Welcome to your midweek live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and contributions from the rest of the road.cc team.
Live blog: Ex -transport secretary swaps car for bike and wins bet, Sky’s new owners Comcast to continue to finance Team Sky till 2021?, campaign to let school run parents use bus lanes, BBC Bristol commuter race highlights cycling infra need + more
Putney MP Justine Greening’s colleagues didn’t think she’d stick to two wheels through Christmas – she proved them wrong
Wed, Jan 09, 2019 17:13
SUMMARY
9 January 2019, 17:13
Answers on a virtual postcard...
Why does a cycle hoop need a consultation but a super charger for e-car just gets to go ahead?
— Sean (@seanlondonandon) January 8, 2019
9 January 2019, 17:13
This is how the Danes attend a sustainable transport summit
Mit dem #Fahrrad unterwegs zum Neujahrsempfang
beim Bundespräsidenten @vanderbellen. Wir freuen uns über gute Möglichkeiten für #Radfahren in #Wien. Die nachhaltige Mobilität fordert #Gesundheit und #Klimaschutz pic.twitter.com/c6P2PCUnCG— Denmark in Austria (@Denmark_in_AT) January 8, 2019
The pair in the photo are from the Danish embassy in Vienna, and are on their way to a meeting with Austrian federal president Alexander Van der Bellen about climate protection and sustainable transport. Of course like most Copenhageners they go by bike which shouldn’t be surprising, but it’s quite an ironic juxtaposition that the Portuguese contingent behind them have chosen to arrive in a pretty sizeable wagon…
9 January 2019, 17:13
"Let parents on the school run use the bus lane", says Plymouth campaign
There are so many things wrong here we don’t know where to begin, but we’ll attempt to summarise – an article on the Plymouth Herald’s website Plymouth Live is ‘reporting’ that a car leasing company, fittingly called LeaseCar, have started a campaign calling for parents on the school run to be allowed to use bus lanes. They say it could ease congestion and “save hours” for mums and dads by allowing them to skip the morning rush hour: “families who must promptly arrive at school before work often get held up on congested British roads and need help to avoid lateness. Allowing parents to make use of quiet bus lanes would save them valuable time and help sleep deprived pupils cope with annually increasing educational pressure. A quicker journey to school should mean children have more time at home to spend on homework and extracurricular activities, with the family and resting.”
If you live in a city or have common sense, you may also be thinking that allowing parents on to bus lanes may simply… clog up bus lanes, thus making it slower for buses carrying lots of people more efficiently to make their journeys, and also make it more dangerous for cyclists who are legally permitted to use bus lanes in the UK.
While local news website comment sections aren’t usually renowned for being favourable towards cycling and sustainable transport, the 26 comments and counting on Plymouth Live so far appear to be overwhelmingly against the campaign as well. The idea of safer streets so kids can cycle to school instead is suggested, and it’s also mentioned that it would be extremely difficult to police.
What’s all the more odd is how the article appears on Plymouth Live (link here ICYMI) – author Max Channon hasn’t used quotation marks after the brief intro outlining LeaseCar’s cunning plan, so the text reads like a piece of Plymouth Live’s own editorial… is this a strange misguided advert that Plymouth Live have failed to label as such? Do Plymouth Live actually just think this is a good idea? Would you share a bus lane with lots of people carriers taking their little cherubs to school?? We’re confused, it’s all confusing, we don’t know what’s going on!
*We can’t find an original source of the campaign and there’s nothing about it on LeaseCar’s website… however Plymouth Live are currently running a poll asking if we think parents should be able to use bus lanes, which is probably the best way to voice your displeasure at the moment.
9 January 2019, 17:13
Racing Belgian Cyclocross in the Dark...
If you thought that a top-level cyclocross race in Belgium was hard enough, why not take away the natural light?
Follow British under 23 racer Cameron Mason through the elite race.
9 January 2019, 17:13
School run bus lanegate... poll 90% against
The Plymouth Live poll is currently dead against the novel idea of letting parents use/clog up bus lanes to take their kids to school… and you lot appear to agree.
9 January 2019, 17:13
Keynsham to Bristol quickest by bike but "no victory", says BBC radio reporter
I “won.” But it’s not a victory really. The cycle was pretty unpleasant. HUGE challenge for our local/national leaders persuading people to ditch cars for a bike. People won’t unless they feel safe…. https://t.co/DH2mlvuE28
— Pete Simson (@SimsonPete) January 8, 2019
Some of us in the office have rode this route and agree it’s terrifying.
9 January 2019, 17:13
Team Sky could continue until 2021 with funding from Comcast, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports Sky/Comcast have committed to fund “70% of the team’s budget”* for 2020-21 to help Team Sky continue while a replacement owner/sponsor is found
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) January 9, 2019
The Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport reported in their newspaper today that Comcast, who recently paid £30 billion for Sky, will continue funding the cycling team that bears its name through 2020-21. It’s thought that they’ve guaranteed up to 70% of the financing to Dave Brailsford, and the rest of the money would need to be raised from other sponsors.
Last month Sky announced they will end sponsorship of the cycling team at the end of the 2019 season, piling pressure on Brailsford and co to find new financial backers to keep the team going – we’ll be following this to see if the reports are true over the coming days.
9 January 2019, 17:13
Gore launch Gore-Tex Infinum Stretch Gloves, made using 3D technology
Gore say these new gloves imitate the natural shape of the hand due to the manufacturing process, being shapep by placing them over artificial hands and exposing them to heat in a special oven. They say the process uses 30% fewer seams and less material while producing a substantially improved grip. the Infinium material is windproof and water repellent, and are described as “the ideal multifunctional gloves for outdoor activities as well as sports like running and cycling.” The price is £39.99 and they’re available to buy on Gore’s website now.
9 January 2019, 17:13
FSA's new ACR system is coming soon
FSA/Vision’s new ACR System is a fully integrated aero cable routing
solution that houses all cables, wires and hoses internally for a super clean look. The core of the system is built around the headset and an integrated cockpit, and by using standard headset dimensions, FSA say the system maintains strength. By routing cables through the headset, it also safely preserves a round steering column that is free of drilling, and brands can utilise a single frame design at a variety of spec levels just by adjusting cockpit and headset selection. We’ve got it on a brand spanking new Bianchi Oltre XR4 Disc that will be reviewed on the site soon, so stay tuned…
9 January 2019, 17:13
Former transport secretary wins bet after giving up car for bicycle
Justine Greening, who served as transport secretary under David Cameron in 2011-12, has won a bet with her colleagues after ditching her car for a bicycle last year and making good on her pledge to keep riding through to beyond Christmas.
The Conservative MP for Putney tweeted about her change in mode of transport back in September.
As a long time car owner, I’ve surprised myself by swapping my polluting car for a bike. I’ll see how it goes but so far, so good! The office has a sweepstake that I’ll not last till Christmas….I reckon they’ll be buying me the drinks! #carfree #DVLArefund pic.twitter.com/1yitqJDNhl
— Justine Greening (@JustineGreening) September 14, 2018
On New Year’s Eve, she was back on Twitter to confirm she had won the bet – and encouraged others to follow her example.
2018 Bike Update: So I made it to the end of the year happily still a cyclist, confounding our summer office sweepstake that I wouldn’t last – I did! I don’t miss my car, definitely feel fitter, and I’d recommend giving it a go! #carfree #Putney pic.twitter.com/oEftzhsDw3
— Justine Greening (@JustineGreening) December 31, 2018
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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
OnYerBike 3 minutes ago
@Paul J As I understand it, the sale did include the IP for the dhb brand, and I think Frasers/Evans claimed to have been planning to keep the brand going. That said, there's no reason to think that the brand has/will retain the quality or value credentials it was formerly known for - I don't believe any staff were retained, nor any obligation to retain or restore relationships with the suppliers that had previously manufactured dhb-branded kit. Far more likely dhb becomes another "brand" plastered across the cheap tat that is the hallmark of the Frasers empire. I note the dhb website you link to doesn't appear to have been updated since February 2024 (based on Wayback Machine archives).
panda 27 minutes ago
@Rendel Harris I think it says a lot about the previous two days that not many guys chose to race for the sake of racing. If the win is prestigious (like Paris) and/or the previous stages haven’t been so brutal then more teams and riders will choose to race. It’s a shame because Paris the last couple of years has been great and I can see what they were thinking! Few minor tweaks and I think it works. I’m also from a generation where an organiser could just say “the course is safe, if you want your prize money, race. No tears” and it would have happened unless Hinault didn’t fancy it. Which he would’ve. I could also see a situation where a GC contender wants to work for one of their team-mates who has worked for them for three weeks so a GC cordially agreed truce wouldn’t be possible, but how big would the time gaps be, anyway?
danhopgood 2 hours ago
It's long past the time when there should be meaningful enforcement of illegal ebikes and escooters. Utterly ridiculuous to be able to go to a high street shop like Curry's and buy an escooter that's illegal to use in a public place. The "illegal to use in a public place" stuff should just be banned from sale completeley and enforcement action taken. There's issues across the board. Amazon selling tons of stuff that just doesn't comply with safety standards. In the good old days there were a properly resourced trading standards departments within local authorities. I say bring 'em back, funded by prosecutions and fines from those who make a profit from dangerous kit. Do that, and there'll be no need for folks like Network Rail to be faced with an impossible dilemma whether to allow a free for all and risk a fatal fire, or ban legitimate users that may need their ebike for basic transport.
the little onion 3 hours ago
Although van Schip has been a victim of the UCI's pettiness and retrospective application of the rules, I think this is a step towards Making Cycling Aesthetically Pleasing Again. Really, pro-cycling isn't about winning races, it's about looking fantastic. I only hope that the World Champs are won by cyclists who have a commitment to plastering rainbow bands on absolutely every bit of their kit.
Rendel Harris 3 hours ago
It's a shame that the final day neutralisation has distracted from the fact that this was one of the best GTs in quite a while, with all the jerseys in play right up to the penultimate day. It's certainly ridiculous to leave the decision on neutralisation until the evening before the stage but more generally, why not? It's only really a variation on the sprint safety zone, after all, and the final stages have effectively been neutralised (when they are not time trials) for a long time with the GC teams staying in touch until the safety zone and then letting the sprinters go. It was a great finish despite, or maybe because of, the neutralisation and it was rather nice for the winner's team to be able to ride in behind the peloton so that all the fans got a good look at them and could show their appreciation of the winner. If we want the excitement of narrow climbing finishes on the last day (as opposed to the, frankly, tedium of watching the peleton power up and down the Champs eight times) then it makes sense to arrange matters so that those who want the stage win can give us some thrilling racing without being encumbered by all the GC teams being forced to crowd the front. Everyone saying "God almighty, it's disgusting they've just decided not to race" is ignoring the fact that there are many times in a GT when the majority of teams will decide not to race, when they let a breakaway go, when the sprint teams are given free rein et cetera. The only thing I would disagree with was the removal of the final points at the finish, if the green jersey had still been in play that would have been unfair on the second placed rider. However, apart from tweaking that I thought it worked well and quite possibly gave us a more exciting finish than we would've had without the neutralisation.
james-o 5 hours ago
@mjvande@pacbell.net Mike Vandeman, is that you?! https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/biking/trial-mike-vandeman/
eburtthebike 6 hours ago
@No Reply I had the same problem, but it seems to be sorted now.
eburtthebike 6 hours ago
@No Reply I had the same problem, but it seems to be sorted now.
tomlew 10 hours ago
@JMcWatt This may well be true. Nothing drives me crazy more than cosmetic updates and facelifts that don't really bring any new value about. Maybe they do attract new customers, but also discourage existing ones. I was never a regular customer of CRC, but if I had been, I would surely have been mad seeing confusing changes. If I don't understand the website and have to re-learn the process anyway, why not switch to another shop?
JMcWatt 11 hours ago
It was such a small things that brought about the ruination of CRC, one decision made by the owners and management. In 2013 the decision was made to redesign the website, this change was the beginning of the end for CRC. They replaced a proven platform that had helped turn a Northern Irish bike shop into the world’s biggest online cycling retailer with a more complex system that never delivered the same growth. Sales momentum stalled, Wiggle overtook them, and within three years CRC was being bought by the rival it had once outperformed. This was very much the strategic mistake that broke the growth engine.
10 thoughts on “Live blog: Ex -transport secretary swaps car for bike and wins bet, Sky’s new owners Comcast to continue to finance Team Sky till 2021?, campaign to let school run parents use bus lanes, BBC Bristol commuter race highlights cycling infra need + more”
Wow! In this day and age, it
Wow! In this day and age, it is quite sobering to find that dinosaurs really do exist.
Some good news though, as the poll is currently 91% against.
I’m going to move to Plymouth
I’m going to move to Plymouth where there is a bus lane outside every house and school.
Great idea. Even better,
Great idea. Even better, what is needed is a number of large multi-occupancy vehicles that could travel in the bus lanes, for which users would be charged a modest fee. If only there were such a thing, people could be encouraged to use these, then there would be less congestion.
What a brilliant idea. Come
What a brilliant idea. Come up with something batshit mental which is clearly nonsense, but you can claim is well intentioned, but will get the red tops talking in some way. Claim it as a brilliant idea. Talk to a local journalist under your company’s name. Free advertising on national news!
As if the average motorist
As if the average motorist doesn’t already have an overblown sense of entitlement, we now have a sub-section of motorists who have an even greater sense of entitlement!
They’ll be wanting flashing lights and sirens next.
Reading the replies below the
Reading the replies below the Danish Embassy’s tweet, it looks like one of the cyclists is Leigh Turner, the British Ambassador to Austria. This would also partly explain the kilt!
jamesfifield wrote:
Yep. The British Embassy in Vienna also has a small pool of bikes for staff to borrow to get to meetings. But those bar ends though….
How about the novel idea of
How about the novel idea of putting the kids on the buses instead?
On the tweet about planning
On the tweet about planning consultations/planning for cycle parking vs e-car chargers, I like the twittery reply that says:
Kind of sums our government’s real attitude toward allocation of road space correctly, I think.
Well done Justine Greening.
Well done Justine Greening.