road.cc live blog – BMX rider almost impaled on fence (video) plus Aru’s new jersey falls flat and much more

@mctrials23 Oh I could go on for days about irresponsible dog owners! Long/extendable leads, no recall! Sorry to hear your boy was scared! I love dogs, even though i've been bitten a few times (first time was as a postman, yes, it really does happen haha!) The last time was a yappy little thing called pickles, not on the lead, snapping around my ankles, zero attempt to recall by the owners - obviously i was known as Pickles for the rest of the ride (the bite didn't break skin, so no attention needed).

@Bezzard74 Berry Yeah, I don't want a hoof to the face and I appreciate that horse riding accidents aren't entirely uncommon and the injuries from them can easily be life changing hence the reason I am very careful around them. I was stuck behind a couple of riders for a few minutes the other night and they didn't realise I was there. I eventually made myself known and they immediately moved over and we had a nice exchange of thanks and pleasantries and went on our way. I can't imagine thinking that they were slowing me down so fuck their safety which is precisely the attitude too many drivers have towards us. And yes, utterly baffling when people ride horses in public that aren't able to do it safely. Same as dogs that can't respond to commands when they are off the lead. One of my boys was scared horribly by a dog that wouldn't leave him alone. Hes three and the dog was almost the same size as him. The owners weren't apologetic. He didn't hurt my child but he scared him and he completely ignored all commands from his owner. Some people just have no self awareness and dog owners especially don't seem to be able to fathom the idea that their dog is not wonderful and well behaved and scares people.

@mctrials23 100% agree. I am always wary around Horses, they're pretty terrifying animals, so I ALWAYS make sure I call out and pedal slowly. My interactions with the riders is friendly and polite 99% of the time. We did have one horse rider who gave us grief, despite us being stationary, on a trail down to the Sussex coast. She moaned that her horse was skittish around bikes. We kept silent when that point was made, but then later discussed why the hell the horse was out on mixed trails!

They're never really hot takes, anyway - they're the same old cold takes warmed over again and again.

It's spelled "shit takes", Nigel. It's like a hot take only it's shit.

So they've trimmed the weight but you've still got to pay more thank £6k for a sub 8kg bike now. How Trek keep going mystifies me, been massively overpriced for years.

For anyone who wants a Shimano groupset, there's a big gap in the range between the 105 SL & Ultegra SLR. 105 Di2 &/or Ultegra SLs (like Madone range) are missing...at least for my wallet

I agree - it's literally free advertising for him as AFAICS this is how he likes to promote himself and get attention. Seeing how well it works, I wonder if others could make use of that tactic? What do you think?

What's the point and purpose of this bike, then?

The problem with roadcc's coverage of Nick Freeman is that it's focusing too much on his controversial hot takes, rather than the well-known work he's done road safety campaigning. For balance, Nick has been very vocal recently on the dangers posed by electric cars for cyclists and pedestrians, writing (on X): "Pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users often rely on hearing an approaching vehicle. That’s why I believe EVs should emit synthesised warning sounds at all speeds, not just low speeds. Road safety must always come first." I think we can all unite around that sentiment rather than the more divisive number plates argument which I disagree with. Nick thinks that "accountability" comes with identifiability. I agree to some extent, but you have to balance the risks posed by a form of transport with the loss of freedom and increase in state power resulting in having mandatory identity numbers. Cycling doesn't even come close.