“What kind of sick joke is this?” Cyclist blasts new “suicide” contraflow bike lane that “invites conflict”; “Invisible” cycle lane kerbs a danger to motorists and pedestrians; Disc brakes: The secret to winning the rainbow jersey? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
More redundancies at Zwift as co-CEO resigns, but company insists “business is healthy” and “our community is growing”
Just ten months on from cutting its workforce by 15 per cent, which followed an even more severe round of layoffs the previous year, virtual training app Zwift made more staff redundant yesterday, with co-CEO Kurt Biedler also resigning too, despite the company insisting that it “remains a healthy, global business with a passionate community”.
Zwift confirmed that the layoffs would “impact all areas of the business”, though the company would not put a figure on how many staff had been let go.
Read more: > More redundancies at Zwift as co-CEO resigns, but company insists “business is healthy” and “our community is growing”
Étoile de Bessèges riders forced to buy second-hand shoes and borrow pedals after UCI prevents them from using new prototype pedal – one hour before start of the stage
Imagine you’re a pro cyclist (alright, I admit that possibility may be harder to process for some than others), and you’re buzzing to start a new season at the Étoile de Bessèges, a start that’s been delayed by one day thanks to some farmer protests.
And then, just an hour before the race begins, as you’re milling around the team buses, a UCI official spots your new fancy, eight watt-saving prototype pedals – the ones even road.cc is banging on about – and says, ‘Sorry, son, have you filled in all your paperwork for those?’
Well, that was the scenario faced by the Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur team at the start of last week’s Étoile de Bessèges, as the Conti squad was forced into a last-ditch scramble to secure some useable shoes, cleats, and pedals after the UCI prevented them from using their new Ekoï PW8 pedals on the morning of the second stage.
The rather radical prototype pedals, which Ekoï say will be eight watts faster thanks to their miniscule 8mm stack height, allowing them to sit flush with the shoe, are set to be tested during their development stage by Conti teams Nice Métropole and Burgos.
But, just not yet, according to the UCI, who told the team they didn’t have the right to use the pedals, not because they’re banned à la inverted handlebars, but because the authorisation file for their use, which has been submitted by Ekoï to the UCI, has yet to be approved by cycling’s governing body.
Classic UCI bureaucracy, eh?
Got any spare shoes, lads?
Needless to say, the last-minute news sent the team into something of a frenzy, especially considering their more traditional Look and Shimano-compatible shoes were back at the hotel, an hour’s roundtrip away, an impossible task as the clock ticked down towards the start.
According to French outlet Matos Velo, Nice Métropole’s riders were able to borrow pedals and cleats from other teams, while also – thanks to the specialist shoe requirements of the new PW8 pedals – borrowing footwear too.
Others, meanwhile, were even forced to buy second-hand shoes from a stall located near the start, like a panicked Cat 4 who just remembered he left his kit bag beside the unfinished box of pasta at home.
You’ve got to love professional cycling.
Disc brakes: The secret to winning the rainbow jersey (after crashing into a fence)?
Now that’s what I call a buckle:
The front wheel of 🇮🇹 Stefano Viezzi after he rode into the fences in the last lap on his way to the Junior world title cyclocross. 😅 🌈 #Tabor2024
📹 Tuttobiciweb: https://t.co/DaCHTK92C2 pic.twitter.com/BE2Q8E6nCr
— Cyclocross24.com (@cyclocross24) February 5, 2024
That hideously deformed wheel belongs to Stefano Viezzi, the winner of the junior men’s cyclocross world title in Tábor at the weekend, and the first Italian to win a ‘cross rainbow jersey since 2005 – a full year before the 18-year-old was born.
Viezzi took the win after a prolonged battle with French favourite Aubin Sparfel, whose rainbow jersey hopes were dashed by a late puncture.
However, Viezzi also had his issues towards the finish, crashing into a fence and badly buckling his front wheel in the process. However, the Italian youngster was able to carry on, wrecked wheel rollicking from side to side, until the pits, holding off the deflating Sparfel for an emotional victory.
(Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)
Viezzi’s unlikely triumph, as well as being a testament to the kid’s grit and determination, also prompted a few fans to note that – whisper it quietly – disc brakes may have been key to ensuring that the Italian’s late crash wasn’t a race ending one.
“Jesus Christ, how did he continue to ride with that?” asked Dieter, in response to the post-race clip of Viezzi’s buckled wheel.
“Disc brakes and wide tyre clearance,” came the reply from another Twitter user.
“Finally a measurable advantage of disc brakes,” added jverheul, aware that good old fashioned rim brakes, as much as we traditionalists love them, would have seen Viezzi come to a juddering halt after his crash.
First, British national hill climb championships, and now providing the secret ingredient to a cyclocross world title – can’t disc brakes just leave one small corner of the cycling world alone, please?
The FIFA World Cup: Advocating active travel since… Oh, wait
While ultra-distance cycling events are implementing no-fly policies, in a bid to make at least some small contribution to the fight against climate change (and being criticised for doing so), football’s governing body is busy handing its single biggest day to a venue where it is illegal to walk…
If you thought Qatar was dystopian, in the US its literally illegal to walk https://t.co/HiL5MIeHUe pic.twitter.com/W4nNqugIJs
— Nikolaj🍦🇺🇦 (@nikicaga) February 4, 2024
Ah, the good ol’ US of Non-Existent Active Travel Policies.
“Absolutely zero chance of seeing it again”: Soudal Quick-Step communications manager’s bike stolen from outside Manchester coffee shop
I’ve just had my bike stolen from outside a coffee shop in Monton in Manchester.
Absolutely zero chance of seen it again, but I thought I would post on here just in case somebody sees something pic.twitter.com/clRCcVP3gP
— Phil Lowe (@Lowe_Profile_) February 4, 2024
Britain’s bike theft epidemic strikes again, as Phil Lowe, the communications manager for Soudal Quick-Step, saw his bike – a team branded S-Works, no less – stolen from outside a coffee shop in Monton, Greater Manchester, on Sunday morning.
According to Lowe, who says he has “absolutely zero chance of seeing it again”, the bike was locked to some railing when the thieves struck.
However, some noted that the thieves may have bitten off more than they can chew, having nicked a Quick-Step-issue and clearly branded bike.
“That’s a pretty rare bike mate, I’ll post it in the FB groups too. Not too many QS team issues around in UK, so don’t rule anything out. Fingers crossed for you,” said Jamie on Twitter.
“Here, trams run down the streets, not the paths”: Edinburgh cyclists, look away now
Here in Melbourne, trams run down the streets, not the paths. These ribbons of green are a peaceful refuge from the energy and discord of the city.
On-street cycle infrastructure isn’t half-arsed like Leith Walk (and, inevitably, the Roseburn replacement). pic.twitter.com/68Cz2EhM3y
— Edward Tissiman (@edtiss) February 6, 2024
Mathieu van der Poel set to start 2024 road season with Milan-Sanremo defence
After one of the most ludicrously dominant seasons cyclocross has ever seen, culminating in a sixth ‘cross rainbow jersey at the weekend, Mathieu van der Poel’s attentions are slowly turning towards a season of racing on nice, (mostly) smooth tarmac – and the odd cobbled road, of course.
While the flying Dutchman was originally due to start his road season alongside Wout van Aert, Tom Pidcock, and Remco Evenepoel next week at the Volta ao Algarve, that plan has now been ripped up, according to Het Nieuwsblad, who have reported today that Van der Poel will instead head to Italy in March for his first road rendezvous of 2024 (allowing for some essential, extra post-worlds celebration time, too).
That delay means the world champion will make his debut at either Strade Bianche (which he won in 2021), Tirreno-Adriatico (where he’s won three stages in the past), or Milan-Sanremo, where he soloed to victory in sensational fashion last year.
And Het Nieuwsblad reckon La Primavera is Van der Poel’s most likely starting point, meaning that his spring will consist of all killer, no filler, as he aims to win Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix, while taking only his second ever stab at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
If so, it’ll be the second time Van der Poel has kicked off his season at cycling’s longest monument classic – in 2022 he finished third on his Sanremo season debut, behind the daredevil descending of Matej Mohorič.
And, with the unbeatable form he was showing throughout the ‘cross season, I wouldn’t bet against MVDP bursting clear on the Poggio for the second year running.
Cycle repair business The Bike Boat launches petition to urge Canal and River Trust to change decision on licence, forcing business to close
The Bike Boat, a cycle repair business run from a narrow boat on the Kennet and Avon Canal, is facing closure after the Canal and River Trust informed the boat’s owner that he does not meet their licensing requirements due to spending “too much time in towns”.
The boat’s owner, Ollie, has launched a petition which he hopes will urge the trust to reconsider their decision, which could mean either the closure of the business, which has been running for two and a half years, or the loss of Ollie’s home.
“The Canal and River Trust has informed me that I do not meet their licensing requirements,” Ollie wrote alongside his change.org petition.
“Paraphrasing their reasoning, ‘mileage is fine, but [you] spend too much time in towns’ – this is despite spending one third of my current licence continuous cruising in the countryside.
“To trade I need to spend most of my time in towns, particularly the only big one on the Kennet and Avon Canal, Bath. Therefore, I can’t both meet the Canal and River Trust requirements and make a living. When I have traded in rural areas on most days, I take nothing.
“If I were to continue my current trading and movement pattern and not meet their cruising requirements, in time, it would ultimately mean the threat of losing my boat, which is my home.
“I am working on other options to continue bike repairs elsewhere, but unless the Canal and River Trust changes their position, The Bike Boat will be forced to close on the 28th of February.”
Ollie’s petition is available to sign on change.org.
The moustache’s takeover of the 2024 peloton
First, it was Brandon McNulty’s First World War soldier look, now Fernando Gaviria has ditched his trademark beard for a Bogotá speakeasy vibe:
👨🏻 @FndoGaviria estrena look para el @TourColombiaOfi 🇨🇴
📸 @Pablo_0rdorica #MovistarEnTourColombia pic.twitter.com/l1hd3SEAId
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) February 6, 2024
Am I missing something, or is the moustache back in fashion (at least among a niche selection of Europe-based professional cyclists)?
We’re all doomed…
‘Hey kids: please take care of your safety. Pay attention, don’t play🤸♂️, don’t get distracted, be seen🦺 and look for eye contact👀. Road safety is a shared responsibility after all!’
Meanwhile:pic.twitter.com/dyTdwYtG2k
— Cycling Professor 🚲 (@fietsprofessor) February 6, 2024
I’m sure the race to blame the cyclist for when the inevitable happens will be especially edifying – ‘But, but, he wasn’t wearing hi-vis!’
‘Get warmed up, Nairo, I’m sticking you on for the last few kilometres, make a nuisance of yourself on the hills’: Movistar boss Eusebio Unzué calls for substitutions in grand tours and describes cycling as the “most conservative sport”
To many cycling fans, Movistar, that venerable old Spanish team now entering its 44th year in the professional ranks, represent the historic, traditionalist side of the sport – the one populated by grey-haired team bosses who remember the toe strap and cycling cap-wearing, pro-EPO days, the one that refuses to budge in the harsh crosswinds of clinical tactics, sports science, and marginal gains.
So, it may come as something of a surprise to learn that Eusebio Unzué, the longstanding manager of Spain’s oldest team (and the man who thought rekindling Movistar’s relationship with Nairo Quintana in 2024 was a good idea), believes that cycling is too conservative, too rooted in its ways – and that One Cycling, the ‘revolutionary’ breakaway league aiming to shake up the sport with the help of some Suadi oil money, represents a glittering revenue-filled future for the sport.
“There are concerns from teams who are understandably thinking about the future of this sport,” Unzué said of the project while talking to reporters in Colombia ahead of the debut of Quintana/Movistar 2.0 at the former Tour de France podium contender’s national tour.
“They want to discover other pathways to make us a bit more competitive in this jungle of sport. But we can’t give out any details given the phase it’s in at the moment. I think it’s important that we have this in mind, and we’ll see the reactions of the people who could be interested in this.”
While Movistar, naturally, were not originally believed to be involved in the One Cycling project, led by Visma-Lease a Bike’s Richard Plugge, Unzué said his team is “part of the group which is going to have other meetings soon”.
The Spanish team boss also believed that redrawing cycling’s traditionalist structure could help the sport move on from its overt focus on toughness and brutality – with shorter grand tours and even the introduction of substitutions touted by Unzué as a possible alternative to cycling’s staunch but fading hold on all things ‘epic’, and one that could potentially protect the health of the riders while increasing the entertainment value, he says.
> Why pro cycling needs to ditch its ‘hardness’ obsession
“I think this is the most conservative sport,” Unzué said. “I think almost all sports develop, whereas we’re still doing the same things we’ve always been doing.
“Since I started in the 1980s, the rules of cycling have changed very little, and I think you need to adapt to the current time. You have to make the regulations and rules more… well, I’m not sure if it’s right to say ‘more human,’ but certainly they should be less brutal.
“If [grand tours] were reduced to 15 days, the best riders would probably ride all three Grand Tours. That would give them enough time to recover between them and be competitive in all three. It would create spectacle if the best riders were racing against each other more often.”
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Noting his team leader Enric Mas’ crash on the first day of the 2023 Tour, Unzué added: “If a rider crashes, can he not climb into a car or ambulance to get examined and then start again the next day if he hasn’t broken anything. Why not? We want more humanity. We want to protect the riders’ health.
“And why don’t we allow substitutions, at least in the first week of a Grand Tour? We lost Enric on the first day to a crash. So why not at least allow us to replace him and have eight riders on the team?
“I think we’ve all grown used to the idea of an epic sport and the belief that all these things form part of the epic nature of the sport. But remember, football didn’t allow substitutions in the past either.
“Why don’t we give it a try? Let’s take the step and see if we like it. A change is needed.”
What do you think? Could subs be the way forward for cycling’s grand tours? Could we soon see the likes of Tom Pidcock playing the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer role at the Giro, to keep Geraint Thomas’ GC hopes alive?
Or should cycling simply steer clear of football, or F1 for that matter, comparisons, for its own sake and history?
The race for promotion: The best road bikes in the world NOT in the WorldTour
Those WorldTour pros, they’re missing out…
> The best road bikes NOT in the men’s 2024 World Tour peloton — bikes missing from cycling’s top tier featuring BMC, Ridley, Time, Vitus, Eddy Merckx + more
“They are a danger, not just to pedestrians, but to motorists and all road users”: Councillor and residents criticise “invisible” concrete cycle lane kerbing, which caused £350 in damage to one car
More criticism of cycling infrastructure now on the blog, but this time coming from an entirely different direction (excuse the contraflow lane pun), as residents and politicians in Leicester have criticised the recent installation of concrete blocks separating a cycle lane from one of the city’s busiest roads, which they reckon are “essentially invisible” and a danger to motorists and pedestrians.
As we reported back in September, Leicester City Council agreed to replace the temporary wands on Aylestone Road, introduced during the pandemic, with permanent full segregation, concrete kerbing, and extra signs and lights as the Labour-run local authority sought to build on the success of the temporary scheme, which saw “a significant reduction in collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists”.
However, when the proposals were first introduced, they were criticised by Lib Dem councillor Nigel Porter, who claimed that the cycle lane was already a “nuisance” and that the concrete kerbs would be a “trip hazard”.
And now, just over a month after their installation around Christmas, councillor Porter has raised his head again, telling the BBC that at a recent ward meeting on the issue two weeks ago, only three of the roughly 100 people in attendance thought the bike lanes were a “good idea”.
Porter added that while he wants to see cyclists protected (that’s nice of him), he didn’t want their protection and safety to come at the expense of other road users (ah, of course).
“They are a danger, not just to pedestrians, but to motorists and all road users,” the councillor said, before claiming that pedestrians had already fallen over the blocks and that one motorist struck the kerb, causing £350 in damage to their car.
Meanwhile, Sam Bradshaw, an assistant manager at J&S Accessories on the Aylestone Road, said he often saw drivers struggling to move out of the way of emergency vehicles thanks to the segregation, and that motorists were damaging their vehicles while pulling out onto the road.
“Because they’re not marked with white or yellow paint, in poor weather conditions they’re essentially invisible,” Bradshaw, who says he rides a bike and is generally in favour of cycle lanes, told the BBC.
“90 per cent of the people we speak to are not a fan of these cycle lanes.”
A council spokesman said: “The design uses the kind of concrete segregators which have been in use successfully in London Road since 2020 to replace the temporary wand markers, and has no impact on the number of traffic lanes.
“By creating a protected cycleway, we are reducing both the likelihood of drivers colliding with cyclists and illegal footway cycling, which improves safety for people using the pavements.”
“What kind of sick joke is this?” Cyclist blasts new “suicide” contraflow bike lane that “invites conflict” between motorists and vulnerable road users
Ah, contraflow cycle lanes, our old divisive friend, it’s been a while.
While many active travel campaigners laud the safety benefits of contraflow cycling, it’s safe to say that recent attempts to install bike lanes which travel against the flow of motor traffic haven’t quite hit the mark.
Back in September, a contraflow cycle lane in Brighton was deemed responsible for a series of collisions between cyclists and motorists seemingly unaware of the riders approaching on their right, and described by road.cc’s own Jo Burt as a “shockingly badly designed bit of infrastructure”.
> Shocking video shows multiple cyclists getting hit by “unaware” drivers on a contraflow cycle lane
And in July, a new, green-painted cycle lane in Altrincham became the subject of ridicule for cyclists in Greater Manchester, with one describing its narrow, contraflow design – located between a row of parking bays and a one-way traffic lane, with no physical separation – as “dreadful” and “an accident waiting to happen”, thanks to the increased possibility of ‘dooring’ incidents, or motorists pulling across the lane and into the path of hitherto obscured cyclists.
A few months later, it was revealed that Trafford Council – who claimed at the time of the lane’s completion that the green paint would “heighten driver’s awareness” – was warned in advance during a safety audit about the dangers posed by the lane’s layout and the threat of dooring.
And now, it appears to be the turn of the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames to ignore a safety audit’s dooring warnings, with this interesting piece of brand-new infrastructure on London’s King’s Road, which was completed at the weekend, being colourfully described as a “sick joke” and a “suicide lane” by road.cc reader Chapona Bike.
Kingston Council have just installed a brand new cycle lane, but didn’t follow LTN 1/20 Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance
This is the view going up Kings Road, with Kingston Gate/Richmond Park at top
There is no space for cars going up, to safely pass cycles coming down pic.twitter.com/ChFDODDkzn
— Chapona Bike (@ChaponaBike123) February 5, 2024
“This is the view going up King’s Road, with Kingston Gate/Richmond Park at top. There is no space for cars going up, to safely pass cycles coming down,” Chapona Bike told road.cc
“This kind of cycling infrastructure invites conflict. Cyclists don’t feel safe cycling next to parked cars, and oncoming motorists will think they have some sort of implied right of way to squeeze through the gap.
“LTN 1/20 Cycle Infrastructure Design sets a minimum standard for councils investing in cycling infrastructure. Questions have been asked of Kingston Council as to why they haven’t followed it.”
@RBKingston @MPSKingston What kind of a sick joke is this? Can’t you see you’ve put vulnerable road users into direct conflict with motorists by doing this?
— Chapona Bike (@ChaponaBike123) February 5, 2024
However, while many on social media agreed with Chapona Bike’s blunt assessment of the new lane – and asked whether it would be safer for parking on one side of the road to be removed – other cyclists reckoned the revamped layout at least marked an improvement on what was there before.
“I cycle up that road a lot. It’s got to be better and safer than before, traffic flows smoothly. I take the point about coming down the hill and doors opening but that problem was there before, no?” the5krunner wrote under the original video.
“Before you could take the lane going down the hill, but now less confident cyclists will feel obliged to use the murder strip. I guess it’s better than nothing, but LTN 1/20 is being ignored, which is annoying!” Chapona Bike replied.
“No more dangerous than before and at least the vast majority of the vehicles are now facing the oncoming cyclist. I can see an occupied parked vehicle and take the necessary actions and drivers will be exiting onto the pavement,” added Keith.
“In general contraflow cycling has been found to be safe,” noted Hedgehog Cycling. “The painted lane is probably unhelpful and unnecessary.”
“Contraflow cycling alongside a dooring zone?” Chapona incredulously responded. “Don’t think that’s safe at all!”
“It’s not perfect but is it an improvement compared to how it was previously. What alternative would you suggest?” asked Dave, to which the cyclist replied: “Design and install cycling infrastructure as per LTN 1/20. Easy.”
If only…
6 February 2024, 10:04
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Latest Comments
You seem to be completely oblivious to the main difference between this and a Quad Lock (and a bunch of others) - that this type of mount does not necessitate any type of patches or covers with proprietary locking mechanisms to be stuck on your phone to actually work. For example I rate that feature highly, and therefore for me e.g. Quad Lock is far inferior compared to the SKS mount.
I’m sorry, where did the article say cassette? “…and five sprockets at the back…” Every bike had the potential problem of bent (or broken axles, held together by the force of the quick release) not just Trek. We had to fix them!
So its 3% accurate, its single sided, its going to wear out, it looks hideous, its a kickstarter that you may never receive, and it costs more than the wave of spider based power meters on AliExpress (including the GeoID PM500, which is a rebadged version of the highly rated Magene PS505). I'm out....
Surely the more logical solution for preventing shoplifters getting away would be to remove the shops.
That's one option, and let's hope that's exactly the case. Otherwise they might wake up to a very unpleasant surprise.
Street trees being overblown does seem like a reasonable thing to be concerned about. Particularly this time of year.
Apologies JOHN5880.
At least the good folk of Clevedon can see that £ 425 k to reverse some painting and chuck away a few bollards was, relatively speaking, a bargain. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp9rv0nxv54o
Concerns over street trees are often overblown. Many older trees are not species that would now be planted as street trees, which also points to the fact that many large trees are actually at or near the end of their reasonable life. Trees are important. Street trees can perform multiple roles (though those roles are not often maximised). However, not all trees perform well as street trees. Street trees should serve the use of the street. If they don't, they should be replaced appropriately.
Presumably, CycloWatt must know this—and have a plan to avoid or address these issues?
41 thoughts on ““What kind of sick joke is this?” Cyclist blasts new “suicide” contraflow bike lane that “invites conflict”; “Invisible” cycle lane kerbs a danger to motorists and pedestrians; Disc brakes: The secret to winning the rainbow jersey? + more on the live blog”
The contraflow design isn’t
The contraflow design isn’t great, but in my view there is no problem with contraflow cycling on that street.
Contraflow cycling does not increase crash rates.
Might have been better to
Might have been better to have removed one of the lanes of parked cars. As the twitterer (X’er?) says, there’s nowhere to go if you are riding in that cycle lane far too close to the parked cars and there are oncoming cars too. Let alone if the oncoming vehicle is a truck or a bin lorry or something…
I agree it’s an improvement
I agree it’s an improvement on what was there before, which was two-way traffic trying to fit between the parked cars and bikes trying to make progress around it all (and still in the door zone, tbh).
I would agree with Hedgehog
I would agree with Hedgehog Cycling’s comment quoted above – allowing contraflow cycling is desirable, but the narrow painted cycle lane is counterproductive, especially given the parked cars.
I would also note that a lot of people seem to suggest that if only the council had followed LTN 1/20, it would be perfect. Personally, I find LTN 1/20 to be rather underwhelming.
Taking this as an example, LTN 1/20 does suggest leaving a buffer strip (minimum 0.5m) between parking bays and a marked contraflow cycle lane, but only if that leaves enough space for oncoming cars to pass safely (Paragraph 6.4.19). Given it seems there is barely enough space without a buffer zone, I can’t imagine adding in a buffer zone would be deemed acceptable.
The solution of not having a marked cycle lane is mentioned in Paragraph 7.3.4 (and Figure 7.4) but it’s pretty lukewarm about it. All it says is that there may be “no need” for a cycle lane, which I would take to mean that a cycle lane would still be desirable from a design point of view, but may be ommitted to make the scheme cheaper and faster to implement. It goes on to say “contraflow cycling without a dedicated cycle lane has been found to be successful”, but again, stops short of saying that it is actually preferrable over a marked cycle lane.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ffa1f96d3bf7f65d9e35825/cycle-infrastructure-design-ltn-1-20.pdf
LTN 1/20 etc. is indeed
LTN 1/20 etc. is indeed underwhelming (and with tons of get-outs, optionals which aren’t used and “absolute minimums” which sometimes seem to be aimed at). Plus the whole thing is “guidance” – though see Ranty Highwayman on that.
… BUT it’s still pretty “far out” it seems when looking at most schemes in the UK. Although I’m unclear as to how much previous “guidance” was followed any more than LTN 1/20 and the rest will be going forward.
Quite often in the UK the fundamental problems are baked in early e.g. overall route choices. That could be making routes “where it’s possible” not where they are needed, not adequately connecting to other routes, or a “compromise too far” (e.g. diversions from desire line, width, conflict with pedestrians / dangerous motor traffic etc).
HarrogateSpa wrote:
Nothing wrong with the contraflow in theory, but the the reality is many drivers will blindly ignore how close they pass an oncoming cyclist because of the white line and will not slow to a sensible speed, if at all.
How exactly would a driver leave 1.5m of space while passing there? If they cannot, then the lane should really be wide enough to enforce this.
many drivers will blindly
many drivers will blindly ignore how close they pass an oncoming cyclist because of the white line and will not slow to a sensible speed, if at all
You’re right, but it’s usually ‘not at all’ on any road, even single lane out in the country. I have experienced this behaviour over the last weekend.
What is going on in Richmond
What is going on in Richmond and Kingston of late? The decisions being made are putting cyclists at risk.
This is not disimilar to what they have done in the (Richmond) park, when they narrowed the road (but still 2 way) to introduce a pedestrian crossing area near Roehampton Gate. There’s been quite a few incidents (example in attached pic), and I personally was nearly hit at the crossing by a car coming the other way, because the driver didn’t realise it was my right of way coming from the Roehampton Gate side (cars don’t know and are not noticing the right of way arrow signs, and to be fair, the signs aren’t great, so I can undertsand why). Conversley, many cars now actually stop very suddenly on the Roehampton Gate side, not knowing that it is there right of way, so you now have anticipate they might do that, but it’s hard to predict, and a bike can’t stop as quickly as a car, especially in the wet. Moreover, genuinley I’ve not seen a single person use the crossing – they still cross everywhere else in the park as they always have – it seems totally unecessary – the road is so open you can see cars or cyclists from miles away, so it’s so easy to cross – it has made it more dangerous than it was to anyone before (pedestrian, cyclist or driver). And, it’s creating tensions with fellow users that simply wasn’t there before?
That road narrowing near
That road narrowing near Roehampton Gate is just bizarre. Westbound traffic has the road narrowed on their side, yet they have right-of-way. Eastbound traffic has no narrowing on their side, yet they have to Give Way. Now, yes, there are signs, and markings on the road, which ought to be a bit of a clue, but we all know how clueless some drivers can be…
And whilst I don’t agree with graffiti and damaging the road, I do think that whoever was a bit handy with the spray-paint can back in May does have a point!
Agree – let’s see how it
Agree – let’s see how it works, rather than letting perfect be the enemy of the good (ish) .This has been a major route for people cycling to and from Richmond Park for years – Kingston Gate is at one end, so the residents at least should be used to expecting cycles. Plus there are some pretty harsh speed bumps along there if drivers want to try speeding. There is a problem at the Kingston Gate end since the council have put a large planter bang in the middle of the entrance for the cycle lane (pic), making it difficult for groups turning right from Richmond Park in the face of oncoming traffic. I hope it’s temporary to ensure drivers get the picture..
The problem with such narrow
The problem with such narrow lanes, is that while still better than nothing, practically they force you to be close passed the whole time.
A segregated 2.5m lane (for two directions) is the minimum for safe bicycle traffic.
Whoever designed that
Whoever designed that contraflow should be forced to cycle down it, on a hybrid bike with reasonably wide handlebars, whilst a stream of traffic comes from the opposite direction, and people in parked cars open their doors at random.
Get rid of the car storage/parking, and you suddenly have ample space for a decent contraflow.
So the drivers parked nose to
So the drivers parked nose to tail on the right, they’ll look in their RV mirror, over their left shoulder, left wing mirror and then pull out (indicating in you’re lucky) when it’s “all clear”, and quite unable to see the cycle lane due to their view obstructed by the parked vehicle in front. Again, if you’re lucky, they’ll edge out tentatively until they can see clearly, but chances are once they’ve established that there’s no cars approaching from behind they’ll move out swiftly
Yes, that is definitely an
Yes, that is definitely an undesirable ‘feature’ of contraflow lanes like this one.
Re. Ekoi pedals, anything
Re. Ekoi pedals, anything that lowers stack height is a good thing. I used Shimano AX (Dyna Drive) pedals in the ’80s and loved them. My foot (and centre of gravity) sat a whole 18mm lower with them. The bike felt really stable.
Never a good sign when you
Never a good sign when you see vehicles parked facing the wrong way on a one way street!
RE: Kerb Segregating Stones
RE: Kerb Segregating Stones
I may be reading too much into this, but could they be a ploy of weaponized incompetence? As in the infrastructure is deliberately designed or implemented badly in order to ensure its removal and prevent further schemes from progressing?
So, true about the USA and
So, true about the USA and its obsession with cars to the exclusion of anything else. But, given the distances from A-B, that isn’t surprising. I once tried to walk from Orlando (Disneyworld) to Orlando City, because I was bored and on the map in the hotel they looked pretty close, and was stopped whilst walking next to the highway by some incredulous cop who (really) insisted that I hop into the back of his car while he took me to the nearest bus stop. The bus to Orlando City took 40 minutes.
Having the infrastructure to walk to the stadium from the hotel is a very eurocentric view of the situation.
Eurocentric, now… but
Eurocentric, now… but actually this is chicken and egg. Yes – more vehicle dependence is now baked in to the US situation. But the US is extraordinary in terms of how recently much of the infra has been built – so in many ways they could likely transform quickly also.
If you build car infra everywhere people will drive. Even in the US plenty people live in urban environments – and many journeys aren’t necessarily longer than in Europe. People *could* drive less, if only there were e.g. cycle infra or even footways…
Anyway – good luck them – we’ve got to worry about not copying the ultimately limiting bits of the US and sorting out our own situation.
The main point that is
The main point that is preventing us from going full US on road infra is space. US city streets are wide open spaces, and everything in the cities are several miles apart from each other. In the UK our cities are much more dense and we don’t have as many large open spaces of countryside between different cities.
Unfortunately, car width still creeps over what with chassis design being globally the same on any model so it is designed to appease it’s largest market (no pun intended) which often is the US.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
Looking at what Glasgow did when they got motorway-happy I wouldn’t be so confident! And our bigger cities e.g. London certainly cover a lot of area. There may be a bunch of other reasons restraining us. For one it seems lots of the US is built on debt – in a manner that’s even more unsustainable than here.
The US is certainly known for suburban sprawl. And there’s tons of *country* indeed and inter-urban distances can be much greater. But “wide open spaces”? Suburbia – yeah, that’s stroad central. However there are other types of environment eg. city cores – which can cover quite an area and have very high density.
An example – some years back there was lots of excitement as people in the US picked up on a version of Dutch junction design. (Long story of how / why but think this popped up on the US design radar through e.g. NACTO via a chap called Nick Falbo, and originating I believe from a couple of animations and videos by BicycleDutch).
This got traction because apparently lots of US junctions (in their grid-city designs) are actually not that wide. I can’t remember the figures but read this in chat from a US designer who explained that a lot of the US has ended up solidifying around junctions which aren’t necessarily bigger than the average Dutch one!
Not sure that is exactly a
Not sure that is exactly a fair comparison – like many theme parks, Disneyworld is located a fair away outside of the city. That would be more akin to walking from London Heathrow into central London (albeit I’m sure you could do that walk perfectly legally, provided you stay off the M4).
Looking at a map, there are several hotels within a mile or two of the MetLife Stadium. Presumably those hotels primarily cater to stadium attendees (there doesn’t appear to be much else around). I don’t see that the distance involved should be prohibitive to walking.
alot of the hotels along
alot of the hotels along International drive in Orlando are literally just 500metres away from some of the theme park entrances, yet you are expected to drive from your hotel and park in the near 20,000 spaces car lot.
Ive even known friends staying in a motel, that had a take away diner just across the road in another part of this retail park setup they were in, like literally 1minutes walk away, and were told theyd have to call a taxi or drive to get there for food.
we might joke the US takes carcentricity to the extremes, and the UK might not have as much space to build humungous multi lane highways, but were going down the same route building tens of thousands of new homes on housing estates that are cut off entirely from nearby shops and services, unless you drive.
Many years ago, on a job in
Many years ago, on a job in the US, I was driving from Cincinnati to Indianapolis and we saw a sign for an ATM (this was before smart phones and Apple Pay etc) So we pulled over into a large freeway stop to get some cash. We stepped out from the car and went to find the ATM. We couldn’t find it and also noticed that no one was outside their car either. People were ordering and eating food, or paying for petrol without getting out from their cars. Then, of course, it dawned on us – the ATM was only approachable by car. So we had to get back in the car and, yes, drive upto the cash machine.
Not understanding distances
Not understanding distances on maps works both ways:
https://www.thepoke.com/2023/10/03/this-american-familys-itinerary-for-their-trip-to-the-uk-has-been-dropping-jaws-everywhere-and-its-quite-the-read/
But I’ve stayed at a hotel that was literally the next building to the office block I was visiting and had people surprised I walked door to door, instead of walking further to and from parking spaces and driving between.
Another time the cheap hotel we were staying in was less than ten minutes walk from a conference hotel, but there were no pavements/sidewalks, and no pedestrian crossing phase at traffic lights.
Leicester Cycle Lane:
Leicester Cycle Lane:
How many cyclists are customers of J&S (motorcycle) Accessories?
Motorists don’t find any difficulty driving up curbs onto the pavement, so what is special about the cycle lane ones (which are ‘even’ bevelled & not even continuous)?
I love my bike wrote:
But bicycles.
Regarding the cycle lane –
Regarding the cycle lane – ‘They are a danger, not just to pedestrians, but to motorists and all road users,” the councillor said, before claiming that pedestrians had already fallen over the blocks and that one motorist struck the kerb, causing £350 in damage to their car’
in that case shouldn’t all kerbs, lamposts, railings, walls, trees be removed in case anyone damages their car?
I have to disagree with
I have to disagree with Movistar Boss Eusebio Unzue, I don’t see how substitutions could belong in cycling.
I get that loss of riders in stage races are detrimental to the team, but I don’t see how such a system could be implemented fairly. If you get a rider crash, how would you police assessing whether that rider is genuinely unable to continue or is dropped out as a “precaution” with the intent of replacing the rider, because in reality they aren’t at their best? It’s an unfortunate situation but it’s part of the risk of the sport.
Let’s not forget that cycling is a team sport won by individuals. The teams have a roster to rotate riders between different races and allow teams to target more wins than they would with a sole leader in an entire season. But on stage races the total time of an individual rider will decide their overall GC position, so what rules would you implement if a replacement rider who has 5 or 6 days fresher legs beating all the GC riders who started at stage 1 – because they replaced a rider who was pretty high up but crashed halfway through?
Typical team sports that use substitutions are won by the whole team. It’s not a good comparison. The F1 comparison is much more compelling, however when you actually look at it in detail, the argument becomes moot. F1 championship points are awarded for the classified results of each individual race. In order to enter a race the nominated driver must take part in the qualifying session. Driver swaps on race weekends only happen if a driver is injured, ill or withdrawn during a practice session, then replaced by the reserve driver. Rally car racing is a much closer comparison, in the fact that drivers must complete multiple stages over a race weekend and the cumulative time at the end of each race decides the classified results. Points are then awarded based on this classification, and everything is reset for the next race. However at no point in between stages can a driver be substituted. Teams can change drivers between races as per usual protocols.
However in cycling in order to be a worthy champion you must start and finish each stage, and are expected to be at the front on the stages where the time gaps will decide the overall winner. At this point fresh riders could easily interfere with GC contenders and it would throw the race into chaos.
On the story about ‘Cycle
On the story about ‘Cycle repair business The Bike Boat’ – I’m sure I’ve read a lot of articles about how the Canal and River Trust really doesn’t want any continuous cruisers who live on the canals: they want more and more holidaymakers, which makes them more money.
That being said, if Ollie by his own admission spends a third of his time out in the countryside continuous cruising then he is spending two thirds of his time in – er – Bath, and you might see why the trust doesn’t think he’s continuous cruising enough (IMO).
RE: Here in Melbourne, trams
RE: Here in Melbourne, trams run down the streets, not the paths. These ribbons of green are a peaceful refuge from the energy and discord of the city. On-street cycle infrastructure isn’t half-arsed like Leith Walk (and, inevitably, the Roseburn replacement).
Don’t want to knock Melbourne – heaven knows, Aussie cyclists and campaigners don’t have it easy! I’d merely set this in context. So the video showed:
1 section of separated cycle path (which looks the same idea as the Keynsham “deadly cycle path” and seems to be no help at junctions, just like UK ones).
1 or 2 apparently shared use paths.
Two (possibly same?) streets with trams with cycling running next to them. That’s basically Princes Street in Edinburgh, albeit the Melbourne one appeared to exclude motor vehicles – which is not nothing…
So on the Leith Walk cycle paths: these are worse than they could / should be apparently because “tram designers”. However they’re genuinely separate from trams / traffic and pedestrians have their own clearly marked space. That’s a step beyond what appears in the Melbourne video. More so the newest section of CCWEL – which has some continuous footway / cycleway done just about right.
Overall we’re probably similar. The UK hasn’t sorted out junctions either. So welcome Melbourne – to the 3rd class of patchy cycle-infra! (Copenhagen at 2, Netherlands way out in front, not just for quality but quantity too).
When I lived in Melbourne I
When I lived in Melbourne I enjoyed using the trams but I didn’t cycle around the city as I lived out near Eltham. Melbourne is odd really it has all the possibilities of making it really cycling friendly but just can’t get there. I am looking to go back to Australia in future to live but looking towards Perth not sure if it’s any different or more of the same ?
Well if you change your mind
Well if you change your mind we’ve a Perth a bit north of where I stay (Edinburgh – the Scottish one!). Also eminently suitable for cycling provision but somehow missing the mark (they’ve made some efforts – Perthshire is quite the tractor and landrover / 4×4 place though.)
Several places I’ve lived in the UK have been “cycling by rights should be mainstream” (eg. York). Turns out though that not only do you have to actually build *networks* before they’ll come (bits and bobs and paint and signs aren’t enough). You also have to make the competition (driving) slightly less convenient. Because where driving is easy, the British drive.
Talking of trams, Melbourne
Talking of trams, Melbourne appears to have a network of 24 routes – world class.
Edinburgh has … one. To be extended to … one line with a fork in it. Possibly at some point after two routes in a cross.
There are still several cycling and walking routes Edinburgh council can reclaim though (bonus tram) before they really need to worry about having to make a choice between public transport and driver convenience.
All together now! What do we want? Gradual change! When do we want it? In due course!
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I can vouch for the Melbourne
I can vouch for the Melbourne tram system being excellent I used it quite a bit when I lived there. I often got a train from the outer suburbs to go into the city and then used the trams once in the city.
An integrated transport
An integrated transport system? Not invented here, thank you!
(Or rather we seen to be falling between stools by trying to keep bus and tram companies happy covering the same route and meanwhile everyone drives…)
Probably should just Google but do you know how they got their network and what does it cost to run? Over a decade on from the start Edinburgh’s single tram line is still costing millions per year to operate . Costing money isn’t necessarily bad but just wonder how that compares?
There is nothing fashionable
There is nothing fashionable about the moustache, and very little cycle related, apart from the obvious handlebar…
I live in London and Paris.
I live in London and Paris. And cycle in both. In Paris, contra flow cycle ‘lanes’ exist everywhere and there are no white lines or green paint to demarcate. Just a sign and a bike painted on the road. Sometimes it feels a little unnerving but at the same time becuase the contraflows are ubiquitous other road users are more used to seeing cyclists cycling the ‘wrong way’ on one way roads. After decades of cycling in London I always (rightly or wrongly) feel on the defensive when cycling. So I take this attitude into other environments and always cycle cautiously.
We have one of these in
We have one of these in Cheltenham and I’ve never had a problem. There are bicycles painted on the road to reinforce the signage so I just take the center of the lane and oncoming cars have always pulled in and waited. The problem with the cycle lane here is the painted line which motorists will assume the cyclist has to keep within. That’s going to cause conflict. Exactly the same problem as filter lanes (narrow cycle lanes), the difference is with filter lanes you can ride in the main carriageway when not filtering. I’m not sure whether you’d be breaking the law if you did this with this example.
I use the Kings Road in
I use the Kings Road in Kingston regularly. This change is an improvement on what was there before, but still could be better (the idea of filtering this road and the next two at the Richmond park end was the best). The speed bumps are sharp enough to stop cars going too fast up there. The council need to get brave and make some bigger changes to the rats runs in the area (Kings Road get used as part of a shortcut to avoid a busy roundabout).
The residents on the next road which is now one way are unhappy as they now have some of the traffic (but they didn’t want a filter at the top of the road). One saying on NextDoor that the planter at the bottom of Kings Road spoilt the mini roundabout.