Welcome to a new week on the road.cc live blog with Simon MacMichael, Jack Sexty and the rest of the team.
Live blog: US amateur woman cyclist, 50 gets 4 year doping ban; dog drugged driver who shouted “fu*cking bicyclists” and killed rider gets up to 15 years; teen cyclists pulled of M6; Women’s cycling club appeal after break-in; Brompton Chpt 3 collab +more
Alll today’s news from the site and beyond as we start a new week
Mon, Feb 11, 2019 21:14
SUMMARY
11 February 2019, 21:14
Weekend catch-up: Tory MSP talks nonsense about cycling + more
Conservative MSP argues that a bike could do more damage than a car in a collision
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A Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) who told a Holyrood committee that a bike could do more damage than a car in a collision was put straight by a transport expert who told him he was making “a minor point.”
Dr Adrian Davis told MSP Edward Mountain: “The science is about mass. There is an equation about that. It’s the mass of the vehicle that’s going to do more damage.
“Being hit by an HGV is the one you really don’t want to get hit by because you’ll be dead. I think there is a bit of difference with respect, chair. The mass is most important.”
Click through on the headline for the full story.
Suspended sentence for motorist who doubled back to deliberately drive into cyclist
A driver has been handed a suspended sentence after he deliberately ran down a cyclist near Plymouth. Paul Nodder, aged 37, chased and knocked over Jeff Stevenson after the cyclist remonstrated with him for driving with his head down.
Click through on the headline to read more.
Cyclist frustrated with bus company that lost his complaint about driver who pulled out on him
A Bristol cyclist who was nearly crushed between a bus and a 4×4 has spoken of his frustration after his complaint about the driver who pulled out on him was lost by operator First Bus.
The incident, which happened in Clifton last December, is the latest in a string of incidents involving its buses that have resulted in complaints by cyclists to the company.
11 February 2019, 21:14
Teenage cyclists escorted off the M6 at night
Two teenage cyclists were escorted off the M6 motorway yesterday evening, with the Central Motorway Police Group saying on Twitter that it was “a fatality waiting to happen.”
Two lads aged 19 and 17 stopped cycling home along lane one of the M6 between Stafford and Wolverhampton in the pitch black. This was a fatality waiting to happen! They thought it was safer than to turn round on the entry slip. The mind boggles!
— CMPG (@CMPG) February 10, 2019
11 February 2019, 21:14
Re the cyclists pulled off the M6...
Dummies. Isn’t it strange though that the hard shoulder of a motorway is, rightly, considered unsafe but we paint metre-wide cycle lanes on trunk roads like the A34 and A45 and think ‘job done’.
— Black Country Ste (@CCSteV) 10 February 2019
This commenter has a very fair point, if you’ve ever experienced riding on a dual carriageway…
11 February 2019, 21:14
Human bike lane formed on Glasgow street to highlight safety issues
People of All Ages Formed a Human Bike Lane Today for Safer Cycling on University Avenue https://t.co/dIJXWYck59 pic.twitter.com/qIkc1I9Tcx
— GoBike (@GoBikeGlasgow) February 10, 2019
The protest yesterday on University Avenue, Glasgow involved residents, university staff, students and others to call for segregated cycle lanes to be installed – at the moment it’s simply some painted lines that disappear at the top of the hill. Read more on gobike.org.
11 February 2019, 21:14
Women's charity cycling group "devastated" by theft of bikes appeal for their return
The Liverpool Loopline women’s charity cycling group fell victim to a burglary, with bikes, tools and equipment stolen from their locked container at Norris Green Park in the city. Two brand new Apollo Virtue Bikes were among the items stolen. Club Secretary Helen Ball said: “It is devastating to us. The bikes were so new, not only does it mean women without bikes will no longer be able to participate in our weekly rides, but it is a big confidence blow to the group. For those gaining pace with their cycling, they may re-consider buying a bike for themselves for fear of having it stolen.”
The group was formed in 2017 with financial support from Cycling UK to purchase bikes and grow a women’s cycling community, with members taking advantage of the health and social benefits through cycling with the club. The theft occurred overnight between Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 January, and ayone with potential information can contact Merseyside Police on 0151 709 6010. If you have a bike to donate to the group you can do so through Cycling UK by contacting their press offfice by email at publicity@cyclinguk.org
11 February 2019, 21:14
On the forum: let us know your experiences with considerate drivers!
It’s not all near misses and Ronnie Pickerings out there (in fact these incidents are a minority), as demonstrated by a great forum thread started OldRidgeback… our favourite so far is the driver tailing a cyclist at night because he wasn’t in a hurry and thought the cyclist might like some extra light to guide him through the lanes! Join in with your tales of courtesy here.
11 February 2019, 21:14
Bont Helix and Vaypor S now available in reflective versions
…and lucky for us, the Helix Reflective has just turned up at road.cc HQ. Featuring “the latest in retroreflective technology” according to Bont, their Reflex collection consists of reflective versions of their top-end Helix and Vaypor S road shoes only.
11 February 2019, 21:14
Oregon driver who killed cyclist while high on Xanax prescribed to her dog is convicted of first-degree manslaughter
KTVZ reports that 42-year-old Shantel Witt, who hit and killed cyclist Marika Stone while under the influence of a number of drugs, has been convicted of first-degree manslaughter and will serve up to 15 years in jail after a Deschutes County judge rejected a second-degree manslaughter conviction as Witt’s defence had sought.
The case was unusual as the defence didn’t dispute that Witt’s car had caused the death of 38-year-old Stone, a keen cyclist who won her age category at the Sea Otter Classic in the previous year before the fatal incident in December 2017. They sought a second-degree manslaughter charge because they disputed that Witt had shown a shown an “extreme indifference to the value of human life”, the definition of first-degree manslaughter in the state of Oregon; however two friends of Stone who were riding with her on the day provided witness statements to the contrary saying that Witt had shown no remorse for what she had just done. It’s reported she was angry at the “the fu**ing bicyclists” and also saying “this is bulls**t”.
Witt was found to have nearly a dozen prescription drugs in her system following the crash, several without a prescription including the Xanax which had been prescribed for her dog. Several witnesses testified she’d slurred her words, spoke slowly and appeared to be drunk. Witt would have faced a maximum of ten years for second-degree manslaughter, but now faces up to 15 for first-degree manslaughter plus several other misdemeanour charges, including DUII-drugs, two counts of recklessly endangering and possession of oxycodone and other drugs.
11 February 2019, 21:14
This should help to deter near misses...
Bike meets something… amazing. No idea what but it was impressive. #tallbike #bike #NewOrleans #nola pic.twitter.com/fOtY6ENz86
— Mikael Colville-Andersen (@colvilleandersn) February 11, 2019
11 February 2019, 21:14
Nailed it...
…or should that be screwed over? Anyhow check out the fourth photo in this gallery for possibly the most unfortunate puncture we’ve seen in recent times, from a CX race in West Sussex!
11 February 2019, 21:14
Chpt3 launch updated signature Brompton
The new version costs £1,990 in the UK and is limited to a run of 1,000 bikes. Improvements include a fabric scoop saddle, 6 speed gearing on all bikes, new Schwalbe One 35mm tyres and Fabric slim dual texture kraton rubber grips. They can be ordered online on the Brompton X CHPT3 landing page now, click here for more info.
11 February 2019, 21:14
US amateur female cyclist, 50, banned for 4 years for doping
A 50-year-old amateur cyclist in the United States has been banned for four years after testing positive for an androgenic-anabolic steroid at the Capital City Cycling Classic in Michigan.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency said that Jennifer Pate, of Birmingham, Alabama had accepted the suspension, which resulted from a urine sample collected on 11 August last year, the day of the competition.
USADA CEO Travois Tygart said: “Regardless of the competition level, athletes deserve to be on the starting line knowing that their competitors are free of powerful performance-enhancing substances that can impact the results of races they have worked hard to prepare for.
“USA Cycling’s RaceClean initiative and others like it are giving athletes the knowledge and tools they need to compete clean, while also ensuring that those who choose to use performance-enhancing substances to get an edge are held accountable,” he added.
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Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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Latest Comments
GravelIsNothingNew 35 minutes ago
The Velcro tabs on the Pro Discover saddlebag are useless, no wonder it’s only 10 quid.
Midgex 40 minutes ago
@jackcycles One should be informed by speed limits, not ignore them. Nevertheless, the limits per se are applied to motorised vehicles, and not to pedestrians, horses, or cyclists, and initially for the most obvious of reasons.
Midgex 43 minutes ago
@Ben Graham It is about energy, and to a degree momentum. Kinetic energy is m*vv/2 so yes, a cyclist and bicycle (say 100kg) at 40kph has noticeably more energy than one at 31kph (50 times 40*40 vs 32*32) a driver and car at say 2000kg firstly has vastly more energy than the faster cyclist, and secondly the increase in energy of the car from 32 to 40kph is also a lot more significant. One might think about frontal width and so on as well, but mostly consider the differences in energy involved. Actually, specifying the limit in terms of energy might have a salutary effect on Range Rovers and suchlike.
oneillcp 2 hours ago
There is zero moral equivalency between a speeding driver and speeding cyclist. The capacity for harm and the likelihood of causing harm is so much greater for the driver, and this is bourne out in the statistics. 1,700 dead every year and 30,000 seriously injured; a tiny fraction of which can be blamed on cyclists not following rules.
Ben Graham 2 hours ago
I feel all cyclists need to grow up on this issue. Cyclists cannot claim that 20 limits save lives, and in the same breath they don't apply. Morally they do. The legal position is a little greyer. Speed enforcement doesn't work the same way, and it requires a Police Officer to make a non-endorsable charge where speed may be a factor. Highway Code rule 69 is quite explicit - obey all traffic signs and road markings - all though of course this is simply a statement not the actual law and there are other errors in the Highway Code too (MUST stop at an advanced stop line on amber for example). We need other road users to respect and look out for cyclists and pedestrians, and all following the rule book and looking out for one another is all part of this.
belugabob 3 hours ago
Not only does this seem to be an inadequate amount, it's a one off token gesture that ignores the need for a constant program of updates and improvements that will start to redress the 50 year head-start that the Netherlands have on us.
belugabob 3 hours ago
Those who complain about the cost of these measures should simply Google "cost of road traffic collisions" and work out how long the ROI takes (and then add in the safety benefits)
chrisonabike 4 hours ago
Wouldn't giving them legitimate arrangements ... legitimise them though? If you're representing a party that holds there's a war on drivers, major "green climate scams", too much petty bureaucracy stopping people going about their lives etc ... then doesn't it stand to reason that encouraging cyclists to get in the way of drivers cannot be part of the solution? Or even encouraging them at all - as if not on the roads won't they endanger pedestrians by going far too fast? Or when their bikes spontaneously combust? (I know there *are* a few Reform councillors who appear to have quietly ignored some of the company's - er, i mean organisation's - core policies).
chrisonabike 4 hours ago
@mdavidford digital gong farmer?
5 thoughts on “Live blog: US amateur woman cyclist, 50 gets 4 year doping ban; dog drugged driver who shouted “fu*cking bicyclists” and killed rider gets up to 15 years; teen cyclists pulled of M6; Women’s cycling club appeal after break-in; Brompton Chpt 3 collab +more”
Why didn’t the teenagers on
Why didn’t the teenagers on the M6 just walk back on the grass the otherside of the barrier? It must have been obvious after a very short interval that it was a motorway.
hirsute wrote:
They’re teenagers.
Ronnie Pickering – never
Ronnie Pickering – never heard of him.
People predictably get
People predictably get hysterical about cyclists on the hard shoulder of a motorway. I haven’t done in the UK because it is illegal but I have done it in Montana, Idaho, Utah and Colorado and riding on a 10ft wide “cycle lane” well away from traffic always felt a lot safer than many single and dual carriageways that I normally have to use. I don’t think it is just the traffic volumes on motorways that make it unthinkable but more the attitude of drivers.
Dingaling wrote:
Huh? It isn’t a case of being hysterical, it’s just plan common sense. 70MPH+, heavy flow, auto pilot mentality, debris, and the point of the hard shoulder is it is somewhere to breakdown in/emergency vehicles etc. Drivers aren’t looking out for a cyclist and nor should they be. Yep, many dual and single carriage ways aren’t much better but in most cases a cyclist can avoid them if they so choose.