple of months later. Super versatile. The only box it fails to tick these days is the aero one, but I can live with that. I keep thinking I need a new bike and I list what I really need - fast enough, mudguards, comfortable, disc brakes and think I should buy a Defy or Synapse, then I realise I already have that bike! 15mm front axle and QR rear is a total PITA - you can sleeve the front to 12mm bit even so. Luckily it is flat-mount so there is an upgrade path on the groupset - I have upgraded groupset once and I think only the seat post is original now, but a great find from Genesis' heyday. I had a flyer about this time too and loved that as well.
@eburtthebike Well there's (at least) a third thing - we're letting too many people drive who should never have been on the roads in the first place.
@chrisonabike Something to do with existing in a liminal world between cooperation and competition where every action has multiple meanings, even to the same person, perhaps?
I have given my thoughts on this in the forum thread "Derbyshire: action on close pass reports only in “exceptional circumstances”". My first attempt with links was submitted on 30/10/26 and is STILL AWAITING MODERATION so I resubmitted replacing the links with descriptions. It is copied below : Gloucestershire Constabulary is way ahead. They never took any action on close passes but in September 2024 they started sending out advisory letters to close passers. Note that in Gloucestershire an advisory letter merely asks the driver to refresh their knowledge of the highway code and is not a warning letter. search : close-pass-isnt-offence-says-police-officer on roadcc for the article I have had action taken for a close pass since. In one I am convinced that action was taken because an oncoming driver was inconvenienced. near-miss-day-of the day 946 In the other I suspect someone on the team slipped up and the driver was sent a NIP. I was told afterwards that the driver was going to go to court to challenge the decision but changed their mind when shown the footage. near-miss-day-931 The link also shows that a very similar close pass a year later was back to advisory letters and I have had many similar outcomes since. Some on here think advisory letters are a waste of time and I agree that for some drivers it will be as water off a ducks back, but I have noticed a distinct improvement in driving around me since the policy started. I think most drivers genuinely think they have done nothing wrong but a letter from the police is a real wake up call. In answer to your question then in Gloucestershire someone has to be inconvenienced for action to be taken. Inconveniencing an oncoming driver is one possibility but having to swerve or brake to avoid being hit is another. Obviously this rarely happens with a close pass, especially those at speed which are the most dangerous, you simply don’t have time to do anything. As far as I can make out being frightened out of your skin doesn’t count as inconvenience either. They now seem to have stopped sending even advisory letters for close passes as they are short staffed.
If the police are overwhelmed with evidence showing dangerous driving, then that shows that the dangerous driving is endemic: the graveyards and hospitals are full of the victims. If it is endemic, then one of two things must be true, or both: the detection rate is not high enough, and/or the punishment is not sufficient to deter. So in this case, we have the victims providing the evidence, in most cases all the officers need to do is view that evidence. If the officers don't have time, then the process should be automated, possibly by AI. If the driver disputes it, then a real person could view it, but if they consider the driving to be dangerous, the driver should pay for the officer's time. Then we have the lack of punishment, or punishment which doesn't fit the crime, because it does not deter people from offending. The current system of points and fines is clearly not working, and something rather more effective has to be done, like confiscating the car for instance. ".......the Chief Inspector recommended that road users use a rear-facing camera and evidence their own speed at the time of the overtake." I fail to see what the speed of the vehicle being overtaken has to do with the overtaking vehicle passing too closely. Would it be ok if you were doing 5mph, or 25mph? Baffling.
In principal, driverless cars have the potential to be much safer than human drivers, by virtue of the fact that they should be intent on following the rules of the road, nor driving whilst drunk/drugged, never be tired, frustrated, irrational etc, etc. Another advantage is that mistakes can be corrected and rolled out across the entire fleet (try that with humans. Add to that the resulting reduction in car ownership, increased car sharing, and the sheer amount of street space given over to parked cars will plummet. The key factor, however, is how much of those principles the owning companies are prepared to commit to. (Altruism isn't their strong point)
I'm going to take a close look at some of the lights mentioned. For reference: I extensively used the following: - Nightrider lumina (don't recall the exact model): horrible temperature control and after 18 months it bricked up on me and they refused to honour the warranty, will never buy anything from them ever again; - Lezyne 1600 XXL, two issues, firstly the strap that attached it to the handlebar never kept in place really well over rough terrain. Secondly: a cop stopped me and although -to me riding the bike- it appeared well adjusted, he claimed I was blinding oncoming traffic. He actually held the bike so I could check for myself from inside his car and he was simply right: the light level on the ground was ok but indeed, I was blinding oncoming traffic. That's a hard no, it had to go even though he didn't fine me. I don't want to annoy/be a risk to other road users; - Then the Lupine: solid as a rock, mounted on a GoPro mount, USB-C charging, StVZO compliant...but alas not enough oomph considering terrain and desired speed; Thinking back, it somehow seems like a light I had on my bike back when I was riding long distance events (Audax, crazy distances but lower average speeds) might have been ideal, that was a Son Edelux and it ran on a Son hub dynamo. But I don't want to install a dynamo and again, lower speeds.
32 thoughts on “New Grand Theft Auto features bike lanes (yes, really); Locals install homemade 30mph signs to stop drivers “speeding at 70mph” through village; Gordon Ramsay reviews Spesh Tarmac SL8; Contraflow cycleway an “appalling death trap” + more on the live blog”
We are talking about a
We are talking about a village that is less than 1km long. Slowing down to a reasonable village speed (20mph) from an illegal 70mph would cost drivers about a minute.
Ask any reasonable human whether they would rather be 1 minute late or risk killing a child?
Asking a reasonable human is
Asking a reasonable human is not the same as asking a car driver.
bigwheeler88 wrote:
Car drivers aren’t the problem – unreasonable people are ( let’s not slip into the same tribal thoughts as others do)
belugabob wrote:
Although it’s easy to ignore an unreasonable pedestrian (or unreasonable cyclists), an unreasonable driver can cause a lot of harm.
Patrick9-32 wrote:
After retirement I had a short time as a lollipop man, most drivers were OK but every day some would ignore me as I stood in the road with the ‘stop’ sign and drive through, on one occasion hitting a child a glancing blow.
Plus there was the one who used the pavement to pass standing traffic forcing children to jump out of the way.
Kapelmuur wrote:
The lollypop pole should have a knurled steel ball on the bottom, and it should be 100% legal for a lollypop man or woman to scratch the precious paintwork of naughty drivers.
We could start making part of
We could start making part of the Royal Marines Commandoes and SAS retirement and repatriation program being a lollypop man for a while. Allows them to reintegrate into civilian life in a way that makes them super conneted with the society they spent their lives protecting and makes sure nobody, ever, fucks with a lollypop man.
“Bollard man”, maybe?
“Bollard man”, maybe?
andystow wrote:
FTFY
<Gandalf> You shall not pass!</Gandalf>
Patrick9-32 wrote:
It’s not the reasonable ones who are the problem
Ask the reasonable ones, tell
Ask the reasonable ones, tell the unreasonable ones through peoper enforcement.
A couple of things bothered
A couple of things bothered me about this story.
On a single carrageway road I think it will be the national speed limit sign. For vans with a laden weight of more than 2.05t that would be 50mph – many of the large crew cabbed trucks are actually already over 2.05t before loading so automatically fall in to this category (not that you would ever know if you see them on the road).
In Scotland goods vehicles over 7.5t would be limited to 40mph. I’m surprised that Wales have not adopted this.
Can the Welsh government really be responsible for the signs (serious question)? In England it would be National Highways and I would assume they work to rules regarding the placement of signs prescribed by the DfT & therefore UK government. Have Wales changed this?
In circumstances like this, I
In circumstances like this, I can’t see why the local council cant place a chicane at the limits of the village. Add in a speed bump and that should slow drivers down sufficiently. There are dozens of roads I see like this all over where some drivers will just plough on without slowing for the few moments it takes to pass through with zero regard for locals. This type of infrastructure is cheap and easy to implement. Even a few large planters with a 30 limit on them would be something.
Smoggysteve wrote:
My village has a speed table thing – full width of the road – and that does slow down motorists a bit.
But someone thought to double up by putting two speed humps (one in the middle of each lane) and those are so small that even a normal car (not an SUV) can be driven happily over them with a wheel track on each side, so no need to slow down …
On their own and like the
On their own and like the ones you mention do nothing. Thats why I suggest a chicane. One with a priority in one particular direction over the other. A speed bump that means you need to properly slow down, will do something. I dount any form of road calming will stop everyone but enough to reduce the volume has to be considered.
I personally would stick up speed cameras. The way they are used should be changed. If they are just a money making thing so what? let them, so long as its invested in repairs or improvements. You get a fine and points, that your fault – not the cameras.
That bus layby in Colchester
That bus layby in Colchester has always been a dogs breakfast, even as a pedestrian crossing the road there it’s clunky, I doubt adding the cycle bit makes it any worse than it already is.
But its what you get if you build a major out of town retail park, next to the main train station, hooked off the main northern approach road off the A12 into Colchester, just invites traffic chaos and wont ever be a pleasant or safe area to cycle.
The immutable law of cycle
The immutable law of cycle infrastructure is that any new facility will always be described by the anti-cycling mob as ‘a death trap’ or ‘an accident waiting to happen’.
This is faux concern for the safety of people on bikes, and used as a smokescreen for opposing all cycle improvements.
They do not want better designs, they want no cycle infrastructure at all.
What they fail to understand is that sharing busy roads with motor vehicles is ‘a death trap’ and ‘an accident waiting to happen’.
Indeed. If not unexpected
Indeed. If not unexpected concern for those cycling then it’s sudden interest in the welfare of those with disabilities, visual impairments, the old, the children, emergency services… Strangely such considerations don’t generate any noise when we’re failing to provide adequate footways or crossings. Or for failures to get on top of businesses using the footway / cycle way to store stuff, or pavement parking / blocking non-motorised access …
It’s selective concern.
I live over here in
I live over here in Colchester. That line is truly awful. Its contraflow against the bus lane. The difficulty is road with this set by the railway bridge. You will have noted CCC’s Will Bramil wasn’t particularly pro it either.
I did go past it last night.
I did go past it last night. Couldn’t really tell what it will be like, but I’d only use it for going south.
Be interested to see the ease of joining if you come from mile end road.
I looked forward to the new
I looked forward to the new default 20mph limit being brought into Wales, and still support it, but alas I fear it has had the complete opposite of the desired effect for far too many drivers. Instead of everyone slowing down a bit in built up areas, and roads being safer for pedestrians and cyclists, we now instead have SOME drivers slowing down, and many more simply ignoring the 20 limits. I have no data to back it up, but I honestly feel that if anything, a lot of those drivers now go even faster! The new limits have instead turned Wales into a nation of speeders. Already it seems most are now used to ignoring the 20 limit, and have come to the conclusion that if they are speeding anyway, they may as well speed properly! In my area there were some 20 zones, which I always respected and quite a lot of drivers did, but now the 20 zone signs have gone, people are often driving faster through them than they used to. For now at least there simply isn’t any enforcement either, so it relies entirely on the driver to ‘do the right thing’, but we all know how that usually works out.
Dicklexic wrote:
That’s a ridiculous claim. Are you a headline writer for Wales Online?
Have you checked vehicle speeds in lots of towns and cities around Wales since the new limits were introduced or is this just based on some local streets where you live?
The places I’ve experienced it have all felt safer after its introduction. Most drivers I’ve seen are driving slower, though are a minority who don’t give a shit and will drive like selfish bastards anyway, just as they did before.
Enforcement would be great but that costs money and, along with a lot of other things, central government doesn’t seem to want councils and police forces to do.
I drive through Glaslyn regularly and there is no legal reason for drivers to slow down as it’s pretty straight with good sight lines and a 60 mph limit. There have been homemade ‘slow down’ signs at either end of the village for over a year [street view] but I doubt they make any difference. Nearby Pentrefoelas has a 40 mph limit and there has been a dummy in a hi-viz jacket propped up against a pole for a number of years in an attempt to get drivers to slow down.
Bonus info:
Bonus info – not that this changes “but this is what I see on my journeys” or “it feels much worse!”:
BBC has an article covering the initial review after a week and some data (only two locations) a month on – both showing a reduction and specifically a reduction of the fastest speed group. (Here’s a document on the original research carried out just after the change).
If people didn’t check them already the Senedd had a couple of articles reviewing the situation pre-changes for good background, plus various articles tackling queries (e.g. here one addressing “but journey times will massively increase!”).
Jeremy Vine’s apology, at
Jeremy Vine’s apology, at least as sincere and heartfelt as those of Boris, in response to all the people pointing out that he was at fault, not the driver, is well made, and I hope he’s learned from it. In any altercation between a cyclist and a driver, the rules of the road are suspended, and it’s always the cyclist’s fault.
OK, tongue out of cheek, the real question is do those people actually believe that Vine was wrong? If so, should we remove their licence to drive as they clearly aren’t intelligent enough to be in charge of a machine that can kill in public.
Gordon in his little chain
Gordon in his little chain ring halfway down the block and tagging manufacturers in to his post – what a bell
check12 wrote:
Do you reckon you could do the Hawaii Ironman triathlon in under 15 hours at the age of 47? Ramsey did, which I think says rather more about his credentials than the fact that you’ve spotted him in the small chain ring (when you have no idea what he’s just ridden up before stopping). He presumably will have tagged the manufacturers because he will have been loaned or comped the bike in return for a few mentions on social media. I’m neither a fan nor a detractor of Mr Ramsey, but why be nasty just for the sake of it?
Rendel Harris wrote:
Because the internet.
Given Lapierre have been
Given Lapierre have been binned as a supplier and they are based in Dijon does that mean that their bikes no longer cut the mustard at WT level?
?????
?????
Great news about the Reading
Great news about the Reading Station underpass, as I understand it the built it with the ceiling too low for cyclists, but was also too low for pedestrians too. But to ban them would have seemed like madness…
Thing is, whenever I pushed my bike through it, I was the only one. The no cycling roundall has disappeared from the Reading side, still there on the Caversham side though. Be nice if/when they they reinstate the amphitheatre steps on the Reading side.
Don’t know what it was about
Don’t know what it was about today, maybe the banks of mist, but I received several weeks of close passes in one day.
Watchdogs 2 (2016) by the way
Watchdogs 2 (2016) by the way.