Live blog: Wiggins says he doesn’t want to live past 60; Scotland appoints former pro mountain biker Lee Craigie as Active Nation Commissioner; anti-cycling attitudes linked to ‘pro-automobility’ attitudes; Transcon winner suffers punishment pass + more
SUMMARY
Riding home for Christmas
This is what Simon MacMichael does on his day off from road.cc… deliver his girlfriend’s suitcase to Heathrow, by bike naturally – (presumably she’s there already).
Top marks, though we’d have been even more impressed if it had been Gatwick.
DealClincher: 17% off Garmin Edge 1030
Grab yourself the gift of a Garmin this Christmas!
This Edge 1030 is really easy to see with a very clear screen and some great apps.
Bicycle Association warns of safety issue with certain combinations of carbon rims and pads
Organisation recommends clearer labelling.
Scotland appoints former pro mountain biker Lee Craigie as Active Nation Commissioner
Scotland has appointed former professional mountain bike rider and co-founder of the Adventure Syndicate, Lee Craigie, as the new Active Nation Commissioner.
She will serve as a national advocate for walking and cycling across the country, raising the profile of sustainable travel.
Craigie said: “A large part of my mountain bike racing career has been about taking risks. My present work with The Adventure Syndicate is all about encouraging and enabling young people, and particularly young women, to take their own risks – to step out of their comfort zone and do something different to make them feel healthier, happier and more in control of their lives. Adventure is everywhere. It doesn’t take much to help people realise that.”
“The ambitious vision of the Scottish Government is what attracted me to this role, but it’s clear to everyone in the active travel community that there is a need to take a few more risks in order to achieve greater outcomes, faster than ever, so that even more people can connect and engage with lifelong walking and cycling – benefitting both their personal health and health of the planet.
“I feel excited and privileged to be the new Active Nation Commissioner for Scotland and I’m looking forward to building new relationships right across the country so that we can collectively push the current boundaries of thinking in how we travel. I’m committed to promoting the idea that by placing our own health needs, the needs of our communities and our environment ahead of single-occupancy car journeys, we can all live more sustainable and fulfilled lives.”
Uber self-driving cars back on the roads less than a year after fatal crash with cyclist
DealClincher: Vittoria Corsa G+ Twin Pack with Latex Tubes
This twinpack is down to just £71.99 with two latex inner tubes included.
Why do cyclists shave their legs?
Answers in the comments below, please!
SWorks Venge Video Review
ICYMI… Our video review on the top of the range 3rd Gen Specialized S-Works Venge
More from Wiggo
We gave you his thoughts on Team Sky’s departure from the sport yesterday, but as you’d imagine Bradley Wiggins held forth on all manner of subjects during his TalkSPORT appearance.
He says he doesn’t want to live past 60: “You don’t want to live beyond 60, do you? 60 is enough, isn’t it?”
And while he says he doesn’t regret accepting his knighthood, he nevertheless has mixed feelings about it.
“I must be the only person with a knighthood in the country sat here in a Stone Island jumper. It’s a bit pompous, it adds to the toxicity of people — it’s 2018. I’d had enough of the whole thing anyway in 2012, and I didn’t really want it.
“I remember saying I was doubting if I was going to take it. I didn’t really want it, and I didn’t feel right taking it with where I was from and my background. I asked my nan, who said you’re stupid and your grandad would turn over in his grave if you didn’t take it.” (via Bleacher Report)
“Now they’re in a relegation battle. I’d have took Big Sam on.”
“He’s got a history of saving clubs.”
Sir Bradley Wiggins thinks #MUFC have missed a trick not appointing Sam Allardyce pic.twitter.com/SDqKtqauGR
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) December 20, 2018
Aerobic exercise found to be effective medicine for older adults suffering cognitive impairments
Six months of cycling can help those with thinking problems finds study #cycling https://t.co/MI61OHnFRr pic.twitter.com/AJImnTGZKT
— road.cc (@roadcc) December 21, 2018
What factors shape some car drivers’ negative attitudes towards cyclists?
What factors shape some car drivers’ negative attitudes towards cyclists?
Negative attitudes towards cyclists are apparently linked with “pro-automobility” according to a recent study.
The drivers who dislike cyclists are motivated by their liking of cars and driving, says a new study. The same research says Lycra doesn’t make them any more angry than cyclists not wearing Lycra. They simply think cars are where it’s at. See https://t.co/6mvSWR1iHq #prejudice pic.twitter.com/PcdhT7mK7M
— Cycling Science (@CyclingScience1) December 20, 2018
Geraint Thomas offers parenthetical clarification
The name plate on our office door has been updated. May save a bit of confusion. #imnotacyclist pic.twitter.com/6yNYaNQcBo
— Geraint Thomas (@geraintthomas) December 20, 2018
Transcontinental winner suffers punishment pass
Having won the Transcontinental Race two years running, it’s safe to assume that James Hayden will have faced one or two near misses over the years.
Two days ago he got a camera. As he says himself, it didn’t take long…
Full here, it’s mental; https://t.co/lz1rLIJmw1
— James Hayden (@JamesMarkHayden) December 21, 2018
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Latest Comments
@chrisonabike There does seem to be evidence that 20 mph limits work on roads that already lend themselves to such low speeds, and I do think the lack of a 25 mph limit option is an issue for some roads. Speed limits should especially not be set very low in the hope that many or most drivers will only exceed them by a set amount because, not only is it not true that many people drive like that, the opposite can happen. Instead of targeting the drivers most likely to cause harm, you're putting the prohibition onto the behaviour of more sensible drivers and forcing the police to target them. The DfT guidance used to have a paragraph calling out this presumption. The extent to which road design and conditions at the time dictate traffic speeds is too stark to ignore. I've seen urban roads with signed 40 mph limits have lower average speeds than some roads with posted 20 mph limits. And yes, that road in Gloucester has signs openly inviting drivers to go faster, and almost none of them do: the non-compliance was about 2%. Compare that to over 99% non-compliance on some roads in Wales. What I'm mainly talking about is the increasing imposition of 20 mph limits on much higher-standard main roads. That's where you see extreme levels of non-compliance. In some cases, the average speed has even been known to go up after the limit has gone down. Showing such contempt just brings speed limits into disrepute and my contention is that drivers should take speed limits seriously.
@chrisonabike There does seem to be evidence that 20 mph limits work on roads that already lend themselves to such low speeds, and I do think the lack of a 25 mph limit option is an issue for some roads. Speed limits should especially not be set very low in the hope that many or most drivers will only exceed them by a set amount because, not only is it not true that many people drive like that, the opposite can happen. Instead of targeting the drivers most likely to cause harm, you're putting the prohibition onto the behaviour of more sensible drivers and forcing the police to target them. The DfT guidance used to have a paragraph calling out this presumption. The extent to which road design and conditions at the time dictate traffic speeds is too stark to ignore. I've seen urban roads with signed 40 mph limits have lower average speeds than some roads with posted 20 mph limits. And yes, that road in Gloucester has signs openly inviting drivers to go faster, and almost none of them do: the non-compliance was about 2%. Compare that to over 99% non-compliance on some roads in Wales. So no, when speed limits match the road, compliance is much higher, but speeds are not. What I'm mainly talking about is the increasing imposition of 20 mph limits on much higher-standard main roads. That's where you see extreme levels of non-compliance. In some cases, the average speed has even been known to go up after the limit has gone down. Showing such contempt just brings speed limits into disrepute and my contention is that drivers should take speed limits seriously.
@jaymack Yes...to an extent, and I'm happy at the moment with my twelve-year-old Dura Ace mechanical, but I must admit when I had Ultegra Di2 I did notice not so much the ease of shifting but the perfect trimming of the gears after every shift so that the chainline was always absolutely perfect and that did enhance the simple pleasure of being outside, for me anyway. At least until that day I forgot to charge the battery which died at the turnaround on an eighty-mile ride and had to ride a very lumpy forty miles home stuck in 50x14...
@Daclu Trelub Well no, given that I object to the use of derogatory slurs against people with mental health issues I think I'll "bother" the person who's using derogatory slurs against people with mental health issues. Have a little think, if capable: if your mother or someone else close to you had dementia or mental health issues, would you be happy for people to be pointing at them mockingly saying, "Looks like she's a few chips short of a fish supper"? Stop it.
@Rendel Harris Go and bother somebody else with your opinion.
I'm sure electronic gears, pedals, seat posts etc. are each a modern marvel but they all seem to solve a problem I've never encountered. However I have encountered others faffing while searching for batteries, cables and even a firmware update. All of which just gets in the way of cycling's simple pleasure - being outside
@Daclu Trelub Yeah...that sort of expression is OK when being jocular about someone who's a bit dense or slow on the uptake, is it really appropriate for someone who quite obviously has mental health/dementia issues?
I'm a bit on the fence. Currently riding a gravel bike with a Force AXS XPLR groupset, Favero assioma pro powermeter pedals, Garmin varia rear light, lupine front light, Edge 1040. That's a lot of batteries to keep track of, to the point that I have a dedicated charger with 3 m USB-C cable in my office, another one at home. Can't imagine having to deal with another battery such as on the Flight Attendant. BUT....everything's dead easy to set up, no cables to route through the frame, no cable stretch, no derailleur adjustment.....
I saw a similar incident a few years back at the British Champs. Dad and son crossing the road ar the bottom of Saltburn Bank, presumably to get to the beach. Dad made a dash for it leaving the son in the middle of the road. Top parenting. Luckily it was just a solo breakaway rider so easily avoided disaster. It's not like there's not enough warning. Police motorcycles whizzing past sirens blaring. It's just impatience / entitlement.
Very poor from the organisers, as the resident said, "There's always one" and yes, there always will be one, often a confused elderly person lacking the capacity to understand the consequences of their actions, and so you have to fully barrier crossing points in that sort of situation and have marshals in charge of opening and closing. It's very lucky we're not talking about serious injury or death.
26 thoughts on “Live blog: Wiggins says he doesn’t want to live past 60; Scotland appoints former pro mountain biker Lee Craigie as Active Nation Commissioner; anti-cycling attitudes linked to ‘pro-automobility’ attitudes; Transcon winner suffers punishment pass + more”
That psychology study is
That psychology study is pretty interesting – though the study was done in Australia, so may or may not apply to the UK. Basically, it shows:
-People who subscribe to a car-centric culture and values tend to have more negative attitudes towards cyclists
-there is no statistically significant relationship between broader environmental values and attitudes towards cyclists (i.e. being environmentally minded does not make you more positive about cyclists, or vice versa)
-whether or not a cyclist wears lycra makes no statistically signficant difference to how people think about them
-people who have negative attitudes to cyclists are more likely to be aggressive towards them
Yet another close pass.
Yet another close pass. Nothing will change until these morons get the message that they will be found, charged and properly punished.
Like drink driving, close passes will then become unacceptable to the vast majority.
That’s not a close pass, that
So I make that 4 serious driving offences in about 20 seconds. Has to be taken off the road – perhaps crush the car in front of him.
But where is the evidence is
But where is the evidence is what the police will say. Funny how video evidence is solid grounding when it suits them.
Why does the car drop back so
Why does the car drop back so much? On the phone or to build up speed to ensure any accident is terminal?
alansmurphy wrote:
It wasn’t the original car, no idea why that one dropped back, but the idiot doing the close pass is clearly seen overtaking cars beforehand.
Simmo72 wrote:
It’s a 20mph road, I think the Volvo that dropped back slowed for the pinch point then was simply doing the speed limit and angry BMW driver couldn’t cope with it. Must have been doing well over 40mph by the time he close passed James. Isn’t being caught doing double the limit an automatic 12 month ban?
BMW also wrong sided the traffic island.
Watching on a small screen
Watching on a small screen and just saw white car, jeez that’s gone from crazy to fucking crazy, should not be on the road. As suggested, seemed to pass 2 or 3 on the bend and wrong side of island…
318d. About as boring and
318d. About as boring and slow a BMW that you can buy.
We’re car people; we enjoy
We’re car people; we enjoy our M series BMWs. However, we’re also cycling people. (I’ve been riding for fitness, etc. since 1982, when I also bought my first car BTW…)
Close passing vehicles, even here in the colonies, are probably the result of 1) drivers thinking cyclists should be elsewhere, 2) drivers being careless, 3) drivers being ignorant, or 4) drivers being aggressive. I have disdain for all of them, because what the world needs is more cyclists and less driving.
However, cyclists, as is sometimes the case out here, riding 2 or 3 or 4 abreast at < 15 mph in a paved road lane that is posted at 45 mph for cars, are hurting the cause.
More common courtesy and mutual respect can only help. Empathy too. Lastly, cyclists who toss litter (including banana peels) while riding are no different than motorists who do the same. I don’t care if your banana peel is biodegradable. So is a poo-filled nappy. Keep it off my road. What you bring on your ride needs to go home with you.
BOhio wrote:
Welcome to the discussion, BOhio. Have a look at this (mirror the images in your head for countries such as yours where everyone drives on the “wrong” side of the road, as opposed to driving on the left – which is the “right” side).
BOhio wrote:
That’s utter bollocks.
Does every tractor or combine driver moving at 15mph “hurt their cause”? Horse riders? Amish folk in their pony-and-trap? No.
A 45mph limit is the maximum speed you should use, providing the road conditions are favourable, not what you set your cruise control to.
You’re just another stereotype BMW owner thinking that because they’ve bought an overpriced car that they own the road as well. Let me tell you sonny: you don’t. Never have, never will. So quit cryin’ into your overpriced frothy coffee about it.
YOU need to start respecting other road users regardless of their speed. When you show a little respect then you and the rest of us might just have something in common.
Until then, YOU are the problem.
Regarding litter, you obviously haven’t seen the rubbish alongside the country lanes where I ride to work. It’s entirely thrown from cars: beer and energy drink cans, Lucozade and other fizzy drink bottle, McD packaging and other convenience foods – chip wrappers, crisp packets, choc bar wrappers etc etc. Not a gel or SiS wrapper to be seen. Not even an occasional banana skin!
Simon E wrote:
All this.
BOhio, when I’m sitting behind a queue of traffic because there’s no room to get safely past either nearside or offside, every single one of those motorists are in effect doing what you are saying some people on bikes do. Except motorists and their vehicles hold up everyone far more often and at far slower speeds than even a toddler can cycle at, or are you ignorant of the extreme traffic jams that MOTORISTS cause, in every country in the world?
The sad fact is that too many people who ride bikes are basically brught up to think from a young age that cyclists should get out the way, they’re basically motorists with a motorists attitude that happen to ride bikes. the US is one of the worst in the world for cycle safety, not to mention unlawful police action against people riding bikes as they are allowed. The car/motor centric culture is massive in the US, worse than anywhere else.
Have a long hard think as to why your way of thinking is utterly wrong.
BOhio wrote:
Professional-level whataboutery.
Try harder. No – sorry, I meant go and fuck yourself with something enormous.
davel wrote:
Be nice. ‘Tis the season, after all.
CygnusX1 wrote:
He’s incapable. Davel is quite an unpleasant character, like quite a few on this site I might add.
wingmanrob wrote:
Better?
davel wrote:
Poor response, Davel.
BOhio wrote:
You’re right about individual responsibility with litter. If you use it, then you should dispose of it safely.
I just wish motorists did the same with their fuel – instead they just blow it out of their exhaust. Keep it out of my air! At least it doesn’t kill too many people.
HawkinsPeter wrote:
Very much agree. I’ve often thought perhaps the occupants of motor vehicles should breath the product of there exhaust first, pumped into the cabin of the vehicle, it would focus the mind as to where or not they really need to drive.
We live in a pro car culture.
We live in a pro car culture.
The vast majority of drivers rate themselves as better than or far better than average.
Driving around slower road users exposes their poor abilities of observation, planning and overconfidence in their abilities.
This leads to stress and the need to find someone else to be at fault.
A lot of people are surprisingly unpleasant and irrational when under stress, especially when they find themselves in conflict with another person.
Why doesn’t Chanel aka
Why doesn’t Chanel aka @yourroyalthighness just simply ask her other half why men cyclers (sic) shave their legs?
After all, he’s a certain Mr Alex Dowsett.
All those cyclist fly tippers
All those cyclist fly tippers are giving us all a bad name. Especially seeing how many trips some of them must be making to get such large piles of rubbish.
Apparently 6 months cycling
Apparently 6 months cycling helps with cognitive problems.
Doesn’t seem to have worked for Wiggins.
clayfit wrote:
Making fun of Sir Bradders and depression wasn’t funny on the other thread either, you and the others would do well to grow up a bit.
Cyclists shave their legs
Cyclists shave their legs because it makes them look more impressive and intimidating, especially with a sheen of embrocation on them. There is no other reason. It isn’t any more aero (to any realistic level) and it doesn’t allow road rash to heal any faster.