Live blog: Alex Dowsett’s top tips for a rapid commute, three riders taking on Britain’s 100 best climbs (and riding between them) in 29 days, driver ‘forgets’ he’s not a bike + more
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Wed, Jun 20, 2018 13:49
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Jack is group editor across road.cc, off.road.cc and ebiketips, overseeing all three sites in the F-At Digital group to make sure everything’s up to scratch. He’s been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of road.cc including tech, news and video, and also contributed to ebiketips before being named editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town, and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master’s degree in print journalism, and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it’s a long story).
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Latest Comments
robgru76 5 minutes ago
Of course drivers need to be responsible and take care but we are in danger of getting a bit high and mighty when police raise issues like this. Since the clocks went back last weekend, I have been commuting home this week in the dark for the first time this year. I am gobsmacked by the number of cyclists I see who have no lights and no reflective gear, often with no helmets either. It's common sense to take precautions and we've got our head in the sand if we pretend all cyclists are taking appropriate steps to protect themselves and others.
chrisonabike 9 minutes ago
@mdavidford was about to ask them if they thought the law should also been changed to ban the LAs from doing that, so as to save money...
M20MAMIL 24 minutes ago
@Rendel Harris sentencing is Monday. 15 yrs minimum (not premeditated) but multiple aggravating factors. 20+ feels appropriate
Rendel Harris 26 minutes ago
@kinderje Murder attracts a mandatory life sentence, so that can't be changed, although it will be interesting to see what the judge sets as the mandatory minimum term before parole can be considered.
Rendel Harris 30 minutes ago
@Gd29 All of those are factors that could be influential however you do not address the fact that the dependent variable has shown a fall against the control variable. If the control variable had fallen at the same rate as the dependent variable certainly that would require investigation, but it hasn't. If we regard 20 mph limits in Wales as an experiment, we can say that the conditions of the experiment were such that only one change was made that didn't affect all of the roads in the experiment and a significant result has ensued from that change. That is evidence. I see nothing to indicate that you want to kill all cyclists, however.
Clem Fandango 30 minutes ago
@kingleo yup - nary a bar or local business to be seen I tell you!
kinderje 34 minutes ago
@Rendel Harris "Justice is properly done" - maybe! Unfortunately we are yet to hear the sentence and I hope this isn't another 'it was only a cyclist' type.
the little onion 37 minutes ago
@Rendel Harris horrific case. Yet only the 6th item on the BBC news website, after an article on the Traitors TV show.
Gd29 38 minutes ago
@mdavidford Good point, I meant and should have said conclusive, or proof as you suggest. :)
Gd29 41 minutes ago
@Rendel Harris If there are no other variables. Be mindful of those that present such simple arguments as evidence. If there is no consideration for frequency of car usage, frequency of bicycle usage etc. then the stats can only be said "appear to suggest", as correctly stated by the road.cc author. These stats include the era of the post Iran fuel price spike of 40%, where car usage has fallen. Which could skew the numbers unless the stats are adjust by number of journeys, road users etc. For what it's worth I just want to point out potential abuse of stats. Not an opinion on 20mph zones or a desire to kill cyclists as some might contort it to be.
5 thoughts on “Live blog: Alex Dowsett’s top tips for a rapid commute, three riders taking on Britain’s 100 best climbs (and riding between them) in 29 days, driver ‘forgets’ he’s not a bike + more”
To be fair the vast majority
To be fair the vast majority of the overtakes I get are of this variety. I can definitely recommend the thumbs up and wave also. If you commute or otherwise travel the same route at the same time a lot, over time you can help build the goodwill in the local area. Also I think if there is a line of cars and the first overtakes well, some highly visible thanks can encourge those following to do the same.
Morgoth985 wrote:
Completely agree!
Morgoth985 wrote:
This is true, and most overtakes are at least reasonable, but the problem is that it only takes one bad overtaker to kill you, and there are still a lot of them out there. If you are a novice cyclist, and you get passed badly at least once every ride, you are likely to give up and go back to the car.
The reverse of what you say about good passing being copied by the following drivers is also true of bad passes. I’ve lost count of the number of times the first driver in a convoy passes me dangerously close, to be followed by the other five.
While I take your point about most drivers being not too bad at passing, we need all of them to be good, so that cyclists don’t feel their lives are threatened on every ride.
Burt, I don’t disagree with
Burt, I don’t disagree with any of that, and I’m conscious that I might just be lucky in having a slightly lower density of nutcases in my area than elsewhere. I’ve still had enough close passes that I don’t minimise the issue by any means. I’m just saying that positive reinforcement of good behaviour is one tool among several that we can adopt to change attitudes.
Alex Dowsett in not having a
Alex Dowsett in not having a clue about safe cycling shocker.
Advising that cycling right behind someone in their slipstream and then shoot out quickly only to then count to three and simply pull back in front of them is a good idea is fucking bullshit. You don’t know the person in front, slipstream if you are in a chaingang or you’ve asked for a tow and they’ve ok’d it, optherwise stay the fuck off someone elses back wheel, it’s not wanted and it’s dangerous.
Sorry but advice like that comes from a cretin with no idea whatsoever about safe cycling, stick to what you know because safe commuter cycling isn’t one of them!