Hell of the North East: Newcastle’s Cycle Hub puts on Paris-Roubaix inspired ride – and it’s free (+ video)

For their own safety, cyclists shan't expect motorists to pay attention to them. Like it or not, we are the most vulnerable road users. Consequently, we better anticipate the worse case scenario. Suburban areas being particularly hazardous.

Whatever one do on two wheels, they are wrong - too slow on climbs, too fast on twisty downhills. That said, safety shall prevail at all times. It can be frustrating to be stuck behind traffic, but this is also the opportunity to eat, drink and relax.

back in around 2013/14 I was attacked and robbed of my bike in Bermondsey, very close to where this incident happened. They were in a large group of around 15-20, one of whom came up behind me and whacked me with a hammer. fortunately he missed my head and hit my neck/ shoulder. anyway some kind person called the police & 2 plainclothes officers arrived after a few minutes. I got into their car and they drove to a nearby housing estate. the officers went into a building and returned a couple of minutes later with the bike, which I still have and often ride. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's the same group doing it all these years later.

I'd be wary of quoting Vincent on anything. He's notorious in London for opposing segregated cycling infrastructure.

Oh, the driver reporting this is just, is my conclusion. The team's response is also somewhat troublesome: " does not reflect the values or standards that govern us as a team". Except, their riders will be riding like this in training all the time, almost certainly. Pros are not exactly slow on descents...

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Theres something that blows my mind about drivers and logic. "Then they ask for 1.5m after one cyclist does this. The absolute temerity of it!" For some reason, every cyclist negatively represents all of us in car brains. Lets try this with cars. "Look at that guy in the ditch after crashing his car. And then drivers ask for cheaper insurance premiums".

Those figures I quoted were from the Crime Survey for England and Wales which has been running since 1982 (originally the British Crime Survey) which assesses the true level of crime, not just reported crime.

Also, as I said on a previous news item about a cycle lane closure... (Unless the cycle lane has solid barriers all the way along it, there is nothing stopping a cyclists walking past the end of the cycle lane that has the "closure"/sign and simply hopping on to it. So, in the same way, the gaps in the barriers on Oxford Street won't be small enough to prevent people in wheelchairs or parents with baby buggies getting through ... and thus also cyclists. The question of how feasible it is to then cycle through throngs of pedestrians is a different matter.

Cyclists are just a lot faster than cars on those twisty mountain descents. Faster than motorbikes too often, IF the straight bits are not long enough for the motorbikes to accelerate away again . You have to overtake somewhere, and by the nature of a narrow road you will pass close by the car as you do so. Usually in Spain the locals, if they react at all, cheer you on as you pass!