Live blog: Legs In or Out this weekend? - poll; Driver who hit cyclist may get away with sarcastic victim-blaming "apology" letter; CS9 plans involve *adding* a motor traffic lane to Kew Bridge; Cool Silk Road docu, new Brooks saddle; Sick Sidis + more

For everyone who was wondering what made him so angry, here's Bernie Shrosbree's version of events.

As ever on a Friday road.cc asks the burning question of the hour - today it's all about the weather and depending on which option you choose could - theoretically at least - results in actual burning or as we like to call it mild tan lines. 

Suitable for 7-9mm saddle rails, the innovative mudguard can also incorporate almost any standard rear light with an adapter. You can split it into 3 pieces: the universal light adapter, the saddle rail clamp and the mudguard, and all the parts are made from the high-end polymer POM. The mudguard can be installed and removed in seconds to and from the adapter. If you want the light above the mudguard (pictured) that’s also possible thanks to the extra mount option, and there’s also an optional GoGro adapter. It's priced at €22,95 head over to closethegap.cc for more info and buying options.

Bicycling.com reports on a case from New York where a driver who hit 10-year-old cyclist Julian Moore was ordered by a judge to write an apology letter as punishment.

Quite apart from the fact that there ain’t no apology like a mandatory apology – and also setting aside the fact that this isn’t exactly the harshest punishment in the world – Doug Lamb didn’t even manage to complete this straightforward task satisfactorily.

“Dear Julian,” he wrote. “I’m very sorry that you rode into the side of the car I was driving on Friday, September 7. More importantly, I am glad you didn’t need to be treated by the attending ambulance on the day of the incident. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season.”

The family were infuriated and a hearing was scheduled for February 14 to determine whether Lamb had made a good-faith effort to abide by his court-ordered punishment.

He was away in Florida that day and the hearing was first postponed and then abandoned. Unless the case is reopened, that’ll be the end of it.

When the family chased this up, the District Attorney asked whether another apology letter would bring the matter to a close.

The family wanted Lamb to do community service, but he said he couldn’t because of his age and health. The judge agreed with him – even though he’d just played a round of golf when he hit Moore.

@roadcc - https://t.co/Z7A8cv8kNI

— Darren Mcleod (@DarrenMcleod007) February 22, 2019

Maria and Katie Moore completed the challenge last weekend, which saw them ride over 80km a day across the Andes, with elevation totalling over 4,600 metres. 

Maria and Katie, owners of the Isle of Wight-based companies Quay Management and Cowes Cycling, took on the challenge to raise funds for the Genesis Research Trust, a child-based charity led by Prof Robert Winston which is the largest collaboration of reproductive health researchers in the UK. They've raised nearly £8,700 at the time of writing, link to the JustGiving page is here. 

Bringing the disco to the pro peloton @estecharu from Colombia! @MitcheltonSCOTT pic.twitter.com/UCbue9CIGO

— UCI (@UCI_cycling) February 21, 2019

What do you reckon to these loud and proud custom Sidi kicks currently being rocked by Esteban Chavez? 

Wild Horses, The Silk Road Mountain Race documentary. from PEdALED on Vimeo.

Watch some of the trials and tribulations riders go through on this unsupported epic over the Silk Route...

Team Sky say that Ben Swift was out training with Geraint Thomas on Wednesday morning when he clipped a rock whilst descending, causing him to crash. (He's back with the team after a couple of years away.)

There was an injury to his spleen that caused bleeding, but the bleeding has now stopped. A procedure was performed on Wednesday afternoon to reduce the risks of the bleeding starting again. He'll remain in close observation for the next few days.

Thanks for the well wishes. I am still in intensive care at the moment. But hopefully move onto a normal ward tomorrow. They have stopped the bleed in the spleen. But just need to keep monitoring it. Along with that I have facial wounds and road rash.

— Ben Swift (@swiftybswift) February 21, 2019

Tom Bowden points out that Transport for London’s (TfL) CS9 plans (which you can find here) involve halving the permitted space for cycling on Kew Bridge to just one of the pavements, shared with a bus stop.

Tom said: “TfL are now proposing to try and squeeze four lanes of motor traffic (instead of three) onto Kew Bridge. They are going to do this by cutting back the pavement on the east side of Kew Bridge, and banning cycling here (it is currently shared space).

“Instead, they claim they are going to widen the pavement on the west side (though it is hard to see how they can do this and fit the extra traffic lane), and require cyclists to cross the road twice to use this facility.

“Currently, the wider single lane heading south towards Kew from Brentford allows some safer space for on-road cycling. This will go if two lanes of motor traffic are being crammed in. TfL appear to have no plans to move the bus stop shelters which already take up a lot of each pavement.

“This looks like an attempt to remove space for cycling, and make conditions less convenient for cyclists and people on foot, in favour of allowing yet more capacity for motor vehicles – and using cycle funding for this purpose.”

The consultation closes on February 26. You can have your say here.